Cy-Fair 49, Cy Woods 21: Dissected

2017 Record: 3-4

Photo by Tom Dendy

Tanner Sherrill outruns everyone to the end zone

It was not a pretty Saturday for the Cypress Woods Wildcats as they fell behind 42-0 at halftime to the Cy-Fair Bobcats, who administered a 49-21 drubbing at . No, this game was not as close as the final score indicated. The Bobcat defense was their usual stingy, smash-mouth selves, the Bobcat offense buried Cy Woods early, and the Wildcats could only muster up 44 yards of offense at the half. Meanwhile, Cy Woods' offense coughed the ball up twice in the first half and the Bobcats converted both of those blunders into touchdowns.

It's not over until the math says it's over, but Cy Woods' playoff hopes are just about extinguished. Too many results would need to go their way over the last two weeks, in addition to having to win out.

To their credit, they showed up in the second half and made the final score look a little more respectable. Cy Woods did become the first team to put up more than 14 points and 250 yards on the vaunted Cy-Fair defense this season. Now, most of those yards came when the outcome was already decided, but it still counts all the same.

Hey, I'm all about finding things resembling silver linings.

Scoring Summary

On the second play of the game, Christian Richmond took a jet sweep and opened the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown. Trent Kennedy scored twice in a three-minute span from one yard and 35 yards out.

End of 1st Quarter: Fair 21, Woods 0

Kennedy scored his third rushing touchdown of the day from 16 yards, and then Cam Arnold threw a pair of touchdown passes to Christian Richmond (17 yards) and Tevin Boyd (31 yards) to complete the Bobcats' first-half onslaught. The 42-0 scoreline at halftime is now the largest halftime deficit in Cy Woods football history.

Halftime: Fair 42, Woods 0


On fourth and goal, the Wildcats finally got on the board as Jack Barrientez caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Kainer. Kennedy scored on a 12-yard run to give him four on the afternoon.

End of 3rd Quarter: Fair 49, Woods 7

Jacob scored on a 5-yard run and then hit Tanner Sherrill on a slant pattern, after which Tanner outran everyone for an 80-yard touchdown.

Final: Fair 49, Woods 21

Ground

Aside from Jake Tesch breaking a couple for nice gains, the Wildcats were absolutely suffocated by the Bobcats' imposing front eight. Jacob Kainer and Jackson Jones were also under siege all day every time they dropped back to pass, which also cratered the Wildcats' rushing numbers in this game.

Jake Tesch: 9 carries, 69 yards
Darion Morgan: 7 carries, 19 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 3 carries, 13 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 carry, 12 yards
Jackson Jones: 9 carries, 8 yards
Jack Barrientez: 2 carries, 7 yards
Jacob Kainer: 10 carries, -19 yards, TD

Air

The 11 passing attempts represent a season high for Cy Woods, as are the 142 passing yards. Jacob Kainer took over in the second quarter as the deficit mounted.

Jacob Kainer: 4-9, 112 yards, 2 TD
Jackson Jones: 2-3, 30 yards

Tanner Sherrill finally got on the board with an 80-yard touchdown pass. Cullen caught more passes, but Tanner scored, so.

Sherrill Twins Touchdown Reception Tracker

Cullen 6
Tanner 1

Cullen Sherrill: 3 catches, 41 yards
Tanner Sherrill: 1 catch, 80 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 15 yards
Jack Barrientez: 1 catch, 6 yards, TD

Defense

Well, the offense didn't exactly do them any favors with the putrid showing in the first half.

Tackles

Austin Kennedy - 8
Collin Fewox - 7
Matt Roberts - 4
Tobi Orundami and Ryan Gilcrease - 3
10 players with 2
Greg Blaser, Brock Gunderson, and Ty Lewis -1

Special Teams

Jared Swonke hit all three of his extra points. Tevis Adams and Jake Tesch had some decent kickoff returns.

Tevis Adams: 3 kickoffs returned, 54 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 kickoff returned, 19 yards

Men of the Match

Fire this game into the sun, to be honest.

Fine. Tanner Sherrill and Austin Kennedy get the honors.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will head to Pridgeon Stadium to face the Cy Creek Cougars on Friday, November 3 at 7:00. Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.

Know Your Enemy: Cy-Fair Bobcats

Week 7: Cypress Woods Wildcats (3-3) @ Cy-Fair Bobcats (6-0)
1:00 PM, Saturday, October 28, 2017
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Don Carson

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

It didn't look pretty at times, but the Wildcats topped Cy Lakes 31-20 to get back to .500 on the season. Jake Tesch scored on a 21-yard run and a 53-yard catch, which was Cy Woods' only completed pass of the game. Jack Barrientez scored on offense with an 8-yard run, on defense with a 69-yard interception return, and chipped in with six tackles.

Now, the Cats will have to run a gauntlet, emerge unscathed from it somehow, and have a few results from other games within the district go their way over the next three weeks, all to clinch a playoff berth. Safe to say that they're going to have to go all-in now...

