Paetow players huddle together in a pregame talk on Friday that included Cortez Hunter (8), Jacob Walker (21) and Michael Jordan (12) prior to playing Hightower. (Terry Carter/UD Photos.com photo)
By George Slaughter
Both Katy-area teams claimed victories in the quarterfinal round of the Texas high school football playoffs. Both games were at Rice Stadium.
Paetow 35, Fort Bend Hightower 12
Paetow punched its ticket to the Class 5A Division I semifinals with a win over Fort Bend Hightower Friday night.
Senior running back Jacob Brown led the way, rushing for 346 yards and five touchdowns on 30 carries.
Brown’s first touchdown came on a 75-yard burst with 2:42 in the first quarter. He scored on a 73-yard run with 8:54 remaining in the second quarter.
Brown’s third touchdown, a 17-yard run, came with only 32 seconds left in the second quarter.
The Paetow defense put in another strong effort, holding the Hurricanes to only 26 yards rushing on 26 carries and 11 first downs. Hightower’s offense came through its passing game. Its first touchdown came on a 55-yard strike from junior quarterback Kendron Penson to sophomore running back Jeremy Payne with 10:55 in the third quarter.
Paetow responded with another Brown touchdown. This one was for 9 yards and came at the 8:03 mark in the third quarter.
Hightower scored on a 66-yard pass from Penson to senior wide receiver Kaleb Johnson with 6:53 remaining. Penson was 13-of-33 for 229 yards and the two touchdowns.
Brown scored his last touchdown on a 27-yard run, with 3:34 remaining in the third.
Friday’s game was a rematch from earlier this season. Paetow won that matchup, 55-7, on Oct. 21.
Paetow is 13-1. Hightower ends its season at 11-3.
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- Paetow senior Jacob Brown (25) averaged more than 11 yards per carry against Hightower on Friday. Brown finished with 346 rushing yards and all five Panther touchdowns. The standout performance included scoring runs of 75, 73, 17, 9 and 27 yards. (Terry Carter/UD Photos.com photo)
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- Paetow sophomore defensive lineman Loghan Thomas (91) sacks Hightower quarterback Kendron Penson (10) in the first half. (Terry Carter/UD Photos.com photo)
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- Panther senior running back Jacob Brown (25) strikes a pose in the end zone at Rice University after his first touchdown, a 75-yard burst. (Terry Carter/UD Photos.com photo)
Katy 34, Summer Creek 31
Katy held off a valiant Summer Creek second half comeback attempt to defeat the Bulldogs, 34-31, in a Class 6A Division II quarterfinal playoff game Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers took a 27-7 halftime lead for the Bulldogs began their comeback. It began with a 19-yard run by Tori Curry with 7:47 in the third quarter.
The Bulldog defense scored on the ensuing Katy possession, when junior defensive back Darren Hargrove intercepted a Katy pass and returned it for a 15-yard touchdown.
Katy reasserted itself with a 51-yard run by junior running back Dallas Glass. The score put the Tigers up 34-21 with 2:37 left in the third quarter.
Junior Cory Nichols scored on a 12-yard with seven seconds remaining in the third, and senior kicker Alfonso Gonzalez made a 36-yard field goal with 6:08 in the fourth quarter to bring the margin to only three points. But Katy held and came away with the win.
Katy’s first-half scores came on 12, 8, and 68-yard runs by junior running back Seth Davis. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs got their only first-half score on a 10-yard pass from junior quarterback Jahrik Jones to Nichols in the first quarter.
Davis was the game’s leading rusher, with 234 yards and his three touchdowns on 15 carries. Glass, meanwhile, finished with 87 yards and his touchdown on 8 carries.
Katy is 14-0. Summer Creek ends its season at 10-4.
Katy-Area Semifinal Playoff Matchups
Here are the semifinal playoff matchups featuring Katy-area teams:
- Paetow vs. Flour Bluff, 7 p.m. Friday, Heroes Stadium, San Antonio
- Katy vs. Austin Westlake, 2 p.m. Saturday, McLane Stadium, Waco