So, the Cypress Woods Wildcats find themselves in familiar territory: the Texas High School Football playoffs. They will be the #2 seed from Division 17-6A, so they will be at the bottom of the Region III bracket. That means no Katy in the 2nd round, but Manvel in the 3rd could be looming. But.... first things first: the bi-district round. The Wildcats will be matched up against one of the newest schools in the Houston area, Benjamin Davis, from Aldine ISD.
So, who is Benjamin Davis?
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was the commander of the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He was one of the most decorated pilots during the war, and he was an instrumental figure in the racial integration of the Air Force. He retired from the Air Force in 1970 as a Brigadier General (three stars), but he was promoted to General (four stars) by President Clinton in 1998.
Previously on Cy Woods Football...
The Cats punched their ticket to the playoffs as they outgunned Cy Springs 70-44. R.J. Harmon and C.J. Jones provided the firepower for the Cats, as they combined for 7 of the 10 touchdowns. R.J. ran for 180 and 3 scores on 16 carries, while C.J. did his damage both ways, catching 4 passes for 54 yards and 3 touchdowns and running for 124 yards and another touchdown on 18 carries.
The Wildcats held a 63-26 halftime lead; the 63 points marks the most that they've scored in a single half. Defensively, Matt Swalm, Kason Franklin, and Zac Duncan had 1 interception apiece. They may be without the services of Matt, Kason, Bryson Powers, and Tyler Greaves for this game though; all 4 of them left the Springs game with knee injuries (Matt, Bryson, and Tyler), and Kason fractured his collarbone.
The Enemy: Benjamin Davis Falcons
School district: Aldine
UIL District: 18-6A
2014 Record: 6-4, 5-1 in District 18-6A (tri-champions with Memorial and Eisenhower)
This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Davis. They are the 26th team to take on the Wildcats.
Davis Season to Date
L 28-12 @ Spring
W 36-0 @ Pasadena Memorial
L 33-23 vs. Montgomery
L 35-28 vs. College Park
L 14-12 vs. Memorial
W 33-0 @ Aldine
W 26-22 vs. Nimitz
W 40-14 @ MacArthur
W 24-13 vs. Ike
W 52-0 @ Northbrook
Players to Watch
RB Lexington Thomas, QB/WR Isaac Jackson, ATH Anthony Malone, DL Javier Edwards, DL Keith Sullivan, DL Mark Anderson, LB Jeffrey McCulloch, WR Josh Vinson, DB Dominique Lewis, LB Bruce Bivens
2¢ on Davis
The newest Aldine ISD school, the Benjamin Davis Falcons began varsity play this year, and they now have something in common with the Wildcats; they both made the playoffs in their first season of varsity football. They also have a district championship to their name in year 1, to boot. Because they are a new school, there isn't a lot to go on, but you can be sure that they've got some outstanding athletes on both sides of the ball.
The dynamic in play is interesting. This is a matchup between two young programs. On one hand, one has been a model of consistency in its district, appearing in the playoffs every year except for one since beginning varsity play just 6 years ago. On the other hand, you have the new kids on the block who made a splash by winning their district (even if they have to share it) in their inaugural season of varsity football, and now... they're looking to make an even bigger splash in their playoff debut.
It wasn't long ago that Cy Woods was considered the upstarts. That first playoff game was 6 years ago, but it feels like yesterday. Now, I feel that the Wildcats have established themselves in Class 6A, the biggest stage of high school football in the country. Davis... they'll be amped for this one, for sure. Now, they are the ones in the upstart role that the Cats once occupied. They're looking to make their first playoff trip one that they'll remember forever.
Anthony Malone was their #1 QB entering the season, but an injury knocked him off from that role. However, when healthy (he looks to be back up to speed), he is described as having "game-changing ability." A player like that... he'll be everywhere on the field. Stepping in at QB for Malone is Isaac Jackson, who moved over from wideout. He is sporting a 15-1 TD-INT ratio since moving under center.
Lexington Thomas is a burner in the backfield who can make would-be tacklers look absolutely silly in the open field. Josh Vinson is their leading reciever. He's a big target who has the ability to line up in the slot or out wide, and he is effective at utilizing his size to outleap opposing DBs and outmuscle potential tacklers.
No shortage of speed and athleticism on their defense, either. Up front is the imposing Javier Edwards, who stands 6'4" and is every bit of his listed weight of 338 pounds. Edwards is no oaf, though; he is the anchor of a defense that has surrendered just 15.9 points per contest. Nimitz was the only team in district play to put up more than 20 on them this season. Joining Edwards on the line is Keith Sullivan, a tall (6'7"), rangy junior who covers a lot of ground with his long strides. At the other defensive end spot is Mark Anderson, a stout senior who plays with a good motor. Jeff McCulloch is a hard-hitting LB who's mainly been deployed on the outside, but he looks as if he has the frame to play inside, too. He is noted as being a "freakish athlete" who "simply makes plays all over the field." Bivens has been a key contributor to the Davis defense as a sophomore. Dominique Lewis leads them in interceptions with 3, which put him in a tie for 2nd in their district in that category during the regular season.
Directions to the Berry Center
However, for the Davis fans who have found this site:
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