Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #6: Fred Anderson

The next player in the countdown of the ten best players from the first decade of Cy Woods football is the first 1,000-yard rusher in school history. That record has since been broken but he still has a couple more records in his possession.

#6: Fredrick Anderson, RB, 2009-10

College: Prairie View A&M

- First player in school history to record 1,000 rushing yards in one season.
- Previously held school single-season record for rushing yards (1036) and touchdowns (20).
- Holds school single-season record for most touchdowns (30; 20 rushing, 10 receiving) and points scored (180). All records were set in 2010.

Notable Games

2009 vs. Round Rock Westwood: 15 rush, 163 yards (first game)
2010 vs. Cy Ranch: 15 rush, 175 yards, 2 TD; 4 catches, 55 yards, 2 TD
2010 vs. Langham Creek: 2 catches, 164 yards, 2 TD
2010 vs. Cy Ridge: 5 rush, 47 yards, TD; 5 catches, 92 yards, 3 TD
2010 vs. Clear Creek: 15 rush, 120 yards, 4 TD

When I first met Fredrick Anderson... he was trouble. I got love for him, but I'll be honest... I thought that he was heading down a treacherous path. He definitely fit the "talented athlete with a troubled life" template to a T. This game and being a part of this team saved Fred. That's all I can say about his personal life.

Fred was supposed to make the varsity as Jeremy Conley's backup in 2009, his junior year. Instead, he got into a bit of trouble. (I don't know what happened and I couldn't share those details if I did. Again, not my business.) He was only able to officially join the team for the playoffs, where he stepped into a starting role when Jeremy Conley got hurt. For those four weeks, Fred finally got a chance to show everyone what he was truly capable of on the field.

When Fred finally became the feature back next to Colton Huntsman, he was absolutely special. A true dual-threat weapon at the running back position. No one at Cy Woods made scoring touchdowns more effortless than Fred did. Teams couldn't just focus on Colton Huntsman on offense... they'd have to account for Fredrick Anderson and he could turn short gains into touchdowns just like that. That tandem of Colton and Fred was poetry in motion.

After Cy Woods, Fred played for four seasons at Prairie View A&M as a running back. He led the Panthers in rushing yards in his first two seasons.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

Week 6: Cypress Woods Wildcats (3-2, 2-1) vs. Cypress Lakes Spartans (3-2, 2-1)
7:00 PM Friday, October 5, 2018
Homecoming XI at Pridgeon Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats ran wild and dominated the Bridgeland Bears in every facet of the game in a 56-14 victory that felt even more lopsided than the final score suggested. Carson Danner threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 83 yards and three more touchdowns. Trayse Holmes stepped up when Darion Morgan went down with an injury, running for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Tesch ran for 121 yards and a touchdown and also had 73 receiving yards, 36 of which came on a touchdown reception. The Cats had 578 yards of offense, which, according to Varsity Wires, is the most yardage recorded by a Cy-Fair ISD team this season.

On defense, Mac Bird had nine tackles, Jackson Hosemann had two interceptions and Tylan Foster had two sacks.

And now... it's Homecoming! And all the pageantry (and possible distractions) that come with it! For some reason, Woods Homecomings always take place at Pridgeon.

The Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2017: 0-9, 10th in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

Cy Lakes season-to-date

L 22-20 vs. Morton Ranch
W 31-6 vs. Klein Forest
W 54-7 vs. Cy Park
W 28-7 @ Cy Springs
L 45-14 vs. Cy Ranch

Last week was the Spartans' Homecoming game and they led Cy Ranch 14-10 at halftime before the wheels fell off for them in dramatic fashion. The second half was all Ranch as they ran away with a 45-14 victory, snapping Lakes' three-game winning streak.

This will be the second time that the Spartans will be the Wildcats' opponent on Homecoming. Cy Woods won 70-20 in 2015.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 8-0.

Previous Meetings

October 21, 2017: Woods 31, Lakes 20
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

Khaliq Abdul-Mateen - JR QB #5
Sean Hunter - SR RB #25
Thaddrick "T.J." Johnson - SR WR #17
Malik Green - SR LB #34
O'Shea Jackson - SR DL #44
Marcus Mattox - SR DL #72
Jevon White - SR ATH #4
Eamon Perry - JR DB #12
Xavier Corbin - JR DB #30
Kyree Anderson - JR DB #11
Jordan Lamotte - SR DB #14
Joseph Staiano - SR K #48

2¢ on Lakes

In 2016, the Spartans won more than one game for the first time in program history and were probably a handful of plays away from winning even more games that year. That season should have set the stage for another big step forward for a program that has struggled mightily from the start. Instead, Cy Lakes went winless for the third time in eight seasons.

Although they got smacked by Ranch, the new district seems to be the spark that has enabled Lakes to finally get their program off the ground. They are no longer the doormat that they were during the all-CFISD district years and that is a testament to the job that Coach Patton has done with this program.

The Spartans return a wealth of talent and experience on defense and they always seem to have one player in the secondary who appears at or near the top of the district leaderboard in interceptions. It all started with Drake Moore back in 2013. Brenden Lemon followed, and then it was Julian Hall's turn. The next man up, Jordan Lamotte, shined as a junior as he led the team in tackles (86) and interceptions (3). Eamon Perry and Kyree Anderson are a couple of promising juniors; Perry had two interceptions against Morton Ranch, while Anderson is in his second year as a starter.

Unfortunately for the Spartans, Lamotte and Perry have both been sidelined with injuries. Xavier Corbin, a hard-hitting junior, has stepped in to fill the void left by Lamotte and has acquitted himself well, acquiring a penchant for selling out for the big hit. Malik Green also enjoyed a breakout junior season and he'll lead the linebackers. Green has a nose for the football and seems to get himself involved in every play. He's got a solid supporting cast with Augustine Padilla, Zabion Davis, and Erik Garza, who also punts. Marcus Mattox and O'Shea Jackson are both three-year starters on the Spartans' defensive line. Along with Kyvon Highsmith, they'll look to disrupt the Cats' rushing attack.

After getting thrust into the starting job midway through his sophomore season, Khaliq Abdul-Mateen enters his first full year as the Spartans' starting quarterback and he'll be accompanied by a trio of senior tailbacks in Jarel Lewis, Sean Hunter, and Taven Canty. Mateen has done some damage with his legs but he'll need to make some progress as a passer. Jevon White, who also plays cornerback, and T.J. Johnson will be Mateen's primary targets in the passing game. White will also be a major factor in the return game; he's already returned a punt for a touchdown this season.

Joseph Staiano has been the Spartans' kicker for three seasons and he's improved every year. Most of his kickoffs are pooches for some reason but don't be fooled, he's got plenty of leg strength and he has turned himself into a real asset for Lakes.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Wildcats climbed back to .500 with a 31-20 victory. Jackson Hosemann had ten tackles and sealed the victory with an interception late in the fourth quarter. Jack Barrientez returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown, and Jake Tesch scored on a 21-yard run and a 53-yard reception.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Cy Woods, JV at Lakes. Game times, as always, are 4:30 and 6:30. The JV Gold team will take on Cy Creek at 4:30.

Location of Cypress Lakes High School

Cy Woods 56, Bridgeland 14: EASY MONEY

2018 Record: 3-2, 2-1 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

The first-ever meeting between Cy Woods and Bridgeland turned out to be no contest. If the Cats hadn't committed a couple of pretty bad turnovers in the first quarter, one of which gifted the Bears a touchdown, it's possible that the final score could have been more lopsided than 56-14. They did what was expected of them and they dominated a team playing its first varsity football season without seniors.

