Welp.
The Cats' offense faltered in the 4th quarter once again, and this time, it came back to bite them. The defense, which came through in such a monumental fashion in the closing moments against Cy Falls, just couldn't get the stops they needed in the 4th quarter against Ranch. The Cats were outscored 14-0 in the final stanza, and as a result, the Cy Ranch Mustangs got their first win over the Cats since 2010 with this 38-35 decision. Cy Woods has been outscored 34-0 in the 4th quarter this season.
Look, I understand that in 2 of the Cats' first 4 contests, the outcome of the game was well in hand. But.... 0 4th quarter points through 4 games is an extremely disturbing trend. They escaped the Falls game, but you had to wonder whether they'd be able to escape again and whether the offense could get something going in order to finish off a game. And.... for this game, save for one drive that resulted in a missed field goal, the answer was a resounding no. Obviously, it's an issue that must be addressed moving forward.
As much as you can't stand hearing them gloat, let them. They won a good, hard-fought game. They didn't resort to any underhanded crap... they just made a few more plays. Nothing more, nothing less. All you can do is tip your hat (however grudgingly) and move forward. [clichés] It's a setback, no doubt, but that's how it goes sometimes. You win some, you lose some, keep your head up, and all that stuff.[/clichés]
Tough loss, but don't lose sight of the big picture.
So, What Happened Was...
Cy Ranch got one over on Cy Woods, that's what happened.
R.J. Harmon scored on a 10-yard run to open up the scoring in the 1st quarter. After Ranch briefly took a 14-7 lead, he'd strike again from 53 yards out. A scoop-and-score in the 2nd for the Mustangs was the difference in the 1st half, and they took a 21-14 lead into the locker room.
The Cats started off the 2nd half with a bang as C.J. Jones took the opening kickoff 95 yards to tie the game at 21. Then, for the 2nd straight week, Jake Jones put an end to the opponent's first drive of the 2nd half with a pick. On the ensuing Woods possession, Nick Hooper punched it in from 1 yard out. He added an 8-yard scoring run midway through the 3rd to give the Cats an 11-point lead. But, the wheels fell off for the offense and the defense cracked in the 4th quarter.
Turning Points
Down 21-14 at halftime, the Cats had the perfect response with a 21-3 3rd quarter, which saw them take a 35-24 lead into the 4th. But oh, how the tables turned. The Mustangs scored 2 unanswered TDs in the final 12 minutes to come away with the W.
Also, the Cats had a golden opportunity go straight into the trash compactor of sadness in the 4th, as they got a 53-yard catch-and-run from Tre Hart that gave them a 1st and goal at the Ranch 5. However........ nothing doing. After 3 runs failed to yield anything, Logan Fortune wound up missing a 22-yard field goal.
Ground
All the damage on offense was done via the running game. Nick ran for 155 and 2 scores, while R.J. put up 123 on just 8 carries.
Nick Hooper: 26 carries, 155 yards, 2 TD, 1 fumble lost
R.J. Harmon: 8 carries, 123 yards, 2 TD
C.J. Jones: 4 carries, 28 yards
Jordan Johnson: 1 carry, 8 yards
Air
On the other hand, the passing game never got going, whether by drops, or Nick being under siege for much of the night. Whatever, nothing was going Woods' way in the air. Only 3 passes were completed and only 2 players caught passes, which is absolutely unheard of in this offense. They tried 2 halfback passes, but C.J. overthrew Chad O'Donnell, and R.J.'s bid just went off of Tre Hart's hands. Nick also threw a pick, but that was on a heave to end the 1st half. No return.
Nick Hooper: 3-16, 63 yards, INT
C.J. Jones: 0-1
R.J. Harmon: 0-1
Tre Hart: 2 rec, 65 yards
C.J. Jones: 1 rec, -2 yards
Defense
The high tackle totals that you're about to see are a combination of Cy Ranch's run-oriented offense and the fact that there were Cats everywhere the ball went. Morgan Tosten and Justyn Johnson turned in huge games in the trenches. The Outlaw Shane Lawless had a dozen tackles.
Tough night in the secondary, as Michael Wirt and Jake Jones were both targeted on 2 of Ranch's 3 TD passes. Jones atoned for that somewhat as he got his 2nd interception on the season, which ended Cy Ranch's opening drive of the 2nd half. Yeah, it happens.
Tackles: Morgan Tosten 13 (8 assisted, 2 TFL), Shane Lawless 12 (6 assisted, 1 TFL), Justyn Johnson 12 (5 assisted, 1 TFL), Tyler Greaves 10 (7 assisted, 1 TFL), Wade Carson 8 (5 assisted, 1 TFL), Michael Wirt 8 (1 assisted) Matt Swalm 7 (4 assisted), Jake Jones 6 (1 assisted), Randall Medlin 5 (2 assisted, 2 TFL), Kason Franklin 4 (2 assisted), Bryson Powers 4 (3 assisted), Isiah Clay 3 (2 assisted, 1 TFL), Brandon DePrato 3, Hayden Stoeber 2 (both assisted), Danny Malone 2 (1 assisted), Elijah Pierson 1 (assisted), Logan Fortune 1 (assisted), Myles Wilson 1 (assisted)
Sacks: Morgan Tosten 1 (4 yards lost)
Interceptions: Jake Jones 1 (2 season)
Special Teams
C.J. Jones' 95-yard kickoff return TD was the 3rd in Woods history and the first in 3 years. The last time a Wildcat returned a kickoff for a touchdown was during the 2011 playoffs, when Cole DeVilliers led off the game against Clear Creek with..... a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. I'm fairly sure that C.J. will be getting fewer and fewer opportunities to return kicks as the season goes on, but I'm also very sure that the next poor soul who kicks to him will regret that decision. He also had a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 1st quarter.... that was wiped out by a block in the back call. By my count, the would've-been-a-90-yard-touchdown was slashed to a 29-yard return. His 192 kick return yards is most likely a single-game record.
C.J. Jones: 5 kicks returned, 192 yards, TD
Jordan Johnson: 2 kicks returned, 63 yards
Bryson Powers, who was somewhat limited due to a shoulder injury he suffered against Falls, didn't really get much of a look on punt returns. He only got to return 1 for 3 yards. He did attempt to return another one late in the 4th, but lost 10 yards and Woods was called for a penalty in the process, pinning them at their own 10 to begin a possible game-winning drive.
Next up on the kicker carousel was junior Logan Fortune (#41). He nailed all of his extra points, but he missed a 22-yard field goal that would have tied the game at 38 with under 6 minutes left in regulation.
0-1 FG (missed 22), 5-5 XP
Jordan Johnson punted 5 times for 191 yards, giving him a 38.2 average.
Man of the Match
Whenever R.J. Harmon touches the ball, he's a home run threat. Honorable mentions go out to C.J. Jones in the return game, Morgan Tosten, Justyn Johnson, Shane Lawless, and Tyler Greaves.
Observations
C.J. got banged up a bit in the 3rd as he was slow to get up after a kick return and was walking around with a slight limp, but he didn't seem to be showing any ill effects afterward.
Shane Lawless looked like he re-tweaked his right ankle; he originally hurt that ankle against Ridge.
Slide-tackling is apparently legal in this form of football???
It seems that the only people that have respect for each other are the ones that were on the field. That's all I'll say on that matter.
Looking Ahead
On Friday, October 3, the Wildcats will take on Cy Creek at Pridgeon Stadium at 7. They'll be the home team.
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