District 17-6A Breakdown: North Shore, Summer Creek, Atascocita & Cy-King

Two state finalists. One district. And a meat grinder that has gone by several names — 23-6A, 21-6A, and now District 17-6A — as its core programs have bounced through UIL realignment cycles while remaining among the most formidable collections of talent in Class 6A.

Dave Campbell's Texas High School Football analyst Matt Step joined the show to break down what he called a top-two or top-three district in all of 6A, anchored by defending state champion North Shore on the east side of Houston. Coach Willie Garcia's Mustangs started the 2024 season slowly enough that Step famously dropped them from the state rankings — a decision that didn't sit well in Galena Park ISD — but North Shore was standing at the top of the mountain in Week 16 with a state title. Head coach Gaston, who took heat in his first two seasons, had evaluated a 2024 semifinal loss to Westlake and made the necessary corrections.

Atascocita enters 2025 with a new voice on the sideline in Kyle Koach, the former College Park head coach and Dave Campbell's Coach of the Year. Koach brings his defensive coordinator from College Park with him, and he has the personnel to make an immediate impact — nine starters return on defense, including Division I defensive line prospects Jason Johnson and David Dotson. Step was on campus Tuesday and said both players pass the eyeball test without hesitation.

Summer Creek remains one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the state. Playmakers Bennie Easter, Trey Brown, and Trent Thomas headline a skill group that torched North Shore 27-0 in Week 11 last year. The Bulldogs' two losses in 2024 both came against Cy-King — a matchup problem they simply couldn't solve — but outside of that, they were as good as anyone in Texas.

Cy-King, meanwhile, reached the state championship game in its first season under head coach Relax, a remarkable run built on speed and a young defensive line that played significant snaps as sophomores. Those players are now juniors with playoff experience and an extra six weeks of high-level football under their belts. Dylan Mitchell leads a group of playmakers that Step expects to contend again in 2025.

Humble and Crosby round out the district. Crosby moves up from 5A after making the playoffs, though a new head coach adds uncertainty to their transition. Humble, under Robert Murphy, is a program Step believes would compete for district titles in most other districts — they're simply caught in the wrong bracket. Turner Stadium figures to host several of the most compelling games in the Houston area this fall as these programs rotate through.