Cypress Ranch defensive lineman Amari Vickerson, left, celebrates a King penalty during the first half of a high school football game, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Cypress.
Eric Christian Smith/Contributor
The race for district championships is heating up across the Houston area, with several unbeaten teams facing major tests this week. North Shore and Summer Creek renew their rivalry in a rematch of last year’s stunning upset, while Fulshear and Cypress Ranch meet for the first time with plenty at stake in District 23-6A. Westfield and Nimitz also collide in a battle for first place, and Waltrip, Northbrook, Tompkins and Jordan all remain in the mix for important playoff positioning. Here are five games to keep an eye on.
Fulshear (5-0, 2-0) at Cypress Ranch (4-1, 1-1)
When/where: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Pridgeon Stadium
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What to know: Midway through the season, Fulshear finds itself in a familiar position — firmly in the race for a district championship. The Chargers won three straight league titles from 2022-24 and were one ridiculous Johnny Hebert performance away from capturing another last season. Fulshear is one of two teams still unbeaten in the District 23-6A standings, alongside Bridgeland, and has outscored its opponents 201-50 through five games. The Chargers are coming off a 38-0 victory against Foster, a game in which junior running back Jayelen Collins rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries. Fulshear has won all five of its games by double-digits while rushing for 224 yards per outing and recording two shutouts.
Cypress Ranch will present the Chargers with perhaps their toughest test to date. Once a top-10 state-ranked team early in the season after a walk-off win against C.E. King, the Mustangs started 3-0 before suffering their first loss to Bridgeland a couple weeks ago. Cy Ranch bounced back last week, rolling to a 56-10 victory against George Ranch, a game in which senior quarterback Braden Baker completed 7-of-8 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Baker, a three-star University of Houston commit, is averaging 9.9 yards per attempt and completing 68.6% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
This is the first meeting between these programs, and there’s plenty on the line for both.
Poorman’s prediction: Cy Ranch 28, Fulshear 24
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Nimitz (3-2, 2-0) at Westfield (3-2, 2-0)
When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Planet Ford Stadium
What to know: Westfield has garnered plenty of attention for its defense, and rightfully so. The Mustangs have produced one of the best units in the Houston area this season, and they have talent in spades on that side of the ball. Westfield is allowing just 6.2 points per game and surrendered just 15 combined points in its two losses against Randle and Willis. The Mustangs have been dominant in District 14-6A, beating Eisenhower and Spring by a combined score of 89-6. Westfield allowed just 17 total yards against Spring last week (minus-5 rushing, 22 passing). Three-star Arizona commit Davon Smith led the efforts in that contest with nine total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
Nimitz, which earned a three-way share of the district title last season alongside Westfield and Aldine Davis, enters this matchup on a two-game winning streak. The Cougars took care of business with a 61-0 win over Aldine to kick off district play and earned a 31-14 victory against Dekaney last week. Looking for its sixth consecutive playoff berth — and fifth straight under head coach Cornelius Harmon — Nimitz put together a tough non-district schedule to prepare for the stretch run. The Cougars’ only two losses this season came against Barbers Hill and Cypress Ranch, which have a 10-1 combined record.
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Westfield leads this series 10-0 since 2016, including a 42-27 victory last season.
Poorman’s prediction: Westfield 21, Nimitz 13
North Shore (6-0, 3-0) at Summer Creek (4-2, 3-0)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday, Turner Stadium
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What to know: North Shore, the state’s No. 2-ranked team, has been dominant through three district games, outscoring Crosby, Atascocita and Humble 134-0. The Mustangs have four shutouts this season and are allowing just 6.3 points per game despite bringing back only four defensive starters from last year’s state championship team. Senior quarterback JaVoris Taylor, meanwhile, has been leading the way for the Mustangs’ offense, taking care of business behind one of the most talented offensive lines in the Houston area. North Shore has won 12 consecutive games dating back to the 2025 regular season and is looking once again like one of the favorites to come out Region III in the Class 6A Division I bracket.
