Other than the titans of Class 6A football in Greater Houston, Katy Taylor and Fort Bend Elkins can hang with just about anyone. That's what makes their evenly-matched 1st-round (bi-district) playoff game against each other on Saturday so intriguing, and you can listen to what transpires inside Hall Stadium at vypefortbend.com starting at 12:45PM.
The Mustangs (5-5) and Knights (8-2) are in the UIL's 6A Division II playoff bracket, based on overall student enrollment. In District 19-6A, Katy and Katy Tompkins also qualified for the playoffs, and they have more students than Taylor; and the same is true for 20-6A's Fort Bend Travis and Ridge Point, whose enrollment numbers exceed Elkins.
Therefore, Taylor and Elkins should be more than happy in 6A's Division II. In Taylor's five wins, they outscored their opponents by an average of nearly 27 points (45.2 to 18.4). Their five losses were to a quartet of teams state-ranked by MaxPreps (Atascocita, #26; Dickinson, #23; Katy, #1; and Tompkins, #20) and a district rival, Mayde Creek – which went 8-2, losing only to Katy and Tompkins.
The Knights had an easier schedule. Their only losses were to Travis (ranked #28) and a Ridge Point team that is 27-1 in district games vs. Fort Bend ISD foes over the last four seasons. In all other games, Elkins dominated, outscoring the opposition 46.9-12.4.
Elkins is looking for its first playoff win since the Knights beat Madison 28-20 in the 2016 bi-district round. In the last 10 seasons, they are 3-8 in playoff games including two wins in 2013 when Jonathan Giles was their quarterback.
Taylor has broken even (7-7) in playoff games over the last 13 seasons, including three straight 1st-round wins over Fort Bend opponents: Kempner (2016), Bush ('17) and Dulles ('18).
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1PM - Boys Lacrosse: Dripping Springs vs. Kinkaid
1PM - Baseball: Liberty Hill vs. Georgetown
1:30PM - Baseball: McNeil vs. Vandegrift, Game 2
ASHTIAN CHATHAM BALANCES TWO WORLDS — AND THRIVES IN BOTH.
A student at Aldine Blanson CTE High School, where she’s pursuing computer programming, Chatham heads across the district to compete for Davis High School track and field — and she’s rewriting the record books when she gets there.
“I’m a very competitive person,” she said. “When I first started, I wasn’t that good — but I wanted to get better. It stuck. My improvement was gradual.”
That steady climb turned into history. Chatham now holds the school records in the 400 and 800 meters, with bigger goals still ahead.
“My goals this year are to also break the school record for the mile.”
Middle-distance racing is as mental as it is physical — something she embraces.
“The 400 and 800 are really about who wants it more at the end,” she said. “It’s about grit.”
What she loves most about track is its simplicity — and its honesty.
“If I do good, it’s because of me. If I do bad, it’s on me too,” she said. “You don’t have to depend on anyone else.”
Make no mistake — she wants to win.
“I like to win. That’s just how I’m built. But I’m not mean competitive.”
Her future includes college track, but her ambitions stretch beyond the oval. At Blanson CTE, she’s immersed in computer programming and sees herself one day becoming a data analyst.
“I’m into computer programming. I see myself being a data analyst,” she said.
The balance isn’t always easy. She’s enrolled in AP and dual-credit classes — a workload that demands discipline.
“It’s very stressful to be in AP classes and dual-credit classes,” she admitted. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like to challenge myself. In the classroom, I try my best.”
Track provides a contrast.
“Blanson is where I go for academics. I come to Davis to do sports. Davis is a breath of fresh air. It’s cool to meet all sorts of different people.”
Off the track, she keeps things light. She plays volleyball with friends, enjoys cooking — and especially eating — and is currently catching up on the anime One Piece.
“I love the fantasy aspect of the genre,” she said. “I love Zoro — he’s always getting lost. I can relate to that.”
Lost? Maybe sometimes. Driven? Always.
Whether she’s chasing a school record, debugging code or grinding through the final stretch of an 800, Ashtian Chatham is proof that competitiveness and curiosity can coexist — and that the finish line is only the beginning.
Recently, the McKinney North Bulldogs baseball team took on the Anna Coyotes in a tough district matchup!
Check out the highlights from the game below!
GAMES
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