North Crowley showcases steady, consistent offense in rout of Mansfield
On Sept. 18, Rockwall stunned the Texas high school football world by taking down North Crowley.
North Crowley head coach Ray Gates said he’ll never forget what happened that day. It was the first time the 2024 Class 6A Division I state champions lost since the 2023 season.
“That fuels us,” Gates said. “That is still a thorn in my side. I wake up every day, and I think about it. And it’s my job to make sure that we don’t overlook anyone.”
Since that point, the Panthers have been steadily gaining momentum in District 3-6A play, averaging 67.8 points per game. On Thursday, North Crowley (8-1) took another step in the right direction with a dominant 70-21 victory over Mansfield (4-5) at Newsom Stadium.
With a consistent, steady offense, the Panthers found the end zone every possession until backups took over in the fourth quarter, giving Gates his 50th career victory. North Crowley led 35-14 at the half and continued its dominance, reaching the 62-point mark for the fifth consecutive game.
“We’re figuring out who we are,” Gates said. “We’re figuring out what we can do. ... We’ve been able to run the ball in every game we’ve had this year, and our defense is starting to be stout.”
The Panthers were led by running back Kiante Ingram, who finished with 123 yards and two touchdowns on 19 attempts. North Crowley had long drives, but in the end, the run game led them to success — Mansfield’s defense couldn’t capitalize facing third and fourth down to get off the field.
Ingram’s running mate, junior G’yrell Smith, was another key contributor with 160 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 attempts — the highlight of his performance was a 90-yard third quarter touchdown burst.
The Tigers were kept afloat by a stellar individual showing by wide receiver Zion Robinson, a Michigan pledge, who finished with 141 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 receptions. He averaged 23.5 yards per catch.
“When you play a guy like that, you respect him,” Gates said. “And we want our guys to play at a high level. And tonight, he won more than we would like him to. He makes us better.”
North Crowley had a strong receiver performance of its own with sophomore WR Damarion Mays. He registered 114 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 receptions, all in the first half.
“He is starting to find himself, and he is asserting himself at the right times,” Gates said. “He is coming down with big plays. We call on him, and we trust him to come down with the ball.”
Gates also credited quarterback Hayes Cloutier for operating the offense and doing the little things well, calling his performance near perfect. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 197 yards and 3 TDs.
The road ahead for the Panthers, ranked No. 10 in 6A by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, could be treacherous with Allen and Duncanville having solid seasons. But for now, Gates and company are focused on the present moment and “going 1-0 every day.”
Up next, North Crowley will face school district rival Crowley in its final regular season contest with a chance to win the District 3-6A championship outright. If the Panthers are victorious, they’ll maintain a perfect district record since Gates took over ahead of the 2022 season.
Gates said if the team continues to put in consistent work, they’ll be right where they need to be.
“It’s all summing up for us to be right where we need to be to go into the playoffs — to try to make another run,” Gates said.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 9:50 PM.
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