After winning a thriller against Langham Creek last week, the big question surrounding Cy Woods was whether they would suffer a letdown following the high of such an emotional victory. After scoring on their opening drive in just under two minutes, it would be clear that the there would be no such thing. Pretty much only two things went wrong in this game: the gift touchdown near the end of the first quarter and the opening drive of the second half, in which the defense forgot that the game resumed.

There was a preview on the Vype website of this game that was written by a kid from Bridgeland and he had predicted a Bridgeland victory, but I'll let that go. I'm too old to bicker with kids about high school football anyway. The Bears have some legit talent, but it's not their time yet. We'll be hearing plenty about them in the coming years.

Congratulations to Dylan Cormier on his varsity debut. Dylan is a sophomore quarterback and he's wearing #34. I don't know why he didn't get to wear 16, 18, or 19, but that's not my decision. I'm just wondering...

And with that, the first half of the season draws to a close. The season literally started on the first day of this month and five games are already in the books. 3-2 in the first half is... fine. The Cats have more wins than losses and with a 2-1 record against district foes, they are most definitely in a favorable position as the playoff race begins to take shape in the district.

Game Summarized by an Image I Found on the Internet

What Happened

Cy Woods made quick work of Bridgeland.

A couple of big runs from Jake Tesch were the key plays in the opening drive, which was completed when Carson Danner scored from six yards out. After the Bears went three-and-out and then committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that gave Woods outstanding field position, Tesch had another big run that would have had the Cats in the red zone... but he lost the ball. Fortunately, the Bears went three-and-out on their ensuing offensive possession following the turnover. Danner found Tesch on fourth down to keep Cy Woods' next drive alive, which he capped off with an eight-yard touchdown run.

The Bears had an interesting strategy for their next series: they decided to call a Finn Nicholson arm punt on the very first play and Jackson Hosemann ended up getting his first interception of the night. A couple of big pass plays from Danner put the Cats in the red zone and he finished it off with a two-yard run. Another Bears punt gave the Cats the ball back inside the 20. But on the first play of that series a high snap rolled into the end zone and Danner was forced to scramble for it. Instead of just taking a safety (or even kicking it away!), he scrambled for the ball, put it on the ground in the end zone again, and Connor Motsinger pounced on the loose ball to put Bridgeland on the board. Giving up two... way better than giving up six.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 21, Bridgeland 7

The Cats decided to end this one early and they did so with four touchdowns in the second quarter. After Hosemann picked Nicholson off for the second time, the Cats marched right back down the field and Jake Tesch finished it off with a 34-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff, Trayse Holmes delivered a massive hit that jarred the ball loose. Tylan Foster recovered the ball and should have had a touchdown, but the officials apparently heard a whistle and as a result, they blew the play dead after much conferring. It ultimately didn't matter because Danner found Connor Faulk for a 24-yard touchdown pass on the very next play. After yet another three-and-out for the Bears, the Cats drove once again and Holmes finished it by scoring from eight yards out. Tesch inexplicably decided to try and catch a punt with one hand but fortunately, Hosemann was there to bail him out by recovering the loose ball. Tesch atoned for that mistake by catching a pass from Danner and slashing his way into the end zone from 36 yards out just before halftime.

Halftime: Woods 49, Bridgeland 7

Bridgeland opened the scoring in the second half when Nicholson connected with Atrevion Hunter for a 23-yard touchdown pass on their first drive. This was the only scoring play in the third quarter. The Cats really wanted to get out of this game as quickly as possible.

The Bears recovered a fumble to thwart a Cy Woods threat but could only get one first down on their next possession before they had to punt. The Cats got the ball with 6:21 left in the 3rd and they used up all of that clock. Holmes scored on a four-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to finish that drive and the scoring.

Final: Woods 56, Bridgeland 14

Ground

Carson Danner added three more touchdowns on the ground, giving him 12 on the season. He is now just ten touchdowns away from matching the Cy Woods single-season record for rushing touchdowns, which was set by Nick Hooper in 2014. He has at least five more games to get to 22.

The second half was Trayse Holmes' time to shine. Darion Morgan looked to have been banged up, so if he ends up missing some time, Holmes will be getting a more prominent role in the offense.

Stats from Varsity Wires, which tracked stats on behalf of the Texas Sports Network.

Trayse Holmes: 24 rush, 123 yards, 2 TD
Carson Danner: 14 rush, 83 yards, 3 TD
Jake Tesch: 8 rush, 121 yards, TD
Dylan Cormier: 6 rush, 29 yards
Christian Scott: 5 rush, 55 yards
Tre Mejia: 3 rush, 4 yards

There were also two attempts credited to "TEAM" and the Cats lost 16 yards. 15 of those came on the bad snap that resulted in free points for the Bears and the other yard that was lost came when Dylan Cormier took a knee to end the game.

Air

Danner had his best game in terms of accuracy. His receivers were in position to make plays and he helped them out with some really good throws.

Carson Danner: 8-11, 172 yards, 2 TD

Jake Tesch: 3 catches, 73 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 2 catches, 33 yards
Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 29 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 24 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 1 catch, 13 yards

Defense

The Cats held the top offense in District 14-6A to 162 yards and seven points (the other seven, as I mentioned earlier, came when Carson Danner decided not to take a safety for some reason).

Cy Woods became extremely well-acquainted with Finn Nicholson by the end of the evening and they held Dylan Goffney, who entered this game as the leading receiver in District 14-6A, to just four catches for 26 yards. Nicholson, the leading passer in the district, finished 10-25 for just 97 yards and Jackson Hosemann intercepted him twice. Gavan Kaspar led the district in all-purpose yards entering the game; he only had 46 rushing yards and returned a kickoff 15 yards.

Nicholson trying to force the issue early with long balls to Goffney ended up working in the Cats' favor because they all ended up being incomplete and as a result, the Bears couldn't really work anyone else into the passing game to take the attention off Goffney.

I'm kind of sure that Bryce Callahan had a game in 2008 or 2009 where he had two interceptions, so Jackson Hosemann may or may not be the first player in Cy Woods history to record two interceptions in one game.

Twenty Wildcats recorded at least one tackle. Mac Bird led the way with nine. For the first time this season, Chase Richter did not finish a game as Cy Woods' leader in this statistic. Tylan Foster had six tackles, two sacks, and what should have been a scoop and score if it hadn't been for the refs hearing things that actually didn't make a noise.

Interceptions: Jackson Hosemann 2
Fumbles recovered: Tylan Foster

Hosemann now has three interceptions on the year.

Sacks: Tylan Foster 2

These were Foster's first sacks of the season and he's jumped into a tie at the top with Mac Bird, who also has two sacks.

Special Teams

Fair catches on kickoffs... work the same way as touchbacks now?

Christian Scott returned two kickoffs for a total of 28 yards. Jake Tesch returned three punts but only netted four yards. Jackson Hosemann was credited with a return for one yard after he recovered a punt that Tesch muffed.

Gustavo Olmedo hit all eight of his extra-point attempts. The Wildcats only punted twice in this game; Danner had a 31-yard punt and Cole Gerletti had a 28-yard punt that hit a Bridgeland player but bounced out of bounds afterward. That was probably a confidence booster for Gerletti; the last time he appeared, he shanked a punt and it only went for nine yards.

Men of the Match

The defense gets this one. This was by far their most complete effort of the season. They've been the target of ire throughout the first half of the year so I'm extremely happy that they responded with this performance.

