Round Rock 56, Cy Woods 49: The End

Final 2018 Record: 7-4, 6-2 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

Link to photos for this game

The buzz surrounding the Cy Woods community as they prepared for their first playoff appearance since 2014 was palpable.

Unfortunately, this year's playoff run lasted one game as the Round Rock Dragons escaped the Berry Center with a 56-49 victory. In a game replete with twists and wild momentum shifts, the Wildcats would ultimately fall short.

A few too many mistakes and the Dragons had a few more plays go their way. As Mrs. McGown always used to say, "it is what it is." The Cats showed great poise coming back from multiple two-score deficits throughout the course of this game and fought valiantly, but in the end, they couldn't get the stops they needed as Dragon quarterback Ryan O'Keefe gashed them all afternoon. There might have been a few jitters coming from playing in a game of this magnitude for the first time in a while.

There's no worse feeling than having someone come into your house, onto your field, and coming away with the victory. Your home field was desecrated by the enemy. That should absolutely feel like a hard slap to your collective faces. Remember this game when you host Spring and Tomball Memorial at whichever Cy-Fair ISD stadium they're slated to visit in 2019. Remember this game when whichever District 13-6A team comes to Cypress for the bi-district game. Know that you must always protect your house.

This still feels like an extremely fresh wound, so I don't think that I can talk about this game in detail. The only thing that anyone needs to know about this game is that Cy Woods lost and their season is over.

Even now, almost ten years later, the mood for me is always somber when another Cy Woods football season comes to a close. Fortunately, I can take solace in the fact that once spring begins, everyone starts from square one. I've also realized that it's better for me to say less, as I know that nothing I say to these seniors will be able to take away the pain of realizing that a chapter of their lives has officially come to a close. I only hope that what I say can mollify this pain.

To the Class of 2019... the amount of work that you put in to restore the culture of this program cannot be understated. You saw firsthand how bad things could get when you were sophomores. As seniors, you led Cy Woods football back to the playoffs and this is how you will be remembered.

Class of 2020... this is your team now. This year, the seniors essentially reset the bar after it completely fell off. What will you do to raise it?

Bowing out of the playoffs in the first round is a feeling that is completely foreign to Cy Woods football. But, every team that has ever made the playoffs in this state has experienced such bitterness at least once in their history. This pain isn't unique. Don't wallow over this, use it as motivation.

Sophomores and freshmen... you've felt the thrill of a playoff run. You've seen your senior brothers put in a tremendous amount of work over these last three years just to get Cy Woods back to this stage. How will you help your brothers in the class of 2020 maintain this momentum and when it is your turn to inherit this team, what will you do to ensure that Cy Woods remains a playoff fixture for years to come?

Statistics

From Varsity Wires.

If there is any solace that Carson Danner can take from this game, it is the fact that he has set a new Cy Woods single-season record for rushing yards with 1,141. The previous record was 1,118, which was set by R.J. Harmon in 2014.

Looking Ahead

It's the offseason. Fortunately, it will be slightly shorter than the last three. I'll be updating the stats and whatnot and maybe I'll be out at other Cy Woods sporting events throughout the winter and spring.

With kids like Chase Richter, Tylan Foster, Cam Sowell, Jackson Jones, Jason Christenson, Buster Cohrs, and Christian Scott all returning, there should be plenty of buzz surrounding the Cypress Woods Wildcats in 2019. But like I said... what will they do to raise the bar that has now been reset?

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #1: Colton Huntsman

Closing out the countdown with a man who pretty much owns the Wildcats' record book on offense.

#1: Colton Huntsman, QB, 2008-10

College: Air Force

Photo by Don Carson

Records Held and Accomplishments at Cy Woods

Two-time 1st-team All-District (15-5A, 2009; 17-5A, 2010)
Two-time team captain
Most passing yards in a season - 2,874, 2009
Most career passing yards - 5,651
Most career passing touchdowns - 51
Most career rushing yards - 2,285
Most career rushing touchdowns - 42