The Enemy: Cy-Fair Bobcats

2016 Record: 8-3, 8-1 (2nd) in District 17-6A
Lost 15-14 to Lamar in 6A Division I, Region III Bi-district round

Cy-Fair season-to-date

W 42-7 vs. Cy Lakes
W 21-14 @ Cy Springs
W 21-3 vs. Cy Ranch
W 42-13 @ Jersey Village
W 30-0 vs. Cy Ridge
W 26-14 @ Cy Creek

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 5-4.

Previous Meetings


October 21, 2016: Fair 35, Woods 17 (Homecoming IX)

October 22, 2015: Woods 44, Fair 7

October 25, 2014: Woods 38, Fair 31 (OT)
October 12, 2013: Fair 30, Woods 23
October 13, 2012: Fair 49, Woods 20
September 17, 2011: Fair 14, Woods 0
September 18, 2010: Woods 28, Fair 14
October 23, 2009: Woods 21, Fair 7
October 24, 2008: Woods 42, Fair 20

Players to Watch

Cam Arnold - SR QB #12
Trenton Kennedy - SR RB #43
Christian Richmond - JR WR #20
Erick Hallett - SR DB #8
Jace Bobo - SR LB #11
Patrick Atkinson - SR LB #30
Peyton Lewis - SR DL #9
Josh Smith - SR DL #42
Tanner Cormier - SOPH DL #62

2¢ on Cy-Fair

Well... what's left to say about Cy-Fair. Unglamorous, yet devastatingly effective on offense, smashmouth defense... kids have come and gone, but all of the kids who have played in this system have executed it efficiently.

The Bobcats enter this game with arguably the top defense in the state of Texas in any classification. They've yet to allow more than 14 points and they haven't allowed anyone to accrue 250 yards of total offense in a game this season. Erick Hallett and Jace Bobo are both three-year starters on the Bobcat defense. Hallett, who is committed to Mike Leach's Washington State program, has a couple of picks this season and is the unquestioned leader of their secondary. He's also a threat in the return game. Patrick Atkinson and Jace Bobo pace the Bobcats in tackles; Atkinson is the strongest player in their program. Peyton Lewis and Josh Smith come in 1-2 in the district in sacks and tackles for loss. Together, they have combined for 11.5 of the 18 sacks that Cy-Fair has recorded this season, which tops the district by a healthy margin. Tanner Cormier has broken out as a sophomore and he'll be their anchor in the trenches for the next couple of seasons.

Cy-Fair possesses a wealth of experience in their offensive backfield; Cam Arnold and Trenton Kennedy are both three-year lettermen. Kennedy ranks third in the district in rushing yards and like he's been for the last two seasons, he is the Bobcats' workhorse. Arnold is the currently the district's most accurate quarterback. He's probably the best pure passer out of all the quarterbacks they've trotted out in recent memory. Christian Richmond does a little bit of everything, and he's the guy the Bobcats turn to whenever they need something explosive on offense. Richmond has touched the ball 27 times on offense (14 carries, 13 catches) and has gained 436 yards, which is good for 16 yards per offensive play.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Bobcats ruined Cy Woods' Homecoming by dropping them 35-17. Woods trailed 21-17 entering the fourth quarter, but Cy-Fair managed to pull away.

This loss condemned the Wildcats to the second losing season in school history. An especially notable moment in this game saw the Wildcats going for it on 4th and 19... from their own 1-yard line. They were not successful.

Jack Barrientez ran for 96 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Cy-Fair, JV at Cy Woods. As always, game times are 5:00 and 7:00.

Location of Cy-Fair High School

Ha, that's funny.

Cy Woods 31, Cy Lakes 20: Recovery

2017 Record: 3-3

Photo by Tom Dendy

Jake Tesch shakes Cy Lakes' Adayvion Tutson on his way to the end zone

Here is the link to the photo galleries from this week's game, including the freshman games on Thursday.

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats snapped their two-game losing streak with a 31-20 victory over the winless Cy Lakes Spartans on Saturday evening at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. If I can be honest for a second here, I was only there to make sure I wasn't breaking anything at home during Game 7 of the ALCS.

This is the 50th win for Cy Woods in a district game in their 82nd such game; in an NBA season's worth of district games, the Wildcats are 50-32.

We can wallow over the previous two games, but that won't change their results. The Cats came back and took care of business against a team that they were probably expected to defeat and as a result, they've regained some momentum. The Cats only had 241 yards of offense on the evening, but they managed to string together consecutive scoring drives and followed those up with a defensive touchdown, courtesy of Jack Barrientez's pick-six.

Once again, the Wildcats will have the toughest closing schedule with Cy-Fair, Cy Creek, and Cy Ranch. Winning out will be a monumental order, but if they're even seriously thinking about the playoffs, then it will have to be done... which goes back to how they let the games against Langham Creek and Cy Falls slip away. If they had handled their business in either of those two games, they wouldn't be in this position to begin with.

Scoring Summary

Woods went three-and-out on the first drive of the game, but on the ensuing punt, Jordan Lamotte had a moment of utter insanity as he decided to field the ball off a high bounce... while being surrounded by about six Wildcats. If you were wondering... he didn't get the ball.

