Football: 'It's the next step:' Katy's defense continues to dominate
Tigers' defense has allowed 14 total points in five district games, has not allowed a touchdown since Sept. 20
Katy typically does not stamp wins in Week 8 of the regular season as the statement variety.
And while the Tigers did not outright claim Friday’s 17-7 win over Jordan as such, they certainly did some talking on the field.
Katy’s defense—young, and, at spots, inexperienced—was in a proclamatory mood at Rhodes Stadium. The No. 13 state-ranked Tigers stifled the No. 20 Warriors, allowing no offensive touchdowns on 167 total yards.
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Katy held Jordan, which entered averaging 40.7 points on 404.7 yards per game, to four 3-and-outs and one first down on five first-half possessions. In the second half, the Tigers’ defense added an interception by junior cornerback Isaiah McMillian and two turnovers on down, including a crucial stop early in the fourth quarter on 4th-and-goal from its own 3-yard line.
“They could’ve given up a touchdown,” coach Gary Joseph said. “They kept fighting and were physical and made some plays. That was neat to see. A confidence-builder, I’m sure.”
Joseph said he and his players were “embarrassed” after last year’s defensive effort in a 42-35 win over Jordan. He emphasized that to his team during the week of practice.
Friday, they took it to heart.
“We knew we had to do this to have a chance to defend our district championship,” Joseph said. “It’s the next step. They came out very prepared and I was pleased with the way they played.”
Katy’s defense sacked Jordan junior quarterback Beau Bryant three times, had six tackles for loss and stuffed seven run plays for one or zero yards.
Jordan had 67 yards on 22 carries, an average of 3.04 yards per rush.
“Physically … it was about as well as we’ve tackled all year long,” Joseph said. “Most of the yards they got were on scrambles. We knew we’d have to give up something, and we’ll do a better job on that.”
Since the beginning of the season, Jordan’s players told anyone willing to listen that this was the year District 19-6A would be theirs. The game against Katy was their Super Bowl.
Katy senior defensive end Adam Carter admitted this was the Tigers’ biggest game, too.
Katy proved it.
“What we showed the district is that what we’re about is we can do anything we’re dedicated to,” Carter said. “Leading up to this week, we were preparing like it was our best game. And it was.
“We wanted to send out the message that we are the best defense in this district, and what we are about is what we’re going to do. And we don’t want to give anything up.”
Per its championship standard, Katy proved talk is nothing without action.
“A lot of teams want to talk bad about us,” Carter said. “But at the end of the game, we came out with the win. They don’t want to talk anymore whenever the Katy red and white win.”
Katy’s defense has allowed a total of 14 points through five district games. Overall, the Tigers are allowing 14.1 points on 215.6 yards per game.
Katy has not allowed an offensive touchdown since Sept. 20 against Cinco Ranch.
“We’re a younger (defense), so it’s about bonding together,” McMillian said. “That’s what’s really boosting us. We’ve finally figured out how to play with each other.”
Against Jordan, Katy’s defense started three seniors, six juniors and two sophomores. Both of those sophomores, Terry Brister and Isaac Coughran, play on the line alongside Carter.
McMillian, playing his first season on the defensive side of the ball, is emerging as a lockdown cornerback. He held Jordan four-star senior receiver and Michigan commit Andrew Marsh to one catch for six yards, playing man coverage, often with no safety help.
“He’s just another guy in my way,” McMillian said of the matchup. “Offers, stars … they don’t mean anything in this game. It’s whoever’s good. I said I was going to allow one catch per quarter. I let one up the whole game.”
McMillian had a terrific interception on a Bryant ball targeting Marsh on Jordan’s opening series of the second half. McMillian had his back to the ball on the play but caught the overthrown toss in stride deep in Katy territory.
“It felt good. Really good,” McMillian said. “Once I caught it, the momentum was ours after that. It was kind of easy. I used to play receiver, so I’m used to looking over my back shoulder.”
Carter and Brister accounted for two of Katy’s three sacks. The other was junior Reid Garrelts, a vital member of an inside linebacking corps that Joseph said is playing much better, fitting assignments much better.
“That helps immensely,” Joseph said. “(Junior safety) Josh Garcia has improved. We knew we had a good football player in (senior safety) Hilton. Other kids have stepped up.
“Like I told you all earlier when we started this year, it’s a matter of growing up. They have. From Dickinson to now, we’re not making the silly, stupid mistakes. They understand more about what they’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
Joseph, almost never satisfied, admitted his defense’s first half performance was hard to criticize. And he was pleased with how they finished a big game, something they failed to do in a 41-24 Week 2 loss to No. 4 Atascocita.
“I told them at halftime, we were in a big game against Atascocita and we didn’t follow through real well in the second half,” Joseph said. “We needed to follow through (Friday) as much as anything else. It’s experience. You learn from experience, and it was an opportunity for them to show that they have.”
Through seven games, Katy has seven takeaways—three interceptions, four fumble recoveries.
McMillian has nine pass breakups. Junior cornerback Mason Dismuke has five. Carter and junior linebacker Jeremiah Smith each have nine quarterback hits. Brister has five. Garrelts and Coughran each have five.
Garrelts and Smith each have three sacks.
“We might not have the best of everything,” Joseph said, “but we’ll make the best of what we have.”