All photos by Tom Dendy.
Record: 7-4, 6-2 (t-2nd) in District 14-6A
Playoffs: Lost to Round Rock 56-49 in Class 6A Division I Region II bi-district round
Points scored: 438 (39.8 per game)
Points allowed: 385 (35 per game)
Largest margin of victory: 54 (61-7 vs. Cy Park)
Largest margin of defeat: 34 (55-21 vs. Tomball Memorial)
Most points scored: 63 vs. Cy Lakes
Most points allowed: 56 vs. Round Rock
Fewest points scored: 20 vs. Bryan
Fewest points allowed: 7 twice, vs. Cy Park and Cy Springs
Team Records Set or Tied
Longest touchdown run: Darion Morgan, 89 yards vs. Cy Lakes (new record)
Individual Records Set or Tied
Most rushing yards in a season: Carson Danner, 1,141 (new record)
Rushing touchdowns in a game: Carson Danner, 4 vs. Spring (tied)
Statistical Leaders
All statistics provided by Varsity Wires.
Passing: Carson Danner - 76-141 (53.1%), 1,408 yards, 18 TD, 8 INT
Rushing: Carson Danner - 207 rush, 1,141 yards (5.5 yards per carry), 19 TD
Receiving: Jacob Tesch - 29 catches, 532 yards (18.3 yards per catch), 9 TD
Points scored: Carson Danner - 114
Tackles: Maclaren Bird - 90
Tackles for loss: Bird - 7
Sacks: Bird, Tylan Foster, Jason Christenson - 2 each
Interceptions: Nolan Authorlee - 4
Fumbles recovered: Caleb Rutherford - 3
Schedule and Results
Week 1: L 47-21 vs. Cy Ridge (Pridgeon)
Week 2: W 49-41 @ Spring (Leonard George)
Week 3: L 55-21 @ Tomball Memorial (Tomball ISD Stadium)
Week 4: W 41-39 vs. Langham Creek (Cy-Fair FCU Stadium)
Week 5: W 56-14 @ Bridgeland (CF-FCU)
Week 6: W 63-55 vs. Cy Lakes (Homecoming XI at Pridgeon)
Week 7: W 61-7 @ Cy Park (Pridgeon)
Week 8: W 36-7 vs. Cy Springs (CF-FCU)
Week 9: L 45-21 @ Cy Ranch (CF-FCU)
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: W 20-19 vs. Bryan (Pridgeon)
Bi-District: L 56-49 vs. Round Rock (CF-FCU)
The Rundown
The Cypress Woods Wildcats found themselves on the periphery of the playoff picture in District 17-6A in 2017 despite having the pre-season wiped out by Hurricane Harvey. It was truly a season of learning and they almost managed to snap their playoff drought in the process.
Unfortunately, almost doing something most likely means that it wasn't actually accomplished. With a full season of a new offense under their belt, the Cats were expected to mount a legitimate challenge for a playoff spot in 2018. Would a new district bolster their chances of mounting that challenge? They, along with the western half of Cy-Fair ISD, were moved to Region II to share a district with Bryan and Tomball Memorial.
With a full season of starts under his belt, Jackson Jones was expected to take a significant step forward in his development. Unfortunately, he ended up getting hurt shortly after the Cy Ridge game and Carson Danner's emergence relegated him to a backup role. All Danner ended up doing was setting the Cy Woods single-season record for rushing yards on his way to being named the Offensive MVP in District 14-6A.
Jacob Tesch, finally healthy, showed how explosive he could be on the ground and in the passing game by averaging just over ten yards each time he touched the ball. He and Christian Scott wreaked havoc when they hit the edges and found space. Darion Morgan devoured chunks of yardage between the tackles. Cam Sowell emerged as a home run threat. Brock Gunderson and Ethan Agnew returned to anchor the Cy Woods offensive line, accompanied by Garrett Poor, Zack Bubenik, and Tyler Hopmann.
Mac Bird led the team in tackles in 2017 despite playing in just four games. He made a full recovery from his health scare, played a full season, and led the Cats in tackles once again in 2018. Jackson Turnbow, Caleb Rutherford, and Tylan Foster also turned in solid seasons from the second level of the defense. Chris Agnew made an impact on the defensive line as a sophomore. Chase Richter emerged as the leader of the Wildcat secondary and provided some physical play from his safety spot.
Could the Wildcats finally snap their playoff drought?
Season
Chapter 11 of Cy Woods Football, the tenth anniversary season, began on September 1, 2018, as the Wildcats faced off against the Cypress Ridge Rams at Pridgeon Stadium.
