All games District 19-6A

Thursday

Katy (5-1, 4-0) vs. Paetow (0-5, 0-3), 6:30 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium

Last year: Katy 54, Paetow 0

• Katy and Paetow kick off the week with a matchup of teams that have had about as different of seasons as you could have so far this year.
  The Tigers have steadily improved throughout the year and picked up their ost important win of the season last week, beating Jordan to move into first place in the District 19-6A standings. The Tigers did it behind a balanced offense and a defense that got timely takeaways. Tremayne Hill ran for 198 yards on 34 carries, while Gunner Nelson threw for 138 yards and accounted for five touchowns in the win. On defense, Jeremiah Smith came away with an interception that he returned for a touchdown and Noah Coughran also had an interception. Katy did struggle against big plays in the pas game though, allowing 336 yards through the air.
  Paetow showed improvements in its last game as well, as it also came against Jordan before the Panthers had a bye last week. Paetow ran the ball successfully throughout the day and limited the Jordan offenses pass game for large portions of the game. Javaughn Waldron led the Panthers in rushing yards with 36, while Devon Perkins threw for 64 yards in the loss.
  The Tigers will be looking to keep things rolling and continue to get better on the defensive side of the ball, while Paetow will look to continue to get better and make it a tough game.

Morton Ranch (1-5, 1-3) vs. Taylor (2-3, 2-1), 7:15 p.m. at Legacy Stadium

Last year: Morton Ranch 45, Taylor 31

• Morton Ranch and Taylor both come into this week needing a bounce back after losses last week, as both teams look to stay in the playoff race with more important games coming up.
  Morton Ranch came comes off a tough loss to Seven Lakes where things came all the way down to the wire.
  The Rams have had a good run game all year and Mike Gerald has stepped up in the quarterback position, elevating the pass game to help the offense, but the defense is where Morton Ranch has had struggles.
  Taylor meanwhile, comes off a loss to Tompkins. The Mustangs weren’t able to keep pace with the Falcons in the game as Tompkins run game helped the Faclons pull away.
  Javion Garrett led the way running the ball for Tylor, getting 64-yards on six rushes while Dante Archie had 30 yards on nine carries. Daniel Bruns threw for 167 yards in the game to help the team through the air, with Archie catching two passed for 53 yards and Jeremy McCullough catching five passes for 32 yards.
  Both teams will be determined to get back on track and get a win. Morton Ranch will try to be strong in the run game and use their strong play action game off of that, while Taylor will try to get back to success by running the ball as well and limiting things on the ground defensively.

Friday

Cinco Ranch (4-2, 3-1) vs. Jordan (4-1, 2-1), 6:30 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium

Last year: Cinco Ranch 53, Jordan 41

• Cinco Ranch and Jordan are in a battle with Taylor for second in district and it wont get much bigger in terms of district games left for either team.
  The Cougars come into the matchup having really hit their stride as of late and have won three straight with sophomore quarterback Davis Roup looking very strong so far. Roup threw for 172 yards and a touchdown in the Cougars win over Mayde Creek last week and more importantly, the Cougars had balance on offense. Tessiah Young was huge on the day, rushing for 97 yards and a score while Marcus Gadlin added 72 yards on the ground as well. Gavin Beavers continued to put up numbers in the receiving game, catching seven passes for 60 yards. The Cougars defense also stepped up in securing a shutout.
  Jordan also comes off a game where there are plenty of positives to take despite losing to Katy. The Warriors in one of their first truly big games in school history fought tooth and nail and made it a game with the Tigers all the way until the final whistle, coming up just short. Tanner West had a breakout performance for Jordan in the game, catching five passes for 195 yards and a touchdown while adding 67 yards rushing. Colin Willetts had 336 yards through the air and Zechariah Sample had 93 yards receiving and Chad Gasper added 95 yards on the ground. But Jordan’s defense just couldn’t stop the Katy run, especially in the second half, allowing 215 yards on the ground.
  This will be a battle of strengths in the game. Both teams like to spread the ball around through the air and have good secondaries. The key for Cinco will be trying to limit explosive plays and again getting the run game going and keeping the Jordan offense off the field. The Warriors will try to continue to be explosive offensively and be improved against the run against a very good team.

Seven Lakes (2-3, 1-2) vs. Mayde Creek (2-4, 1-3), 7:15 p.m. at Legacy Stadium

Last year: Seven Lakes 24, Mayde Creek 13

• Seven Lakes and Mayde Creek will both be searching for a key second win in district when they face off against each other on Friday.
  The Spartans had a game that went down to the wire that they won over Morton Ranch, where the Spartans run game and defense stepped up to earn the win. Barrett Hudson and Jake Farris were both strong in the win, as the game was within one score almost entirely throughout.
  Mayde Creek on the other hand comes off a loss, being unable to hang around with Cinco Ranch in a shutout. Cole Jensen had an efficient game, completing 14 of 23 passes for 103 yards, but also threw two interceptions. Christian Bradford led the Rams in rushing with 13 yards and Trey Williams had 56 yards receiving. Mayde Creek’s defense wasn’t able to slow down the Cougar offense, allowing 172 yards through the air and 186 on the ground.
  This looks like it could be a very close game between two teams that will be determined coming in both thinking they could get a win. The Spartans will look to pound the run game and limit the Mayde Creek’s offense through the air while the Rams will try to force Seven Lakes to pass the ball and on offense will look to have both an efficient pass and run game.