Know Your Enemy: Cypress Ranch Mustangs

Week 11: Cypress Woods Wildcats vs. Cypress Ranch Mustangs
7:00 PM Friday, November 4, 2016
Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats suffered the ignominy of setting a a new record for losses in a season, falling to Cy Creek 24-23 after Luis Reyes' 39-yard field goal attempt went wide to the left with eight seconds remaining.

Jack Barrientez ran for 111 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and also caught four passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Collin Fewox had an outstanding night on defense with 15 tackles and an interception.

This year's iteration of the Battle of 290 features two squads heading in opposite directions. While Cy Ranch is preparing for the playoffs, Cy Woods will be wrapping up its season on Friday night.

Well, it is still a rivalry game, even though the fortunes of these two teams are in different strata. On a rivalry pitting two Division II schools in South Dakota, Ryan Nanni of SB Nation wrote: "Rivalry history only matters for 364 days a year. The day of the game is different." Time to write the next chapter in the book.

The Enemy: Cy Ranch Mustangs

2015 record: 10-2, 9-0 (1st) in District 17-6A
Lost 59-20 to Katy in 6A Division II, Region III Area round

Cy Ranch season-to-date: 9-0, 8-0 (1st) in District 17-6A

W 42-35 @ Cinco Ranch
W 26-7 vs. Cy Falls
W 35-7 @ Jersey Village
W 24-17 vs. Cy-Fair
W 58-20 @ Cy Creek
W 73-45 vs. Cy Springs
W 49-31 vs. Langham Creek
W 56-7 @ Cy Lakes
W 27-24 vs. Cy Ridge

All-Time Series

Series tied 3-3.

Previous Meetings

September 26, 2015: Ranch 44, Woods 25
September 27, 2014: Ranch 38, Woods 35
October 19, 2013: Woods 54, Ranch 0
October 20, 2012: Woods 40, Ranch 37 (OT)
September 23, 2011: Woods 68, Ranch 21
September 24, 2010: Ranch 38, Woods 35

A Few Players to Watch

QB Blake Nevins, RB E.J. Thompson, RB Holden Gourley, WR R.J. Sneed, WR Keric Wheatfall, OL Cole Blanton, OL Samir Martula, DL Harrison Loveless, LB Amaud Willis-Dalton, LB Daniel Whitmire, LB Lawson Pyles, DB Rance McInnis, DB Shemar Bartholomew, DB Alex O'Connor

2¢ on Ranch

Since their run to state in 2014, the Cypress Ranch Mustangs have firmly established themselves as the kings of the mountain known as Cy-Fair ISD football. No doubt, this is a team with serious title aspirations.

To go undefeated in this district is not an easy task. To go undefeated in this district two years in a row is completely unheard of.... until possibly now. In District 17-6A's current configuration, no team has finished with an undefeated record in district play in two consecutive seasons. Cy Ranch has a chance to do exactly that on Friday night. The fact that they are in this position is a testament to that program, and the willingness that they have shown to become better in all aspects of the program.

The one thing that has impressed me most about Ranch this year is how mentally tough they are. On the rare occasions in which they are tied or trailing in games, they just keep grinding away. They just play their game, regardless of what the scoreboard says. They make few mistakes, and they punish their opponents for their miscues.

Blake Nevins is at the controls of the Mustang offense, and he is also their starting point guard in basketball. If I am not mistaken, he has not committed a single turnover this year. No interceptions, no fumbles lost... he has done his job.

E.J. Thompson, once again, is their workhorse back. He's a tank who will consistently chew up five, six, seven yards a play. Holden Gourley is the home-run threat. The two of them will be running behind an imposing offensive line led by Cole Blanton and Samir Martula. Blanton is one of the top offensive linemen in the country in the class of 2018. The Mustangs have literally run over their opponents this year; as a team, they have rushed for over 200 yards in all but two games this season.

R.J. Sneed and Keric Wheatfall haven't put up eye-popping numbers this season, but they are still integral players in that offense, and they have burned the Cats quite a bit in the last two years.

The secondary was thought to be a question mark for Cy Ranch entering the season, but most of those concerns seem to be quelled. Rance McInnis is just a sophomore, but he has been one of the breakout stars of the district as a shutdown safety. His partner in the defensive backfield, Alex O'Connor, is a sure tackler who has really built on a promising sophomore season. Shemar Bartholomew and Ryan Fields have really come into their own as the season has progressed at the cornerback spots.

The Mustangs' front seven is one of the best in the city and arguably the state. Harrison Loveless is the anchor of their defensive line, while Amaud Willis-Dalton does it all; he leads the Mustangs in sacks and has also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Lawson Pyles, Daniel Whitmire, and Deondrick Montgomery round out an outstanding quartet of linebackers.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Mustangs got the jump on the Wildcats, storming out to a 27-6 halftime lead. Woods managed to mount up a response in the second half, but that deficit was simply too much to overcome, and the Mustangs came out on top 44-25, giving them a winning streak for the first time in the Battle of 290.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The JV will play their final games at Cy Ranch. Game times are at 5:00 and 7:00.

Location of Cypress Ranch High School

Haha, that's funny.