7:00 PM, Friday, September 9, 2016
Pridgeon Stadium
Previously on Cy Woods Football...
The Wildcats were soundly trounced 42-14 on Opening Night by Klein Collins. The 120 yards of offense that they recorded was the second-lowest amount in a single game in team history. Jack Barrientez was one of the few bright spots on what was otherwise a rough Saturday for the Cats, rushing for 55 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
And now, the real season begins. The Wildcats will open up district play against the team they beat in the 2015 season finale. Cy Woods and Cy Springs have typically met in the middle of the season, or at the end, but this will be the first time that they will play each other in September.
The Enemy: Cypress Springs Panthers
2015 record: 3-7, 2-7 (t-8th) in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs
The Panthers began their 2016 campaign with a 55-42 victory over Conroe. James Brooks and Taye Barber both ran for three touchdowns; Barber, who ran for 190 yards, also completed seven of his 17 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns.
All-Time Series
Cy Woods leads 8-0.
Previous Meetings
November 7, 2015: Woods 49, Springs 39
November 6, 2014: Woods 70, Springs 44
October 4, 2013: Woods 57, Springs 14 (Homecoming VI)October 5, 2012: Woods 48, Springs 13
November 5, 2011: Woods 47, Springs 0
November 6, 2010: Woods 51, Springs 41
October 16, 2009: Woods 23, Springs 13
October 17, 2008: Woods 48, Springs 14 (Homecoming I)
Players to Watch
QB Taye Barber, RB James Brooks, WR/DB Jah'marea Sheread, WR O'Shae Clark, OL/DL Marcus Royal, DL Kolbi Lewis, DB Leon O'Neal, LB Jared Simon
2¢ on Springs
The Panthers have been regarded as a sleeping giant, but two straight 3-7 seasons following two years of improving win totals may have stagnated their momentum somewhat. Springs is still loaded with tremendous upside, but moral victories don't guarantee a playoff berth. In order to end the district's longest active playoff drought, they will have to, well... actually win the games. One thing is for sure, though... these are not the Cy Springs Panthers who routinely brought up the rear in Cy-Fair ISD football.
The Panthers' offensive attack all starts with Taye Barber. Apparently, he was not at full strength last year, and yet, he still put up outstanding numbers as a sophomore. (How was he not the Offensive Newcomer of the Year, again?) Barber's skill set is highly reminiscent of D'Eriq King, the former Manvel standout who is now at Houston. Donell Dunn and Drake Carter may have moved on, but he still has proven weapons out wide with O'Shae Clark and Jah'marea Sheread, who may also see some time in the secondary. Marcus Royal is a three-year starter who will play on both sides of the line.
Springs' struggles last season could be partially attributed to Barber having to carry them on offense nearly every week. James Brooks scored three touchdowns on the ground against Conroe, so his emergence will really take some of the burden off of Barber.
Although Springs won two weeks ago, they still gave up 42 points, and a significant portion of the damage that Conroe inflicted against them came on the ground. Last season, the Panthers were the worst team in 17-6A against the run, and no team in 17-6A allowed more points than they did. For the first game, at least, their run defense was once again a weak point. That's not to say that the Panther defense is devoid of talent; Royal will be joined by Kolbi Lewis, who possesses an imposing presence in the trenches. Leon O'Neal racked up 14 tackles from his safety spot against the Tigers, and Simon will lead the Panthers' linebacker corps. No doubt, they will be looking to tighten up on that side of the ball in order to give Barber more chances to operate.
Last Time These Two Teams Met
In the 2015 season finale for both squads, the Wildcats outscored the Panthers 22-6 in the final quarter and came away with a 49-39 victory on a rainy November afternoon. C.J. Jones spent the majority of this game at quarterback and only completed four of his ten pass attempts, but he recorded 155 yards on those four completions, and three of them resulted in touchdowns. In addition, he also ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Sub-Varsity Game Information
Freshmen are at Springs, while the JV will play at Woods. Game times, as always, are 5:00 for the Gold and 7:00 for the Cardinal.
For Freshmen Games: Location of Cypress Springs High School
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