They'll have to bring it like they did in this game for the rest of the year.

Looking Ahead

It's Homecoming Week at the Woods! It is also the start of the second half of the season.

The 11th Annual Cypress Woods High School Homecoming Football Game and the accompanying pageantry will take place at Pridgeon Stadium on Friday, October 5. The Wildcats will take on the Cypress Lakes Spartans at 7:00 PM.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #7: Alfred "Bama" Pullom

Next in the countdown of the ten best players from the first decade of Cy Woods football... a true game-changing defensive back.

#7: Alfred "Bama" Pullom, DB, 2010-12

Alfred Pullom moved to Cy Woods from Alabama, which is how he got his nickname. Sometimes the origin story of a nickname is quite simple. Bama made the varsity as a sophomore in 2010 and eventually became a two-year starter at safety for the Cats and one of the top safeties in Texas. Together with Jamaul Tompkins, Bama was a part of the most feared secondary in Cy Woods history... they were the safeties, while Josh Holley and Deonte Davis locked opposing receivers down at cornerback.

After Cy Woods, Bama played three seasons at Baylor and played in two bowl games. He had an interception in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State in 2014.

Know the Enemy: Bridgeland Bears

Week 5: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-2, 1-1) @ Bridgeland Bears (2-2, 1-1)
6:00 PM Saturday, September 29, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cats survived a one-man comeback attempt from Chris Herron and snatched a victory right out of Langham Creek's grasp as Gustavo Olmedo hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired to earn a 41-39 victory. Carson Danner ran for 173 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 183 yards and two more touchdowns in the winning effort. Cy Woods forced a team-record seven turnovers; they intercepted Herron four times and also recovered three fumbles, all of which were on Herron.

Next up for the Cats is the new kids on the Cy-Fair ISD block, the Bridgeland Bears. Let's take a look at Bridgeland!

The Enemy: Bridgeland Bears

First varsity season.

This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Bridgeland. The Bears are the 30th team to take on Cy Woods.

These two schools have never played against each other at any level of football so this week's slate of games represents the first time that they will face each other in football, period.

Bridgeland season-to-date

W 48-19 vs. Waltrip
L 41-28 @ Stratford
W 40-32 vs. Cy Springs
L 52-10 @ Cy Ranch

The Bears got the real "welcome to 6A" treatment from Cy Ranch last Friday as they got walloped 52-10 in the Mustangs' Homecoming game. From the descriptions of this game, it sounded like big brother wanted to show little brother his place at the table.

Despite getting smacked for the first time as a program, Bridgeland still feels like it will have something to say when the playoff race truly gets going.

Players to Watch

Finn Nicholson - SOPH QB #8
Gavan Kaspar - SOPH RB #11
Dylan Goffney - SOPH WR #5
Connor Motsinger - SOPH LB #33
Charlie Moore - SOPH LB #41
Jack Grier - SOPH DB #24
Bryce McMorris - SOPH DB #4
Cameron Ball - JR DL #99
Oghenemine Imarah - SOPH DL #50
Brayden Amacker - SOPH DL #58

2¢ on Bridgeland

Cy-Fair ISD's newest high school embarks on its first season of varsity football under David Raffield. Coach Raffield led Cy Falls to a state championship game before a successful stint at A&M Consolidated, so he has certainly earned his status as one of the best coaches in Texas. In his return to the district, Coach Raffield is looking to build something really special at Bridgeland and he has some legitimate impact talent at the skill positions and almost all of them are sophomores.

Finn Nicholson and Gavan Kaspar form the Bears' backfield. Nicholson leads all quarterbacks in Cy-Fair ISD in passing yards and touchdowns. He has dual-threat capability but hasn't run much, most likely out of a need to keep him as fresh as possible for the next two seasons. Gavan Kaspar is the workhorse running back who's cooled off somewhat after an outstanding debut in which he scored four touchdowns on the ground. As that first game shows, however, he's a legitimate threat to score from anywhere.

Dylan Goffney is the Bears' #1 receiver and he has a great chance to emerge as their first high-profile recruit. He is also leading Cy-Fair ISD in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, so what this offense has been able to do in year one has been remarkable. The attention that Goffney will be commanding will open up chances for Tyler Stott on the opposite side and Atrevion Hunter in the slot. Kaspar has also turned into another option for Nicholson in the passing game.

Connor Motsinger has emerged as a leader for the Bridgeland defense. He reminds me a bit of Brayden Stringer, the star linebacker from Ranch who's now at Texas Tech. Jack Grier's two older brothers were receivers at Ranch, but he's forging his own path as a Bear. He and Weston Cadena will take charge in the secondary. Cameron Ball will anchor the defensive line and he's the one junior who will lead of a pack of sophomores such as Oghenemine Imarah, Brayden Amacker, and Garrett Hurley. Imarah and Amacker have quickly become disruptors in the trenches.

These Bears may just be cubs at the moment, but again, they haven't assumed their final form just yet. We'll be hearing plenty from this group over the next few years.


Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Bridgeland, JV at Cy Woods. As always, game times are 4:30 and 6:30.

Special Note from the Booster Club

The Cy Woods Athletic Booster Club will be holding an event called the Fifth Quarter at Creekwood Grill following Saturday's game. Creekwood Grill is the building that used to be P.O.'s Burgers on Telge.

Location of Bridgeland High School

Cy Woods 41, Langham Creek 39: Never. A. Doubt.

2018 record: 2-2, 1-1 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

View more photos from this game here.

Hello. Are you still breathing? Alright, cool.

A sudden tropical storm got in the way on Thursday but the Cypress Woods Wildcats' game against the Langham Creek Lobos at the Berry Center went off without incident. The Cats went into halftime with a 28-14 lead and then saw a 35-14 lead vanish as Chris Herron took over in the second half to set up a heart-stopping finish that saw Langham take the lead with 1:13 left in the game In the end, though, Gustavo Olmedo was the hero as his 47-yard field goal sailed through the night and through the uprights at the buzzer, giving the Wildcats a dramatic 41-39 victory and a fine segue into the weekend.

Now, blowing a 35-14 lead is... definitely not ideal. But as the old adage goes, a win is a win. It wouldn't be that easy; after all, Chris Herron is arguably the best football player in Cy-Fair ISD and he almost willed his team to the victory by himself. He played an incredible game and all of my respect goes to him and the Lobos for a such a fine game. But, it's good to see the Cats coming out on top in the end.

Going 2-2 in a pretty tough opening stretch is alright and starting 1-1 in district is infinitely better than going 0-2. For some reason, Cy Woods will always start 1-1 in district every year so I've learned to not really care too much if/when they lose one of the first two district games. Even better news for the Cats is that the schedule now softens up a bit. Their next real test will probably be the penultimate game against Cy Ranch. With that being said, Bridgeland and a vastly-improved Cy Lakes will not be easy outs. Enjoy the thrill of this victory but come Monday, get locked in again because there's still plenty of football to be played.

Classic? Eh... it'd be real hard to top the ten best games of the first decade, but this one will surely go a long way towards determining whether Cy Woods will break its playoff drought this year. After that debacle in Tomball, the Cats have gotten themselves out of an early bind and put the Lobos firmly in that bind.

The Game, Summed Up in an Image I Found on the Internet

Eh, let's mix things up a bit.


I imagine that if you are reading this, you probably don't know Korean, so here are the lyrics:


What Happened

The Wildcats survived the Chris Herron Show in the second half. Do I sense a shift in offensive philosophy?

