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Katy Jordan is 2-0 in District 19-6A after Friday's 41-13 win over Paetow.
Upstart Jordan stuns Paetow, goes to 2-0 in 19-6A
KATY—After three weeks of District 19-6A play, only two of nine teams are unbeaten.
One is Katy. That’s nothing new. The perennial state power Tigers have twice as many state championships (four) as district losses since 2008.
The other is Katy Jordan.
Wait, huh? Jordan?
Yes, those precocious Warriors playing their inaugural year of varsity football are making some serious noise in one of the more competitive districts in the state. And nothing was louder than Friday’s 41-13 smacking of Paetow at Rhodes Stadium.
Jordan is 3-1 overall, 2-0 in district play. Paetow dropped to 3-2, 2-1. The Warriors led 14-7 at the half and outscored the Panthers 27-6 in the second, with Paetow’s second touchdown coming on the final play of the fourth quarter as the clock hit zeroes.
“These kids have taken football seriously since the day they walked onto campus,” coach Mike Rabe said. “They’ve wanted to be good. They want to prove they could compete in this district. They’re doing it.
“They work and grind every day and do whatever we ask them to do. They’ve earned a victory like this.”
\u201c.@JHSWarriors_FB coach Mike Rabe was awarded a Gatorade bath outside the locker room after tonight\u2019s 41-13 win over Paetow. #txhsfb @KatyISDAthletic @JHSWarriors_ABC @JordanHSAthlet1 @JhsWarriors\u201d— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1663990639
Jordan coaches devised a smart game-plan. Players executed it.
Offensively, the Warriors negated Paetow’s size, talent, speed and strength in the defensive front seven as junior quarterback Colin Willetts managed an impressive game.
Willetts completed 10 of 18 passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns and was only sacked once for a two-yard loss. His only mishap was a fumble in the first half recovered by Paetow’s Alex Kilgore that led to the Panthers’ first score.
Otherwise, Willets got rid of the ball quickly, almost always made the right read and kept the chains moving. He was supported by an opportunistic running game anchored by sophomore Chad Gasper (18 carries, 93 yards, TD) and a workmanlike offensive line of Tegan Marroquin, Nick Washington, Jovanni Melchor, Josh Mahoney and Jackson Conley that, though vastly undersized, won the battle of the trenches against a Paetow defensive line led by five-star recruit David Hicks Jr., the No. 9 overall prospect in the country, and three-star recruit Jarra Anderson.
“We knew we were the underdogs,” said Willetts, who completed touchdown passes of 25, 64 and 18 yards to Andrew Marsh, Zechariah Sample and Connor Babin, respectively. “We practiced all week, had a bye week and took the opportunity to get better. Our game-plan tonight, we executed it. Our O-line did very well against, probably, one of the best defenses in Texas. They gave me time to throw the ball and the receivers were making great plays for me.”
\u201c.@JHSWarriors_FB junior QB @willetts_colin talks about tonight\u2019s 41-13 win over Paetow that puts Jordan 3-1 overall, 2-0 in 19-6A. Willetts completed 10 of 18 passes for 112 yards and three TDs. #txhsfb @KatyISDAthletic @JordanHSAthlet1 @KPRC2RandyMc @JhsWarriors\u201d— VYPE Houston (@VYPE Houston) 1663990536
Once the Warriors figured early on that drop-back passing would not lead to much success, they adjusted by rolling Willetts out of the pocket more. It generated time and cleaner looks by forcing the Paetow defense to move, whether vertically or horizontally.
“It gave him some time to where he can have some vision down the field,” Rabe said. “He executed it well. He really looked comfortable when he could escape a little bit.”
Defensively, the Warriors were just as intentional.
Linemen Tosin Odulate and Jason Lee invaded Paetow’s backfield early and often. Linebacker Nicholas Olinger had a 26-yard pick-6 early in the third quarter, pushing Jordan’s lead to 27-7.
Sample, a two-way dynamo, provided a couple of crushing hits, one that led to a fumble. Against a Paetow team that prides itself on being physical, Jordan was the punishing aggressor.
\u201cWOW. Crushing hit by @JHSWarriors_FB\u2019s @SampleZechariah on Paetow RB Damyrion Phillips in the flat. One of the best hits I\u2019ve seen this year. #txhsfb @JordanHSAthlet1 @JHSWarriors_ABC @KatyISDAthletic\u201d— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1663978671
“There wasn’t anything defensively I didn’t like tonight,” Rabe said. “They did a really good job. We have a good defensive coaching staff with kids who have bought in. It was really fun to watch them operate.”
Jordan held Paetow to 219 total yards and 3.1 yards per play. The Panthers ran for 59 yards on 29 carries and completed 16 of 41 passes (39 percent).
“We understood they have a lot of good offensive powers,” said Odulate, who had two sacks and two tackles for loss. “The quarterback has a strong arm. The running back is good as well. They have a big offensive line. We had to beat them in the pass game. We had to shut down the run, and I think we did a really good job of that. Our defensive front, the front seven, really did a great job.”
