Texas high school football fans, allow us to introduce you to Mr. Cardae Mack!
Mack is a sophomore for the Atascocita Eagles. He is listed as the backup quarterback. But down 7-0 in the second quarter, Mack got his first carry of the game, and he took over from there, leading the Eagles to a 42-34 win.
This was the first win in program history for the Atascocita Eagles over the Katy Tigers and the first win for Eagles Head Coach Craig Stump over Katy in seven tries.
Katy Took the Early Lead
In a battle of two top-ranked teams, and in the game Max Preps listed as the 2nd biggest game in the nation this week, despite being on the road, most people seemed to be favoring Gary Joseph and the Tigers. In the first quarter, it looked like the Tigers had the advantage.
Both teams struggled in their first drives, but the Tigers got on the board first with an Oliver Ginn 38-yard touchdown catch from Gunner Nelson. The Tigers would hold the 7-0 lead into the second quarter. With 8 minutes to go in the second quarter, QB Zion Brown threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jelani Watkins to tie the game.
Enter Cardae Mack
The Eagles have a talented deep backfield, but it was a sophomore who was listed as the backup QB who stole the show. Mack scored on an 18-yard touchdown with 4:48 to go in the second quarter to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, 14-7.
However, Katy quickly took back momentum, with Jon Artis scoring on a 30-yard pick-six to tie the game. But, the Eagles fought right back, driving the ball down the field, with Zion Brown scoring from 1 yard out to give Atascocita the 21-14 lead.
Second Half
The Eagle’s defense stepped up to start the second half. Hunter Sowell picked up a Katy fumble and ran it back for a touchdown. After a blocked extra point, the Eagles lead was up to 27-14 more than halfway through the third quarter. However, Katy once again fought back, with Gunner Nelson throwing a touchdown pass to Luke Carter, cutting the Eagles lead to 27-21 going into the 4th.
Cardae Mack is a Closer
The 4th quarter was the Cardae Mack show. The Eagled fed him, and he kept breaking off long first-down runs. Mack scores his second TD at the start of the 4th quarter. When Katy responded with a 54-yard touchdown run from Tremayne Hill to cut the lead to 35-27, Mack quickly drove down the field with the physical Atascocita Eagles offensive line leading the way. Cardae Mack went over 160 yards rushing for the game on the drive with just 14 carries, and he scored from 24 yards away for his 3rd rushing touchdown, opening up the Eagles lead to 42-27.
The Tigers would make the ending a bit exciting. Katy, with the help of a trick play and a few tough runs, quickly drove down the field and scored to cut the lead to 42-34. Then, with just over 1:30 to go, the Tigers forced the Eagles to punt the ball back to them. However, Katy muffed the punt inside their 10-yard line, and the Eagles recovered and ran out the clock.
What’s Next
The Katy Tigers fall to 1-1. They host Katy Tompkins next week. Despite the loss, the Tigers are a solid team and should be favored in their remaining eight games. The Atascocita Tigers are now 2-0 and will move into the Top 5 in the 6A rankings. They host an out-of-state team next week, East St. Louis, IL. All eyes will be on their 9th game of the season, where they will play at North Shore in what should decide District 21-6A. If both teams remain undefeated going into that game, they will both likely be ranked in the Top 20, if not the Top 10 in the nation.
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