The Wildcats went three-and-out to begin the game but on the first defensive play, Jackson Hosemann intercepted a pass from Herron to give Cy Woods the ball once again. The offense turned the turnover into points as Carson Danner hit Christian Scott for a seven-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. After yet another Lobo turnover (this time a fumble), Danner scored on a seven-yard run. The Cats forced three turnovers on their first three defensive possession, but the third time was not a charm. A botched pitch gave the Lobos the ball at Cy Woods' 30 and Corien Azema put Langham on the board with a two-yard touchdown run.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 14, Langham 14

Herron tied the game with a five-yard touchdown run in the second, but the Cats hit back for two touchdowns. Danner scored from two yards out and on the final play of the first half, Cameron Sowell won a jump ball in the end zone to reestablish the Wildcats' two-score advantage.

Halftime: Woods 28, Langham 14

Mr. Bird told me that if he were the Lobos, he would've given Chris Herron free rein to do what he wanted. That's what we saw in the second half...

Danner scored yet again on a quarterback sneak from less than a yard to open the second-half scoring. And then the Lobos struck back. Azema fielded a punt and should have been brought down immediately for no gain... instead, he scored from 50 yards. Herron got Langham back in the game with a 30-yard touchdown run. The extra point snap was botched, fortunately.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 35, Langham 27

Gustavo Olmedo hit a 25-yard field goal to slow down the Lobos' momentum somewhat, but Herron would not be denied. He scored from 19 yards and also got tagged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Woods took the penalty and repelled the subsequent 18-yard two-point conversion attempt. Reagan Simmons picked Herron off in the end zone with less than two minutes to go. That should have sealed a 38-33 Cy Woods victory, right?

Nope.

The Cats went three-and-out on their next drive and Danner's punt failed to make it out of Cy Woods territory. On the very next play, Ronald Rowan caught Herron's heave inside the Cy Woods five-yard line. Herron put the Lobos in front with his fourth rushing touchdown of the night. The kickoff went for a touchback, so that left the Cy Woods offense with 73 seconds and one timeout to go 75 yards for a touchdown.

Well, it turns out that they didn't need all 75 yards. Danner executed the final drive to perfection and the offense was aided by an unnecessary roughness call following a catch from Jake Tesch that got them closer. Following the penalty, Danner looked to pass but had to scramble and was taken down inbounds, so the clock continued to run under ten seconds. Danner spiked the ball with four seconds left and Gustavo Olmedo came on for his moment of truth: a 47-yard field goal. Make it, and the Wildcats win. Miss it, and they'd really be up against it with a 0-2 district record.

The ball took flight off Olmedo's leg and cleared the uprights as the clock struck zero. Both officials raised their arms in the air to signify that the field goal attempt was good, and that's how Cy Woods won this football game.

Final: Cy Woods 41, Langham 39

Ground

The Wildcats still ran the ball more than they passed, but the vast majority of their run plays didn't come out of the Wing-T formation. I don't think they lined up in that formation at all after the first quarter. Carson Danner had to earn all 173 of his yards as he needed 37 rushing attempts to get there and none of his runs went more than 17 yards.

Guess the spread is gradually making its way back to Cy Woods. Stats from MaxPreps.

Carson Danner: 37 rush, 173 yards, 3 TD
Jacob Tesch: 12 rush, 121 yards
Darion Morgan: 5 rush, 3 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 rush, 0 yards
Jackson Jones: 1 rush, -4 yards

Air

Danner looked a lot more comfortable throwing the ball in this game although he's still working to throw better balls to give his receivers a chance. Most of his incompletions were on balls that were thrown behind his intended receivers and the one interception he threw came on a ball that he threw behind Cameron Sowell, who reached back and tipped the ball right into a Langham defender's hands.

Carson Danner: 14-26, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT

Christian Scott: 6 catches, 60 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 2 catches, 31 yards, TD
Jacob Tesch: 3 catches, 35 yards
Connor Faulk: 2 catches, 46 yards
Darion Morgan: 1 catch, 11 yards

Defense

I'm going to have to scrounge through all of the old box scores, but I am fairly confident that the seven turnovers they forced in this game is most likely a record. The Cats picked Herron off four times and recovered three more fumbles.

Herron terrorized the Cats with his legs once again by scoring four times on the ground, but the Wildcat defense intercepted him four times and all seven of Langham's turnovers were on him, so I think it all evens out.

Interceptions: Nolan Authorlee, Reagan Simmons, Jackson Hosemann, Caleb Rutherford

All four players recorded their first interceptions of the season.

Fumbles recovered: Caleb Rutherford, Chris Agnew, Jason Christenson

Nineteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and Chase Richter led the way with seven. Mac Bird had six tackles and also sacked Herron for a loss of 12 yards.

Special Teams

Gustavo Olmedo hit all of his kicks... including the one that he most definitely had to make. I'll have to scrounge through all of the old box scores but I am fairly sure that he is the first Cy Woods kicker to have more than one successful field goal in a game.

Olmedo scored eleven points, which is the second-highest scoring output for a Cy Woods kicker in a single game. The 47-yarder that won the game is not a school record (Luis Reyes hit from 48 yards against Lakes in 2014) but that's not important; the important thing is that Olmedo's kick won the game.

Gustavo Olmedo: 2-2 FG (made 25, 47), 5-5 XP; game-winning 47-yard FG as time expired

Carson Danner punted the ball four times for a total of 134 yards for an average of 33.5 yards per punt.

Christian Scott returned the opening kickoff 12 yards. That was the only chance that the Wildcats had to return a kick or a punt.

Man of the Match

Hmm... pretty tough choice this week.

47-yard field goal with the game on the line? No problem when you have ice water in your veins like Cy Woods' Gustavo Olmedo (@olmedo669). Check out his kick that beat Langham Creek 41-39 tonight. (Video by @Texan_Live) #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/D88k3puFEu

— Chron HS Sports (@HoustonChronHS) September 21, 2018

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will face the Bridgeland Bears for the first time ever. Kickoff is Saturday, September 29 at 6:00 at the Berry Center. Cy Woods will be the visitors for this contest.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #8: Dominique Robertson

Continuing the countdown of the ten best players in the first decade of Cy Woods Football is one of the most feared linebackers in Wildcat history.

#8: Dominique Robertson, LB, 2008-09

1st-team All-District 15-5A
Team captain
Holds school record in high jump (6-6)
College: Tulane
What's he doing now: Coach at Cy Falls

Notable Games

2009 vs. Cy Falls: Forced fumble that was recovered for a touchdown, 2 sacks
2009 vs. Cy-Fair: Returned interception 60 yards
2009 vs. Round Rock Westwood:



The other guy came at him first. He didn't take too kindly to getting tossed aside, so Dominique had no choice but to defend himself there. Dominique wasn't looking for a fight... he just stood his ground and hit back when the other guy got in his face.

Bryce Callahan might have been the most talented player on the 2009 Cypress Woods Wildcats defense, but in my opinion, Dominique Robertson was not only in the same tier as Bryce athletically, he was the heart and soul of that unit. He was probably the most athletically gifted linebacker to ever come through the program; it was clear that he had the heart and the talent to match. Dominique was one of the most passionate competitors that I have ever seen on the football field and a man who I would want to have on my side in a battle.

On occasion, he'd line up as a defensive end in pass-rush situations and it just wasn't fair. Opposing linemen had absolutely no chance of containing him. Case in point: Westwood's left tackle in the clip above.

