KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
August 23, 2022
By Natalie Cook Clark
The excitement of Katy “Friday Night Lights” starts this week. The stadium lights and sounds of high school football will fill the Katy night air. See what Katy families need to know to enjoy the season and hear what the coaches want you to know.
Photo credit: KISD
Newcomers continue to pour into Katy as the city grows and it’s time to learn about the excitement of Katy high school football. From the sounds of the band, cheers from the cheerleaders and dance team and clashing sounds of football pads—Katy loves football.
Last year was a thrilling season for Katy ISD football teams. Paetow High School claimed the 5A Division I State Championship while Katy High School ended their season with a 14-1 record, only losing to Austin Westlake in the 6A Division II semifinals.
This year, all Katy ISD football teams will be playing in the 6A Division and the season kicks off this week.
All Tickets Must Be Purchased Online This Season
This year athletic tickets will no longer be sold at events. All tickets must be purchased online. Season tickets and tickets to individual games (both junior high and high school) are now available.
Follow your favorite Katy ISD football team. Here’s the2022-2023 Varsity Football Schedule.
Clear Bags and Stadium Policies
Katy ISD varsity home games are held at Rhodes Stadium and Legacy Stadium both in downtown Katy.
For security purposes, the District encourages spectators to not bring bags into the stadiums. If you do need a bag it must follow their guidelines. All bags are subject to inspection.
Clear, plastic, vinyl or PVC bags
Clear, plastic, one-gallon, re-sealable, Ziploc-style bags
Clutch bags approximately the size of a hand (4 1⁄2” X 6 1⁄2”)
Medically necessary items
Food and drinks are not allowed
Katy ISD Football Coaches Preview the Season:
Katy High School
Head Football Coach Gary Joseph
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year? Answer: Tough hard-working bunch of kids that are anxious to meet the standard of Katy Football.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities. Answer: It’s been a long arduous process, through the off-season, spring training and the summer.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season? Answer: I’m excited for the opportunity in which these kids must prove that they can live up to the tradition of Katy Football and that they can bounce back from a tough defeat in the State Semi-Finals.
Taylor High School
Head Football Coach Chad Simmons
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year?
Answer: Our fans can expect a disciplined, much-improved team who plays hard for each other.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities.
Answer: We have had tremendous buy-in from a consistent core of players who have put in quality work throughout the summer and pre-season. Our team leaders have done a great job of modeling a can-do attitude and consistently excellent work habits, as well as building a brotherhood and a positive culture for our program.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season?
Answer: We are excited to see many of our returning varsity kids, who were pressed into varsity roles as sophomores (and one freshman), return to competition with that invaluable experience to draw on.
Mayde Creek High School
Head Football Coach J. Jensen
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year?
Answer: We are in Year Two of building. We had a full off-season, spring ball, and great SAC Camp numbers. The fans can expect the Mayde Creek Rams to be a fast, physical, and disciplined Football team. Offensively, we will run a multiple-spread offense. We will utilize different personnel sets that highlight our athletes' skillsets. Defensively, we will move to a 3/4. We feel this utilizes our players' speed and aggression better than the 4/3. On special teams, we return our kickers and punters from last season. We are excited about the 2022 Rams in all 3 phases of the game.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities. Answer: Our training process is broken into phases: off-season, Spring Ball, SAC, and In-Season. We attacked the weight room starting in November. We were highly motivated to get bigger and stronger. The players really worked hard to get bigger with several adding 10-15 pounds of muscle. We also had great leadership out of players throughout our leadership program. Team Captains draft every athlete in the program, and they are responsible for their platoon. They monitor teammates in several phases that we have determined to be essential to the success of a program. Platoons compete weekly and are ranked in those phases we deem vital. We saw the team morph into a player-led team. We saw player leadership as a glaring weakness that has now become one of our strengths. We also did a team book study with the Varsity that allowed us to grow as leaders. It was a great program that allowed us to share ideas and bond as a team.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season? Answer: We are most excited to see the growth we have made as a program. We have great Senior leadership and players that are hungry to change the culture of MCHS.
Cinco Ranch High School
Head Football Coach Chris Dudley
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year?
Answer: We have a group of players that have a genuine love for the game and for each other. It is a selfless group that outstandingly represents our community. As coaches, we are excited about the season and ready to build off of our playoff success from a year ago.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities.
