By Terry Carter
Seth Davis could have run for days against CE King as the Katy Tigers won a rushing-versus-passing battle at NRG Stadium for the Region III-6A Division 2 crown.
Katy pulled away in the second half to win, 56-34. The Tigers (14-0) advance to play Vandergrift on Dec. 10 at the Alamodome in the 6A Division II state semifinal. King (9-5) completes a deep playoff run as the perhaps the strongest fourth-place district finisher in 6A UIL football in 2022.
Davis’ breakaway speed, acceleration matched up with the Tiger offensive line and secondary blocking provided a high school football highlight unmatched in the Katy senior’s prolific career as a running back. Davis, a commit to Mississippi State University, finished with 297 rushing yards and six touchdowns, numbers Seth said are likely his best ever.
“It’s just a brotherhood we’ve got. We know, we love each others, and we just kept fighting together tonight,” Seth said after his 36-point rushing performance. “That really helped us. That’s the most (TDs) I’ve ever got.”
Katy’s formidable offensive line accounted for 373 rushing yards and 449 total yards of offense as QB Caleb Koger (7-of-13) for 76 yards navigated the King defense in a physical battle. A significant note: Koger scored two rushing TDs in the fourth quarter. One helped motivate Katy Nation fans and players when Koger emerged from a 1-yard pile of players being moved by offensive linemen without his helmet.
Katy led 14-0 after Seth scored twice in the first minute of the state quarterfinal contest. But King, which opted to throw the football with great success, played a strong first half. They trailed Katy, 28-27, at halftime.
For Katy it was nearly all a rushing effort. For King it was even more of a passing show from King QB Denim Johnson (31-of-47) for 472 passing yards.
Tiger halftime adjustments to the King passing scheme helped limit King’s scoring in the second half. They trailed 35-34 in the third quarter, but never scored again as Katy separated the two warrior teams in several key ways:
- Katy mentally amped up the defensive stopping power and its motivation after a Tiger player was taken off the field with an injury
- Katy limited mistakes to one penalty in the game while King suffered a series of consecutive false-start flags and finished with six penalties.
- Katy registered zero turnovers while King lost a fumble in the Katy red zone that the Tigers recovered. Also Katy’s Micah Sweats made an interception that sealed the victory in the final two minutes. This pick gave Katy coaches reason to celebrate on the sidelines for the first time in a high-quality Region III showdown
- Katy only punted once, but their likely all-state punter ripped a 59-yard kick deep into King territory to pin the Panthers deep.
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- One of Katy’s top rushers all-time, Seth Davis (23) breaks tackles to get into the secondary against CE King. Once there, Davis scored a career-high six TDs and rushed for nearly 300 yards. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
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- Katy OLB Chisholm Hill (47) contributed in a big way as the Tiger defended clamped down on CE King in the second half to separate two quality teams battling in a state quarterfinal. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
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- Katy senior RB Seth Davis celebrates a moment in the end zone after scoring his sixth TD to help the Tigers pull away in a 56-34 state quarterfinal win over King. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