Dominique Robertson was a unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection in 2009. After Cy Woods, he played college football at Tulane, where he battled Bryce and the Rice Owls in Conference USA.

Know the Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

Week 4: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-2, 0-1) vs. Langham Creek Lobos (0-3, 0-1)
6:30 PM Thursday, September 13, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

In a battle of the Wildcats, Cy Woods did not win. After tying the game at 21, Cy Woods surrendered 34 unanswered points to Tomball Memorial, who seized all control and strutted their way to a 55-21 victory in the first meeting between the two schools. Carson Danner threw for 109 yards and also ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Chase Richter led the way on defense with 16 tackles.

Cy Woods suddenly finds itself having a must-win game early in the season. Interestingly enough, so do their opponents! Let's take a look at Langham Creek.

The Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

2017 Record: 8-1, 2nd in District 17-6A
Lost 31-14 to Cy-Fair in Class 6A Division II, Region III Final

In the first District 14-6A game of 2018, the Lobos scored with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 24-17 lead on Cy Ranch. However, the Mustangs released their devil magic by scoring two touchdowns in 22 seconds to steal a 31-24 victory. Langham Creek also dropped both of their non-district games to Klein Oak (35-27) and Fort Bend Bush (23-20).

All-Time Series

Series tied 5-5.

Previous Meetings

October 5, 2017: Langham 31, Woods 24
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

Chris Herron - SR QB #8
Brendan Valentine - SR WR #5
Gerald Arline - SR WR/QB #3
Brayden Staggs - JR OL #72
D.J. Harris - SR LB #18
Chase Hanks - SR LB #20
Jordan Shields - JR LB #17
Corien Azema - SR DB #27
Ernest Thomas - JR DL #60

2¢ on Langham

The Lobos entered the season as a favorite to win District 14-6A. However, they have gotten off on the wrong foot by dropping three games that they felt they should have won. Nevertheless, they should still be in the hunt for a playoff spot.

On offense, it all starts with Chris Herron, one of the most dynamic players in Cy-Fair ISD. He's committed to Kansas State and he has absolutely terrorized the Cats over the last two seasons, especially with his legs. Herron's very first start at quarterback came against Cy Woods as a sophomore and he threw three touchdowns and added another on the ground. Last year, he ran for 130 and a touchdown. So, it's probably safe to say that he enjoys playing Cy Woods. He'll also line up as a receiver in certain situations with Gerald Arline lining up as the quarterback. Herron has had to do it all for the Lobos in the early part of the season as there's been uncertainty with regards to the offensive skill positions, especially at running back, where Rashaun Hammonds will platoon with Kash McCray, a sophomore. Herron is the leading rusher by a significant margin. Langham Creek has produced some quality offensive linemen through the years and Brayden Staggs will continue that trend.

There is significantly less uncertainty on the defensive side of the ball for Langham and they have no shortage of star power. D.J. Harris, Chase Hanks, and Corien Azema are the undisputed leaders of the Lobo defense. Azema has also seen time as a running back. Jordan Shields has emerged as another playmaker at linebacker. Ernest Thomas is in his second year as a starter on the defensive line and he'll be joined by Ralph Carter and Alex Rodriguez.

Having specialists who are multi-year lettermen is also an asset as Everett Ornstein and Kevin Marks are both back to handle kicking and punting duties for the Lobos.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Cats trailed 31-9 in the third quarter before attempting a comeback that ultimately fell short, condemning them to a 31-24 defeat. Jackson Jones ran for 100 yards and a touchdown and also threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez. Mac Bird had 16 tackles in what turned out to be his final appearance of 2017 before a serious health scare ended his season.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The freshmen will play at Cy Woods and the JV games will take place at Langham Creek. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday.

Location of Langham Creek High School

Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21: It All Went Horribly Wrong

2018 Record: 1-2, 0-1 in District 14-6A

Photo: Tom Dendy

Darion Morgan powers his way into the end zone.

Well, that degenerated rather quickly.

In their first district game outside of the Cy-Fair ISD stadiums, the Cypress Woods Wildcats saw the wheels fall out from under them in a catastrophic third quarter as the Tomball Memorial Wildcats finished this game on a 34-0 run after Darion Morgan's touchdown run tied the game at 21 midway through the second quarter. As a result, the other Wildcats cruised to a 55-21 victory in the District 14-6A opener for both squads.

As this game progressed, there was this feeling of inevitability that steadily crept in. Cy Woods was able to keep up with Tomball Memorial for much of the first half on offense, but the defense got ravaged in the process. Once the offense stopped scoring, the floodgates opened and Tomball Memorial absolutely devoured Woods. Leaving what could have been 14 points on the table in the first half didn't exactly help, either!

I'm always Mr. Optimism when it comes to Cy Woods football... but this was a poor showing from this team. As horrid as it was in Tomball... it is only the first district game. By no means am I trying to justify anything. It was simply an awful game and every team is bound to have one of those nights. Nothing more, nothing less. 0-1 isn't the end of the world but it makes next week's game with Langham Creek even more crucial. If this team truly has legitimate playoff ambitions, they'd better top Langham. Every game is a must-win in district play... but some games have more significant ramifications than others and this upcoming game certainly has more significant ramifications for Cy Woods than some of the other games they'll be playing.

And finally... Scott Wiesmann got the last laugh. Scott's a longtime friend, so I'm legitimately happy for him. Obviously, I am not thrilled about the result, but I'm happy for him and Caroline. And only for them. Now that this game is over with, I can resume with wishing Scott and his team good luck for the rest of their season.

The Game, Described In an Image I Found on the Internet

What Happened

When the points stopped coming, bad things started to happen. It really was only a matter of time because aside from a couple of instances, Cy Woods did not show that they could stop, much less slow down, Tomball Memorial's offense.

After Carson Danner overthrew a wide-open Connor Faulk on second down, Cy Woods went three-and-out. Danner had his punt downed at the one-yard line, but it didn't matter because Tomball Memorial opened the scoring on their first offensive play as Chandler Galban chucked it downfield to Logan Kyle, who ran 99 yards untouched. Later in the first, Galban found Jordan Grice for a 24-yard score. On Cy Woods' ensuing drive, Carson Danner outran everyone to the end zone from 61 yards out.

End of 1st Quarter: Tomball Memorial 14, Cy Woods 7

Christian Lovick opened the second quarter with a 58-yard touchdown run. Danner scored again from four yards and Darion Morgan tied the game with a six-yard touchdown run with a nice second effort. Gustavo Olmedo's extra point tied the game at 21. Unfortunately, that was Cy Woods' last scoring play of the evening as it was all TMHS afterwards.

Lovick struck again from 46 yards and shortly before halftime, Colbie Habermacher survived first contact (which occurred behind the line of scrimmage) and found a way to get into the end zone from three yards out.

Halftime: Tomball Memorial 35, Cy Woods 21

The collapse was complete in the third quarter as TMHS outscored Cy Woods 20-0. The defense aggravated Habermacher in the first half and he decided that he had enough. He opened the scoring in the second half with a 19-yard run and added a 28-yard run later in the frame. In between, Galban connected with Grice again for a 33-yard touchdown pass. There was no scoring in the fourth quarter.

Final: Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21

Ground

Carson Danner busted loose for a 61-yard scoring run in the first quarter and added another touchdown on a four-yard run in the second period. However, outside of those two scoring runs, Danner was held to 22 yards on his eight other rushing attempts. Darion Morgan also found the end zone for the second time this year. It looked as if they went away from the outside runs that worked extremely well against Spring. Christian Scott touched the ball twice on offense. Jake Tesch got three touches. Why did the A-backs get shut out of the offense in this game?

