MaxPreps Game of the Week: Unbeaten Cinco Ranch hopes to slow No. 8 Katy

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It's been a magical season thus far for Don Clayton and his Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas) Cougars, and it began right from the start.

Right at the end.

Their first two wins of a 9-0 campaign ended with last-second, game-winning field goals by Donny Smith. He hit a 25-yarder at the gun to beat defending 6A state finalist Cypress Ranch (Houston), 27-24, and a 41-yarder with three seconds left to beat Jersey Village (Houston) 30-27.

"We've had more talented teams, but this squad has found a way to take care of business," said Clayton, who took over at the school in 1999. "They do a great job of battling, preparing and being opportunistic."

The Cougars will need some extra magic Saturday when they take on the kings of the Houston region, Katy.

The Tigers, also 9-0, are No. 8 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings presented by the Army National Guard, and they've built a pretty perch over the years.

They've outscored opponents by an absurd 445-18 count this season, including 195-0 in the last three weeks. More than 12,000 fans will fill Rhodes Stadium to see if Cinco Ranch can pull the monumental upset. The Cougars have been outscored 91-7 the last two seasons by Katy and 220-38 over the last five meetings.

"In the 27 years I've coached with them and against them, this is the best defensive team they've ever had," Clayton said. "They've got five three-year starters on defense and one four-year starter. They don't have a weak spot."

Waiting, wanting, winning

At 49.4 points per game, Katy isn't too shabby on offense either, which is par for the course.

With seven Texas crowns, including five since the turn of the century, Katy is a premier national program from a state that has helped mesh high school football into the American landscape with hot dogs, apple pie, monster trucks and smart phones.  

Since 1995, the Tigers have won 273 games and lost just 31, claimed six state crowns and placed second five other times, including the last two years.

In that span, they've only lost once to a team in their school district, a 27-21 overtime humdinger to Cinco Ranch in 2008 on a 24-yard pass from Shane Ros to Tyler Mack.

"We've been wanting this one for a really long time," Clayton told reporters after the game.

For Clayton, it was personal.

He was a Katy assistant for 11 seasons and the team's offensive coordinator — current Katy head coach Gary Joseph was the defensive coordinator at the time — before taking over the new school in a community of almost 20,000 residents. Cinco Ranch is located about seven miles from Katy High School.

"I still have a lot of good friends at Katy," he said. "Some of the kids I coached there are now back there coaching."

Predictably, Cinco Ranch took its lumps in the early years of the program, going 1-9 and 2-7 its first two varsity campaigns. They've progressed steadily with double-digit win totals in 2006 (11-2), 2008 (11-2), 2009 (13-2) and 2010 (10-2), but have been stuck on the nine-win total four of the last five seasons.

The 2009 team won a regional title and also started 9-0, but lost a bitter 21-20 game to Katy on a 37-yard field goal miss in the final seconds. The Cougars rebounded, and rattled off four straight state playoff wins before losing 5A-1 semifinal game to Westlake (Austin).

Clayton is hopeful that — no matter what the result — the Cougars will grow from the game, which also decides a district title.

Both teams will move on to separate state 6A playoffs, Cinco Ranch to Division I and Katy to Division II.

"The neat part about the game is we can shake hands after and go our separate ways with a whole new season ahead," Clayton said. "Win or lose, we don't want to be too high or low come next Monday."

Balancing act

Cinco Ranch has show great balance all season, averaging 193 yards passing and 184 yards rushing. Senior quarterback Russell Morrison (93 of 155, 1,517 yards, 11 touchdowns) has progressed nicely, using a solid compliment of targets led by Corey Rau (22 catches, 401 yards, three TDs), sophomore Brant Kuithe (18-327-5) and junior Greg Williams (16-124).

SMU-bound Rau (6-4, 230) is one of the state's top tight ends.

Morrison (124 carries, 623 yards, 12 touchdowns) is also the team's second-leading rusher behind Devion Johnson (102-723-8) which has helped the Cougars control the clock — something vital against Katy, which averages 450 yards per game split almost evenly between run (267 yards per game) and pass (183).

Katy running back Kyle Porter (117 attempts, 1,111 yards rushing, 22 touchdowns), quarterback Garrett Doiron (80 completions, 116 attempts, 1,434 yards, 17 TDs) and receiver Tony Mullins (39 catches, 697 yards, nine TDs) are Katy's top offensive weapons.

The team is riddled with some of the state's best college football prospects.

Uncommitted Porter is the state's No. 45 senior recruit, according to 247Sports. Safety Collin Wilder (Houston commit) is No. 102, linebacker Paddy Fisher (Northwestern) is No. 160 and safety Travis Whillock (Northwestern) is No. 244. Defensive end Corey Bethley is one of the state's top juniors.

Cinco Ranch has caused 22 turnovers and recorded 15 sacks. With eight players between 40 and 78 tackles, the Cougars also swarm well to the ball. Linebacker Dami Ilesanmi leads the team with 78 tackles, 18 for loss.

"We're going to have to keep the score low," Clayton said. "Our defense will definitely have to come out there to play. We'd love the game to come down to a field goal."