\u201c.@JHSWarriors_FB senior DL @todulate44 talks about tonight\u2019s 41-13 win over Paetow. Odulate had two sacks and a couple tackles for loss in leading a defense that held Paetow to 219 total yards and 3.1 yards per play. #txhsfb @KatyISDAthletic @JhsWarriors @JordanHSAthlet1\u201d— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1663992193
Coming into the game, Rabe noticed his players were poised, calm. Confident. Even-keel. He did not get the sense that they were nervous or intimidated by playing a distinguished program like Paetow.
“I was really surprised by that,” Rabe said. “You would think you would run into that with an inexperienced team but there was none of those nerves or anxiety. They prepare really well, so they’re really confident in what they’re going to do when they come out on the field.”
Odulate said players hear the disrespect about Jordan football. They are aware of everyone dismissing them. They heard all summer about how Class 6A football would eat them alive. How they’re nothing more than the new kids on the block.
And all Jordan has done in response is win. Demonstratively, at that, with its three victories coming by an average of 35 points per game.
“People thought we’d be 0-10,” Willetts said. “Just keep watching.”
Katy Jordan junior Trae Gage, second from right, poses for a photo with officials from the Guatemalan national team.
Katy Jordan’s Gage to compete with Guatemalan national team
Trae Gage’s young life so far has been one of adversity, perseverance, triumph and great potential.
The Katy Jordan junior point guard was adopted before he turned one year old. Hoops was his ticket of acclimation to a new country, family and home.
Later this week, Gage will play for La Federación Nacional de Baloncesto de Guatemala, the Guatemalan equivalent to USA Basketball, after earning a roster spot in March to represent Guatemala in FIBA Tournaments starting Tuesday and wrapping up Sunday.
The tournaments will be played Sept. 1-3.
“I’m super blessed to have this opportunity,” Gage said. “Super exciting. To go to another country and do what I love, it’s amazing to me.”
Gage was born in Guatemala. When he was nine months old, he was adopted by Tyson and Laura Gage and brought to the United States.
“He was just an infant,” Tyson said. “As such, he’s had dual citizenship.”
Basketball has always been the bond between father and son. Tyson put a ball in Trae’s hands when he was five years old.
“Basketball is just who I was,” Gage said. “I grew up with it and it’s always been a part of me. I know nothing else, really.”
Gage is a natural, gifted shooter. He led Jordan in 3-point shooting last year at a 41 percent clip, knocking in 22 of 54 attempts in 20 games. He credits Tyson for his consistent marksmanship.
Tyson put Trae through a plethora of shooting workouts when he first started playing. Three-point shots were prohibited. The focus was on foundation, form and fundamentals. Good balance, elbows in, follow-through, high arc.
Gage wasn’t allowed to shoot 3s until he was capable, physically, to shoot them appropriately.
“Shooting 3s was basically like shooting a midrange shot,” Gage said, “because all of my fundamentals were there already.”
\u201cMore college workouts\u201d— Trae Gage (@Trae Gage) 1659810813
Last year, Tyson, to garner more opportunities in basketball for his son, contacted the Guatemalan Basketball Foundation and sent them Trae’s information. Coaches were interested. They brought him in for a tryout over spring break.
There, visiting his homeland for the first time, Gage played in club games with his age group. He scored 30 points. Then he played in an adult club league. He scored 28 points.
Then he practiced with the Guatemalan’s national team, where one skirmish left him with a black eye after being elbowed.
“It’s a different playing style there, so growing up and playing here in the States, my style is different and unique,” Gage said. “I think that made me stand out, as far as playing at a faster pace, how I could handle the ball, how I could score and create. They just liked what they saw.”
Gage earned his spot training with the national team and competing with them this week.
“I’m hoping to expand my game and get better overall,” Gage said. “Attacking the basket to score or kick out. Getting my teammates more involved. I want to come back better than ever next season and help my team be even more successful.”
Gage saw spot time last season for a Warriors team that was loaded with talented guards. Jordan went 21-11 in its inaugural year of varsity play. Gage averaged 3.6 points per game but started a few games and showed off impressive skills as a perimeter shooter and ballhandler.
\u201cBall handling\u201d— Trae Gage (@Trae Gage) 1659395077
He is smart with the ball, a tenacious fullcourt pressure defender and owns a rapid-fire quick release with considerable range.
“I learned a lot,” Gage said. “Coach (Charlie) Jones is a great coach who always encourages me. I’m a good shooter, and he’d always push me to keep shooting. Being at Jordan just gives me so much more confidence because of the coaching. It helped me a lot, and in turn I was able to really help out my team.”
As a 5-foot-6 point guard, Gage knows positive perception does not lean his way, particularly him being Guatemalan.
“Being Hispanic, being undersized and not meeting the eye test, he’s constantly overlooked and underrated,” Tyson said.
Trae said none of that is his concern.
“I try not to think about it,” he said. “I don’t let it bother me. I’m aware I’m short and maybe not as strong as everybody else. But I’m just going to work harder and control what I can, just continue to get better.”