The Cats turned that blunder into a 34-yard field goal from Jared Swonke. Lakes responded with an 8-yard touchdown run from Ted Solomon, who also got the two-point conversion. Woods went back in front thanks to an 8-yard touchdown run from Jack Barrientez.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 10, Lakes 8

The Spartans went on a little drive to end the first quarter and it took up the first couple of minutes of the second quarter... and then Jack jumped in front of a pass from Khaliq Abdul-Mateen and returned it 69 yards for a score. The pick-six was the only scoring play of the second quarter.

Halftime: Woods 17, Lakes 8

The lone scoring play of the third quarter belonged to Jake Tesch, who scored on a 21-yard run.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 24, Lakes 8

Solomon scored his second touchdown of the evening on a 1-yard run on fourth and goal. Cy Woods' one pass completion was a 53-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Jones to Jake Tesch. Spartans running back Courtney Mitchell had the final scoring play; he scored on a 50-yard run with a little under three minutes to go.

Final: Woods 31, Lakes 20

Ground

With the exception of Jake Tesch and a 22-yard run from Arkievrick Vitatoe (which does not rhyme with "potato," by the way), it felt as though the Cats were slogging through a 100-yard mud pit. Excluding three knees to end the game, they had 191 yards on the ground but also needed 46 rushing attempts to attain this number. That's a little over 4 yards per carry. Ideally, that figure should be around 5.

Jake Tesch: 4 carries, 69 yards, TD
Darion Morgan: 14 carries, 47 yards
Jackson Jones: 13 carries, 34 yards
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 5 carries, 22 yards
Jack Barrientez: 2 carries, 11 yards, TD
Quincy Boone: 3 carries, 10 yards
Jacob Kainer: 3 carries, 0 yards
Christian Scott: 1 carry, -3 yards
Team: 3 carries, -3 yards; Jackson kneeled three times to end the game

Air

It took a little over 43 minutes for the Wildcats to complete a pass in this game and Jake Tesch took it 53 yards to the house.

I don't think Yao Ming would have been able to catch Jackson Jones' first pass attempt of the night; that one sailed over Connor Faulk's head by at least 10 feet. I probably won't be feeling very well if the Wildcats are forced to pass more often, which is an odd thing to say considering the damage they've done through the air in the past.

Jackson Jones: 1-4, 53 yards, TD
Jacob Kainer: 0-1

Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 53 yards, TD

Defense

The defense gave up a couple of big plays from Courtney Mitchell and Robert Milam caught a pass and rumbled 30 yards to convert a third down. On the other hand, they picked off Abdul-Mateen twice and returned one of those picks for a touchdown. Mitchell's 50-yard touchdown run was the play that pushed the Spartans over the 300-yard mark for the game.

Jack nearly had a second interception in the fourth quarter, but it bounced in and out of his hands. Overall, the Wildcat defense turned in a solid evening on the defensive side of the ball.

Tackles

Jackson Hosemann - 10
Jack Barrientez, Colin Paterson, Jackson Turnbow, and Collin Fewox - 6
Austin Kennedy, Matt Roberts, and Jozef Taylor - 5
Tobi Orundami - 4
Max Sweet and Derrick Brooks - 3
Clancey Hall and Ty Lewis - 2

Interceptions

Jack Barrientez - 1, returned 69 yards for touchdown
Jackson Hosemann - 1, returned 2 yards

Fumbles recovered

Austin Kennedy - 1

Special Teams

Jared Swonke went 1-2 on his field goal attempts; the miss came from 50 yards; he had more than enough distance on that kick, but it ended up going just wide to the left. It would have been a school record and the first 50-yard field goal in Cy Woods' history. He hit all four of his extra points.

Jared Swonke: 1-2 FG (made 34, missed 50), 4-4 XP

Greg Blaser: 3 punts, 111 yards (37 yards per punt), long of 43, 1 punt inside 20
Quincy Boone: 1 punt, 44 yards

The Wildcats also recovered an onside kick near the end of the third quarter.

Jake Tesch: 2 punts returned, -2 yards
Jacob Kainer: 2 kicks returned, 20 yards

Men of the Match

Jack Barrientez is the first Wildcat to score on offense and defense in the same game. I don't think Bryce Callahan ever did this. I've seen many guys pass through this program and Jack might be one of the five toughest players to come through.

Jake Tesch is known to be one of the fastest players in the program and he showed off some impressive moves on his touchdown plays.

Jackson Hosemann put up double-digit tackles and sealed the game with an interception in his first start at the varsity level.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will take on the Cy-Fair Bobcats at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on Saturday, October 28 at 1:00. Cy Woods will be the away team in this contest.

Know Your Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

Week 6: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-3) vs. Cypress Lakes Spartans (0-5)
7:00 PM Saturday, October 21, 2017
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Billy Schuerman

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

Jacob Kitterman's 22-yard field goal with 34 seconds remaining broke a 21-21 tie in Cy Falls' favor and gave them a 24-21 victory. It was a horror show of a fourth quarter for the Cats as they had two 15-yard penalties, one of which was an unsportsmanlike conduct that resulted in Tim Dendy's ejection. Oh, and the Eagles outscored them 17-7 in the final period.

Collin Fewox posted 14 tackles and delivered some punishing hits. Arkievrick Vitatoe ran for 57 yards on 6 carries, which included an 18-yard touchdown.

The Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2016 record: 2-8, 1-8 (10th) in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

Cy Lakes season-to-date

L 42-7 @ Cy-Fair
L 44-8 vs. Cy Creek
L 40-26 @ Cy Falls
L 14-0 vs. Cy Ridge
L 28-7 vs. Langham Creek

With their loss to Langham Creek last Friday, Cy Lakes is the first team eliminated from playoff contention in District 17-6A this season.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 7-0.

Previous Meetings

October 13, 2016: Woods 36, Lakes 33
October 9, 2015: Woods 70, Lakes 20 (Homecoming VIII)
October 10, 2014: Woods 52, Lakes 10 (Cy Lakes Homecoming)
September 28, 2013: Woods 34, Lakes 14
September 29, 2012: Woods 63, Lakes 13
October 6, 2011: Woods 63, Lakes 14
October 7, 2010: Woods 34, Lakes 0

Players to Watch

Le'Teddrian "Ted" Solomon - SR WR/P #1
Khaliq Mateen - SOPH QB #5
O'Shea Jackson - JR DL #44
Tyler Dudley - SR LB #33
Archie Bijou - SR LB #6
Malik Green - JR LB #34
Jordan Lamotte - JR DB #14
Julian Hall - SR DB #16

2¢ on Lakes


Normally, a 2-8 record is a harbinger of sweeping changes. At Cy Lakes, however, 2-8 represented a step forward towards respectability. The 2016 season marked the first time that the Spartans won more than one game and they were competitive in a majority of their outings. It could be argued that they were a handful of plays away from finishing 4-6, 5-5, or... dare I say it, 6-4. They couldn't quite close the deal against Creek and Woods and hung tough against Ridge and Springs before the Rams and Panthers wound up pulling away late.

There was probably a justifiable sense of optimism surrounding the Spartans heading into 2017. They probably expected to continue building upon that 2-8 record and possibly put themselves in position to challenge for a playoff spot, or at least spoil someone else's hopes.

Unfortunately, this season has been eerily reminiscent of the six seasons prior to 2016, in which they won a grand total of four games. Has it undone the progress they made last year? It's certainly a step back, but the kids in this program cannot lose faith.

The Lakes defense has had some talented defensive backs come through in their short history. Drake Moore led the district in interceptions in 2013. Julian Hall had four last season, which was good for a five-way tie for 2nd place. Brenden Lemon had three last year and four in 2015. Jordan Lamotte is the next in line; he currently leads the district with three interceptions, while Hall picked off Chris Herron twice last week. Tyler Dudley leads a solid linebacking corps that also features Archie Bijou and a rising junior in Malik Green. O'Shea Jackson has had a solid season in the trenches.

Lakes lost their incumbent starting quarterback, Tyrese Miller, to an injury. As a result, they've had to throw Khaliq Mateen, who was playing freshman B-team football last season, into the fire. He's performed admirably, especially as a passer, but the Spartans have been held to single digits in four of their first five games. Ted Solomon is a three-year starter at various positions; he's been a quarterback, defensive back, wide receiver, and the punter. Solomon has been one of the district's best punters, which, unfortunately, he's done too much of over his career. As an offensive player, he's been their main threat in the passing game. Solomon will bring it every game. Against Falls, he won a jump ball in the end zone and scored another touchdown while dragging a Falls defender for five yards as he crossed the goal line.

Don't be fooled by the record... Lakes has a few players that can cause problems for the Cats.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

It took a 99-yard drive in the closing minutes for the Wildcats to snatch a 36-33 victory from the jaws of defeat. Yes, 2016 was that kind of year for Cy Woods football.

Nijah Surtain's 32-yard catch-and-run with 23 seconds left was the game-winner. Jacob Kainer threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns, while Jack Barrientez ran for 123 yards and a touchdown and added two more scores via the passing game. Myles Wilson had 13 tackles, while Collin Fewox put up 11 and also had an interception.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The JV will travel to Cy Lakes, while the freshmen play at Cy Woods. Game times are at 5:00 and 7:00 on Thursday.

Location of Cypress Lakes High School

Cy Falls 24, Cy Woods 21: On the Wrong Foot

2017 Record: 2-3

Photo by Kyle Ransleben

Cy Falls QB T.J. Goodwin gets devoured

Photo galleries from this week's games from Tom Dendy; the JV played at home this past week.

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats entered the midway point of the 2017 season in a three-way tie at 2-2 with Cy Falls and Cy Creek for the fourth and final playoff spot. Unfortunately, the Cats will be starting their playoff push on the wrong foot as Jacob Kitterman's 22-yard field goal with 34 seconds remaining in the game lifted the Eagles to a 24-21 victory on Thursday at the Berry Center. Meanwhile, the Cougars topped Jersey Village 55-45 at Pridgeon Stadium. As a result, Falls and Creek have kicked Woods out of the playoff picture for the time being.

For... reasons, the Cats decided to use all three of their timeouts... on defense... in a tie ballgame... and two of those occurred while the Eagles had goal to go. That allowed Falls to burn some clock until they sent Kitterman out for his field goal try and left the Wildcat offense with 30 seconds to cover 86 yards.