Notable Games

2008 vs. Cy Springs - 14 rush, 127 yards, 3 TD; first varsity game
2009 vs. Klein Oak - 16-23, 442 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT; 16 rush, 71 yards, 4 TD
2010 vs. Cy Creek - 7-11, 287 yards, 2 TD; 17 rush, 104 yards, 2 TD
2010 vs. Cy Ridge - 18-30, 284 yards, 5 TD; 15 rush, 68 yards, TD
2010 vs. Clear Creek - 15-24, 199 yards, INT; 22 rush, 191 yards, 2 TD

Ah, I remember Colton Huntsman's first game at the varsity level. He was moved up when Lucas Devilliers went down with an injury and his very first start came on Homecoming. Colton didn't do much with regards to passing that night; it was his running ability that got him the attention. He was basically the change-of-pace quarterback as a sophomore and he provided Wildcat fans with a preview of what was to come. I saw him during JV games and it looked like he was simply on a different plane talent-wise from everyone else.

Colton Huntsman was someone who not only was the best player on the field, he elevated the level of play from his teammates week in and week out. No situation was too daunting for him. He wasn't the fastest, but the way he made his cuts upfield were absolutely effortless. It was as if he was gliding across the field. He also had an amusing tendency to get caught from behind once he reached the end zone. He made his fair share of mistakes on the field, but they'd almost always get negated because he would respond with multiple huge plays in succession. Whether it's breaking off a 30-yard run or connecting with Isaiah Battle or Johnathan Cross through the air, watching Colton Huntsman play football was poetry in motion.

I've seen hundreds of players pass through this program and without a doubt, the two best players to ever come through are Bryce Callahan and Colton Huntsman. If Cypress Woods High School had a Johnny Manziel-like figure, it would be Colton, without a doubt.

After Cy Woods, Colton played at the Air Force Academy and after a lengthy training process, is now licensed to fly the F-22 Raptor. 

Know the Enemy: Round Rock Dragons

6A Division I, Region II Bi-District: Cypress Woods Wildcats (7-3) vs. Round Rock Dragons (6-4)
3:00 PM Saturday, November 17, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats concluded the regular season with a 20-19 victory over Bryan. Carson Danner threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tesch and also ran for 154 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Mac Bird led the way with eight tackles and Caleb Rutherford forced a fumble and recovered another.

And now, for the first time since 2014, the Cypress Woods Wildcats will participate in the Texas High School Football playoffs. It's been entirely too long since the last time this team and this community had an opportunity to take part in these festivities.

The Road to Arlington begins now!

6A Division I, Region II

Allen vs. Rowlett
Rockwall vs. Belton
Cedar Ridge vs. Langham Creek
The Woodlands vs. Aldine Davis
Sachse vs. Plano East
Hewitt Midway vs. Mesquite
Cy Woods vs. Round Rock
Klein Oak vs. Spring

The Enemy: Round Rock Dragons

2018 record: 6-4, 5-3 (4th) in District 13-6A

This will be the first meeting between the Wildcats and the Dragons. Round Rock will be the 33rd different opponent that Cy Woods has played.

Round Rock season-to-date

W 36-7 @ Harker Heights
L 45-24 vs. Belton
W 67-41 vs. McNeil
W 51-42 @ Westwood
L 27-24 vs. Vandegrift
W 49-30 @ Leander
W 43-7 vs. Stony Point
L 70-56 @ Cedar Ridge
L 56-35 vs. Hendrickson
W 73-21 @ Vista Ridge

Players to Watch

Ryan O'Keefe - SR QB #4
Seth Ford - SOPH QB #10
Marquis Brown - SR RB #36
Colin Sullivan - JR WR #9
Garrett Miller - SR ATH #33
Ashton Millers - SR LB #19
Isaiah Hernandez - SR DL #96
Julian Jones - SR DL #48
Haydan Frisbie - SR DB #26
Jordan Smart - JR DB #14

2¢ on Round Rock

While the Wildcats had to fight their way to a victory against Bryan, the Dragons set a school record for points scored in their season finale against Vista Ridge. Yes, they did it against a 1-9 team, but they have demonstrated that they are extremely capable of scoring points in a hurry. They have also demonstrated that they are extremely capable of giving up points in a hurry; only Vista Ridge and Leander, the bottom two teams in District 13-6A, allowed more points than the Dragons did during the regular season.

