Panthers clinch berth over Wildcats
ANGLETON – Katy Paetow is back in the playoffs.
Running back Damon Bankston rushed for 157 yards and a score, and the area 5A No. 6 Panthers scored on their first two possessions and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a fast start that sparked a 38-14 win over Angleton on Friday at Wildcat Stadium.
The victory puts Paetow (6-1, 4-1 in District 10-5A-I) in the postseason for the second time in its three varsity seasons. It lost to Whitehouse in the bi-district round in its first trip last season. Angleton, on the other hand, will sit out in back-to-back years after 11 consecutive trips from 2008 to 2018.
“It’s exciting,” Paetow coach B. J. Gotte said. “I’m happy for the kids and I’m happy for the community. The kids bought into our program from day one, and trusted the process, and it’s fun to see the process work early for them.”
Bankston, a senior with an offer from Texas Southern, had 98 yards on his first five carries.
His only touch down on a 13-yard run with 3:10 left in the game sealed the outcome. He finished with 19 carries.
The Panthers took the lead for good, 14-7, on Daymion Sanford’s 45-yard return of an onside kick attempt. Sanford also supplied an interception with 2:18 remaining as the Panthers generated three takeaways.
“He’s a great kid,” Gotte said. “He’s just a sophomore for us, so he’s learning how to play, and he’s just going to get better. He’s already done some really good things.”
Angleton managed only 201 total yards and 11 first downs.
“I’m so proud of how they’ve prepared all year,” Gotte said of his defense.
“They’re coming together as a unit. We try to play complementary football.
That’s our thing. Our offense complements our defense, our defense complements our offense, and special teams complement both.”
Quarterback C. J. Dumas Jr completed 11 of 19 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Kole Wilson was the leading receiver with four catches for 39 yards and a score.
Paetow led 28-7 at halftime on Dumas’ 23-yard TD pass to tight end David Murray with 7 seconds left.
The Panthers amassed 343 yards and 15 first downs.
“Our kids prepared well all week and we executed our gameplan early,” Gotte said. “Our big thing is executing the way we want to execute – staying on schedule, running when we want to run, and throwing when we want to throw, and our kids did a good job early and that helped us out.”
Paetow wraps district next week with Hightower. Angleton faces Terry.