Catch-22. Obviously, conceding points just to keep the timeouts is incredibly dumb. On the other hand, burning them in the situation I just mentioned seems rather mystifying.

Well, the Cats are up against it now. After Lakes, they will have to run that gauntlet of Cy-Fair, Cy Creek, and Cy Ranch to close out the season.

As Jacob Kainer and Jake Tesch make their returns.... Jack Barrientez went down with a leg injury. He left the stadium on crutches.

Scoring Summary

After Andre Barnes caught a pass from T.J. Goodwin and busted loose for 34 yards to set up first-and-goal for the Eagles from the 5, Goodwin finished off the Eagles' first drive of the evening with a 3-yard touchdown run for the only points of the first 12 minutes.

End of 1st Quarter: Falls 7, Woods 0

Darion Morgan tied the game with a 6-yard run. On Woods' next series,Jake Tesch had a 34-yard touchdown run wiped out on a holding call, but Arkievrick Vitatoe was able to cap off the drive with an 8-yard scoring run. There was no scoring in the third quarter; Jared Swonke missed a 35-yard field goal with five minutes remaining after Trevor Reed had recovered a fumble to put the Cats in the red zone.

Halftime/End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 14, Falls 7

It all unraveled in the fourth quarter and all it took was one play. Dallas Caldwell was stripped of the ball, the Eagles pounced on it, and in the ensuing fracas, Tim Dendy was ejected from the game. One play later, Goodwin hit Jonathan Patrick for a 22-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. The Cats went three-and-out on their next series. Tobi Orundami delivered an NFL Blitz-style horse-collar tackle to Goodwin, which drew another flag. One play later, Koby Leavatts burst through the middle for a 33-yard touchdown to put Falls in front. Jackson Jones tied the game at 21 with a one-yard quarterback sneak. Kitterman put Falls back in the lead with his kick, and Jackson Jones' last-ditch heave was picked off by Mekhi Davis.

Final: Falls 24, Woods 21

Ground

Arkievrick Vitatoe had some good runs out in space, but the Eagles defensive front made the Cats earn all 199 yards they gained on the ground. Of their 45 attempts, their longest run went for 19 yards, which occurred twice. Jake Tesch had a 34-yard touchdown run erased by a holding call.

All statistics are from Varsity Wires and should be considered unofficial.

Jackson Jones: 13 carries, 58 yards, TD
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 6 carries, 57 yards, TD
Darion Morgan: 13 carries, 44 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 4 carries, 24 yards
Chase Richter: 3 carries, 10 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 carry, 7 yards
Jack Barrientez: 3 carries, 3 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 2 carries, -4 yards; lost fumble

Air

While Jackson Jones has competently helmed the offense in Jacob Kainer's absence, he... looked like a sophomore in this game. The Cats' two longest plays were his two pass completions, but he also came up short on his incompletions... except for the last one, which was the arm-punt to end the game.

Jacob Kainer saw his first action of the season, lining up as a receiver for all of his plays. Although Jackson has done well filling in, Jacob is the incumbent and he'll likely take the reins for the rest of the way. He was up-and-down last season, and he'll probably be the first to admit that. He looked forward to running this offense but the injury sidetracked him to start the year. Now, he'll get a proper chance to make amends for last season.

We had a glimpse of what Jackson is capable of. Consider it a preview of things to come.

Jackson Jones: 2-7, 69 yards, INT

Christian Scott: 1 catch, 38 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 1 catch, 31 yards

Defense

The Cats had no answer for Koby Leavatts, who ran for 212 yards on 28 carries.

The Eagles went 5-13 on third down, which is an improvement from Langham going 9-11 the previous week. That mark could have been even better, had Ryan Gilcrease's hit-stick attempt on Jonathan Patrick been successful. Patrick was knocked back about 6-7 yards, but he kept his feet and wound up getting the first down. Jack Barrientez also missed Andre Barnes on a third down; Barnes ended up scampering all the way down to the Wildcats' 5 to set up the first score.

Ryan also missed a chance for an interception for the second straight game. Barnes got smacked by Collin Fewox and Gilcrease couldn't quite corral the loose ball that was literally his for the taking. Trevor Reed recovered a loose ball that Leavatts coughed up, but Jared Swonke ended up missing a field goal after the offense went backward.

Tackles

Collin Fewox - 14
Ryan Gilcrease - 8
Colin Paterson and Austin Kennedy - 7
Jackson Turnbow - 6
Tobi Orundami and Max Sweet - 5
Clancey Hall - 4
Jack Barrientez - 2
Six Wildcats with 1 tackle

Max Sweet sacked Goodwin for an 8-yard loss on the first drive of the game.

Special Teams

Jared Swonke missed a 35-yard field goal that everyone on the Woods side thought he made. He did convert all three of his extra points.

But, failing to score following a fumble recovery in the red zone... not ideal.

Greg Blaser: 4 punts, 171 yards (42.8 average), long of 45, one punt inside 20

Tevis Adams: 2 kicks returned, 34 yards
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 2 kicks returned, 32 yards
Chase Richter: 1 kick returned, 11 yards

Men of the Match

Collin Fewox was throwing all night. He put his reputation as one of the district's hardest hitters on full display.

