Katy-area players making their mark at Texas A&M

By George Slaughter, Special to the Katy Times
Posted 8/27/21

Senior kicker Seth Small is one of four players from Katy-area high schools who expect to make their mark on this year’s Texas A&M football season.

Last year, Small, a Katy High …

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Katy-area players making their mark at Texas A&M

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Senior kicker Seth Small is one of four players from Katy-area high schools who expect to make their mark on this year’s Texas A&M football season.

Last year, Small, a Katy High graduate, played in all 10 of the Aggies’ games last season, making 11 of 13 field goal attempts. In his 2018 freshman season, Small made 20 of 28 attempts, including a 52-yarder.

Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher said he and Small came to Aggieland together.

“He has been a tremendous weapon for us in the kicking game and just keeps getting better,” Fisher said. “I expect him to have a great senior campaign.”

Katy coach Gary Joseph said Small’s success doesn’t surprise him or anyone on the Tigers staff.

“Seth was such a well-grounded, polite young man that he had great work habits, a positive personality, faith, and strong self-confidence to what he was doing,” Joseph said. “Seth, during his years at Katy High School, set the standard for all kickers and punters by his commitment and ability to make his teammates respect him for who he was and what he stood for. Seth does keep in touch with Katy High School and all coaches and former players.”

Small was born in Houston and spent his early childhood in Denver. His family moved to Katy when he was in the seventh grade, and he thought he’d become a soccer player. He found himself playing football instead.

Small has plenty of Tiger memories. He said his favorite came in Katy’s first game in Legacy Stadium, in 2017, against The Woodlands. Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf coast a couple of weeks earlier, and Small and his teammates helped people clear out their houses after the flooding.

The game itself had its own highlights. Small said he put one of his kickoffs seven or eight yards deep in the end zone, but the Highlanders’ returner, KeSean Carter, returned it for a touchdown. Carter today plays at Texas Tech. The Tigers were behind 21-7 at halftime, but came back to win, 24-21, on Small’s first game-winning field goal.

Small continues to follow the Tigers. Last season, Small and a former teammate, Connor Galvin, traveled to Arlington to watch the championship game, which Katy won. Galvan, an offensive lineman, today plays at Baylor.

Small got married last month and plans to graduate in December with a degree in business administration with emphasis on entrepreneurial management. He said he hopes to go into business or become a franchise owner, and expressed admiration for Chick-fil-A.

Of the five Katy-area players on the Aggies roster, Max Wright enjoys the distinction of playing on defense, offense, and special teams. Wright is a Taylor graduate. He joined Texas A&M as a defensive player but switched to tight end in 2020. He played in three games last season, making a 42-yard touchdown catch against South Carolina.

“Max Wright made the switch from the defensive side of the ball to tight end and has continued to improve each year,” Fisher said. “He is a valuable member of our special teams units as well.”

Taylor coach Chad Simmons said Wright was a senior when he came to Taylor in 2018, but was around the program a bit and they came to know each other.

“I always heard very positive things about him from coaches and teachers who were here,” Simmons said. “He came across as a leader and does still come by the Fieldhouse to visit when he’s in town.”

Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Braedon Mowry, also a Taylor graduate, joins the Aggies for his first season in College Station. While at Taylor, Mowry was named Houston-area UIL Defensive Player of the Year by the Houston Touchdown Club.

Also joining the team is Taylor graduate Bryce Foster.

Simmons described Mowry as a special talent that doesn’t come around very often.

“Braden was a defensive end with a really good defensive back’s speed and agility,” Simmons said. “He was a very fluid athlete. He was all but impossible to block one-on-one, particularly rushing the quarterback, while also playing very discipline technique versus the run.”

Simmons had a particular memory of Mowry’s senior season.

“One of the most impressive things that Braden did his senior year was to go from struggling in Spanish to being named the student of the year in that subject,” Simmons said. “He still comes around here to work out and visit when he’s in town. I actually talked to him today (Monday, August 2). He still has a younger brother playing offense of line here at Taylor High.”

Freshman defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye enrolled at the university in the spring. He is a Tompkins graduate. Fisher said Adeleye made an impact during spring drills.

“He is a young man that I see contributing this year and has a bright future,” Fisher said.

Fisher had praise for all the Aggie players from Katy.

“Let me just say that all of these players from the Katy area have received tremendous coaching and are outstanding young men,” Fisher said. “They are excellent representatives of Katy and great teammates at Texas A&M. They help make our team better.”

Texas A&M, Katy ISD, College Football, High School Football, college station, Jimbo Fisher