Katy High’s 75-game district winning streak was the second-longest active mark in the state before Tompkins upset the Tigers, 24-19, on Thursday evening at Legacy Stadium.
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Katy High’s 75-game district winning streak was the second-longest active mark in the state before Tompkins upset the Tigers, 24-19, on Thursday evening at Legacy Stadium.
The Tigers’ remarkable run will not be forgotten anytime soon. It lasted 12 years, 4,380 days and three presidential terms. Over the course of the streak, Katy won two state championships (2012, 2015) and was a five-time state finalist (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).
But Katy coach Gary Joseph’s focus after Thursday’s game was not on his team’s incredible feat. It was on next week’s game against Taylor.
“We’ll do that at the end of the year, maybe,” Joseph said about reflecting on the magnitude of the streak. “Right now, we’re just focused on the next game. Not the last one. We have to get ready to play another Thursday game. You can’t dwell on the negative. We’ve got to be positive about what we’re doing to have a positive reaction to this thing.”
Prior to falling to the Falcons, Katy (5-1 overall, 2-1 District 19-6A) had not lost a district game since a 27-21 overtime defeat to Cinco Ranch on Nov. 8, 2008. Perhaps the end of the streak is a good omen for the Tigers. That 2008 season, the Tigers went on to win the state championship, beating Abilene Wylie, 17-3, in the state final.
While the Tigers will not win the district title outright for a 12th straight season, their big-picture goal remains intact.
“The first goal is to win a district championship. After that, it’s always to win a state championship,” Joseph said. “That’s still in front of us. The last district game we lost, we ended up winning a state championship that year. Hopefully, we can convince our kids that they can do the same.”
The Tigers’ district-winning streak started with a 39-0 win over Morton Ranch on Oct. 9, 2009. Katy averaged 48.7 points during the streak and held opponents to 6.4 points per game.
Of Katy’s 75 wins, 26 were shutouts. Forty-five were won by 40 or more points, and 26 were won by 50 or more points.
There were a few close games, but not many. Katy beat Taylor, 21-10, and Cinco Ranch by a point, 21-20, in 2009. It beat Cinco Ranch, 35-21, in 2012. The Tigers beat Seven Lakes, 17-12, in 2013. And, last season, Katy beat Tompkins, 35-30.
This year’s Tigers are a relatively young team. Starting quarterback Caleb Koger is a sophomore and made just his fifth varsity start against Tompkins. Katy’s No. 2 running back, Seth Davis, is a sophomore. The No. 1 running back, senior Jalen Davis, is in his first year as the lead back. The receivers are all in their first seasons of varsity experience.
Joseph saw positives against Tompkins, such as the Tigers’ ability to run the ball (303 yards, 7.4 yards per carry) against such a stout defense and the defense’s adjustments to a new blocking scheme Tompkins showed.
“The big thing right now is consistency,” Joseph said.
Players admitted to Joseph after the Tompkins loss that they were trying to do too much. As much as anything, he said, he hoped his players learned that they have to play their game. Do their job. Nothing more, nothing less.
“It’s about maturing and growing up,” Joseph said. “Don’t let one defeat turn into two. It’s a growing-up experience for our young kids. I think the moment was too big for some of them right now, for some of our young kids. And that’s good. They need to be in these moments in the spotlight.
“As coaches, we’re disappointed, but we’re going to be positive and get better. We’re going to get better.”