Jackson Jones is trying to get himself going again following an injury and he had a couple of really nice runs on busted plays.

Well, they gained 256 yards on the ground and got seven yards per carry, but the offense completely fell off the breakneck pace that Tomball Memorial was setting.

Stats from MaxPreps.

Carson Danner: 10 rush, 87 yards, 2 TD
Jackson Jones: 8 rush, 80 yards
Darion Morgan: 7 rush, 23 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 4 rush, 11 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 20 yards
Jake Tesch: 2 rush, 5 yards
Tre Mejia: 1 rush, 21 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, 9 yards

Air

Cy Woods tried to incorporate some more pass plays into the offense to no avail. Not the best showing from Danner as he threw a couple of balls behind receivers and couldn't complete the throws he had to make. His receivers were positioned to make plays... he just couldn't get the ball to them. On the second play of the game, Connor Faulk emerged from a collision with literally NO ONE within fifteen yards of him and Danner overthrew him by about four yards.

Jake Tesch had a really nice gain after making a one-handed catch on a slightly overthrown ball, and that was probably the only way that he was going to come up with that ball.

Carson Danner: 3-11, 109 yards
Jackson Jones: 0-2

Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 43 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 34 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 32 yards

Defense

So Tomball Memorial recorded 616 yards of offense and scored 55 points. I don't think anything else needs to be said but I will continue anyway.

In what appears to be a running theme for the last four years, Cy Woods' defense couldn't get the opposing offense off the field on third down. I think TMHS failed to convert three, maybe four, third downs all night?

Seeing this team give up first downs in third-down situations time and time again is just tiring. What bothers me most is that it doesn't even matter whether it's 3rd and 1 or 3rd and 21, the other team somehow ends up with a first down.

Jakob Jones strip-sacked Chandler Galban and came up with the loose ball at Tomball Memorial's 11-yard line. UNFORTUNATELY... Cy Woods came away with zero points on their ensuing offensive possession. That's just aggravating. Really felt like they were playing for eight downs and then the points instead of just going for the points.

Cy Woods managed to get some pressure on Chandler Galban, so they did much better with regards to quarterback pressure compared to what they did during non-district play. It wasn't consistent, but they had a few of those moments, which was nice to see, and the results showed as Galban got a bit careless with the ball as the game went on. Mac Bird got a sack that forced a turnover on downs and Jones had the strip-sack and fumble recovery.

Sixteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle; leading the way was Chase Richter, who had 16. Mac Bird had 14, ten of which were solo. Jakob Jones and Jackson Hosemann both finished with seven, and Reagan Simmons and Colton Morris had six each.

Oh, did I mention that they gave up 616 yards and 55 points?

Special Teams

Jackson Hosemann tried to flop to draw a flag after he fair caught a kickoff. It wasn't a very convincing effort, but at least he tried. He probably should've been slightly more dramatic about it and he was also probably lucky that he didn't get penalized for his, um... theatrics. Jake Tesch had a 30-yard kickoff return that resulted in Tomball Memorial reverting to pooch kicking for the rest of the evening.

Gustavo Olmedo hit all three of his extra points. He needs to get a few touchbacks on kickoffs, though.

Danner boomed a couple of punts, one of which was downed at the one-yard line.

Carson Danner: 3 punts, 143 yards (47.7 yards per punt), long of 60; one punt inside 20
Cole Gerletti: 1 punt, 9 yards

Gustavo Olmedo: 3-3 XP

Jake Tesch: 3 kicks returned, 65 yards
Chase Richter: 2 kicks returned, 25 yards
Christian Scott: 1 kick returned, 16 yards

Man of the Match

Pass.

Alright, fine. I guess it would have to be Chase Richter, who put up 16 tackles. Carson Danner also scored two of the three Cy Woods touchdowns, so he's basically here by default.

Ugh, let's just move on.

Looking Ahead

The Cats will kick off Week 4 in District 14-6A against the Langham Creek Lobos on Thursday, September 20, at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30; Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #9: Justin Washington

One of the most dominating defensive linemen in Cy Woods history.

#9: Justin Washington, DL, 2008

Unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection, 2008

Justin Washington formed probably the best defensive line in Cy Woods history in year one with Josh Theut, Anthony Villamagna, and Glenn Etienne. All four of them received opportunities to play college football, but Justin had the most successful football career after Cy Woods. He went on to play at the University of Arizona, where he earned Freshman All-American honors in 2010 after recording six sacks and also blocking a kick.

The last time I saw him, I know that he was working in Cy-Fair ISD. I'm not sure in what capacity, however.

Know the Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats

Week 3: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-1) @ Tomball Memorial Wildcats (2-0)
7:00 PM Friday, September 14, 2018
Tomball ISD Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats took down Spring 49-41 to wrap-up the non-district portion of their schedule. Carson Danner ran for 122 yards and four touchdowns and threw for another, while Darion Morgan and Christian Scott both gained over 100 yards on the ground as well.

Now, the real season begins and Cy Woods will open District 14-6A play with their first district game against a school from outside the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. It is also their first true road game in district play. That means that they will be entering a legitimately hostile environment. This tenth anniversary season has featured quite a few firsts (and still plenty more to go) for Cy Woods football.

The Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats

School district: Tomball ISD
2017: 5-4, 3-4 (6th) in District 20-5A
Did not qualify for playoffs
First season in Class 6A

This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Tomball Memorial. This will also be the first time that 2010 Cy Woods graduate Scott Wiesmann will take on his alma mater. Scott is the offensive line coach for Tomball Memorial.

Tomball Memorial emerged from their non-district games undefeated. They topped Tomball 41-18 in their first game and escaped with a 57-56 victory over Klein thanks to a field goal with 25 seconds left in that game. TMHS had over 600 yards of offense in both of these games but they had some issues trying to stop Klein running back D'Anthony Simms, who ran for 273 yards and five touchdowns against them.

Players to Watch

Chandler Galban - JR QB #7
Jordan Gidrey - SR WR #2
Chris Lovick - SR ATH #3
Logan Kyle - JR WR #21
Jordan Grice - SR WR #11
Colbie Habermacher - SR RB #5
Trenton Moore - JR LB #9
Tre Jordan - SOPH DB #1
Braedon Nutter - JR DL #52
Matt Yearwood - SR DL #90

2¢ on Tomball Memorial

For the first time in school history, Tomball ISD's newest high school is playing in Texas' highest classification for high school athletics. I'm sure they are excited to leave a district that featured Huntsville, the Magnolia schools, and Tomball High School behind.

TMHS boasts a talented, experienced group of skill players and the offensive battery has been bolstered significantly by a couple of transfers. The spread attack will be led by Chandler Galban, a transfer from Burnet. He played well at the 4A level as a sophomore and in his first season at 6A, he's at the helm of what's been one of the state's most impressive offensive. Small sample size caveat applies, but this looks like an offense that will remind long-time Cy Woods fans of the early Cy Woods squads.

At 6-4, Logan Kyle is a huge target with a huge wingspan who will create matchup problems out wide. Chris Lovick is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. Colbie Habermacher has stepped into the starting running back spot and has made an immediate impact; he and his brother, Clay, a sophomore safety, both transferred in from Klein Oak. Lovick and Habermacher are both averaging over seven yards per carry.

