Southlake Carroll ends Katy’s 7-on-7 run
COLLEGE STATION — Katy had never reached the state 7-on-7 tournament’s semifinals until Saturday.
That might be surprising considering the weight Katy’s name holds, even in 7-on-7 and despite the Tigers’ traditional play style in 11-man football.
Their 20th appearance in the state field was the breakthrough.
Katy cruised through Division I championship bracket play on Saturday at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex with wins over Beaumont West Brook 41-33, Arlington Lamar 37-33 and DeSoto 28-26. Katy fell on a last-minute touchdown catch from Southlake Carroll’s heralded safety R.J. Mickens in a 39-33 semifinal loss.
Katy was 3-0 in pool play Friday defeating Coppell, Wichita Falls Rider and Austin LBJ.
The Lamar win was interesting. There was some back-and-forth among spectators about the correct score — official score is kept by hand by the referee and a game manager at 7-on-7 games. The correct score was eventually settled, though, and Katy comes away encouraged despite not winning it all this summer.
Katy junior quarterback Bronson McClelland said taking the deepest step a Katy 7-on-7 team ever has matters. The team’s offseason program helped in that regard, too.
“I don’t know how hot it is right now but I know it’s hot as hell,” said McClelland, referring to a College Station weather forecast that read 92 degrees with 50 percent humidity on Saturday. “So, that conditioning has really played a big factor today. That’s why I think we went as deep as we did.”
These days, Katy’s offense might be airing it out more than it ever has and some of that has to do with McClelland’s rise. He threw for 27 touchdowns on nearly 2,000 yards passing last year and has been a fixture since his freshman year in Katy.
Katy’s bell cow of a running back — the Tigers have had a long line of them — in Deondrick Glass graduated.
So, the 7-on-7 game coincides with the direction the offense is headed in. McClelland believes the receiving corps returning for Katy this year made a statement this weekend.
And of course, now that the high school 7-on-7 season is over, countdown begins to a mammoth Week 1 11-man game against North Shore.
Katy’s only two losses last year were to the eventual Class 6A Division I champions and the two teams will likely have to go through each other again in the postseason. The season opener will be the fifth meeting between the two programs since 2016.
Nothing has changed Katy’s usual expectations.
“State,” McClelland said. “It’s simple. If you don’t win state at Katy, it’s a sad year.”
Rivals collide in 7-on-7
Brandon Collins was a receiver for Cypress Falls last year but also worked backup quarterback duty behind the heralded T.J. Goodwin, who is now at UTEP.
This summer was about assuming the starter’s role under center for Collins and if it’s any indication on how the fall will go, the Golden Eagles might be encouraged.
Cypress Falls was the only other Houston-area team in the DI championship bracket semifinals. The Golden Eagles fell to the weekend’s eventual champion A&M Consolidated in a 41-27 loss.
That doesn’t damper an impressive run through pool play Friday and Saturday wins over North Forney, College Station and Cy-Fair.
That would be the same Cy-Fair the Golden Eagles share District 17-6A with. Cypress Falls defeated Cy-Fair in 11-man last fall, ending their 19-game win streak overall in regular season and postseason play.
It’s one of the original rivalries in an ever-growing Cypress-Fairbanks ISD that’s at 12 football-playing high schools now.
Cy-Fair and Cypress Falls are three miles apart. Cypress Falls got to an 11-man state title game first (2006). Cy-Fair won a state title first (2017).
In between and beyond those years, there have been a bunch of spirted games among the two with Cy-Fair winning the lot. The atmosphere for Saturday’s 7-on-7 date was no different.
“Anytime you play Cy-Fair,” Collins said. “We did it last fall. We beat them. That was fun ending that streak they had. We’re friends with them. We’re all cool with them. So, it’s always fun get-ting out there and going against a good team. It’s always a competitive game.”
Other area notables
Staying in Cy-Fair ISD, Bridgeland made the semifinals of the Division I consolation bracket. The Bears’ 11-man debut was last year.
Foster was in the Division I consolation bracket, too, making it to the quarterfinals in its fourth appearance. The Falcons will be a trendy pick to win District 10-5A Division I this year.
Manvel, which has a good track record in 7-on-7, made the Division I championship quarterfinals, also falling to A&M Consolidated but bagging wins over Midlothian and Frisco Lone Star on Saturday.
Fort Bend ISD mates Travis and Ridge Point made the Division I championship bracket but fell in Saturday’s opening games to DeSoto and Lufkin, respectively. Ridge Point and Travis will be District 20-6A favorites in the fall again.
Also from Cypress is Cypress Woods, which made the Division I championship bracket’s second round with a 34-27 win over El Paso Parkland and 32-28 loss to DeSoto.
The Woodlands’ 2016 group remains the Houston area’s last 7on-7 state champion.