Sounds a lot like... Cy Woods. Only the bottom three teams in District 14-6A allowed more points than the Wildcats. The Wildcats know how to score points in rapid-fire fashion and they've also had moments where they've given up points in rapid-fire fashion. Which defense will show up?

The Dragons have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in their backfield with Ryan O'Keefe, who is averaging over ten yards per run, and Marquis Brown. Oh, and they've both scored 20 touchdowns apiece. O'Keefe is a solid passer, but when the Dragons really want to throw, they'll turn to Seth Ford, a sophomore who has completed nearly 69% of his passes. Ford is also averaging nearly 20 yards per attempt. Colin Sullivan leads the Dragons in receiving and has started since his freshman year. 

The big name on the roster is Garrett Miller, a Purdue commit who plays both ways. Standing at 6-6, 230, Miller has the blend of size and speed to cause nightmares for opposing defenses. He also has a couple of sacks on defense as well, so he's definitely going to be on the field as much as possible. 

The Round Rock defense has a blend of experience and youth across the board, but it's predominantly a young defense. Ashton Millers and Matt Bentley lead a solid group of linebackers, Haydan Frisbie is the senior leader of a young secondary, and Isaiah Hernandez is an imposing presence in the trenches; he leads the Dragons in sacks. Neil McCarty, Kyler Kirkpatrick, and Carson Otworth are three of the youngsters who have emerged as playmakers for the Dragon defense.

Location of Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

By now, I hope that you all know where it is located.

Cy Woods 20, Bryan 19: Nothing Easy

2018 Record: 7-3, 6-2 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

Photos for this week's games

In their final tune-up before the playoffs, the Cypress Woods Wildcats suddenly found themselves in a fight in the second half. Fortunately, they emerged with a 20-19 victory over the Bryan Vikings in the first meeting between the two teams. The result of this game meant that Cy Woods clinched the #1 seed for District 14-6A in the Class 6A Division 1 bracket of the Texas high school football playoffs.

The Viking defense was as good as advertised; they kept the Cats in check for much of the second half and they held out long enough for their offense to suddenly awaken in the third quarter. Woods saw a 13-0 halftime lead vanish and that spawned some tension in the stands. The Vikings weren't necessarily putting together five-minute drives, either; instead, they took advantage of some good field position that set up their touchdowns. In fact, Bryan converted both of the turnovers they forced into touchdowns.

In a game as tight as this, one miscue can definitely decide the game. I think it's definitely reasonable to say that the Cats had luck on their side on Thursday because had the Vikes executed on a couple of plays where they had Woods dead to rights, they could have won this game. Maybe they were looking ahead to next week.

Well, they made just enough plays to survive this game, so now they can start thinking about the playoffs.

Connor Faulk, Jake Tesch, Brock Gunderson, and Ethan Agnew were all sophomores in 2016 and they are the last holdovers from a Cy Woods team that crashed to the bottom with a program-worst 2-8 record. For them, the thought of finally getting the opportunity to participate in the playoffs in their senior seasons has to be tremendously satisfying.

A couple of notes from this game...

- This was the first time that Cy Woods has ever won a game in which they scored 20 points or fewer; previously, they were 0-20 in such games.

- Coach Faith is now tied with Coach Jones with 38 wins.

Game Summed Up in an Image I Found on the Internet

What Happened

The Wildcats got a victory to get some momentum heading into the playoffs, but the Vikings had a chance to radically alter their route.

Cy Woods dodged a huge bullet on the game's first drive when Jonathan Sparkman left Reagan Simmons in the dust on a go route on a third down... only to drop the pass from Nico Bulhof. Sparkman would have scored easily had he made the catch. The Cats and Vikings traded punts to start things off; Bulhof had a nice kick that was fair caught by Jake Tesch at the 7. That ended up being irrelevant as the Cats covered 93 yards in just four plays, capped off by Tesch's 39-yard touchdown catch that opened the scoring.

End of 1st Quarter: Cy Woods 7, Bryan 0

Gustavo Olmedo hit a couple of 38-yard field goals that accounted for the only scoring in the second quarter.

