Katy senior offensive linemen Justin King and Drew Murphy, both starters, are out indefinitely after each suffered similar injuries during last week’s 45-3 win over Morton Ranch.

Both suffered lower-body injuries. King, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound tackle, and Murphy, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound guard, were strong components of what has been a dominant offensive line for the Tigers this season.

“It’s pretty gut-wrenching to watch any of your kids go down, especially ones that have really bought in to what they’re doing and ones that have busted their butt to make themselves good football players,” coach Gary Joseph said. “It’s disheartening to watch them go down. It hurts you as a coach as much as it hurts the kids.”

Joseph said 6-foot-2, 245-pound junior CJ Marsh, who was brought up from the junior varsity prior to last week’s game against the Mavericks, is a lead candidate to replace King. Carson Rodgers, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound senior, has been an invaluable reserve all season and will assume Murphy’s role.

Joseph said there is always a concern about the potential drop-off in play and new players’ understanding of calls. That has been the emphasis during this week of practice.

“You can go back to 2012 when we lost two starters in the same game in the state semifinals. You have to have some depth,” Joseph said. “That’s what the development of sub-varsities are for. We’ll find out how well we’ve developed some of them.”

GOOD LOOKS

Ask any player about their performance after a big game, and they’ll almost always go back to the preparation leading up to it.

It starts with the scout team, which consists of reserve players who give the starters the looks, offensively and defensively, that that week’s opponent figures to give.

Want to know why the Tigers always seem prepared and well-coached? A lot of it has to do with the scout team’s performance during any given week.

“They’ve done a fine job helping our kids prepare, but they’re also preparing themselves,” Joseph said. “They’re doing something different every week. You have to be unselfish to do that. We have kids there who bust their butt every play, regardless of if they’re scout team or first team or second team. Those kids are your program kids. Hopefully they understand that they’re a big part of what we do.”

At the beginning of the practice week, coaches watch film on the upcoming opponent. They then scheme the scout team to play exactly how that team showed on tape.

It’s about giving the starters the best look at the opposing team as possible. Scout team players have to be adept at playing different positions.

“You don’t ever want to go into a game with kids saying they didn’t know the other team would run something, or that they didn’t see something the team throws at them,” Joseph said. “We want those (scout) kids to simulate as close as they can what they see on film, because it’s what the starters are going to see in the game.”

Joseph commended the play of several players on the scout team, including senior offensive linemen Kody Sisk and Alex Simmons, senior receiver Chase Schaper, senior defensive backs Georgie Pickard, Wade Hunter and Jaedyn Harrell, and senior tight ends Donnie Miller and Takoda Morrison.

GEORGE THRIVING

Dylan George has secured the starting fullback spot with his strong play of late.

“He’s done well,” Joseph said of the senior. “He’s getting better at his position as far as understanding what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. That’s been big.”

The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder gives the offense some quickness and another pass-catcher out of the backfield. George has five catches for 60 yards this season.

But it’s his toughness that has impressed Joseph the most.

“He’s done a better job blocking, getting on people and getting people on the ground,” Joseph said. “His biggest thing is he’s getting our running backs to the second level.”