Summer Creek started the season 1-2 after suffering losses on the road against Shadow Creek and No. 3 state-ranked North Crowley. But, like North Shore, the Bulldogs have been lights-out in District 17-6A play with blowout wins over Channelview, Humble and Kingwood. The defense delivered a strong performance last week, holding Kingwood to 117 total yards and just 2.5 yards per play. The unit also had six tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception by Jakoby Robinson and a blocked punt by Savion James. The Summer Creek offense is always a threat with three-star quarterback Noah Spinks and four-star receiver Benny Easter Jr., and fellow senior Tre Brown has posted back-to-back 100-yard receiving games.
North Shore led this series 8-0 before Summer Creek earned a 27-0 victory last season, which ended the Mustangs’ 57-game district winning streak.
Poorman’s prediction: North Shore 27, Summer Creek 17
Waltrip (5-1, 4-0) at Northbrook (4-1, 3-0)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday, Tully Stadium
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What to know: Waltrip is looking for its fifth consecutive playoff berth, and a win here would move the Rams even closer to making that a reality. But they are also still alive to win the district title, which hasn’t been accomplished by the program since 2017. Waltrip has won four consecutive games since suffering its only loss of the season against Stafford. The Rams cruised to District 10-5A Division I wins over Sam Houston, Sharpstown and Chavez before pulling out a 33-30 victory against Westbury. Waltrip scored 21 points in a critical third quarter to get the job done there, and quarterback Jimmy Haren accounted for 328 yards and four total touchdowns. Haren is averaging 224.5 yards per game with 20 total touchdowns.
Northbrook has taken significant strides after going 1-9 last season and has a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in program history with a strong finish. The Raiders already have their highest win total since 1997 under head coach Demond Stafford, despite their Sept. 26 game against Westbury being ruled a forfeit as the Huskies mourned the murder of teammate LePaul Warren. Northbrook suffered the only loss of its season in Week 1 against Pasadena. In their most recent game, a 34-0 win over Chavez on Sept. 18, Raiders quarterback Guillermo Macias accounted for four touchdowns, including three on the ground as the team rushed for 243 yards at 5.7 yards per attempt.
Waltrip leads this series 3-2 since 2006, including three straight. This will be the teams’ first meeting since 2011 when the Rams won 39-13.
Poorman’s prediction: Waltrip 33, Northbrook 20
Tompkins (2-3, 2-1) Jordan (4-1, 3-1)
When/where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Rhodes Stadium
What to know: After opening District 22-6A action with a lopsided loss to No. 5 state-ranked Katy, Tompkins has gotten back on track with decisive wins over Katy Taylor and Mayde Creek. The Falcons rushed for 346 yards at 8 yards per attempt against Mayde Creek two weeks ago. Senior Ethan Meadows was the catalyst in that contest, rushing for 199 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, and quarterback J.P. Vaclavik accounted for four touchdowns of his own (two rushing, two passing). Meadows has piled up more than 3,400 total yards during his career and is averaging 163 all-purpose yards per game this year.
Jordan, which also suffered its lone loss in a blowout against Katy, has been dominant otherwise. The Warriors have earned their four wins with an average margin of victory of 29 points. Jordan is riding a two-game winning streak after also beating Katy Taylor and Mayde Creek. Quarterback Thomas Eugate had a big game against Mayde Creek last week, accounting for 409 yards and five total touchdowns. Three-star N.C. State commit Landon Williams leads the receiving corps at 18.8 yards per catch with four touchdowns this season, while Rush Williams and Mo Poko have also been reliable playmakers in the passing game.
Poorman’s prediction: Jordan 31, Tompkins 28
Poorman’s predictions
✅ Klein Collins over Klein Cain
✅ The Woodlands over College Park
❌ Episcopal over Kinkaid
✅ Pearland over Manvel
✅ Yates over Wheatley