Katy gets win

WACO — It looks like a long break came at just the right time for the Katy Tigers. In their first game since Sept. 6, the Tigers looked like a different team than the one that lost its first two games of the season, defeating the Flower Mound Marcus Marauders 17-14 on Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium. The Tigers' schedule was unaffected by Hurricane Ike last week because they had an open date. After starting the season with losses to North Shore and The Woodlands, the Tigers (1-2) were looking for to avoid starting a season with three straight losses for the first time since 1984. They needed a break, and they got it on their first possession. With 9:39 left in the first quarter, senior quarterback Parker Ray connected with Taylor Brandt for a 69-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead. "We hadn't scored (a touchdown) this year, and you could see the relief on the kids' faces," Katy coach Gary Joseph said. "It gave our defense a chance to relax, too and both sides played hard after that." That play kick-started the Tigers, who ended the day with 266 yards, their highest single-game total so far this season. Air-tight defense The defense was stellar, especially against the Marauders' running game, holding Flower Mound Marcus (2-2) to just 73 yards on 27 carries. Marcus running back Stephen Hopkins managed just 54 yards on 21 carries. "They bottled us up and stifled us," Marcus coach Bryan Erwin said. "They were able to stop the run and they ran the ball well, and that was the difference in the game." The Tigers added a 47-yard field goal from Raul Baulbuena with 7:59 to go in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead that held until halftime. In the third quarter, sophomore running back Vernon Jeffries (16 carries, 88 yards) had consecutive runs of 23 and 28 yards to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Chris Roberson, putting the Tigers up 17-0. The Tigers' improved running game picked up 185 yards. Senior running back Michael Webber accounted for 80 on nine carries. "The offensive line was magnificent today," Jeffries said. "We've been going full speed and had two weeks of hard practice to prepare us for this." Marcus responded with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Brad L'Huillier to Joel Free, but it was too-little, too-late against a determined Tigers team. Just one turnover Katy wasn't without mistakes, though. The Tigers committed seven penalties for 65 yards. They only committed one turnover, however, a drastic change after committing seven in the first two games of the year. "We can't turn the ball over," Joseph said. "We have a very small margin for error. We need to be able to make the smart plays." The Tigers felt their win was one to build on. "We had to go back and learn how to play hard," Joseph said. "We went back to just playing Katy football. In practice, we got after it and we grew up a little. We learned to fight through hits and fight through things. We talk to them all the time about perseverance, and they persevered today." sam.khan@chron.com