Halftime: Cy Woods 13, Bryan 0

Woods failed to convert a fourth down in their own territory on the first drive of the second half, so that set Bryan up with great field position. However, the defense managed to quash the threat when Buster Cohrs recovered a fumble in the red zone. The Cats couldn't capitalize, however, and a nice punt return put the Vikes in Cy Woods territory again. Ja'lijah Tyler busted loose for 39 yards to put them in business, and one play later, he put Bryan on the board with a seven-yard touchdown run in which he had to navigate through a slew of bodies strewn all over the field.

Carson Danner then threw an interception that set up the Vikings' next scoring drive. On 3rd and 17, Bulhof chucked up a prayer that was received by Matt Moreno, giving them first and goal. Two plays later, Tyler punched it in and Bulhof, who missed the extra point on the Vikings' first touchdown, hit on his second chance to tie the game at 13, setting the stage for a nerve-wracking final 12 minutes.

End of 3rd Quarter: Cy Woods 13, Bryan 13

On third down, Danner kept the Cats' first drive of the fourth quarter alive by busting loose for 22 yards. Two plays later, he put Cy Woods back in front with a nine-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing Bryan drive, Tyler got loose again with a 37-yard run to put them at the Cy Woods 30. However, Nolan Authorlee got an interception to end that Bryan threat.

Unfortunately, one play later, Darion Morgan was stripped and the Vikings recovered the fumble at the Cy Woods' six-yard line. Bulhof backed into the end zone from three yards out and they decided to go for two and the lead. The Cats were ready for the trickery as Reagan Simmons picked off Matt Moreno, who was looking to throw after getting the ball on a reverse. Simmons returned the ball for two points, but a block in the back wiped the points off the board. Bryan got another big punt return, but Jakob Jones jarred the ball loose from Jalen Davis, and Caleb Rutherford, who forced a fumble earlier in the game, recovered the fumble that allowed Cy Woods to escape with the victory.

Final: Cy Woods 20, Bryan 19

Ground

Carson Danner became the first Wildcat since R.J. Harmon in 2014 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. With 1,017 yards, he is now 102 yards away from setting a new single-season record; R.J. finished with 1,118 yards.

The touchdown run in the fourth gives Danner 19 on the season; he's four away from setting another single-season record that currently belongs to Nick Hooper, who ran for 22 touchdowns in 2014.

Bryan seemingly went all-in on outside containment; they were not going to let Jake Tesch or Christian Scott beat them, which is why Danner finished with over three times as many rushing attempts as the next person.

Carson Danner: 29 rush, 154 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 7 rush, 46 yards
Darion Morgan: 8 rush, 42 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 16 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 rush, 2 yards
Team: 2 rush, -2 yards; Danner kneeled twice to end the game

Air

Jake Tesch almost had a completion off a halfback pass, but a big hit jarred the ball free from Connor Faulk's grasp.

Carson Danner: 4-9, 80 yards, TD, INT
Jake Tesch: 0-1

Jake Tesch: 2 catches, 68 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 9 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 catch, 3 yards

Defense

The Cats held Bryan to just 37 yards of offense in the first half. They suddenly had some issues with the big play when the Vikings made their comeback bid, however.

Ja'lijah Tyler proved to be a thorn in Cy Woods' side all night, but fortunately, he was really the only Viking who could get anything going on offense.

Nolan Authorlee's interception in the third quarter was his fourth of the season. That was nice to see considering that the Vikings hung a couple of big plays on him earlier in the quarter. He could have had another interception in the fourth quarter but he dropped the ball; he would've scored had he hung on. Mac Bird also dropped what would have been a pick-six early in the game. Caleb Rutherford forced a fumble and recovered another that was forced by Jakob Jones; Buster Cohrs recovered the fumble that Caleb forced.

Twenty Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Mac Bird led the way with eight.

Special Teams

Danner smacked his longest punt of the season, a 64-yarder that resulted in a touchback. Gustavo Olmedo hit on all four of his kicks: two field goals and two extra points.

Jake Tesch: 3 punts returned, 18 yards; 1 kickoff returned, 10 yards
Tre Mejia: 1 kick returned, 0 yards; he caught the kick inbounds and his momentum took him out of bounds afterward.

Man of the Match

I'll go with Caleb Rutherford as he came up huge by having a hand in forcing two of Bryan's three turnovers in this game.

