The best time of the year is back and for Katy ISD, it will be a fun year with talent all around the district.

Last year’s playoff race came down to the final day of the season and we might be in for the same kind of year in 2024 as talent is spread all around District 19-6A, with new coaches and rising programs trying to stake a claim and get back to the playoffs and the old guard looking to improve and stay on top.

Katy has won district three seasons in a row and remains the front runners heading into this year. The Tigers have a young team but bring back some very important players and if they improve throughout the season could be a very scary squad come playoff time.

Tompkins has also continued to show that they are one of the top teams in the district. The Falcons finished second in district a year after finishing third and the Falcons, while losing some of their top talent, also have some exciting players who can help them remain in playoff contention.

The biggest breakthrough in district last year came from Jordan. The Warriors made the playoffs for the first time and played some of the best football in the district for much of the year. They bring back much of the team that was so successful last year, and even with adding new players in key positions Jordan will be one of teams with the biggest preseason expectations.

Taylor also broke through last year to get back to the playoffs and even with a largely new squad there are still high expectations in the Mustangs camp. The team has athleticism all over the field, some great weapons offensively and good lines that can control the line of scrimmage with the best of them.

 Cinco Ranch only missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker last year and will have one of the most potent offenses in the area, with players who can make an impact in both the run and pass game and a young but talented defense as they try to get back to the playoffs.

Paetow has continued to improve and may have one of the best defenses in the entire state with an offense that is truly comfortable with what they are running this year, Morton Ranch and Mayde Creek both are motivated and bought in with their new coaching staffs and Seven Lakes cannot be underestimated with a talented offense that will be able to throw the ball around the yard and a good front seven on defense.

Freeman won’t be playing varsity this year, but we will have an early look at what the team could become with their schedule this year and they will be a fun team to watch for the future.

In Class 4A, Royal is continuing to grow and comes off back-to-back successful seasons and has big goals this year, while Katy Harmony will make the jump to UIL in the same district as Royal as the Wildcats try and build off of successful campaign in the TCAL. In the private ranks, St. John is building and trying to get back to success while Faith West will play in the six man ranks as they look to build and be competitive.

Last year was a competitive one in Katy ISD but was filled with early exits in the playoffs, with only Katy reaching the second round and no team making it further than the area round of the playoffs. This year looks to be just as exciting but teams are hungry to prove themselves and go further. I hope you follow along with the Katy Times as we provide coverage of every team in the district each week and keep you up to date with the district more than any other media organization in the area.