Westfield star headed to Sam Houston State
By RICHIE HALL
When he arrived at Sam Houston State, Westfield’s Cato June found a good vibe.
That vibe turned into a college commitment for the incoming Shamrocks senior. June announced his commitment to the Bearkats on Monday in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
June has been a key part of Westfield’s recent run of sectional championships and Class 6A state finals appearance last November. He told The Reporter he went to visit Sam Houston State (located in Huntsville, Texas) during the second to last week of June and “committed the day I was there.”
“It was just the vibe that they had going on,” said June. “It matched me as a player, and that was when I was like, ‘Yeah, this is where I need to be. This is the perfect spot for me, where I can develop and grow.’”
The Bearkats are a team that’s growing as well. Sam Houston State moved up to the Division I Football Bowl Series (FBS) and joined Conference USA starting in the 2023 season. The Bearkats played their first-ever FBS bowl game in 2024, winning the New Orleans Bowl 31-26 over Georgia Southern to finish with a 10-3 record. Sam Houston State has a new head coach this year in Phil Longo.
“The coaching staff, they’re great people there,” said June. “I can develop not only as a football player, but as a person there, which also was big into my decision.”
June, who said he is deciding between sports management and business management/marketing for a college major, has been a solid player for the Rocks on defense and special teams. He made seven kickoff returns during his junior season, totaling 235 yards (an average of 33.6 yards). June took one of those kick returns in for a touchdown during Westfield’s regional championship victory.
June made 43 tackles during the 2024 campaign, including two for a loss. He also collected a pair of interception returns, totaling 29 yards.
“Cato’s a phenomenal player,” said Westfield incoming senior Job Mavrick. “He works really hard.”
Mavrick said players like June “stand out. The guys who are always doing the right thing, always putting the extra work in. I think Cato’s a great player. I think he’s going to make an impact at Sam Houston.”
June played on the Shamrocks’ freshman team at the start of his high school career, then moved up to varsity for his sophomore season.
“They wanted me to play at a certain weight, so I gained a little weight,” said June. His playing time increased by the end of that year, then he was starting games in his junior year – “I just took it and ran with it,” he said.
Westfield has a streak going of five consecutive sectional championships and have won four regional and three semi-state titles during that run as well. June believes he and his teammates are leaving a legacy as “some of the hardest workers that come through the school.”
“You don’t want to be the one to mess something up like that,” said June. “So, we put all our effort in the summer, in the weight room, into building the best team we possibly can in the season. We’re going to work harder than anyone else to get to where we are. And that’s how we’ve won so many sectionals. We say ‘Outwork, outlove’ and that’s what we truly believe in.”
June also has become a state-level track runner as well. He was part of the Rocks’ 4×100 relay team that finished seventh at the state meet a few weeks ago, joining Cayden Gearhart, Caleb Terrill and Maison McCray. He enjoyed getting that state medal and has seen benefits on the football field, too.
In his freshman year, June ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds.
“My sophomore year, I cut that down to a high 4.4 and now I’m down to 4.38, and in the 100 I’m running a 10.9. And I feel it when I’m running on the field. I’m more explosive and I’m having better top-end speed and I can hold it for longer. So, the results definitely transfer to the field.”