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will begin their road to Arlington at 3 PM on Saturday, November 17 when they take on the Round Rock Dragons at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium in a Class 6A Division 1, Region 2 Bi-district playoff game.

Know the Enemy: Bryan Vikings

Week 11: Cypress Woods Wildcats (6-3, 5-2) vs. Bryan Vikings (4-5, 3-4)
7:00 PM Thursday, November 8, 2018
Pridgeon Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats were off, so that forced them to stew over their loss to Cy Ranch a little longer than usual. However, they were not required to do anything in order to clinch a playoff berth as Ranch defeated Bryan 27-0 on Friday. That result means that the four playoff representatives in District 14-6A have now been determined.

Congratulations to Cy Ranch, Tomball Memorial, and Langham Creek! The Mustangs and TMHS will play in Division II, while Woods and Langham will head off to Division I.

It's the season finale. Here's the situation in District 14-6A and District 13-6A heading into the final week of the regular season.

District 14-6A

Bold - clinched playoff berth
Italics - in a playoff spot but has not clinched the playoff berth
Strike - eliminated

1. Cy Ranch (9-0, 7-0)
2. Tomball Memorial (8-1, 6-1)
3. Cy Woods (6-3, 5-2)
4. Langham Creek (5-4, 5-2)
5. Cy Lakes (5-5, 4-4)
6. Bryan (4-5, 3-4)
7. Bridgeland (2-7, 1-6)
8. Cy Springs (1-8, 1-6)
9. Cy Park (0-9, 0-7)

Last Week in District 14-6A

Bye: Cy Woods

Langham Creek 59, Cy Park 2
Tomball Memorial 65, Cy Springs 17
Cy Ranch 27, Bryan 0
Cy Lakes 35, Bridgeland 23

This Week in District 14-6A

Bye: Cy Lakes

The playoff picture is almost complete. We know who's advancing and we know which bracket they'll be playing in. All that's left to determine is the seeding.

If Cy Woods were to lose this game, the tiebreaker advantage that they have over Langham Creek will probably be rendered irrelevant. The Lobos will likely be heavy favorites against Cy Springs.

So yes... this week's game carries some significance. Of course, a win means that the #1 seed in Division I is theirs.

Thursday
Cy Ranch vs. Tomball Memorial, 6:30 at CF-FCU
Cy Woods vs. Bryan, 7:00 at Pridgeon

Friday
Cy Park vs. Bridgeland, 7:00 at CF-FCU

Saturday
Cy Springs vs. Langham Creek, 1:00 at CF-FCU

District 13-6A

1. Vandegrift (9-0, 7-0)
2. Cedar Ridge (7-2, 6-1)
3. Hendrickson (6-2, 5-2)
4. Round Rock (5-4, 4-3)
5. Stony Point (6-3, 4-3)
6. McNeil (4-5, 3-4)
7. Westwood (4-5, 2-5)
8. Vista Ridge (1-8, 1-6)
9. Leander (1-9, 0-8)

Two games to watch... Round Rock-Vista Ridge and Stony Point-Vandegrift.

Yeah... unless Vandegrift decides to rest their starters and Vista Ridge has the game of their lives, I think the top four in District 13-6A is set. Should the standings hold, Cy Woods will take on the Round Rock Dragons in the bi-district round.

The Enemy: Bryan Vikings

2017 Record: 3-7, 1-5 (6th) in District 18-5A
Did not qualify for playoffs

This will be the first meeting between Cy Woods and Bryan. The Vikings will be the 32nd different team that Cy Woods has played.

According to the Bryan High School website, Bryan High School's namesake, Travis B. Bryan, was a descendant of the family that founded the city of Bryan. William Joel Bryan, who I assume was an ancestor of his, was a nephew of Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas. The most notable person to graduate from Bryan High by far is Ty Warren, a defensive lineman who went on to play at Texas A&M and then played a starring role on two Super Bowl-winning teams with the New England Patriots.

