By George Slaughter
The west (home team) side of Legacy Stadium. (George Slaughter photo)
High school football playoff time is here, and Katy, Seven Lakes, Taylor, and Tompkins begin their football playoff quest Friday night.
Katy (9-1) vs. Fort Bend Travis (8-2)
The Tigers meet the Tigers at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Legacy Stadium.
The game is a rematch of last year’s bi-district game, which Katy won 45-14. Katy went on to the semifinal round before losing to Lake Travis.
Gary Joseph is in his fifteenth season leading Katy. This season, the Tigers lost their opener to North Shore, but rebounded with nine straight wins and the District 19-6A title.
Travis, meanwhile, is the District 20-6A runner-up. Coach Trey Sissom’s team has won its last three after suffering its only district loss came against Ridge Point.
Seven Lakes (6-4) vs. Ridge Point (9-1)
The Spartans meet the Panthers at 7 p.m. Friday at Hall Stadium.
Jimmy Hamon is in his first season as Spartans coach, and has led them to their first playoff appearance since 2014.
Hamon also has some familiarity with Ridge Point, as he was defensive coordinator there before coming to Seven Lakes this spring. After Friday’s win against Cinco Ranch, Hamon said he expected that both teams would see similar defensive schemes.
Ridge Point, coached by Brett Sniffin, is the District 20-6A champion.
Taylor (5-5) vs. Fort Bend Dulles (8-2)
The Mustangs meet the Vikings at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mercer Stadium.
Like Hamon, Taylor coach Chad Simmons is in his first season. The Mustangs are making their fourth playoff appearance in the last five seasons, and hope to move beyond the bi-district round. Last season, Langham Creek ended Taylor’s season in the bi-district round.
John Geist’s Vikings team has losses to Fort Bend Travis and Ridge Point.
Tompkins (8-2) vs. Elkins (7-3)
The Falcons meet the Knights at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Rhodes Stadium.
Todd McVey, in his second season at Tompkins, has the Falcons soaring to new heights. This season, the Falcons had their first-ever winning record and are making their first playoff appearance. Their only losses came against Katy and Cinco Ranch.
Coach Dennis Brantley’s Knights enter the playoffs with a 7-3 record, with losses to Travis, Dulles, and Ridge Point.