Cy Woods 69, Cy Springs 34: Friday Fireworks

2016 Record: 1-1, 1-0 in District 17-6A

Photo Credit: Billy Schuerman, The Crimson Connection

For a third consecutive season, the Cypress Woods Wildcats shook off a season-opening beatdown at the hands of the Klein Collins Tigers by starting off District 17-6A play with a victory. 

The Cats lit up the new-look Pridgeon Stadium and blew away the Cy Springs Panthers on Friday by a score of 69-34, further compounding their dominance in a series that has been utterly lopsided since its inception. C.J. Jones played a little bit after getting banged up against Klein Collins, but he was not required to carry a significant load on offense because the underclassmen shined in this game. 

This game featured a couple of explosive offenses, but Cy Woods had more unknown quantities on that side of the ball, so there was some concern as to whether they had enough to keep up with the Panthers. Well... not only did they keep up, they completely drubbed Cy Springs.

This was definitely a much-needed victory in the sense of trying to bring back some positivity after virtually nothing went right for them against Klein Collins, and it provides them with momentum heading into a crucial matchup with Cy Ridge. 

Some of the kids on this roster, especially on offense, have been pressed into duty on the varsity squad, and most of them are making the jump much earlier than anticipated. It will be very intriguing to gauge their response to being thrown into the fire, and their development as the season progresses is going to be a crucial factor for the team's success in 2016.

Turning Point

It did not take long for the Wildcats to seize control of this game, as they set the tone by winning both of their opening series on each side of the ball. They surprised the Panthers with an onside kick to begin the game and ended up getting a touchdown on their first offensive possession. On their first defensive series of the night, Tory Spears managed to pick off Taye Barber on the second play.

So, What Happened Was...

After Woods recovered the opening onside kick, Jacob Kainer opened the scoring with a 12-yard run. About two minutes later, he connected with Sam Landingham for a 43-yard touchdown pass. Springs got on the board courtesy of a one-yard run from Taye Barber, but Jacob answered with a 35-yard scoring run.

End 1st: Woods 21, Springs 7

O'Shae Clark scored on a 49-yard pass from Barber to cut the Wildcats' lead to 21-14, but that was as close as Springs got for the remainder of the evening. After that, Cy Woods scored the next 41 points. Cullen Sherrill caught a four-yard pass for a touchdown, and following a turnover on downs, Jake Tesch scored on a 27-yard pass.

Halftime: Woods 35, Springs 14

If there were any doubts regarding the outcome of this contest, the Cats erased all of them in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 27-7. Jacob fired his fourth touchdown pass of the evening, connecting with Jack Barrientez from 22 yards out. He concluded his night with a four-yard touchdown run. C.J. Jones found the endzone for the first time this season by scoring on a 68-yard pass from Brighton Gullickson. Following C.J.'s touchdown, Jah'marea Sheread returned the ensuing kickoff 103 yards for the Panthers' only score of the quarter. Jack provided the response by scoring on a 19-yard pass from Brighton.

End 3rd: Woods 62, Springs 21

Springs got a pair of touchdown passes from 30 (Clark) and 13 yards (Sheread) out of backup quarterback Xayvion West, and Bobby Dodson capped off the night with a three-yard touchdown run.

Final: Woods 69, Springs 34

Ground

If he wasn't slicing the Panther defense to shreds through the air, Jacob Kainer gashed them in the running game. 

Congratulations to Bobby Dodson for scoring his first touchdown at the varsity level.

Jacob Kainer: 19 carries, 133 yards, 3 TD

Jack Barrientez: 8 carries, 62 yards

C.J. Jones: 6 carries, 35 yards

Bobby Dodson: 5 carries, 63 yards, TD

Semaj Trahan: 1 carry, 4 yards

Jake Tesch: 1 carry, 1 yard

Air

If he wasn't gashing the Panther defense on the ground, Jacob Kainer sliced them to shreds in the passing game. 

Kevin Cook, the new man behind the Cy Fair Sports Twitter account, mentioned that Brighton Gullickson had "impeccable" command of the offense after coming on. 

Jacob Kainer: 9-13, 241 yards, 4 TD

Brighton Gullickson: 3-3, 93 yards, 2 TD

Semaj Trahan: 1-2, 6 yards

When a majority of the pass plays go for 20 yards or more, either the receivers are making defenders miss after the catch, or the quarterbacks are hitting them in stride. Or both. Everyone involved was definitely on the same page on Friday. 

C.J. is now just four touchdowns away from becoming Cy Woods' all-time leader in touchdowns scored.

Jack Barrientez: 4 rec, 109 yards, 2 TD

C.J. Jones: 2 rec, 75 yards, TD

Jake Tesch: 2 rec, 33 yards, TD

Sam Landingham: 1 rec, 43 yards, TD
Connor Faulk: 1 rec, 41 yards

Matt Ficalora: 1 rec, 29 yards

Defense

Tory Spears picked off Taye Barber on Cy Springs' first drive of the evening. Cody Eggleston chipped in with a couple of sacks. 

I wasn't there, so I can only assume that a good chunk of the Panthers' yards came with the game well in hand. Nevertheless, if this unit figures out a way to get themselves off the field as quickly as possible, the offense is going to be downright scary.

Special Teams

Luis Reyes hit nine of his extra points; a tenth was not attempted, presumably due to a bad snap. He punted the ball three times for 87 yards. It was a quiet night in the return game thanks to the Wildcats' huge lead.

Luis Reyes: 9-9 XP; 3 punts, 87 yards (29 yards per punt)

C.J. Jones; 1 kick returned, 17 yards

Matt Ficalora: 1 kick returned, 15 yards

Myles Wilson: 1 kick returned, 5 yards

Jake Tesch: 1 punt returned, 0 yards

Men of the Match

Last year as a sophomore, Jacob Kainer showed us a glimpse of what he can do in spot duty before a horrific leg injury cut his season short. He's worked incredibly hard to return to form, and this game served as his coming-out party. He is just beginning to scratch the surface of his immense potential.

Jack Barrientez led the Wildcats in all-purpose yards in each of the first two games; he put up 171 (109 receiving, 62 rushing) and caught two touchdown passes.

Cody Eggleston also deserves a shoutout with his two sacks. He certainly made Taye Barber's life tough on Friday night.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will take on the Cy Ridge Rams on Saturday, September 17 at the Berry Center Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:00 PM, and they will be the home team in this contest.