Bryan season-to-date

W 20-10 vs. Waller
L 20-0 @ A&M Consolidated
L 21-14 vs. Tomball Memorial
L 28-14 @ Langham Creek
W 42-21 vs. Bridgeland
L 3-0 @ Cy Lakes
W 42-7 vs. Cy Park
W 36-0 @ Cy Springs
L 27-0 vs. Cy Ranch

The Vikings were shut out for the third time this season as Cy Ranch did their damage and got out with a 27-0 victory. As I mentioned earlier, this loss eliminated Bryan from playoff contention and allowed Cy Woods and Langham Creek to clinch the final two playoff spots in District 14-6A.

Players to Watch

Kerry Brooks - JR QB #8
Matt Moreno - SR ATH #6
Jeremiah Manley - SR WR #3
Jose Gandara - JR WR #25
Troy Chumchal - SR OL #57
Ja'Various Sullivan - SR DL #90
Dylan Carroll - JR DL #91
Deterious Bryant - SR LB #26
David Parks - SR LB #31
Jonathan Sparkman - SR DB #24
Darius Peterson - SOPH DB #21
Xavier Johnson - JR DB #17

2¢ on Bryan

The Vikings are playing in the highest classification for high school athletics in the state of Texas for the first time since 2013 and the first time since the top class became 6A. They've been aligned with Cy-Fair ISD schools at various points during the 20th century and the last time they shared a district with Cy-Fair ISD schools was 2001.

Jonathan Sparkman leads the Viking secondary and he'll be accompanied by Xavier Johnson and a couple of promising sophomores in Kenny Collins and Darius Peterson. Deterious Bryant, David Parks, and Nick McDaniel are all solid linebackers. Ja'Various Sullivan, Dylan Carroll, and Alex Young are all imposing presences on the line of scrimmage. Bryan's defense has yet to allow more than 30 points in a game... and yet they find themselves out of the playoff picture. What gives?

Well, the Viking offense has been its own worst enemy, especially in the early part of the season and the only times that they've scored more than 30 points in a game this season came against the bottom three teams in the district.

Kerry Brooks leads the Bryan offense and stylistically, his game is pretty reminiscent of Chris Herron. Brooks has the upside but has made his fair share of miscues. Matt Moreno does a little bit of everything for the Vikings; he's their leading receiver, leads them in rushing touchdowns, and also serves as the backup quarterback. Troy Chumchal is the anchor of the Viking offensive line, which has had serious issues all season. Sparkman has recently stepped in at wideout because of injuries to Gary Lynch and Moreno, who has since returned. Sparkman is not the only person who's switched sides for the Vikings; Elyja Harper, who had been a linebacker for most of the year, is now a receiver as well.


Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Bryan, JV at Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday. Bryan will play some freshman-level games at Rudder High School. The Vikings have two freshman teams but only one JV team.

Location of Merrill Green Stadium



Location of James Earl Rudder High School

An Evening with the Tivy Antlers

With Cy Woods having last week off, I decided to go out for a drive on Friday. After all, it was an absolutely beautiful day and I hadn't gone out for a long drive since the summer. This would be the first time that I'd go on a drive starting in the late afternoon, though.

My destination? Lockhart, the Barbecue Capital of Texas. I went out that way to watch some 5A football and to catch up with a few gentlemen from my past. Sadly, there was no time for me to get food though.

Aside from having to endure one long work zone on I-10 in Waller County, the drive was refreshing and incident-free. And yes, there were two trips to Buc-ee's shoehorned into the itinerary.

My photos.

Top: Bleachers of wood, seats of metal

Bottom: Tivy's run-through sign 

Sorry, those are the only two I took all night

As for the game, the Tivy Antlers made the journey from one end of the Hill Country in Kerrville to the other as they took on the Lockhart Lions. The Antlers traveled well and had a solid contingent in the stands. The Lions were on the periphery of the playoff race but they also had a nice turnout for their final home game of 2018.

The first quarter literally lasted an eternity. Daequan Ellison opened the scoring in Lockhart's favor when he scored from 75 yards on the first play of the game. He ended up running for 245 yards in the first quarter and in a little over 13 minutes of game time, Ellison had 366 yards and five touchdowns on just nine carries. 