Week 1: L 47-21 vs. Cy Ridge
Well, that wasn't the way to start off a season in which you are trying to end a playoff drought.
The Cats fell flat on their faces right out of the gate as they were doomed by a disastrous stretch in which the Rams scored 19 points in 38 seconds right before halftime. The offense couldn't get much going, the defense got gashed all day by Noah Smith, and special teams proved to be an adventure as a muffed kickoff allowed Ridge to score one of their three touchdowns in the last minute of the first half.
Chase Richter led the way on defense with seven tackles. In his first varsity game, Trayse Holmes ran for 46 yards on 13 carries. So... yeah. Not too many bright spots to begin 2018.
Would a road trip get the Wildcats' season off the ground?
Week 2: W 49-41 @ Spring
Jackson Jones went down with an injury in the lead-up to this game, so in stepped Carson Danner to make his first start. All he did in this game was run for 127 yards and four touchdowns and he also threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tesch. The Cats trailed by a point entering the fourth quarter, but a couple of touchdown runs from Danner spurred them on to a big road win. Darion Morgan also ran for 100 yards in this game; he had 108 and scored the Cats' first touchdown in this game. Christian Scott also ran for 101 yards as the Cats put up 405 yards on the ground in a huge momentum-building victory.
Nolan Authorlee had eight tackles and a sack. I can't remember the last time a secondary player had a sack for Cy Woods. I don't think Bryce Callahan ever recorded a sack when he was at Woods.
With the victory, Cy Woods split the non-district portion of their schedule. The second leg of their road trip took them to Tomball for a game that officially mattered in the standings. For an anniversary season, the Wildcats celebrated plenty of firsts.
Week 3: L 55-21 @ Tomball Memorial
Well, uh... that first trip to Tomball turned out to be quite the nightmare as Cy Woods had absolutely no answer for Tomball Memorial's tandem of Christian Lovick and Colbie Habermacher. Lovick ran for 203 and two touchdowns while Habermacher had 171 and three scores.
Woods had a chance to score on the second play of the game, but Danner overthrew a wide-open Connor Faulk. On Tomball Memorial's first play... Chandler Galban chucked the ball downfield and Logan Kyle snagged the pass for a 99-yard touchdown. Cy Woods managed to keep pace early on, but unfortunately, the offense came crashing to a halt and they ended up getting buried by a 34-0 run to end the game.
Danner ran for 79 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Richter had 16 tackles and Mac Bird chipped in with 14 tackles of his own.
The Cats only played three games, but they suddenly found themselves staring at a must-win game against Langham Creek, who also needed a win after dropping their first three games. Both teams needed a win to stay in contact with the top four. Something had to give...
Week 4: W 41-39 vs. Langham Creek
...and in the end, Cy Woods managed to get themselves off the canvas as they staved off a one-man comeback attempt from longtime nemesis Chris Herron and stole the game from right under the Lobos' noses thanks to a 47-yard field goal from Gustavo Olmedo. The defense also stopped Herron at the one-yard line on the two-point conversion following a touchdown that put Langham Creek in the lead in the final minute of the game, which I think was probably the biggest stop of the season for that unit.
The Cats forced seven turnovers and all seven of them were charged to Herron; they picked him off four times and he lost three fumbles (out of five). Carson Danner once again had a huge night as he ran for 169 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 183 and two more scores. Chase Richter once again led the way in tackles with seven.
Week 5: W 56-14 @ Bridgeland
The thrilling victory over Langham proved to be the spark that Cy Woods needed as they made quick work of the debuting Bears to close out the first half of the regular season. Aside from gifting Bridgeland a touchdown in the first quarter and forgetting that the second half started, the Cats absolutely tore the Bears apart. They had a little bulletin board material entering this game as a Bridgeland student interning for Vype published an article predicting a Bridgeland victory. And also, there was probably not much love for this crowd considering that it consists of old Ranch people.
Trayse Holmes ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcat defense shackled the top-ranked offense in District 14-6A, holding the Bears to just 162 yards on the evening. Jackson Hosemann had two interceptions and Tylan Foster had two sacks.
Week 6: W 63-55 vs. Cy Lakes
Cy Woods had a happy Homecoming as they topped a vastly improved Cy Lakes squad that made things rather interesting in the fourth quarter as they cut deep into what had been a 63-33 lead. Well, it's probably a good thing that the Cats scored enough to withstand that last-ditch assault. Lakes scored twice within the first minute of the fourth and it made for some nervy times on the Woods side...
