Last Friday, Katy coach Gary Joseph and his family were in Wharton as the district officially dedicated Tiger Stadium as Eddie Joseph Memorial Stadium during Wharton High’s football game against El Campo.

Eddie Joseph, Gary’s father, died March 31. He was 86 years old. Eddie coached for 14 years at Wharton, serving as head football coach and athletic director. In all, he compiled a 138-54-6 coaching record at schools in Texas and Oklahoma and was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1983 and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

“It was a neat thing for my mother (Mary),” Joseph said. “For us, this wasn’t going to define who my dad was or anything. It was a great thing for a way to remember him, more than anything else. We were all very appreciative of that, and how important coaches are to people’s lives.”

Joseph, who played for Eddie in high school, said he was pleased to see a lot of his father’s former players still remember him. Many of them attended the ceremony.

Aside from coaching, Eddie is also recognized for his 22-year service as executive vice president of the THSCA from 1981-2003, and he was also a THSCA director from 1976-1980 and president in 1980.

“He was a great person as much as a good coach, and people remember that,” Joseph said. “Christian values and morals is something we’ve taken from him. As far as coaching, we took how to handle kids and how to handle situations. It’s about the kids, is the first thing I was taught.”

BOWLING MAKES IMPACT

One of the pleasant surprises for Katy this year has been the play of junior linebacker Shepherd Bowling.

The 6-foot, 205-pound Bowling totaled 13 tackles, including four for loss, two sacks and three quarterback harassments in three games before missing last week’s game against Clear Springs because of an upper body injury.

Bowling was evaluated on Monday and is week-to-week as far as his status.

“For Shepherd, it’s about his health,” Joseph said. “We all know that and understand that. From what I understand, he’ll be fine. It’s just irritated more than anything else. In my mind, he’ll be back and he’ll help us.”

Bowling was injured the first game of last season against North Shore with stingers from hits to the neck. He eventually sat out the whole season as it was found out he had been born with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine.

In July, he was cleared to return to the field. He could not have been more excited.

“It’s good just finally being back,” Bowling said in late August. “Seeing everything go down last year, it kills you. You want to be out there playing with your teammates. It’s good to be back out there playing on Friday nights.”

Bowling has switched from middle linebacker to outside linebacker. He has been a capable pass-rusher and consistent playmaker for a dominant defense allowing 10.5 points on 156.5 yards per game.

“At full health, he’s a good football player,” Joseph said. “He may not do everything exactly right, but he has a knack for finding ways to do what he needs to do to help our football team. We certainly need him back.”

DAVIS IMPRESSES

Junior running back Jalen Davis has made a fast impression.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has been a revelation in the offensive backfield since moving to running back from free safety in the spring. He was moved to create depth at running back.

Joseph said Davis is still learning how to play the position.

“He’s done some good things. He’s much improved,” Joseph said. “He’s taking care of the football, and he’s going to be a good player. He’s getting better and better every week. He’s really stepped up. He’s going to be a threat. I’ve been very proud of where he’s come from.”

Despite spending most of the season as the Tigers’ No. 3 running back, Davis ranks eighth among District 19-6A players in rushing. He has 221 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries, good for 7.9 yards per carry.

Joseph said Davis’ ball security and knowledge have improved. Davis is better at understanding where the creases will be. He’s learning to run between the tackles more and not just shoot for the perimeter all the time. His understanding of blitz pick-ups is better.

Davis, who thrives in one-back sets and running Katy’s beloved stretch plays, played last week’s game against Clear Springs as the No. 2 back.

“It’s maturity as much as anything else,” Joseph said. “It’s a lot more than just running the football. It’s understanding protections and blocking. That’s been a big difference for him and us, him doing all those things. We can’t have one-dimensional running backs. You don’t block, you don’t play. But he’s blocking, he’s knowing where to cut. It’s more than talent. He’s seeing things.”