Somehow, Tivy emerged from the first 12 minutes with a 35-28 lead as they managed to keep pace with their dynamic duo of Trapper Pannell and Karson Valverde. Unfortunately, Ellison and his brother, Daetron, emerged as serious problems for the Antler defense as the Lions regained the momentum in the second quarter. Again, though, Tivy managed to stay in contact even as they missed a field goal at the halftime buzzer that would have cut the Lockhart lead to 45-41. They would completely turn the tables on the Lions in the second half. Lockhart could only muster up a field goal in the final 24 minutes and the Antlers were finally able to take control and came away with a 62-48 victory.

Daequan Ellison finished with 444 yards and five touchdowns. In addition, Daetron Ellison chipped in with 190 yards of his own and scored twice. I can't say I've seen or heard it all because that statement simply isn't true. This was definitely the first time that I saw a team allow almost 700 rushing yards and still win a football game. You are guaranteed to see (or hear about) some weird things every week in Texas high school football... 

After the game, I got to catch up with Coach Jones, Coach Hickman, and Coach Kubacak. As many of you remember, Coach Jones was Cy Woods' first head coach. Coach Hickman, who is the defensive coordinator at Tivy, coached the cornerbacks and then the linebackers at Cy Woods. And finally, Coach K is Tivy's offensive coordinator; he was the running backs coach at Woods. 

I met Coach Jones' family for the first time since they left Houston. I remember his twin sons, Cade and Carson, running around with the limitless energy typically found in toddlers; now, they're in middle school serving as ball boys for the team while they wait for their opportunity to become Antlers. Ryan Kate, his daughter, just started high school and she was about midway through elementary school when they were still in Cypress.

Coach Hickman told me that Lockhart was a team that they had little trouble with over the last seven years but they surely made a few tweaks to the Slot-T attack and that caused them so much trouble early on. The Lions wanted in on the Tivy track meet and they caused a legitimate nuisance in the first half. Whatever Coach Hickman said at halftime to fire up his kids definitely worked in the end.

I left with the impression that these Tivy boys can play. They've got the talent to make some serious noise in 5A Division II. If they were at Woods, they'd definitely play.

I mentioned Karson Valverde and Trapper Pannell earlier. Valverde finished with 260 total yards and six touchdowns. He's been their home-run threat all season and they needed every single yard and every single touchdown out of him on Friday. Pannell, meanwhile, threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns, added another touchdown on the ground, and also intercepted a pass near the end of the first half. He even chipped in with three tackles on the night as a safety. That's classic Texas tough. You have to expect that from a kid named Trapper...

Cole Mixon, Tyler Jenschke, and James Huff also came up big from their linebacker spots. The three of them combined for 46 tackles; Mixon had 17, Huff 16, and Jenschke 13. They all played with the fire that Coach Hickman instills in every kid that he's coached. It felt like a Lockhart runner was surrounded by seven or eight guys in gold helmets because that's what happened all night outside of Daequan Ellison's long scoring runs. 

Also, Jared Zirkel, their kicker, is going to be the next Braden Mann. I heard that he made a 59-yard field goal in an actual game and wanted to see him for myself and that kid is legit. All but one of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks and... well, he did miss a 41-yard field goal right before halftime, but that leg of his is a real weapon. The top specialists in Texas are usually kids at 6A or the big private schools... but for a high school football team in a town that's modestly sized like Kerrville, kickers like Jared Zirkel don't come around very often.

I still have tremendous respect for Coach Jones, Coach Hickman, and Coach Kubacak and I'm glad that they took some time to catch up. I will always be grateful that they gave me a chance to become a part of something truly special at Cy Woods and I am extremely glad that they are continuing to have success as they try to build something special of their own in Kerrville. The cardinal and gold of Cy Woods may run through my veins, but I've also become somewhat of a Tivy Antler fan.

I didn't understand the sacred nature of Texas high school football until I entered high school. I feel like those years were the catalysts for me: Cy Falls making it to state, hearing about Sam McGuffie's exploits at Cy-Fair, helping build a tradition at Cy Woods... by far, my four years at Cy Woods provided the most critical events towards fostering my love for this game, first as a player, and now as a fan. Before this year, I promised myself that I'd go out and see more teams besides the ones that play Cy Woods, especially now that the Cats are in a new district and back in Region II. I think I did alright in that regard, but maybe when work is a little more stable, I'll have more time to do that.

Maybe I'll go see a Tivy game in Kerrville next time, and also when the weather is a little bit warmer.