Editor’s Note: Every Monday during the offseason, we’ll bring you our new running series, All-Time Matchup Monday, where we’ll pit two of the greatest teams in Texas high school football history against each other, throw a few theories around on who might come out on top, and then we’ll ask you to settle the debate for us. You can also nominate all-time teams and games. Just tweet @dctf with the hashtag #MatchupMonday with your nominations. 

Week 1: 2000 Midland Lee vs. 1996 Austin Westlake
Fan vote results: 2000 Midland Lee

Week 2: 1970 Austin Reagan vs. 1973 John Tyler
Fan vote results: 1973 John Tyler

Week 3: 2015 Katy vs. 2013 Allen
Fan vote results: 2015 Katy

Week 4: 1983 Daingerfield vs. 1988 Dallas Carter
Fan vote results: 1983 Daingerfield

Week 5: 2008 Lake Travis vs. 2006 Southlake Carroll
Fan vote results: 2008 Lake Travis

Week 6: 2005 Celina vs. 1997 Sealy
Fan vote results: 2005 Celina

Week 7: 1978 Houston Stratford vs. 1980 Odessa Permian
Fan vote results: 1980 Odessa Permian

WEEK 8 MATCHUP: 1998 Stephenville vs. 2003 Galena Park North Shore

Why Stephenville would win

Art Briles started his march to coaching fame with four championships in the 1990’s as a Texas high school football coach at Stephenville. From 1988-1999, Briles coached his team to 136 wins, 11 district championships, 11 playoff appearances and a 4-0 record in state championship games. The crown jewel of the era was the 1998 team.

Quarterback Kelan Luker led the Yellow Jackets into the offensive record books. Stephenville scored 712 points, a state record, in 16 games. The team finished with a 15-1 record, beating La Marque, 34-7, for the state championship. A 23-14 victory over Cleburne was the only time the Yellow Jackets were held under 30 points. Brownwood beat Stephenville by five points in district play in the only blemish of the season.

Luker and the offense broke team and individual records. He passed for 4,697 yards and 49 touchdowns on 318 pass attempts as a senior. Wide receiver Cody Cardwell wrote himself into the record books with 2,427 yards and 25 touchdowns on 112 receptions. Running back Zac Hunter provided balance to the potent offense. The Stephenville defense wasn’t dominant by any stretch, but it didn’t need to be for the Yellow Jackets to win. Stephenville’s style on offense, and the amount of blowouts during the season, skewed the defensive numbers and do that unit an injustice.

Why Galena Park North Shore

The Mustangs clinched the 2003 Class 5A Division I state championship in a 23-7 victory over The Woodlands. It capped the marquee season for a North Shore program that dominated the area throughout the first decade of the new century. All David Aymond did as head coach at North Shore was take a program that hadn’t reached the playoffs in the previous 31 seasons and make it into one of the premier programs in the state. That included a 78-game winning streak and eight consecutive undefeated regular seasons during the 2000’s.

The 2003 state championship team went undefeated and was led by quarterback Bobby Reid, who went on to sign with Oklahoma State. North Shore bullied its way through the regular season and exerted its superiority over the top teams in the state en route to a championship. The Mustangs outscored playoff opponents 201-40, scoring at least 35 points in four of those games. The defense allowed 19 points to Houston Lamar, but held the other four playoff victims to no more than seven points.

North Shore was loaded with FBS talent. Running back Justin McNeese, a senior, signed with UTEP. He was joined in the backfield by junior Deion Gilliam. Tight end Dajleon Farr, a junior in 2003, ended up a top 100 national recruit. The defense was led by Stephen James, Joshua Jolivette and Freddie Patton. Two sophomores from the 2003 North Shore squad, Chykie Brown and Earl Mitchell, went on to NFL careers.

[poll id="100"]

Craven’s Pick: North Shore           

I’d pay a lot of money to watch Art Briles’ Stephenville’s offense against North Shore’s defense. Bobby Reid makes a few too many plays and North Shore’s athleticism wins out.

Greg Tepper's Pick: North Shore            

Two iconic coaches, two loaded programs, one heck of a matchup. Kelan Luker’s offense keeps Stephenville in it, but North Shore’s suffocating defense makes just enough stops to come away with the win.

Max Thompson’s Pick: North Shore         

This is shootout city territory and odds are it'd be a blast to watch, but you have to go with the amount of talent the Mustangs had, combined with a little more defensive steel.

Fan vote: Will be announced next Monday.