Photo by Andre Odums/Ossports
Sophomore backup quarterback, Cardae Mack, snatched the headlines by darting, dashing, and shifting through the Tigers’ defense. Mack, one of several two-sport athletes who participates on the Eagles track team, exposed Katy’s defense. The joint effort watched teammates junior tailback Tory Blaylock, quarterback Zion Brown, and junior receiver Kyran Pate wreaked havoc all evening.
On Friday night at Turner Stadium, Mack scored the decisive touchdown as the Atascocita Eagles topped the Katy Tigers, 42-34.
“I grew up watching football my whole life,” Mack explained. “I prepared myself for this moment. Playing football by myself and with my big brothers made me better.”
Mack’s ability to move quickly and change directions during the game caught the audience’s attention. He accounted for 167 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns. His shifting, weaving, and cutting across the grain gave Katy fits. It allowed the slippery back to score on runs of four, 18, and 25.
Brown overcame his early struggles and led the offense on three second-quarter touchdowns by finishing 12-of-24 for 180 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Junior tailback Tory Blaylock had 14 carries for 81 yards, and receiver Cameron Glenn had three targets for 83 yards.
Atascocita built a 42-27 lead with 5:30 remaining. The series featured Mack, who accounted for 74 yards and a 25-yard scoring run.
Still, the battle was far from over as fans watched Katy march 65 yards in five plays, highlighted when it surprised the Eagles with a triple pass from Nelson to junior receiver Israel Olotu-Judah, who threw over the top to receiver Chase Johnsey down at the Atascocita’s 20-yard line. Then Johnsey reeled in his second big catch at the two before sophomore running back Tremayne Hill bolted into the end zone, making it a one-score lead, 42-34, following Ondrush’s extra point kick.
“The defense played great, but they gave up some big plays,” Eagles coach Craig Stump said. “But that’s a good football team in (Katy). They are going to make those plays.”
In the next frame, the Tigers halted Atascocita’s next possession but fumbled the punt, allowing the Eagles a first and ten from the Katy 13, where Brown took a knee twice to run out the clock.
Junior quarterback Gunner Nelson kept the Tigers within striking distance, passing for 143 yards on 10-of-19 attempts, two touchdowns, and one interception. Running back Romel Jordan carried the ball 20 times for 82 tough yards. Receivers Johnsey had three receptions for 71 yards, and Oliver Ginn grabbed three balls for 60 yards and a score.
“We have a young football team, and they’ve grown up quite a bit in the past two weeks,” said Katy’s coach, Gary Joseph. “They’ve had to and know now they can play with really good teams.”
Katy spent much of its time playing catchup, steaming from mistakes and turnovers.
“They’ve grown up, and the important thing is we can’t get down on ourselves about the loss,” says Joseph. “It should sting and hurt, but it’s not something you can’t overcome. That’s what the message was in there. They competed, and you can’t fault their effort. We just have to continue to get better with the execution. But we’re going to keep getting better and be ready.”
The first quarter watched the teams trade a pair of possessions before the Tigers settled down and pieced together a 61-yard scoring drive. Jordan’s running efforts set up Nelson’s 38 touchdown pass to Ginn, who found space in the middle of the Eagles’ defense, making the score 7-0 following Hunter Ondrush’s bonus kick.
Atascocita responded with a nine-play, 70-yard possession to tie the game at seven. Junior receiver Kyran Pate took Brown’s dump pass as he broke free from a would-be tackler, battling his way through defenders to the Katy 28. On the next play, Brown spotted receiver Jelani Watkins streaking to the left corner of the end zone with 8:01 left in the second quarter.
“Atascocita played really well, converted three turnovers into touchdowns, and when you’re playing a good football team like that, you can’t turn the ball over,” Joseph explained.
The Eagles forced a three out, which led to its second score. Brown’s 56-yard pass to Cameron Glenn at the Katy 24 spurred the drive. Two plays later, Mack took the handoff going right, shifted between a pair of defenders, and cut across the grain before finding daylight to the end zone. That gave the Eagles its first lead, 14-7, with 4:58 left in the second quarter.
“We had an opportunity to win the game,” Gary Joseph said. “They (Atascocita) converted some turnovers. They converter two for touchdowns. Turnovers is the name of the game when you play against good people.”
The lead would not hold for long. Katy’s defense helped even the score at 14-14 with 3:29 left in the second quarter after Jon Artis intercepted Brown’s pass and returned it for a touchdown.
Except for turnovers, the seesaw affair continued, yet Atascocita made the most of turning turnovers into points, building a 13-point lead.
Katy forced a fumble at the Eagles 43, but Atascocita recovered. The old saying haunted the Tigers: Give a good team a second chance, and they will bite. That’s what happened. Mach took a handoff, dodging and weaving through defenders to the Katy 36-yard line. Brown’s pass to Pate pushed the ball to the 15, and three plays later, Brown found pay-dirt from the one-yard line.ll
Then Tigers’ receiver Jared Kelly fumbled the ball after receiving a pass from Nelson at the Katy 20, while Eagles’ defensive back Hunter Sowell picked up the loose ball at the Tigers 12 and raced into the end zone for the score. That made the score 27-14.
Suffering from the turnover bug, the Tigers would not surrender. Instead, it settled in and executed a 75-yard series. Nelson threw a 24-yard pass to Olota-Judah, and Jordan’s tough inside running moved Katy to the Atascocita’s four. Nelson then threw a touchdown pass to Luke Carter, making the score 27-21 after the kick..
“We have to be able to overcome this and continue to get better,” Joseph said. “Some of our young kids have to step up, do a better job of tackling consistently, and continue to get better conditioned. It will happen. It’s just all part of what you go through at the beginning of the year.”
The Eagles led 35-21 in the fourth quarter. Sowell intercepted Nelson at the Atascocita’s 47 and returned the ball to the Tigers four. Mack’s four-yard run concluded the frame.
Atascocita and Katy have met six times, with the Tigers holding a 5-1 record in the series.
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