Arkievrick Vitatoe has really been quite the pickup. He's a move-in from Louisiana and has really provided a nice spark for the Wildcat offense.

Looking Ahead

In their first Saturday game of the season, Cy Woods will take on Cy Lakes at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on October 21. Kickoff is at 6:00 and the Wildcats will be the home team in this contest.

Know Your Enemy: Cypress Falls Golden Eagles

Week 5: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-2) @ Cypress Falls Golden Eagles (2-2)
6:30 PM Thursday, October 12, 2017
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Matt Ramos

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats couldn't quite complete a comeback from a 31-9 deficit against Langham Creek, falling 31-24 despite holding the ball for 30 minutes and outgaining the Lobos on offense. Jackson Jones went 7-10 for 77 yards through the air and threw a touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez in the fourth quarter. Jackson also ran for 100 yards and a touchdown. Mac Bird managed to register 16 tackles despite having to come off with an injury.

The Wildcats enter the midway point of the 2017 campaign with a .500 mark. As the playoff picture in District 17-6A begins to form, Cy Woods finds itself in a three-way tie with Cy Creek... and Cy Falls for the fourth and final playoff spot.

The Cougars play Jersey Village on Friday. One or two of these three teams will move to 3-2. Get ready... the playoff push is underway.

The Enemy: Cypress Falls Golden Eagles

2016 record: 2-8, 2-7 (t-7th) in District 17-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cy Falls season-to-date

L 23-10 vs. Cy Ranch

L 38-12 @ Langham Creek

W 40-26 vs. Cy Lakes

W 14-10 @ Cy Springs

All-Time Series

Cy Falls leads 6-3.

Previous Meetings

October 7, 2016: Falls 27, Woods 10

September 17, 2015: Falls 57, Woods 20
September 20, 2014: Woods 48, Falls 47
October 25, 2013: Woods 37, Falls 15
October 26, 2012: Falls 35, Woods 10
September 10, 2011: Falls 28, Woods 12
September 11, 2010: Falls 28, Woods 20
November 7, 2009: Falls 46, Woods 43
November 8, 2008: Woods 70, Falls 20

Players to Watch

T.J. Goodwin - JR QB #10
Koby Leavatts - JR RB #22
Andre Barnes - SR WR #11
Jyrese Hanchett - JR WR #86
Trent Thompson - SR DL #44
Nick Avila - SR DL #69
DeAndre Collins - SR LB #35
Jordan Ramos - SR LB #21
Jonathan Patrick - SR WR/DB #15
Aaron Durham - JR DB #25

2¢ on Falls

It's been a rather interesting decade for Cy Falls football. The Eagles entered the 2010s as a solid, if unspectacular squad towards the end of David Raffield's tenure. Coach Raffield, who led Falls to the Division II championship game in 2006, moved on to A&M Consolidated following the 2010 season, and Kirk Eaton took over. Coach Eaton guided Falls to the playoffs in his first two seasons, but they crashed to the bottom of the standings in 2013. The Eagles rebounded in 2015 to make the deepest playoff run of any CFISD team, but that was followed by another 2-8 season in 2016.

Coach Eaton was promoted to an assistant athletic director for Cy-Fair ISD last offseason, and the next man up for the Cy Falls head coaching job is Chris Brister. Coach Brister previously served as the defensive coordinator and he takes over a squad that has some interesting pieces.

T.J. Goodwin toiled in his sophomore season, but he's starting to come into his own a junior as the Eagles have re-incorporated elements of the spread offense. His top targets will be Andre Barnes, Jonathan Patrick, and Jyrese Hanchett. Barnes and Patrick, who also plays cornerback, are both burners in the open field. Hanchett, on the other hand, is a wiry athlete, which gives him an advantage in jump-ball situations. No one in District 17-6A has run the ball more than Koby Leavatts; he is the first player in the district to run the ball 100 times this season. Leavatts is also 2nd to Langham Creek's Chris Herron in rushing yards.

The Eagles no longer have the services of Starrland Baldwin, who suffered a season-ending injury in their season opener against Cy Ranch. Baldwin, an Oklahoma pledge, was their top athlete; he is mainly a defensive back, but has also lined up as a receiver and is also a threat in the return game. Nevertheless, the Eagle defense is still one of the most physical units in the district, allowing a mere 255 yards per game through the first four contests. This figure ranks second only to Cy-Fair.

Trent Thompson, Gary Hudson, and Nick Avila form an imposing front line. Avila is a two-year starter at nose tackle. Thompson has become an absolute force in the trenches and his style of play is reminiscent of former Eagles standout Du'Vonta Lampkin. Thompson, like his brother Blake, is also one of the district's top throwers during track and field season. Hudson has also seen playing time on the offensive line due to injuries. The three of them have combined for 70 tackles (14 for loss) and four sacks this season; with the exception of the season opener against Cy Ranch, the Eagles have been led in tackles by either Avila or Thompson. The Wildcat offensive line better be ready for an all-out war.

Jordan Ramos is a converted running back who has made the transition to linebacker and has emerged as another leader for the Cy Falls defense. Baldwin's absence created a significant void in the secondary, but Patrick, Aaron Durham, and Mekhi Davis have all performed capably. Even without Baldwin, the Eagle defense has really stepped up their game.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

Falls came out on top 27-10 in a rather nondescript affair. It was the second time the Wildcats lost to a previously winless team in 2016.

