Photo credit, usatodayhss.com
The memories of last year meetings turned into a celebration tonight as the Katy Tigers averaged two losses by scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half to dispatch top-ranked North Shore, 24-21 in a battle of perennial powers on Thursday night at Galena Park Stadium.
Facing fourth and five, Tigers junior quarterback Bronson McClelland threw a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Samuel Dunn, who was uncovered with 4:53 left. After failing to come up with any yards on third and five, Coach Joseph called a timeout to set up the winning touchdown.
“I knew it would be a hard-fought game,” Tigers Coach Gary Joseph said. “Our kids played their butts off and never gave up.”
McClelland had a hand in the victory, connecting on 14-of-24 attempts for 233 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Receiver Jordan Patrick caught seven passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. Running back Ron Hoff finished his statement night carrying 32 times for 206 yards and a touchdown.
Katy (1-0) opened the second half with textbook execution. Standout receiver Patrick picked five yards on a shuffle pass. Following, Hoff carried twice on the drive accounting for 55 yards. The first covered 47 yards and the last capped it when he got the edge on an eight-yard scoring run to bring the Tigers within seven, 21-14 after Nemanja Lazie bonus kick.
On the ensuing kickoff, Katy recovered a fumble at the Mustangs 29-yard line. It eventually led to a 17-yard field goal, trimming the lead, 21-17 with 5:17 left in the third quarter.
“It was a typical Katy/North Shore battle,” says North Shore’s defensive coordinator Garrett Cross. “It was a dog fight all the way to the end, and at the end of the day, they made more plays than us.”
With the momentum in hand, Tigers front seven, led by seniors defensive linemen, Jayden Holcomb, and Timothy Nugent, pressured the North Shore offensive line, attacking from the edges as well as the interior.
Holcomb continued his dominance in the fourth quarter by sacking Mustangs quarterback Dematrius Davis twice on its first drive of the quarter.
After, Katy began its winning drive with 9:08 left in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback.
The Tigers racked up 458 total yards of offense and 18 first downs.
The tale of two halves watched Katy come up empty on a pair opportunities when corner back Brian Massey intercepted Davis in the end zone with 10:44 left in the first quarter and Lazie’s 24-yard attempt sailed wide right.
Meanwhile, it seemed North Shore (0-1) would run away with the scoreboard after it struck for three first-half touchdowns. Running back John Gentry capped a two-play 93-yard possession with an 81-yard touchdown reception with 7:49 left in the first quarter. John Polart’s 52-yard kickoff return set up North Shore’s second score as five-star tailback Zachary Evans burst up the middle to end zone from 30-yards out.
Davis paced the Mustangs, passing for 181 yards on 9-of-15 attempts, two touchdowns, and one interception. Gentry had three receptions for 81 yards and a score. Tight end Charles King tallied three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Defensive back Upton Stout’s added a 25-yard interception return to give North Shore a first down at the Tigers 40-yard line with 3:01 left in the second quarter. Two plays later, King assured the Mustangs it would turn the interception into points when he grabbed a pass at the four and broke free from a would-be tackler to get into the end zone, increasing North Shores lead, 21-7 after John Villalobos extra-point kick.
“We made some bad mistakes at the end of the first half and gave them two scores,” Coach Joseph explained.
“At halftime, we talked about confidence and reassured them that we would be okay,” said Joseph.
North Shore’s offense was an issue for the Tigers, but more so 230-pound linebacker Corey Flagg, who manhandled the Tigers offense throughout the first half.
However, it came down to condition which clearly favored the Tigers while North Shore players suffered from cramps.
“We had some unsung heroes,” Coach Cross mentioned. “So many of our starters went down with cramps. For a while, we were playing with our second-string defense. But we have to take better care of our bodies.”
The well oiled Tigers took on the form of a third round playoff team.
Last season’s defeats to North Shore, turned into a summer of motivation for the Tigers, who lost by a combined total of 25 points.
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