On the first play from scrimmage, Darion Morgan set a new Cy Woods record for the longest scoring touchdown run when he took the handoff and burst up the middle untouched from 89 yards. The Cats rolled up 484 yards on the ground in this game. Carson Danner ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 183 and three scores. Mac Bird led the way on defense with a dozen tackles.
Week 7: W 61-7 @ Cy Park
The Wildcats made short work of the district's other debutants, Cy Park, and everyone on the roster got to play. What else is there to say?
Week 8: W 36-7 vs. Cy Springs
Cy Woods also made quick work of a bottom-three team as they held the Panthers to 99 yards of offense, 52 of which came on the only touchdown they allowed on the night. When the rain came, the Cats decided that there was no point in needlessly extending the game so they got out of there as quickly as possible.
Week 9: L 45-21 @ Cy Ranch
No comment.
Week 10: Bye
The best part of losing a game to a team you can't stand is having to stew over it for another week!
Week 11: W 20-19 vs. Bryan
Ooh, this one got unexpectedly tense in the second half as the Vikings managed to tie the game in the third quarter on a pair of touchdown runs from Ja'lijah Tyler. Luckily, they missed one of the extra points. Carson Danner found the end zone to put the Cats back in front, but two minutes later, Bryan scored again and lined up for a go-ahead two-point conversion that Woods ultimately thwarted.
I changed my mind. This was the biggest stop that the Cy Woods defense got in 2018. The Cats messed around in this game and almost bought themselves a trip to Austin in the process. Fortunately, they pulled themselves together and escaped with the #1 seed in Division I still in their possession. This was the first game that Cy Woods was held to 20 points or fewer and won. Danner ran for 154 yards and his fourth-quarter touchdown run turned out to be the winning score. He also opened the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tesch in the first quarter.
Postseason
The Cypress Woods Wildcats made their first appearance in the Texas high school football playoffs in four years and on top of that, they earned the right to host a bi-district game. They welcomed the Round Rock Dragons to Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on November 17.
These two teams lit up the scoreboard with little effort during the regular season and there was no shortage of fireworks in this matchup.
Unfortunately, special teams turned out to be the difference as the Dragons escaped with a 56-49 victory. Ryan O'Keefe returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and then they returned another kick for a touchdown when the Cats let an onside attempt roll because it hadn't traveled ten yards. Well... they unwittingly opened up a hole for Patrick Layne and he burst through untouched. The Dragons also recovered a muffed kickoff which allowed them to score what was their second touchdown within a 30-second span in the third quarter to take the lead.
The Cats' offense faced very little resistance from the Round Rock defense, but they lost the turnover battle and decisively lost the special teams battle. They didn't do the little things, or if they did, they were done incorrectly. A shame, because this was absolutely a winnable game.
Darion Morgan saved the best game of his Cy Woods career for last as he ran for 217 yards and a touchdown. Morgan ran the ball 25 times and was not stopped for no gain or a loss of yardage on any of his rushing attempts. Carson Danner threw for 184 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 124 yards. Jacob Tesch caught two touchdown passes and ran for two touchdowns. Mac Bird recorded 11 tackles and recovered a fumble.
Superlatives
Seventeen Wildcats earned All-District 14-6A honors; six were named to the first team (Carson Danner was selected twice on the first team as a quarterback and the punter), seven to the second team (Jake Tesch was a first-team receiver and the second-team returner), and five earned honorable mentions.
Carson Danner was named District 14-6A's offensive MVP. The Agnew brothers, Chris and Ethan, are the first brothers in program history to earn all-district honors in the same season.
The press release from the district website had Nolan Authorlee selected to both all-district teams as a defensive back.
In ConclusionCongratulations to these athletes! #allDistrict @CyWood_Boosters @CyWoods212 pic.twitter.com/hufb5ha56M— Cy Woods Football (@CyWoodsFB212) November 30, 2018
Jake Tesch, Ethan Agnew, Connor Faulk, and Brock Gunderson were sophomores during that disastrous 2016 season. As the last holdovers from that team, getting the opportunity to take part in a playoff game as seniors truly had to be satisfying for all of them.
Though the Wildcats' playoff journey only lasted one game, the 2018 season marked a significant step forward in Cy Woods football's journey back to prominence after crashing to the bottom of the standings in 2016. It was a testament to the work ethic of the senior class of 2019 as they took ownership of the rebuilding process and helped lead the team back to the playoffs.
