The Cooldown: Week 9
With just two weeks left in the regular season, week nine saw some major district shape ups. Some districts are clearly in focus and others have a lot to sort out as half of our area teams get set to hang up the pads for the season. Here’s our week nine recap and week 10 look-ahead.
Katy wins another district title
Katy made it 13 district titles in 14 years last week after taking down Cinco Ranch, 56-28.
Caleb Koger had another classic game for a Katy quarterback. Not a high usage rate, but a highly effective one at that. Koger threw for 133 yards and three scores against one INT on 9-of-15. The Tigers had two 100-yard rushers in what has become a senior dynamic duo. Seth Davis ran for 159 yards and three scores on 17 carries, while Dallas Glass needed just 11 carries to tally 108 yards and two touchdowns.
The senior-laden Tigers will roll into the playoffs on the short list of teams that could potentially make a state title run. But there’s still plenty left to be decided about what division Katy will be playing in, because the bottom of 19-6A is a mess.
If my rudimentary eye-balling of the 19-6A enrollment numbers is correct, Katy needs Tompkins to make the playoffs in order to play in the typically easier 6A Division II. Right now, Katy and Cinco Ranch will finish 1-2. Behind that, Tompkins and Jordan are 4-2 in district play while Morton Ranch and Paetow are in the hunt at 3-3 each. Jordan has to play Tompkins and Morton Ranch to close the season; losses to both would likely keep the Warriors out of the playoffs in their first playoff-eligible season.
As of now, I would predict a finish of Katy, Cinco Ranch, Tompkins and Morton Ranch final finish, though Paetow and Jordan are very much in the hunt for that final spot.
Atascocita rolls into huge district showdown
District 21-6A is one of the best in the entire state, regardless of classification. And next week, it will produce one of the best matchups of the season.
Atascocita roped CE King – a good team, a playoff team at that – 39-6 last week. Zion Brown had a nice night at quarterback, throwing two touchdown passes while receiver Gill paced the Eagles with just three catches totaling 146 yards and both of Brown’s touchdown passes. Tory Blaylock carried 19 times for 80 yards and Atascocita other three touchdowns.
For King, Denim Johnson finished with 119 yards and an INT. Keith Willis carried 11 times for 41 yards as the Panthers struggled to move the ball on a stout Atascocita defense. The Eagles will need to lean on that defense as they take on No. 1 North Shore next week. The Mustangs have been short-handed, playing wide receiver David Amador at quarterback while Kaleb Bailey is out with an injury. Amador is a fantastic athlete, but it should make the game an interesting one. North Shore was steam-rolling opponents with Bailey at quarterback, but have squeaked by some (albeit, excellent teams) since Amador took over.
Klein Cain stuns Klein Collins
Just as I thought 19-6A was the new agent of chaos district in Houston, 15-6A decided to show up again.
Klein Cain suffered a shocking loss to Klein Forest, a good team but not one that is quite the same level as Cain. So naturally, Cain turns around and beats state-ranked, undefeated Klein Collins, 25-21.
Lance Awe was Awe-some… I’ll see myself out now… with 271 yards and four touchdowns on 17-of-28 passing. The Hurricanes needed every bit of that passing production, as typically explosive running back Yemi Adeleke was held to just 53 yards on 14 carries. Jaelen Smith was the main beneficiary of Awe’s explosive night, catching eight passes for 170 yards and all four of Awe’s TD passes.
The loss dropped Klein Collins to third in the district, with Cain in second holding the tiebreaker. After going 1-2 in non-district play, Tomball finds itself at the top of the 15-6A standings, but will finish the season against… Klein Collins and Klein Cain. Good luck!
Those three playoff teams are solidified with Klein, Klein Forest and Tomball Memorial all sitting with 2-3 district records fighting for the last spot.
News and Notes
In this section each week, I’ll do some bullet points to recap other games of interest in the area, but didn’t have time to discuss in full detail like the games above.
- Tomball Memorial picked up a pivitol win over Klein, 41-31
- Tompkins survived a slow start to beat Mayde Creek, 52-28
- Shadow Creek won a defensive slugfest over Dawson, 16-10
- Channelview upset Deer Park, 20-14
- Tomball clinched a playoff spot with a 20-17 win over Klein Forest
- Cy Woods upset Bridgeland, fresh off a big win of its own, 27-10
- Klein Oak got back on track with a 24-7 win over Waller
- George Ranch hung on for a close 24-21 win over Dulles
- Cy Springs stunned Cy Falls, 38-30
Player of the Week
It’s never easy to survive an injury to a starting quarterback, espeically as a powerhouse with a proverbial target on its back. But I guess when your program record all-time is 46-8, the embarassment of riches is deep.
Shadow Creek played do-it-all wide receiver Jacorey Watson at quarterback, and the sophomore did not disappoint. In this place of the injured Duke Butler, Watson went 13-of-19 passing for 163 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Watson added 36 yards on the ground as well. Not bad for a wide receiver!
For keeping his team afloat in a 16-10 win over Dawson to wrap up another district title, Jacorey Watson is my player-of-the-week.
What to look forward to
Here are the best games coming up next week. With just two weeks left, most of these games will have important playoff implications.
- Atascocita takes on top-ranked North Shore (TH)
- Klein Collins looks to get back on track against Tomball (TH)
- Cy Springs and Cy Woods face off after each picking up a big win last week (F)
- Jordan takes on Topmkins with huge playoff implications in Katy ISD (F)
- Klein and Klein Forest battle, looking to lock up a playoff spot (F)
- Klein Oak and Tomball Memorial face off, looking to stay in the playoff race (F)
- The Woodlands takes on Willis in a battle of top quarterbacks in the country (F)
- Magnolia West and Angleton battle for seeding positioning (F)
- La Porte takes on Crosby (F)
- Cy Ranch battles Langham Creek for playoff seeding (SAT)