Football powerhouse North Shore proved state championship teams can be good sports, too, as the Mustangs won the Class 6A high school football sportsmanship award for Greater Houston on Wednesday. The Touchdown Club of Houston gives the award, which is voted on by area high school referees. Following the Mustangs were HISD schools, which captured five out of the eight places in the awards gala.
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"I want to thank the Touchdown Club for the things they do for kids," said North Shore coach Jon Kay. "We are grateful to receive this award. I don't think there is anything like this (sportsmanship awards) anywhere else in the country."
TD Club executive director Neal Farmer said the sportsmanship awards have blossomed into something special in Greater Houston, as good sportsmanship can be practice by any team in the area – and schools are now be rewarded for it. "We celebrate what is right with high school football," Farmer said. The Comerica Bank Sportsmanship Award, presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, began in 2006. Referees in the Texas Association of Sports Officials, Houston football chapter, rank each team they cover each week on a point system. That point system includes actions of the players and coaches, actions in the stands, respect for the American flag, and number of unsportsmanlike penalties and personal fouls.
HISD swept the Class 5A classification, marking the first time in the history of the award that a district has done that. Milby won first place, Wisdom was named second, and Sterling Aviation took third. Westside joined its HISD brethren in the winner's circle, as the Wolves were named third place in Class 6A. Cypress Ranch won second place. In the Private School-Class 4A Division, Scarborough was named the winner, with Episcopal coming in second. Mimicking the number of area schools in each classification, Class 6A and Class 5A have 15 finalists for the award in their classifications, with winning schools being awarded first, second and third places. Private Schools and Class 4A have 10 finalists with first and second place finishes.
SPORTSMANSHIP WINNERS
Awarded in 2021 for the 2020 high school football season
CLASS 6A
First – North Shore
Second – Cypress Ranch
Third – Westside
CLASS 5A
First -- Milby
Second -- Wisdom
Third -- Houston Sterling
PRIVATE SCHOOLS-CLASS 4A
First -- Scarborough
Second -- Episcopal
2021 FINALISTSCLASS 6A SPORTSMANSHIP FINALISTS – Bridgeland, Clear Creek, Cypress-Fairbanks, Cypress Lakes, Cypress Ranch, Dekaney, Deer Park, Dickinson, North Shore, Northbrook, Oak Ridge, Spring Woods, Tompkins, Westside and The Woodlands
CLASS 5A SPORTSMANSHIP FINALISTS – Friendswood, Galena Park, Hightower, Kempner, Kingwood Park, Milby, Northside, Paetow, Thurgood Marshall, Sterling-Baytown, Sterling Aviation-HISD, Terry, Waltrip, Willowridge and Wisdom.
CLASS 4A-PRIVATE SCHOOLS SPORTSMANSHIP FINALISTS – Concordia Lutheran, Cypress Christian, Episcopal, First Baptist-Pasadena, Furr, Houston Christian, Scarborough, Woodlands Christian, Booker T. Washington and Yates.
PREVIOUS SPORTSMANSHIP WINNERS
2006 - Klein, only award given
2007 - Scarborough, only award given
2008 - Deer Park, only award given
2009 - Atascocita, only award given
2010 - Class 6A: Seven Lakes, first; Dobie, second; Cinco Ranch, third - Class 5A/Private Schools: Second Baptist, only award given
2011 - Class 6A: Pasadena Memorial, first; Dickinson, second; Memorial, third - Class 5A: Magnolia, first; New Caney, second; Northbrook, third - Class 4A/Private Schools: St. Thomas, only award given
2012 - Class 6A: Cypress Lakes, first; Dickinson, second, Bellaire, third - Class 5A: New Caney, first; Worthing, second; Terry/Magnolia, third (tie) - Class 4A/Private Schools: Stafford, only award given
2013 - Class 6A: Dulles, first; Morton Ranch, second; Oak Ridge, third - Class 5A: Friendswood, first; Tomball Memorial, second; Stratford, third - Class 4A/Private Schools: Kinkaid, first; Danbury/Woodlands Christian, second (tie)
2014 - Class 6A: Alvin, first; Kempner, second; Katy Taylor, third - Class 5A: Humble/George Ranch, first (tie); Friendswood, third - Class 4A/Private Schools: Rosehill Christian, first; Bay Area Christian, second
2015 - Class 6A: Kingwood, first; Dekaney, second; Tompkins, third - Class 5A: George Ranch, first; Tomball Memorial, second; Marshall, third - Class 4A/Private Schools: Concordia Lutheran, first; Houston Sterling, second
2016 - Class 6A: Morton Ranch, first; Hightower, second; Mayde Creek/Katy, third (tie) - Class 5A: Terry, first; Houston Lee, second; North Forest, third - Class 4A/Private Schools: Woodlands Christian, first; Lutheran North, second
2017 - Class 6A: Clear Creek, first; Tompkins, second; Kingwood, third - Class 5A: Willis, first; Tomball Memorial, second; Madison, third - Class 4A/Private Schools: Westbury Christian, first; Cypress Christian, second
2018 - Class 6A: Klein Collins, first; Strake Jesuit, second; Kingwood/Nimitz/Sam Rayburn (tie) - Class 5A: Porter, first; Crosby, second; Wisdom, third - Class 4A/Private Schools: St. John's, first; Scarborough, second
2019 - Class 6A: Cypress Springs, first; Tompkins, second; Pasadena Memorial, third
- Class 5A: Angleton, first; Waltrip, second; Marshall/Manvel, third (tie)
- Class 4A/Private Schools: Kinkaid, first; Village School, second
2020 - Class 6A: Alief Elsik, first; Cypress Falls, second; Cypress Creek, third
- Class 5A: Wisdom, first; Shadow Creek, second; Thurgood Marshall, third
Class 4A/Private Schools: Pasadena First Baptist, first; Scarborough, second