Davis’ 223 yards help Tigers remain perfect
A cross-town rivalry was revived after a four-year hiatus when The Woodlands Highlanders traveled to Rhodes Stadium to face the Katy Tigers on Thursday night.
Katy defended its home stadium with a 21-14 victory over The Woodlands with senior running back Seth Davis leading the way with 223 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
It was another tough win for the Tigers (4-0) after a close 28-21 win over Dickinson last week, which Davis was grateful for.
“I’m glad we had that Dickinson game last week because it truly helped us face adversity, and we came this week and did good,” Davis said.
While Davis led the offense, the defense kept the Highlanders (2-2) to just 285 offensive yards and their lowest point total of the season.
“It wasn’t just the offense, it was the defense; it was a team win,” Katy coach Gary Joseph said. “They complemented each other and have started to gain more chemistry and trust in each other.”
The game did not start well for Katy, as sophomore quarterback Mabrey Mettauer led The Woodlands down the field on an 11-play, 52-yard drive to get to the Katy 23-yard line to start the game.
Then, Mettauer found senior receiver Ben Ferguson on a screen pass, and his blockers cleared the way for a 23-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring.
Katy quickly responded as Davis broke out for a 49yard run to get to The Woodlands’ 10-yard line and then punched in a 6-yard touchdown two plays later to tie the game 7-7.
After scoring on their opening drives, Katy and The Woodlands traded defensive stops, though the Highlanders were able to push into Katy territory while Katy was held to a three-and-out.
The Tigers went to what they know best in their power
running game. Davis was given the ball again and again as the Tigers ran down the field, but a fumble on third down and a missed field goal left the Tigers with nothing to show for it.
After the long, 13-play drive, The Woodlands’ defense needed the rest, but Mettauer’s first pass of the next drive was deflected and intercepted by Katy junior defensive back Brady Englett to give the Tigers the ball on the Highlanders’ 49yard line.
Davis took advantage of the momentum and, on the first play of the next drive, took it 49 yards to the end zone to end the half.
The Woodlands kicked off to start the second half, but a muffed kick was lost and recovered by the Highlanders on the Katy 30-yard line.
Katy forced a three-andout, and Highlanders kicker Nick Sims missed a 35-yard field goal, leaving them empty-handed.
The defenses kept the game close through the third quarter, but a blown coverage by the Highlanders’ safeties forced a pass-interference penalty to save a touchdown and get the Tigers into the Highlanders’ side of the field.
With new life to the drive, Katy drove deeper into The Woodlands’ territory and junior
quarterback Caleb Koger found senior running back Isaiah Smith on a playaction pass for a 23-yard touchdown.
The Woodlands returned to what worked on the first drive of the game with short, quick passes for small gains. A long 27-yard pass from Mettauer to Ferguson got the Highlanders into the end zone, and Mettauer finished the drive with a 2-yard sneak into the end zone to make it 21-14 in the fourth quarter.
Katy drained the clock with run after run before the Woodlands held the Tigers to a fourth-and-1. The Highlanders stopped them to get the ball back on their own 29-yard line with a minute and 27 seconds left to play.
Katy’s defense held off The Woodlands and broke up the pass on the final play of the game to seal it and head home with the victory.
It was a hard-earned — and tense — win for the Tigers, whose two turnovers increased their total to nine through four games.
“There are a lot of things that we need to get correct, but like I told the kids, we’re gonna celebrate tonight. We’re not going to downplay any win,” Joseph said.
Katy starts district play Thursday against Seven Lakes while The Woodlands has a bye week.