Brighton Gullickson threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Matt Ficalora in the fourth quarter, but he also threw a pick-six to Devon Hayward that sealed the game for the Eagles. The only other Wildcat scoring play was a 21-yard field goal from Luis Reyes in the first quarter. Myles Wilson had 14 tackles. Neil Chambers recorded 9; three of his tackles, which includes a sack, resulted in a loss of yards.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

JV plays at Woods, freshmen at Falls. Game times are 5:00 and 7:00 on Wednesday.

Location of Cypress Falls High School

Can't miss the water tower with the Cy Falls logo off 290...

Langham Creek 31, Cy Woods 24: Welp

2017 Record: 2-2

Photo by Tom Dendy

Jackson Jones prepares for impact as Langham Creek linebacker Chase Hanks closes in

Photo gallery for this week's game; no sub-varsity photos this week, unfortunately.

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats hung tough with the undefeated Langham Creek Lobos for 48 minutes and mounted a nice response after it looked as though the Lobos were on the verge of running them out of the Berry Center. But alas, the rally came up short and Langham Creek prevailed 31-24 to remain unbeaten on the year. The Cats, meanwhile, fall back to .500 as we have now reached the midway point of the season.

Cy Woods came out on top in most of the stats; they outgained Langham Creek 337-269 and held the ball for nearly 30 minutes. However, the Lobos ultimately came out on top in the statistic that matters most: points.

I'm still bothered by that fake punt deep in their own territory, which the Lobos converted into a touchdown. Believe me, I'm just as perplexed as you are. Two key moments stand out in this game, and they all went the Lobos' way: the botched fake punt, and when Darion Morgan got stripped and the Lobos got a scoop and score out of it.

Let's be real here, this is a pretty annoying way to lose. Now, this loss is not a death knell with regard to playoff hopes, but the Cats' margin for error has shrunk significantly.

Scoring Summary

Chris Mehn opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run, which was the only scoring play in the first 12 minutes.

End of 1st quarter: Langham 7, Woods 0

Jared Swonke put Cy Woods on the board with a 27-yard field goal. The Cats forced a three-and-out on their next defensive series, but as they were looking to drive, Darion Morgan was stripped of the ball. Corien Azema scooped it up and raced 59 yards the other way for a Lobo touchdown. Morgan atoned for that mistake by scoring from a yard out and Kevin Marks kicked a 29-yard field goal to give Langham three more points heading into the half.

Halftime: Langham 17, Woods 9

The Cats did not have a very good start to the second half as Langham wasted little time in getting down the field. Chris Herron capped off the opening drive of the third quarter with a 23-yard touchdown run. The aforementioned ill-advised fake punt was an invitation for the Lobos to score again and Mehn obliged by scoring on a 2-yard run. Jackson Jones reclaimed some momentum for the Cats with a one-yard touchdown run.

End of 3rd Quarter: Langham 31, Woods 15

Jackson connected with Jack Barrientez for a 6-yard touchdown pass and the Cats recovered the ensuing onside kick. Unfortunately, they squandered that opportunity by turning the ball over on downs. Fortunately, on the next Langham Creek drive, Herron botched a handoff to Mehn and Tobi Orundami bulldozed his way through to recover the loose ball. Unfortunately, the Cats had to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Swonke on their next drive. On the ensuing onside kick, the Lobos came out with the ball after a mad scramble.

Final: Langham 31, Woods 24

Ground

Jackson was solid again, but there were a few plays where he was probably better off pitching the ball. He's got plenty of time to learn, though. Bobby Dodson went down with an injury early, so Darion Morgan took over as the primary running back the rest of the way.

The Cats racked up a bunch of yards on the ground, but they also needed a bunch of rushing attempts to do so, as well.

As always, all statistics are from Varsity Wires and are unofficial.

Jackson Jones: 24 carries, 100 yards, TD
Darion Morgan: 18 carries, 80 yards, TD; fumble lost
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 5 carries, 29 yards
Christian Scott: 4 carries, 18 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 3 carries, 14 yards
Jack Barrientez: 4 carries, 14 yards
Bobby Dodson: 2 carries, 9 yards
Greg Blaser: 1 carry, -4 yards

Air

Not much to say here; Jackson continues to make the throws he's supposed to make. His 24-yard completion to Christian Scott was the Wildcats' longest offensive play of the game.

Jackson Jones: 7-10, 77 yards, TD

Christian Scott: 4 catches, 46 yards
Jack Barrientez: 2 catches, 21 yards, TD
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 1 catch, 10 yards

Defense

Mac Bird is halfway to 100 tackles through the first four games.

Once again, however, the Cats simply couldn't find a way to get the opposing offense off the field on third down. Langham Creek went 9-13 on third down and converted their only fourth-down situation. Both defenses did well in limiting the big plays; the longest offensive play in this game was a 26-yard pass from Chris Herron to Devin Lawrence. Chris Mehn, who entered the game averaging almost 9 yards per carry, had an off night by his standards; the Cats held him to 77 yards on 16 carries.

