Reigning national champs, the Katy Tigers return enough firepower on defense to hold down the top spot in the Ossports Class 6A High School Football Rankings. However, not to discount Lake Travis, Cedar Hill, and Austin Westlake, who all have loaded teams.
In the midst of 17 returning starters, Austin Lake Travis slim chance of landing the top spot fell at the hands of Katy’s returning stout defense.
Including defensive ends Cory Bethley, and Class 6A Division II state title MVP Michael Matus. Also, linebacker Breydon Boyd and Gavin Spangler are a few names to keep in close view.
Gone are running back Kyle Porter and quarterback Garrett Doiron. However, the Tigers will look to a pair of talented tailbacks in Deondrick Glass, who stepped in while Porter nursed an injury and rushed for 670 yards on 49 carries with 14 touchdowns as a freshman and senior Kadarius Page piled up 752 yards on 127 carries and 8-touchdowns.
Katy will be tested in the first game of the season when it travels to Austin to face Class 6A Division I Finalist Westlake on August 26th. The Chaps, much like Lake Travis and the Tigers, return the meat of its team with high expectations. A huge interest will lie in the trenches where Katy’s stingy defense will be asked to contain Dave Campbell’s Class 6A top player in Quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
The hard-nosed Ehlinger earned his stripes by accounting for more than 5,200 yards of total offense in 2015. In its efforts, Ehlinger rewrote the school record books at Westlake, eclipsing St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles for passing touchdowns with a career 59 in the Chaps last regular season victory over Lehman, 66-14.
On the national front, Cedar Hill will cap a slate of games versus out-of-state teams on Saturday when national power Bishop Gorman visits the Metro Plex Area for a live televised game on the ESPN Networks. A full lineup of the 2016 Geico ESPN High School Football Kickoff can be viewed at (http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2016/06/2016-geico-espn-high-school-football-kickoff-begins-friday-august-26/).
No 5. Allen, who was set to host Hoover (AL) on August 26th as a part of the 2016 Geico EPSN High School Football kickoff was forced to change directions, observing UIL guidelines of no TV games on Friday nights in Texas. Although the original matchup between the two is still on.
Other Texas matchups include Broken Arrow (OK) vs. Euless Trinity, Southlake Carroll will play host to Oklahoma’s top team, Tulsa Union at Dragon Stadium.
Class 6A
1. Katy
2. Lake Travis
3. Cedar Hill
4. Austin Westlake
5. Allen
6. DeSoto
7. Cibolo Steele
8. Galena Park North Shore
9. Euless Trinity
10. Converse Judson
Class 5A
1. Aledo
2. Cedar Park
3. Denton Ryan
4. Manvel
5. Temple
6. Frisco Lone Star
7. Dallas Highland Park
8. CC Calallen
9. Richmond Foster
10. Lancaster
Class 4A
1. Argyle
2. West Orange-Stark
3. Waco La Vega
4. Navasota
5. Carthage
6. Gilmer
7. Celina
8. Abilene Wylie
9. Texarkana Liberty-Eylau
10. Kennedale
Class 3A
1. Brock
2. Mineola
3. Cameron Yoe
4. Canadian
5. Waskom
6. Newton
7. Malakoff
8. Franklin
9. Wall
10. East Bernard
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Class 2A
1. Refugio
2. Bremond
3. Shiner
4. Iraan
5. Stratford
6. Albany
7. Mason
8. Crawford
9. Mart
10. Tenaha