Answer: Our players had a really good off-season. The commitment and work ethic in the weight room really stood out. Our players approached each day with a sense of purpose and are continuing to strive to be the best version of themselves. We have a servant leadership culture and look for opportunities to serve different groups/teams at CRHS as well as the Cinco Ranch community. From making coke floats for our student trainers to making goodie bags for our volleyball players before a playoff game, we are looking for ways to positively affect others. Our players volunteered at a nearby retirement home this past spring as well and made connections with the elderly in our community.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season?
Answer: Our program has steadily improved each of the last three years and our players are ready to elevate it even higher. We have several returning starters on offense, which will be one of our team’s biggest strengths and an athletic defense that prides itself on forcing turnovers. Our coaches and players are proud to compete in the toughest football district in the state of Texas, Katy ISD 19-6A!!
Morton Ranch High School
Head Football Coach Ron Counter
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year?
Answer: Fans can expect to see the Morton Ranch High School football team play hard and compete for a playoff spot if we stay healthy.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities.
Answer: We have a very good Senior Class that has led us through Spring Ball and Summer Conditioning. We are excited about the season!
Question: What are you most excited about for this season?
Answer: I’m excited to see how the Team responds to a nine-team district. It’s going to be a very long, tough district season with only two non-district games. I’ve never been in a nine-team district before. I think there could be several teams playing for a playoff spot in the last game of the regular season.
Seven Lakes High School
Head Football Coach Jimmy Hamon
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year?
Answer: I believe fans will see a disciplined and competitive football team who is ready to move beyond the first round of the playoffs. Offensively, you should see a team that relies on the tackle running game and play action pass. Defensively, we will be gap sound with a focus on stopping the heavy running attack of 19-6A.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities.
Answer: Training for the upcoming year starts as soon as the previous season is over. We spent the first part of our off-season program focused on strength building and transitioned toward incorporating speed and quickness drills. We did have spring practice this year and were able to answer some questions about our upcoming season. This summer, our players participated in Strength and Conditioning (SAC) camp. I am excited to see how our process shows up on the football field.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season?
Answer: I am excited to see an all-Katy ISD 19-6A district. We play in one of the toughest football districts in the Greater Houston area and in the state of Texas. I am excited to see the talent that 19-6A has to offer. I am also excited to see close and competitive games all across the district and see if we can make our third straight playoff appearance.
Tompkins High School
Head Football Coach Todd McVey
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year?
Answer: The Falcons will play each snap and play together as a team.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities.
Answer: Our off-season is where we work to get stronger not only physically but mentally as well. Boot Camp, mat drills and weightlifting all help us with this. We also partake in other community activities to be servant leaders to others and build team unity while doing this.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season?
Answer: We are excited about the opportunity of playing football again!
Paetow High School
Head Football Coach Lonnie Teagle
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year? Answer: You can expect a hungry team that is disciplined and gives great effort. That's the expectation that we set for our program and our kids are working to meet that expectation.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities. Answer: We have come in as a staff and worked hard to get to know our kids and build meaningful relationships. We have challenged them to learn a new scheme in a short period of time.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season? Answer: I am excited to see our guys take on the challenge each week. Every week is going to be tough and it's going to take a great effort to meet our goals this season.
Jordan High School
Head Football Coach Mike Rabe
Question: What can fans expect from your football team this year?
Answer: We will play extremely hard; we will play with discipline; we will play with composure. The amount of character within our football team and community makes for a fantastic group of young athletes to coach. Our players buy into our message of commitment and effort. In short, we will compete for four quarters with grit, toughness, and an overall level of pride in our community.
Question: Talk about your training process this year and any unique team-building opportunities.
Answer: Our training program, which stretches through the offseason and summer time, is successful for one key reason: the investment and attendance of our athletes. Our team is unified through being placed in challenging situations in the weight room and on the turf daily. Together, they welcome this challenge; they grow both physically and mentally throughout the year. Of the many team activities that we engage in, I feel that our unity truly stems from our challenging training regimen.
Question: What are you most excited about for this season?
Answer: We are excited to watch our athletes compete at the highest level in the state of Texas. They are aware of the challenges that lie ahead of them. We communicate these challenges to them consistently and aim to mimic the challenge of Katy ISD football in our training sessions. I firmly believe that our athletes will rise to the challenge this football season. As their coaches, we are excited to see their work pay off.