Tobi Orundami left the Cats after one game last season and then made the decision to rejoin the team for his senior year in the offseason. He's been working his way back into the fold behind the scenes and successfully fulfilled the conditions that were set for him in order to play again.

Tobi only had one tackle in his first game back, but he had a crucial fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. He's not quite in shape, but he infused some energy into the defensive line and got some pressure on Chris Herron.

Tackles

Mac Bird - 16  (1 for loss)
Ryan Gilcrease - 8
Matt Roberts, Clancey Hall, and Jackson Turnbow - 4 each
Derrick Brooks - 3 (1 for loss)
Collin Fewox, Jack Barrientez, Colin Paterson, and Max Sweet - 2 each
Trevor Reed, Austin Kennedy, Tyler Redgrave, and Tobi Orundami - 1 each

As mentioned above, Tobi recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter.

Special Teams

Jared Swonke hit both of his field goals. I think this is the first time that a Wildcat kicker has made more than one field goal since Chase McLaughlin did so against Cy Ranch back in 2012.

Greg Blaser's one punt of the night went 35 yards.

Christian Scott: 2 kicks returned, 26 yards
Tevis Adams: 2 kicks returned, 13 yards

Man of the Match

Mac Bird put up 16 tackles despite having to miss part of the second quarter due to a.... nail in his leg? I probably didn't hear this correctly. When he was being attended to, it definitely looked like he was in real distress, which led me to believe that he suffered a more serious injury.

Mac shook it off and wound up posting double-digit tackles yet again, so I suppose he's alright.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will tussle with the Cy Falls Golden Eagles to kick off Week 5 in District 17-6A at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on Thursday, October 12. Kickoff is at 6:30 and Cy Woods will be the visitors once again.

Know Your Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

Week 4: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-1) @ Langham Creek Lobos (3-0)
6:30 PM Thursday, October 5, 2017
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Billy Schuerman

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two funds that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

It was a happy Homecoming for the Wildcats as they topped Jersey Village 42-35. In the process, they matched their win total from 2016 and recorded their first win over the Falcons since 2012.

Bobby Dodson ran for 146 yards and a touchdown, while Jack Barrientez threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Cullen Sherrill, scored twice on the ground, and added five tackles on defense. Clancey Hall and Mac Bird both recorded 10 tackles.

Week 6 presents the Wildcats with their toughest test to date.

The Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

2016 record: 8-4, 6-3 (4th) in District 17-6A
Lost 29-21 to Cinco Ranch in Area round of 6A Division II, Region III playoffs

Cy Ridge took a 28-6 lead on the Lobos with 11:33 in the third quarter... and then Langham proceeded to outscore them 40-0 the rest of the way to come out with the 46-28 victory. The Lobos capitalized on 5 Rams turnovers, most of which came in the second half.

Langham Creek has won their first three games of 2017; they topped Cy Creek 45-26 to open the year and then dominated Cy Falls 38-12.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 5-4.

Previous Meetings


September 29, 2016: Langham 62, Woods 35
October 16, 2015: Woods 48, Langham 33
October 17, 2014: Langham 55, Woods 31 (Homecoming VII)
September 13, 2013: Langham 48, Woods 20
September 14, 2012: Langham 32, Woods 31 (Homecoming V)
October 14, 2011: Woods 50, Langham 44
October 15, 2010: Woods 55, Langham 27 (Homecoming III)
October 31, 2009: Woods 42, Langham 7
November 1, 2008: Woods 58, Langham 20

Players to Watch

QB Chris Herron, RB Chris Mehn, WR Golden Eke, OL Owen Okonsky, DB Corien Azema, DB Darren Woodson, LB Brad Pinkerton, DL Ernest Thomas

2¢ on Langham

The Lobos begin life without Toneil Carter, who is arguably the greatest player in their program's history. Nevertheless, they still have plenty of weapons at their disposal, most notably their starting backfield.

Chris Mehn averaged 10 yards per carry as Carter's backup last season. This year, he's merely averaging 9 yards per rushing attempt, so he's regressed somewhat. All joking aside, Mehn is a legit home run threat. Chris Herron ran roughshod on the Cats last season and he is coming off a game in which he ran for 181 yards and 5 touchdowns. He'll sling the ball to Golden Eke and Devin Lawrence, but he can really inflict damage with his feet. Owen Okonsky, a first-team All-District selection last season, will anchor the Lobos' offensive line.

Corien Azema had a fine sophomore season in which he earned second-team All-District honors as a linebacker. He's moved over to the secondary, where he'll team up with Darren Woodson and Mauricio Alvarado. Brad Pinkerton and Jermaine Wright lead the linebackers, but D.J. Harris and Chase Hanks have busted onto the scene by going 1-2 in tackles through the first third of the season. Ernest Thomas has seized a starting spot in the trenches as a sophomore; the Lobos are expecting big things from this young lineman.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Lobos forced five Cy Woods turnovers, put up 42 points at halftime, and cruised to a 62-35 victory. Jacob Kainer threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

JV plays at Woods, while the freshmen will travel to Langham Creek. Game times are 5:00 and 7:00 on Wednesday.

Location of Langham Creek High School