State Quarterfinalists (1995) | No. 1 Team in the Nation (1996)
The 1995 and 1996 North Mesquite football teams were two of the greatest teams in MISD history. Led by head coach Mark Elam, the Stallions galloped onto the scene in 1995, five years removed from an 0-10 finish. The team established itself as co-district champions and finished the year as state quarterfinalists, the furthest a North Mesquite team had ever reached in the playoffs. The foundation had been laid for the 1996 team to impose its will - and they did exactly that. Ranked as the #1 team in the nation, the team would have 15 straight weeks of dominance. The Stallions tore through opponents, including MISD Athletics Director Kody Groves and the #2 ranked Odessa Permian Panthers in front of more than 20,000 fans at Mesquite Memorial Stadium. Through 11 games, North had revitalized football in Mesquite. However, the path to continue that dominance dimmed when star running-back Jason Coffey was seriously injured in a game against South Garland. The following week, North would lose to John Tyler in the second round of the playoffs. While the finish wasn’t what they wanted, the 1996 North Mesquite football team is etched in Mesquite ISD and Texas High School football history, with over 30 players going on to play at the collegiate level.
