Things still hadn’t set it for CJ Dumas as he walked into Legacy Stadium on Wednesday to a roaring crowd.

The quarterback was about to celebrate a state championship, but still had a hard time believing it had happened.

“It really hasn’t sunk in,” Dumas said. “I walked in here and there was a big crowd up top and everyone was happy and it was crazy, because it’s still just sinking in for me.”

Katy ISD held a rally Wednesday to celebrate the Panthers first ever state championship in football, which the team won last month against College Station.

The Panthers players took the opportunity to sink everything in and enjoy their accomplishment.

For the seniors, it’s their last hurrah at the home stadium.

“I walked in and there was a crowd there and the crowd just started clapping and stuff,” Dumas said. “It kind of felt like I was walking in for gameday one more time. It was just great to be able to have this one last thing for us and to go out here with my team. The fans we have here are so great and it was just a great opportunity.”

It only took five years for Paetow to become state champions and only took four years of varsity play. The entire team bought into head coach BJ Gotte’s ‘standard of excellence’ and it has shown in the metoric rise of the program.

“They wanted to be great from day one,” Gotte said. “That’s the thing is you have to have kids that want to be great. Our kids believed in what we were doing, they wanted to be great and they had the confidence and belief in themselves and each other that we would be able to do that. I think that’s the difference, our kids, especially our seniors, they didn’t flinch. They believed in each other, they believed in themselves and that’s why I think they were able to handle some of the moments they were in.”

For Gotte, this was everything he coaches for and he was happy to see the players, coaches and the community celebrating.

“That’s the coolest thing for me as a coach at this stage in my career is watching others have excitement over getting to do stuff like this,” Gotte said. “This is what makes it fun for me, seeing the community, the staff and support staff, the kids, student’s, everyone. The excitement they get for getting to go through something like this is what makes it worth it.”

The seniors have left a legacy of success on the program that won’t soon be forgotten. Something that they had strived to do since they were in eighth grade.

“It’s so big, knowing that we basically started things out here,” said Kentrell Webb. “For us to come out here in five years and leave our mark and set that standard, it’s everything. It paid of and we’ve set a standard of excellence. That’s what we want to keep going on for our young guys.”

While the celebration is still going, so is the preparation for next season. Gotte and the rest of the Paetow staff and players can’t wait to get back to the grind.

“We’ve gotten back to work,” Gotte said. “There’s a process and last season it started in January 2021. People think football season starts in August, it doesn’t, it starts in January. So we’re in that process now, we’re cleaning our stuff, we’re going to test at the end of this week and hopefully into next week and then we’re going to have a conversation. Our seniors are gone now, the underclassman that were on that team, that’s great, you’re a part of that, but it’s not your legacy. Now what legacy do you want to leave? And from there we just go to work.”