KATY, Texas— Two teams, one district and a roller coaster season for each team. One team looks to break the glass ceiling and finally move past the state semi-finals while the other hopes to make it to the postseason. Yet, as similar as they are they differ from one another in many ways; especially when it comes to the tumultuous blows each has had so far in 2017.
Only one thing will matter when Katy Cinco Ranch (3-1) and Katy Taylor (2-2) meet at Legacy Stadium on Thursday night. For each team, a win in this game means much more than another check in the win column.
Katy Taylor has faced many challenges this season both on and off the field. On September 19, two days before the Mustangs second game of the season, head coach Trey Herrmann was placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons. Assistant coach Joe Sheffy has since assumed head coach responsibilities.
The Mustangs also lost one of their top defensive players in four-star defensive end and Texas A&M commit Max Wright. Wright suffered a season ending ACL tear (his second one in three years) against Fort Bend Austin back on September 21. That said, Taylor is coming off a 42-28 win over Mayde Creek last week to bring the Mustangs back to .500.
Katy Taylor RB Ean Beek looks to have a big game Thursday night against Cinco Ranch. (File Photo: John Glaser/TexasHSFootball.com)
Senior three-star running back Ean Beek has been more than bright spot on Taylor’s offense this year. You could almost say he’s been a shining star. The shifty back is on par to outdo his phenomenal 2,335-yard rushing season he had in 2016 as he’s already nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in 2017. On top of that, Beek has had two games in which he scored five touchdowns each for a total of 13 touchdowns in four games on the season.
As for Cinco Ranch, the only problem they’ve had this season (besides getting trounced 30-0 by Katy) is figuring out whether running back Brant Kuithe is human or not. Kuithe, a three-star Rice commit, has averaged 113.5 yards per game this year while averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He made a statement last week during his five-touchdown game against 2016 5A state semifinalist Richmond Foster last week.
Other notable players on the Cougars offense include quarterback Zach Easterly, running back Sanders Crawford IV, and wide receivers Devin Staton and Justin Hull. The Mustangs will lean on safety and Houston commit Ben Montgomery and the rest of the defense to try and slow them down.
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