Home Showdown Favors Katy ISD

By Terry Carter,

The short version is simple: Boys’ soccer in Region III-6A is dominated by District 19-6A.

All four Katy ISD soccer teams qualifying for the postseason will collide tonight at Legacy Stadium in then heart of Katy for a “friendly reunion.” As game time arrives, however, the reunion will likely be replaced by “friendly rivalry” for two hours. No other districts have all four teams still competing. 

For the record:

• Third-place Jordan (15-7-3) will take on second-place Paetow (15-2-5) at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Legacy in this Region III-6A quarterfinal. It’s a clash of 5A surging powers ready to play for the regional crown. Both teams feature offensive firepower and exceptional playmakers who can break a game open.
• At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, defending Region III-6A and District 19-6A champion Seven Lakes (23-1-1) will play fourth-place Cinco Ranch (12-5-5) at Legacy. Both teams are hungry and know a victory is the only way to advance

These teams are competitive, and two of the four postseason qualifiers — Seven Lakes and Jordan — won their regional crown and advanced to the state tournament last spring. Jordan worked its magic in Class 5A, and the Warriors tied Seven Lakes 1-1 in their second district battle. 

So the Warriors know what’s possible although they dropped both matches to Paetow, 3-1. And the Panthers can become a scoring machine where Jordan shows its defensive prowess to gain momentum. 

Both teams are similar in goals scored versus goals allowed: Paetow— 67 goals, 22 against.  Jordan— 65 goals, 29 allowed. 

After going 15-0-1 in district, Seven Lakes is rolling with 95 season goals, compared to only 14 goals allowed. That one tie, however, happened against Jordan four weeks ago. And the Spartans have dispatched Cinco Ranch, 4-0 and 2-0.

Yet the Cougars cannot be discounted because soccer playoffs allow for upsets and the spectacular plays by players who refuse to lose. This is why soccer is a world favorite sport. 

Stay tuned tonight. The winners advance to Abshire Stadium in Deer Park next weekend for the Region III-6A semifinals.