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Katy Jordan beat Lake Creek, 1-0, in Friday's Class 5A bi-district playoff game to win its first playoff game in its first year of varsity play.
Katy Jordan wins first playoff game in first varsity season
KATY—In his team’s inaugural year of varsity competition this season, Katy Jordan boys soccer coach Jason Meekins kept his team’s mission simple.
“Plus one.”
During offseason training, that meant getting “one percent better.” It meant getting physically stronger. It meant striving for the extra.
“We’re playing juniors, freshmen and sophomores,” Meekins said. “In November, our goal was to play one more game after the season, just to make the playoffs.”
In Friday’s Class 5A bi-district playoff game against Lake Creek, with the season on the line, Jordan was plus one.
The Warriors nipped the Lions, 1-0, at Legacy Stadium in the playoff debut for each program. Jordan is in its first year of varsity play. Lake Creek (14-6-3) is in its fourth.
It was the Warriors making history as they exacted revenge on Lake Creek's 1-0 win earlier this season.
“Emotionally, it’s amazing,” sophomore midfielder Ryan Armijo said. “It’s fantastic. We worked all year for this moment. For how many kids came from different schools, we have such good team chemistry.”
Jordan broke a scoreless game in the 44th minute. Junior forward Nico Flores’ shot was deflected off the foot of a Lake Creek defender. The ball bounced high into the night. Once it came back down, Lake Creek goalkeeper Kaden Harmann headed the ball toward a teammate, but the pass was intercepted right to the foot of a Warriors striker.
“We were pressing their backline, trying to make them play out instead of playing long,” Meekins said. “In the first half, 70 percent of the game was in their half (of the field). We were creating chances, trying to put numbers, overload them on one side and get their backline to shift. We couldn’t break through. It was really good to get that goal.”
The Warriors held off the Lions from there.
Since starting the season 3-4, Jordan is 11-2-2.
“We started off the season shaky and we came back from it,” junior defender Ben Bucic said. “We learned how to work with each other, and we just kept improving and getting better. It’s been a really good season ever since and we’re proud of it.”
Meekins said players have bought in. Katy ISD is a hotbed for soccer. They’ve seen what it takes to be successful, especially for neighbors Seven Lakes and Tompkins.
“They want to build that here,” Meekins said. “I told them before we came here that they have a chance to be the first to do everything. They’ve really taken ownership in that and really thrive in that situation.”
Junior defender Pierce Sanchez, sophomore goalkeeper Elijah Betancourt, and Armijo have been key for the Warriors. Jordan has scored 36 goals and given up just 13 in its last 15 games.
“They work hard and they’re always asking for more,” Meekins said. “We’re always trying to give them as much as we can. We give them a lot of freedom to play, and they take it and run with it. We enjoy watching them just as much as we enjoy coaching them.”
Bucic said the Warriors, who are 14-6-2 overall heading into next week’s area playoff against Austin Crockett in College Station, have nothing to lose. They’re working everything they have.
“We’ve all come together and are playing as a group,” Bucic said. “We practice hard every day and we got here. It feels like something we’ve really, actually built. It’s way more special. It’s great to be a part of it.”
Katy Jordan has made some noise in its inaugural year of varsity play, qualifying for the playoffs in a tough District 19-5A.
Katy Jordan impresses in 1st varsity year, makes playoffs
KATY—In its first year of varsity boys basketball play, Jordan has not only made the playoffs. It has done so rather demonstratively, in a tough district as well.
The Warriors are 20-10 overall, 11-4 in District 19-5A, sitting in third place behind state-ranked Katy ISD rival Paetow and A&M Consolidated and looking nothing like a team with only 30 varsity games under its belt.
Alas, here the Warriors are. Jordan clinched a playoff spot last Saturday with two games to spare. It has done so without seniors. Sophomores and juniors mostly dot the roster.
What the Warriors have is an identity. A strong, free-flowing motion offense. A rapidly improving defense. And, most importantly, an all-in culture fostered by head coach Charlie Jones.
“Family first,” said Jones, who played high school ball at nearby Cinco Ranch. “We want these kids to know they can come to me or any of our coaches to talk to about everything. It just helps to have that family atmosphere. When you enjoy being together, practices are fun. Games are fun.”
The foundation of the Warriors is junior guard Shawn Mitchell and junior forward Trevor Martz.
The physical, quick Mitchell is averaging a team-best 15.8 points and 3.3 assists per game. He gets the Warriors into sets quickly and is one of the few Warriors who can get their own shot anytime and anywhere when the offense breaks down.
“I’m just trying to get my team better,” Mitchell said. “Working the offense and getting them open shots. Gotta keep practicing hard. Last year, I didn’t too well. This year, I’m just working hard and doing better.”
The 6-foot-4 Martz is averaging 13.2 points and a team-best 8.9 rebounds per game. He can play inside or out and is an excellent mover of the ball, like many of his teammates.
As a team, the Warriors assist on more than half of their baskets; 55 percent, to be exact. Six players average at least six points per game; three average double-figures in scoring.
Jordan isn’t big—no Warrior stands taller than 6-4—but it doesn’t necessarily need to be. Martz and junior Quinn Ford, though undersized, handle the dirty work inside, and Mitchell can create for himself or 3-point marksmen like Martz and juniors Ethan Black and Misaias Herrera.
“I tell them all the time it’s beautiful,” Jones said of the motion offense. “And we do it in practice all the time. Everybody gets to shoot. We work on things in practice, like not giving the ball to people in certain situations, but everybody on this team has the freedom and the belief that if they’re open, they’re allowed to take the shot. That’s a good freedom to have.”
During the program’s inaugural season of play last year, on a junior varsity schedule, Mitchell said the team learned to keep on pushing, even through the bad days. Junior Jacob Ryan said the team plays well together, but even that remains a work in progress due to the limited time they’ve had together so far.
“They’ve been working hard since last year, which was a crazy year with COVID and everything,” Jones said. “For them to keep building to start a program off the right way, I’m excited for the boys. We came in (as coaches), do what we normally do as far as having fun and staying together, and they’ve been great buying in.
“I tell our kids all the time that what they’re doing is not normal. It’s hard. Schools that open up don’t make the playoffs this fast. They don’t win 20 games this fast. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, keep doing what you’re doing, and enjoy it later on.”
The Warriors have enjoyed the ride so far. But they also know their work isn’t through.
“The job isn’t done,” Martz said. “But we’ve got to where we are to where we can now succeed. We’ve gained more confidence. We know we’re a good team. We know we can compete with anyone. We’re confident with where we’re at.”