The 2015 Katy Tigers were voted upon as one of the 10 greatest teams in the 100-year history of UIL football.

Fans selected the 2015 Tigers as one of the “best, brightest and most unforgettable” teams in history in an honor awarded by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football in partnership with H-E-B.

The 2015 Tigers were titans, undefeated state champions at 16-0 after capping off an impressively dominant season with a 34-7 win over Lake Travis in the state final at NRG Stadium in Houston. They were national champions that season as well.

In a recent Zoom interview posted on texasfootball.com on Jan. 27, Katy head coach Gary Joseph, Katy ISD athletic director Debbie Decker, and 2015 senior defensive back Travis Whillock discussed the legacy of that team.

“They were a group that had great leadership, people like Travis, (defensive back) Collin Wilder, (defensive tackle) Joey Woodring,” Joseph said. “A lot of kids that were really, really fine leaders, and not just great leaders but great character. It was a fun group to coach. They were very unselfish. Not real common today for kids to be as unselfish as they are and were.

“And I guess the reason they were selected is they were a very, very good defensive football team. They gave up very few points for the year, and it’s because of that and their unselfishness that led them to be the team that they were.”

The 2015 Tigers allowed 62 total points all season, producing 10 shutouts.

“That team was so determined, and they persevered through some things,” Decker said. “It was strong both offensively and defensively, but that 2015 defense will probably be known as the best defense in Texas high school football history.”

Whillock vividly remembers players gathering on their own in the film room the week of the state game to watch and study film. Players had purposely tailored class schedules to be able to exempt finals that week.

Whillock said while it was one thing to watch film, to go out and finish the job on the field was “a great feeling.”

“We had been there before,” Whillock said. “Sophomore and junior year, we had come up short in the state title game, and I think just using that as fuel … just a lot of learning experiences going into that senior season, it’s a testament to our coaching staff and how they were able to prepare us week in and week out. That senior year, they kind of allowed us to take the reins and take control of that team. We had a lot of guys that led. I think of (running back) Kyle Porter, (linebacker/cornerback) Jovanni Stewart, (quarterback) Garrett Doiron. So many guys that knew what it took to get there, and we were so hungry to finish it that year.”

The 2015 Tigers averaged 48.6 points per game and surrendered just 3.9 points per game.

“I go back to their (program) motto, ‘When excellence becomes tradition, greatness has no limits,’” Decker said. “That’s not just a quote to put on a T-shirt or on the wall, it’s the first thing you see when you enter the Katy High School field house and it’s something those kids and those coaches believe in.”