Maybe making their first 11 opponents believe Katy’s defense didn’t feel it was playing as a team is an unenviable task, but the Tigers clearly saw their flaws two weeks ago.

Time and again in the first half of Katy’s 5A-Division II Region III semifinal against Pasadena Memorial, the Mavericks dashed through considerable holes in the Tigers’ defense for big gains. Perhaps the most glaring example was in the second quarter, when Katy had Memorial in second-and-22 at its own 26 but the Mavericks earned 33 yards in two plays and eventually took a 14-7 lead.

Katy won 30-14, but the defense – especially the linebackers – considered the game a wake-up call more than a celebration.

“We’re a gap defense and if one person is out of their gap, we’re gonna give up a big play,” inside linebacker Patrick Benson said.

Added teammate Brad Graham: “We saw some message boards and everyone talked about Katy’s great defense and it got into our heads a little bit. We got a little complacement and started plateauing. … Then in the playoffs we saw we were getting exposed a lot because everyone was doing their own thing. Pasadena Memorial hit us right in the mouth and made us realize it. So we worked hard and came out of it with a shutout.”

The Tigers took out their frustrations on Fort Bend Clements, whose undefeated record quickly became an afterthought as Katy rolled to a 42-0 win in the regional final Saturday at Rice Stadium.

Clements was held to 169 total yards, less than half of Pasadena Memorial’s 391, and crossed midfield only twice.

The Tigers (14-0), two wins from their first state championship since 2003, play San Antonio Madison in a state semifinal at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome.

Perhaps not as well-known as other areas of the team – or maybe even other areas of the defense, including Kansas State-bound defensive back Trent Hunter – the linebackers have jelled well despite most of them being first-year starters.

Inside backers Blake Adler, the team’s second-leading tackler behind Hunter, and Blaine Atkins are first-year starters, as is Cameren Strickler. Benson, who has played inside, outside and defensive tackle, started for half the 2006 season.

Graham is a three-year starter.

“It’s a team game,” Graham said. “When you have great DBs like Trent Hunter back there, it always takes a little pressure off you. But at the same time, linebackers are the center, the core, of defenses. We just fly around the ball and do what we have to do. The safeties and the d-line do the same thing. When everybody clicks at the same point, there’s not much wrong with the defense.”

Katy opened the season by blowing out playoff-bound Klein 45-0, recorded two more shutouts at midseason and has won only two games by fewer than 27 points.

“As the year progressed (the linebackers) got beat down a little bit,” Tigers coach Gary Joseph said. “Now they’re getting their second wind. It’s been a learning experience the whole way but they’re mature enough to handle it.”

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