The defense is young, but there's some intriguing young talent, especially in the secondary. Nutter, Yearwood, and Elijah Champaigne are a load in the trenches. Trenton Moore will lead the TMHS linebacking corps. Preston Downey will serve as the senior leader of a secondary that features five sophomores; the two names to know from that group are Tre Jordan and D.J. Streat.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The freshmen will travel to Tomball Memorial and the JV plays at Cy Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Thursday.

Location of Tomball Memorial High School




Location of Tomball ISD Stadium

On the campus of Tomball High School. The box office is cash only.

Cy Woods 49, Spring 41: Pounding Away

2018 Record: 1-1

Photo by Tom Dendy

The Cypress Woods Wildcats tasted victory for the first time in the 2018 season as they topped the Spring Lions 49-41 in a thrilling affair at Leonard George Stadium in Spring.

When the triple option works, it's a thing of beauty. Three Wildcats finished with over 100 yards rushing and as a team, they finished with 409 on the night. Asides from letting the Lions score 13 free points, the defense held steady and played some inspired football in the last 24 minutes.

1-1 heading into district play feels a whole lot better than 0-2. Nice rebound victory for the Cats after Cy Ridge handed it to them to start the new season. This opening stretch doesn't get any easier with Tomball Memorial and Langham Creek waiting in the wings, however. Taking both of those games would be a dream start for the Cats, but a split would still put them in a good position for the rest of the season.

What Happened

Dannermania ran wild on the Spring Lions.

Both teams scored in the opening period. Dallas Reid opened the scoring in the Lions' favor when he returned a fumble 82 yards for a touchdown. Three minutes later, Darion Morgan put Cy Woods on the board by scoring on a 23-yard run.

End of 1st Quarter: Cy Woods 7, Spring 7

Trayse Holmes put the Cats in front with a 13-yard scoring run and Carson Danner scored the first of his four rushing touchdowns on the evening with a one-yard run. Spring tied the game at halftime thanks to a pair of touchdown runs from Clifton McDowell; they successfully converted a two-point conversion following McDowell's second touchdown run.

Halftime: Cy Woods 21, Spring 21

Um... on the first play of the second half, the Wildcats decided not to cover Bailee Davenport and he caught a pass from McDowell and scored from 75 yards out. Fortunately, the Cats went on a drive that culminated in Carson Danner finding a wide-open Jake Tesch for a 31-yard touchdown. Danner scored again on the ground from six yards, but Gustavo Olmedo missed the extra point, his second of the game. Before the end of the third quarter, McDowell hit Davenport for another touchdown, this time from 12 yards.

End of 3rd Quarter: Spring 35, Cy Woods 34

Danner scored on two more runs in the final period. On third and extremely long, the Wildcats forgot how to tackle and that allowed McDowell to score on a 50-yard run. Fortunately, that was the only damage that the Lions inflicted in the final quarter.

Final: Cy Woods 49, Spring 41

Ground

Carson Danner tied a school single-game record with four rushing touchdowns. Darion Morgan and Christian Scott both turned in 100-yard games on the ground. All three broke the 100-yard mark on the ground for the first time in their careers.

I did enjoy watching Carson at the sub-varsity level. Obviously, he's no Michael Vick, but he's tough to bring down once he gets himself going. It just comes from out of nowhere... you think he'd be good for 4-5 yards and then he shifts into gear and gets eight/nine yards just like that. I think he would have made a fine B-back in this offense.

Speaking of B-backs, Darion Morgan had the game this offense needed from him. He chewed up yardage all evening and even busted loose for a couple of 20-yard runs. As long as he gets at least five yards every time he runs, the offense will be fine. Congratulations to Trayse Holmes for scoring his first touchdown at the varsity level. Hopefully there will be more touchdowns in his future.

Christian Scott and Jake Tesch will cause some serious headaches on the edges. Christian got a taste of the varsity game as a sophomore and now he will be expected to handle more responsibilities on offense. He'll essentially assume the same role as Jake.

Stats from MaxPreps

Carson Danner: 18 rush, 122 yards, 4 TD; tied Cy Woods single-game record for rushing touchdowns
Darion Morgan: 13 rush, 110 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 12 rush, 49 yards
Christian Scott: 10 rush, 100 yards
Trayse Holmes: 7 rush, 28 yards, TD

Air

Carson Danner did most of his damage with his legs but he also found a wide-open Jake Tesch streaking down the middle for a touchdown. They nearly connected for another touchdown but that throw was just out of Jake's reach.

Carson Danner: 3-7, 66 yards, TD

Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 31 yards, TD
Jackson Turnbow: 1 catch, 26 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 catch, 9 yards

Defense

Colton Morris got a pick in the third quarter and the Wildcats turned it into a touchdown. They could have held Spring to less than 30 points had they not given 13 points away so carelessly.

Tackles in this game were not tracked.

Special Teams

Gustavo Olmedo missed a couple of extra points in this one, which was just about the only thing that went wrong on offense or special teams for the Cats. Cole Gerletti punted once for 26 yards.

Jake Tesch: 2 kicks returned, 47 yards; 1 punt returned, 7 yards
Pearson Chesnutt: 1 kick returned, 22 yards

Man of the Match

Carson Danner.

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will open District 14-6A play against the Tomball Memorial Wildcats on Friday, September 14, at 7:00 PM in Tomball.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #10: Samuel Stewart

It's time to officially begin the countdown of the ten best players from the first ten years of Cy Woods football.

#10: Samuel Stewart, RB, 2011-13

College: Rice

Notable games

2010 vs. Katy Taylor - first freshman to appear in a varsity football game for Cy Woods

2011 vs. Cy Lakes - 8 rush, 43 yards, TD; 3 catches, 141 yards, 2 TD

2011 vs. Cy Creek - 13 rush, 178 yards, TD

2011 vs. Eisenhower - 11 rush, 93 yards, TD; 4 catches, 66 yards, TD

2013 vs. Cy Lakes: 23 rush, 247 yards, 2 TD; at the time, he set a school single-game record for rushing yards.

When I first saw Sam, he didn't look like a typical freshman. In contrast to the gawky assemblages of limbs, he was already well-built. Sam looked like someone who could become a cornerstone player for the program and he did just that. As a sophomore, Sam led the team in rushing yards; to this day, he is still the only sophomore to lead Cy Woods in rushing yards in a single season. And just like any other running back at Cy Woods, Sam turned himself into a weapon. He lined up as a slot receiver during his sophomore year and showed that he could have been a fine wideout. 

Sam finished his Cy Woods career with 1,784 rushing yards, which puts him in fourth place all-time. With 21 rushing touchdowns, he's tied with Fredrick Anderson for third place in that statistic. Sam also held the Cy Woods single-game record for most rushing yards in a game with 247 against Cy Lakes in 2013, a record that has since been broken. He also caught 12 touchdown passes, which puts him in a tie for second with Jeff Bogan in Cy Woods history. He could have owned those records had he not battled injuries during his junior year.

After concluding his outstanding career at Cy Woods, Sam played for the Rice Owls. Unfortunately, a neck injury he suffered in 2017 ended his career.

Know the Enemy: Spring Lions

Week 2: Cypress Woods Wildcats (0-1) @ Spring Lions (1-0)
7:00 PM Friday, September 7, 2018
Leonard George Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

Season openers remain unkind to the Wildcats as they allowed 19 points in 38 seconds to Cy Ridge just before halftime and that horrid stretch ended up condemning them to a 47-21 loss, their fifth consecutive defeat to open a season. The Cats had no answers for Noah Smith, who threw four touchdowns and ran for two more. 

