KATY CRUISES
Katy rolls past Buda Hays, advances to face Cedar Hill in Class 6A Division II title game.
Tigers advance to state high school football title game for the first time since 2015.
WACO — Five years between state championship games is just a short detour for most. It’s a drought at Katy.
Senior linebacker and safety Shepherd Bowling spoke on the ever-present expectation to horde state championships at Houston’s most renowned high school football program.
“It’s been too long since we’ve been to state, since 2015,” Bowling said. “We haven’t even been to state. We’re not finished. We’re not satisfied. It’s tradition at Katy towin state, and if you don’t, it’s a disappointment. We’re still not done yet. We’re still hungry for getting that medal around our neck. We’ll be pushing for it this whole week.”
It didn’t take long in Saturday’s Class 6A Division II semifinal against Buda Hays before Katy could start thinking about next week. The Tigers romped to a 63-7 win at Baylor’s McLane Stadium and nowt urn their sights to AT&T Stadium, where they’ll face Cedar Hill in the title game at 1 p.m. Jan. 16.
It’s Katy’s 15th state title game berth; no UIL team has played in more. The Tigers are playing their best football of the year as they go for their ninth championship.
Leading up to Saturday’s game, Katy coach Gary Joseph said each of his best teams have been different, but the 2020 Tigers share similarities with some of the Tigers’ greatest.
This team isn’t a district champion, losing in league play to Tompkins like the 2008 team lost to Cinco Ranch. Both both teams rebounded and went on to the state final, with the 2008 club winning it.
Tompkins ended a 75-game district winning streak for the Tigers.
“We hadn’t lost a district game in 12 years,” Katy junior cornerback Bobby Taylor said. “It hit home. I saw some guys in the locker room crying. So I know it was real. I didn’t want that same feeling. Last year, us losing to North Shore in the third round and me having to say goodbye to some of my brothers, that loss made us come together more as a team, as a whole, as a brotherhood. We’re still here. We just won round five. Now we’re going to state. It’s a blessing.”
Katy’s 2015 defense could be considered the Tigers’ best. The 2020 team isn’t collecting shutouts like in 2015, but a goal-line stand to preserve a 42-0 first-half shutout against Hays on Saturday offered reminders of the tenacity great Katy defenses have.
A 46- yard pass from Hays quarterback Du rand Hill and pass interference call on Katy had Hay sat the Tigers’ 8-yard line seconds before halftime. But Hill’s attempt to run it in was met emphatically by Katy defenders at the 1-yard line.
Katy’s defense also finished with three turnovers Saturday.
Many teams preach “next man up.” Katy’s best teams live the phrase, and the 2020 team certainly did.
The Tigers weathered the fallout this year from key injuries to highly touted defensive end Malick Sylla and Texas A&M tight end commit Fernando Garza.
Quarterback Caleb Koger filled in nicely for four-year letterman Bronson McClelland, who did not play this season. Koger completed 5-of-6 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Koger didn’t need to do much. Senior Jalen Davis rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns and his younger brother Seth ran for 169 yards and three touchdowns while adding a 12-yard touchdown pass to Nic Anderson.
The running back room might have looked different this year with four-star USC pledge Brandon Campbell in the fold. The former Pearland running back originally transferred to Katy but eventually opted out of the 2020 season.
Seth Davis, a 5-6, 150-pound sophomore, might have been a year away from varsity play, but he repeatedly proved this year that his size was not an issue.
Everything fell into place. Jalen Davis reached 1,400 yards rushing and Seth Davis 1,600 with Saturday’s efforts.
Katy and Cedar Hill played for a state championship for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014. Katy took the 2012 matchup, but Cedar Hill took the last two. This time, Cedar Hill’s dynamic offense is led by future Tennessee quarterback Kaidon Salter.
“We’re going to have to play better thanwe did today defensively,” Joseph said. “But we’re capable of playing better. We made some plays, but the best adversary against a great offense like they have is tohave a great offense yourself. Control the ball and control the tempo of the game. That’s who we are. We’ll have to play extremely well, but our kids are capable.”
Shepherd’s oldest brother, Kyle, wason Katy’s 2012 and 2013 teams. It creates even more incentive.
“We’re 1-2 against Cedar Hill,” Shepherd said, “so we need to go even the score.”