Strake comes out swinging, Katy Fights back with a 63-7 K.O.
“I tell them it’s not about just one game” Said Coach Gary Joseph, “If we want to go deep into the playoffs we have to get better every week no matter who we are facing” that is what Gary Joseph, the Tigers head coach, told me after the Strake game on Saturday afternoon. It seems like a simple answer but makes so much sense when you ponder how the number one ranked team in the state of Texas gets pumped up when forced to play a team from a small private school. Especially a team who has only won one game this season. Not to mention a team who only averages 13 points a game but allows an average of 42 points a game.
Strake Jesuit is a team that many think should be playing 4-A not 5-A football considering their enrollment. The U.I.L. says that typical high school enrollment is one boy for each girl. That being said Strakes male enrollment is 900 and if that doubled they would be in 4-A due to their imaginary 1800 student enrollment.
Strake Jesuit is a Catholic private school located off Gesner and Bellaire in a busy part of Houston. Even tho the school is based on Catholic practices some kids don’t follow those beliefs as was evident when one of their defensive backs didn’t like how Katy’s starting receiver Kyle Fulks was blocking him during the first and second quarter because he decided to get even after a legal block by Fulks. After they both fell out of bounds Strake’s punk defensive back began raining “haymakers” on the defenseless Fulks as he lay on his back. Some have said they counted 8 to 12 punches.
To the displeasure of the Katy fans and Coach Joseph the referee decided to kick both players out of the game. This was as Strake started to get frustrated because the tigers were now scoring at will after the Crusaider’s seven to zero head start in the first quarter. Katy one the coin toss before the game and chose to have their backs to the wind which in turn means that Strake got the ball at the start of the game and at half time.
After a three and out and a fumble by Katy, Strake fund the endzone first and went up 7-0 with 7:00 left in the first. Just two minutes later on the next possession Katy’s sophomore sensation Rodney Anderson found a huge hole in the A-gap and took the ball 49 yards for the Tigers first score. Manny Mendoza’s PAT was good tying the score at 7.
On Strake’s next possession on third down they completed a pass for a first down when Katy’s Chris Harper a Senior linebacker decleated the Crusaiders receiver who fumbled the ball and the Tigers Senior db Quinn Atwood recovered on the 29 yard line.
After a couple of ground pounding runs by senior running back Adam Taylor quaterback Kiley Huddleston found Fulks in the endzone for the Tigers second score of the game. Mendoza added the PAT with 1:26 left in the first quarter. The score now 14-7.
On Katy’s next possession Katy had a “doorknob” series as it appeared everyone had a hand on it meaning everyone helped move the ball down the field. Alex Fisher had a 36 yard run along with Taylor’s six yard drive. Anderson had a 10 yard rush and a 20 yard touchdown catch that was called back to the 16 for a holding penalty. Anderson then got the ball to the two yard line when Junior tight end Sloan Spiller caught a touchdown pass from Huddleston. Mendoza missed the PAT so the score was now 20-7 with 9:12 left in the second.
After a three and out by both teams Senior Isaiah Brown caught the first of his two interceptions of the game stopping Strakes second successful drive of the game. This is when the tempers started to flare and the above mentioned ejections. Fisher finished off the Katy drive with a 21 yard touchdown rush with just 2:50 left in the second. Mendoza hit his PAT making the score 27-7 going into halftime.
After a short halftime due to Katy’s Roaring Band attending a marching competition the Tigers came out of their corner like Mike Tyson ready to bite an ear off Strake. Fortunately for both teams that didn’t happen but what Katy did do was a five punch combination from four different players completely knocking Strake out of the game.
The first body blow was delivered by Taylor on a 22 yard run for six and after a Mendoza PAT the scoreboard lit up 34-7.
Next was a left/ right combination by Anderson with a 69 yard pass reception for six and a 12 yard rush for six more. Mendoza added both PAT’s making the score 48-7.
As Katy started rotating the two’s and three’s in as they do every time a game gets out of reach for the opposing team Senior fullback Caleb Sinclair got his first touchdown of the season from 20 yards out. Mendoza sealed the deal with another good PAT making the score 55-7.
“Tricky Ricky Bickham” ended the series of punches to the wounded Strake Jesuit Crusaiders knocking them out with an uppercut to the chin from 29 yards out. Mendoza topped it off with another good PAT ending the game 62 to 7.
Note to opposing teams if you want to get the score run up on you in a big way just off the coaches at Katy by getting one of their best players kicked out of the game. Also do your talking on the field not on Twitter.