Chase Richter recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass. Jackson Jones ran for a touchdown but he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Rounding out the non-district portion of the schedule for Cy Woods is a team that fancies themselves as a threat to Westfield in District 16-6A. This could potentially be a playoff matchup, but first things first, let's talk about this regular-season, non-district contest.

The Enemy: Spring Lions

District 16-6A

2017: 8-2, 6-1 (2nd) in District 16-6A

Lost 10-7 to Klein in Class 6A, Division I bi-district round

It is possible that Spring could play in the Division I bracket in the playoffs, depending on which Aldine school makes the playoffs.

Spring dominated Elsik 47-6 down in Alief to open their 2018 campaign. Lions quarterback Clifton McDowell ran for 147 yards and four touchdowns as the Lions made short work of the Rams. 

This will be the first meeting between Cy Woods and Spring.

Players to Watch

Clifton McDowell - SR QB
Clyde Lacy - SOPH RB
Azavier Roane - SR RB
Marques Pearson - SR WR
Marcus Senne - SR TE
Dylan Roy - SR OL
Treyvon Mays - SR DB
Xavier Pittman - JR DL

2¢ on Spring

The Lions, after a period of dormancy, have re-emerged as one of the top Region II teams out of Houston along with their hated rivals, Westfield.

Spring's offense is keyed by their quarterback, Clifton McDowell, one of the most dynamic players on the North side. McDowell, a Louisiana commit, threw just one interception last season. Azavier Roane will split time with emerging sophomore Clyde Lacy at running back. Senne can use his 6'5" frame to overmatch his defenders and also functions as an extra lineman in the running game. Considering how the Cats defense had their hands full with Noah Smith, they're going to have to really lock in against McDowell.

Mays and Pittman will be counted on to lead the defense, which Dave Campbell's Texas Football describes as young.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The freshmen will travel to Spring while the JV will play at home. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30.

Location of Leonard George Stadium

Leonard George Stadium is on the campus of Spring High School. Per the Spring ISD website, visitor parking is located on the northeast side of the stadium. It may be a good idea to have cash on hand in case the box office does not accept credit cards.

Cy Ridge 47, Cy Woods 21: Unraveled

2018 Record: 0-1

Photo by Tom Dendy

Well, the second decade of Cy Woods football began with a less-than-desirable result as the Cypress Ridge Rams scored 19 points in the span of 38 seconds before halftime to seize control as they cruised to a 47-21 victory on Opening Night for the Wildcats.

Cy Woods has not won a season opener since 2013 when they shut Klein Collins out 21-0. Since then, they've lost the first game in five consecutive seasons, losing by an average of 28.2 points. The 2017 season opener was the "closest" game they played, relatively speaking... and they lost that one by 18 points.

Don't get me wrong, I want to see this team win every time they step onto the football field. I hate to sound flippant, but to me, non-district games are the final phase of the preseason, even if they happen to count in the win-loss column. It would've been nice to win this game, and it'd be nice to see them beat Spring, but the real season starts September 14 in Tomball. Hopefully, they'll be able to work out whatever kinks they have between now and then.

When I spoke with Mr. Bird after the game, he raised the theory that they could be playing this portion of the schedule close to the vest and I'm inclined to agree; it wouldn't make any sense for the Cats would show everything they plan on doing this upcoming season in a non-district game that also happens to be the first game of the season...

Forcing five turnovers on defense was rather encouraging. Reagan Simmons and Tevis Adams recovered fumbles; Tevis's recovery occurred in the end zone so they got a touchdown out of it. Chase Richter recovered a fumble and also picked Smith off in the first quarter.

The busted coverages were not encouraging; Noah Smith connected with John Moten for a couple of touchdowns after Moten had gotten behind the secondary. They really couldn't stop Smith, who was involved in every Ridge offensive touchdown; he threw four touchdown passes, ran for two more, and accounted for 338 yards of offense.

What Happened

The Noah Smith Show.

He connected with Roderick Jelks for a 17-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring.

End of 1st quarter: Ridge 7, Woods 0

After Richter's interception, Jackson Jones capped off a 97-yard drive with the first Cy Woods points of the season, scoring on a one-yard run. Unfortunately, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion for the Cats right before halftime. Smith scrambled out of the pocket and found a wide-open John Moten for a 59-yard touchdown. The Cats muffed the ensuing kickoff and one play later, Smith put another touchdown on the board with a 22-yard run. This horror-show stretch was capped off when D.D. Redmond intercepted a Jackson pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown with seven seconds left in the first half.

Halftime: Ridge 26, Woods 7

Whoever was trying to cover Tyler Cockle slipped and fell, and Smith took advantage and found him for a 48-yard touchdown.

End of 3rd quarter: Ridge 33, Woods 7

Jake Tesch found the end zone on a six-yard run, but once again, Moten slipped behind everyone and Smith found him again, this time from 33 yards. The Rams threw the ball away on a pitch and Tevis Adams pounced on it for a score. Smith capped off the evening with a 39-yard touchdown run.

Final: Ridge 47, Woods 21

Ground

The Cats barely averaged over three yards per attempt. B-back production should be a focal point; they're going to need Darion Morgan and Trayse Holmes to average more than four yards a carry. Christian Scott took an end-around for 21 yards to put the Wildcats in the red zone on the 97-yard touchdown drive.

Trayse had a couple of nice, tough runs. They're gonna need a running back to step up because Jackson (or any quarterback, for that matter) really shouldn't be leading the team in rushing attempts on a consistent basis.

Stats from the Chronicle.

Jake Tesch: 5 rush, 14 yards, TD
Jackson Jones: 13 rush, 4 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 11 rush, 43 yards
Darion Morgan: 6 rush, 24 yards
Tre Mejia: 3 rush, 16 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 17 yards
Carson Danner: 2 rush, 10 yards

Air

Redmond literally came out of nowhere for his pick six. Jackson probably saw Trayse wide open and his eyes lit up... only to see Redmond run the other way for a touchdown.

Nice to see them throw a little more, though.

Jackson Jones: 5-8, 88 yards, INT

Cameron Sowell is the early clubhouse leader for catch of the year... he made a one-handed snag while being held and that was one of the key plays on the 97-yard drive.

Connor Faulk: 2 catches, 31 yards
Cam Sowell: 1 catch, 37 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 15 yards
Christian Scott: 1 catch, 6 yards

Defense

The good news: They forced five turnovers and scored 21 points off those turnovers.

The bad news: The Rams scored 47, but seven of them can be pinned on the special teams (muffed kickoff) and seven more came on the pick six. They also let Noah Smith run roughshod on them.

Unfortunately, the Chronicle doesn't track tackles. Fortunately, MaxPreps sort of does! 19 Cats recorded at least one tackle with Chase Richter leading the way with seven. Jackson Turnbow and Mac Bird recorded six apiece.

Turnovers

Interceptions: Chase Richter
Fumbles recovered: Tevis Adams (returned for TD), Reagan Simmons, Chase Richter

Special Teams

Gustavo Olmedo hit all three of his extra-point attempts. Jake Tesch could become a factor in the return game; he had a couple of nice returns on kickoffs.

Cole Gerletti: 3 punts, 113 yards (37.7 average); long of 46, one punt inside 20

Jake Tesch: 5 kicks returned, 124 yards, long of 34
Christian Scott: 1 kick returned, 12 yards

Man of the Match

I'll go with Chase Richter for leading the team with seven tackles and forcing two turnovers.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will travel to Leonard George Stadium in Spring to take on the Spring Lions at 7:00 on Friday, September 7.