Katy finished the season as undefeated state champions, making the Tigers the clear No. 1 in the final Texas Top 25 rankings.
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
Thousands of Katy fans clad in red and white made the four-hour drive to Arlington's Cowboys Stadium Saturday to see if their Tigers could complete a perfect 16-0 season.
They didn't leave disappointed.
Gary Joseph's team secured the No. 1 spot in the final 2012 MaxPreps Texas Top 25 football rankings with a 35-24 victory over 11-5 Cedar Hill in the Class 5A Division II state championship game.
Katy running back Adam Taylor, a Nebraska commit, scored all five of the Tigers' touchdowns, rushing for 277 yards. But as Joseph pointed out afterward, Taylor had a lot of help from talented teammates.
The state title was the seventh for Katy. The Tigers also had 16-0 campaigns in 2000 and 2007.
Allen (15-1) nailed down the No. 2 spot in the rankings with a 35-21 triumph over 15-1 Lamar (Houston) in the Class 5A Division I state final.
Katy and Allen last won Class 5A state titles in 2008.
Final MaxPreps Texas Top 25 Football Rankings
1. Katy 16-0 (Last Week 1)
Nebraska commit
Adam Taylor rushed for 277 yards and five touchdowns as the Tigers defeated 11-5 Cedar Hill for the Class 5A Division II state title. Taylor broke a 56-yard touchdown run on fourth down to give Katy a 28-24 lead and five minutes later iced it with a 42-yard scoring run. Oklahoma commit
Matt Dimon was named the defensive MVP of the game. The state title for Katy was No. 7 and only two Texas schools, Celina and Carroll (Southlake), have more with eight.
Kyler Murray, Allen
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
Marcus Ward scored on touchdown runs of 1 and 67 yards in the second half to lead the Eagles to a hard-fought 35-21 victory over 15-1 Lamar (Houston) in the Class 5A Division I state final. An 80-yard kickoff return by
Oliver Pierce led to Allen's go-ahead touchdown after Lamar tied it, 21-21. Allen quarterback
Kyler Murray was named the offensive MVP, rushing for 143 yards and two touchdowns and throwing for 49 yards and a score.
3. DeSoto 14-1 (3)
Eliminated by Allen 51-36 in a Class 5A Division I state semifinal.
4. Steele (Cibolo) 14-1 (4)
Eliminated by Katy 45-33 in a Class 5A Division II state semifinal.
Darrell Colbert, Lamar
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
An unbeaten season and a chance to give the Houston ISD its first state title since 1985 ended in a 35-21 loss to 15-1 Allen in the Class 5A Division I state championship game. Lamar junior quarterback
Darrell Colbert threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns and added 126 rushing yards and one score.
Cory Mitchell and
Beau Wells each contributed touchdown catches.
6. Carroll (Southlake) 12-2 (6)
Eliminated by DeSoto 49-45 in Class 5A Division I Region I title game.
7. Mesquite 11-1 (7)
Eliminated by Allen 42-28 in a Class 5A Division I area playoff.
8. Bowie (Arlington) 11-2 (8)
Eliminated by DeSoto 24-6 in a Class 5A Division I regional playoff.
9. Skyline (Dallas) 12-2 (9)
Eliminated by Allen 37-17 in the Class 5A Division I Region II final.
10. Westfield (Houston) 12-1 (10)
Eliminated by Skyline 38-33 in a Class 5A Division I regional playoff.
11. Coppell 11-1 (11)
Eliminated by DeSoto 42-14 in a Class 5A Division I area playoff.
12. Trinity (Euless) 10-3 (12)
Eliminated by Carroll (Southlake) 16-7 in a Class 5A Division I regional playoff.
Damion Hobbs, Cedar Hill
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
The Longhorns owned a fourth quarter lead in the Class 5A Division II state championship game before surrendering two touchdowns in the final seven minutes of a 35-24 loss to 16-0 Katy. Quarterback
Damion Hobbs, an Arkansas State recruit, rushed for 83 yards and one touchdown and threw for 200 yards and two more scores.
Brandon Harris had touchdown catches of 9 and 21 yards for the Longhorns.
14. Westlake (Austin) 10-5 (14)
Eliminated by Cedar Hill 31-28 in a Class 5A Division II state semifinal.
15. Midway (Waco) 13-1 (15)
Eliminated by Cedar Hill 49-34 in the Class 5A Division II Region I title game.
16. Abilene 12-1 (16)
Eliminated by Midway (Waco) 34-31 in a Class 5A Division II regional playoff.
Jerrod Heard, Guyer
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
With
Jerrod Heard leading the way, Guyer came storming from behind to defeat Georgetown, 48-37, in the Class 4A Division I state championship game. Heard, a junior committed to Texas, rushed for 143 yards and five touchdowns and threw for 189 and the other two Wildcats scores. Both scoring passes went to Arizona State commit
Ellis Jefferson.
18. Georgetown 15-1 (17)
The Eagles owned a 16-point third period lead, but were outscored 34-7 in the final 18 minutes of a 48-37 loss to Guyer (Denton) in a Class 4A Division I state championship game.
Jake Hubenak threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns and
Austin Weston rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Randy Knightner led the receiving corps with 12 catches for 159 yards and three scores.
Nate Grimm, Cedar Park
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Zach Hancock kicked a tie-breaking field goal in the first minute of the fourth quarter and
Mikal Wilson added a 14-yard touchdown run to send the Timberwolves to a 17-7 victory over 14-2 Lancaster in the Class 4A Division II state championship game Friday night at Cowboys Stadium. Cedar Park used its size advantage to wear down the Lancaster defense in the second half.
Nathan Harwell and
Nate Grimm each rushed for 70 yards, but it was Wilson that was named the game's offensive MVP. The state title was the first for coach Joe Willis.
20. Lancaster 14-2 (19)
Quarterback
Demarcus Ayers broke for a 27-yard touchdown on the Tigers' first possession and that's all they could get in a 17-7 loss to 14-2 Cedar Park in the Class 4A Division II state final Friday night at Cowboys Stadium. Lancaster was held to 213 total yards and Cedar Park had a 10-minute edge in time of possession. Lancaster defensive end
Daeshon Hall, a Washington commit, was named the game's defensive MVP.
21. Tyler 13-2 (20)
Eliminated by Guyer (Denton) 57-53 in a Class 4A Division I state semifinal.
22. O'Connor (Helotes) 12-3 (21)
Eliminated by Lamar (Houston) 15-7 in a Class 5A Division I state semifinal.
23. North Shore (Houston) 12-2 (22)
Eliminated by Lamar (Houston) 28-7 in the Class 5A Division I Region III title game.
Austin Collins, Navasota
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Eliminated by Steele (Cibolo) 28-12 in the Class 5A Division II Region IV final.
25. Navasota (16-0) (NR)
The Rattlers put the finishing touches on a perfect season with a 39-3 spanking of 13-2 Gilmer in the Class 3A Division II state title game. The Navasota defense limited Gilmer to just 162 yards. It marked the 12th time this season the Rattlers have held an opponent to less than 10 points. Junior defensive lineman
Jordan Wells led the way with 10 tackles (six for loss), a forced fumble, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. Offensively,
Austin Collins caught a pair of touchdown passes and also ran for a score.
Dropped out: No. 25 Stephenville.
On the bubble
Cameron Yoe 15-0
East Bernard 15-0
Stephenville 13-1
