Know the Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2019 Regular Season, Week 6: Cypress Woods Wildcats (3-2, 3-0) @ Cypress Lakes Spartans (3-2, 2-1)
6:00 PM Saturday, October 5, 2019
Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats took sole possession of first place in District 14-6A with a 20-7 victory over Bridgeland. Jackson Jones threw for 112 yards and ran for 91 yards and a touchdown. Christian Scott ran for 59 yards and a touchdown and also added a 21-yard reception. Michael Fernandez made two field goals. 

But, the real story of this game was the Wildcat defense, which nearly pitched a shutout against a Bridgeland team that came in with 210 points scored in their first four games. Tylan Foster had seven tackles, recovered a fumble, and returned it 50 yards. Kahlil Robinson had an interception as they hounded Bears quarterback Conner Weigman all evening.

Next up on the docket is another high-octane offense in Cy Lakes and their new gunslinging field general, Sofian Massoud.

District 14-6A

Current Standings

1. Cypress Woods (3-2, 3-0)

2. Bridgeland (4-1, 2-1)
3. Cypress Ranch (3-2, 2-1)

4. Cypress Lakes (3-2, 2-1)

5. Tomball Memorial (3-1, 1-1)
6. Cypress Park (1-3, 1-1)

7. Langham Creek (1-4, 1-2)

8. Bryan (1-3, 0-2)

9. Cypress Springs (0-5, 0-3)

Week 5 Results

Thursday, September 26

Cypress Ranch 34, Cypress Lakes 31

Friday, September 27

Cypress Woods 20, Bridgeland 7

Langham Creek 35, Bryan 31

Saturday, September 28

Cypress Park 24, Cypress Springs 10

Week 6 Schedule

Bye: Cypress Springs

Thursday, October 3

Bridgeland vs. Bryan, 6:30 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium 

Friday, October 4

Cypress Park vs. Cypress Ranch, 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Saturday, October 5

Cypress Lakes vs. Cypress Woods, 6:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Langham Creek vs. Tomball Memorial, 6:00 at Pridgeon Stadium

With Bryan's loss to Langham Creek, this district is effectively a five-team race with Woods, Lakes, Bridgeland, Tomball Memorial, and Ranch duking it out for the four playoff spots. All fine teams, but unfortunately, one of them will have to stay home. The push for the playoffs begins right now!

The Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2018 Record: 5-5, 4-4 (5th) in District 14-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cypress Lakes season-to-date

L 20-14 @ Morton Ranch

W 53-16 @ Klein Forest

W 61-28 @ Cypress Park

W 27-7 vs. Cypress Springs

L 34-31 @ Cypress Ranch

Last Thursday, the Spartans squandered a 31-13 second-half lead and fell to Cy Ranch by a final of 34-31. That's a tough loss to take, for sure. All of the Mustangs' points in their comeback came off of a couple of interceptions and it culminated with the go-ahead touchdown with three minutes left following a missed field goal from Lakes. 

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 9-0.

Previous Meetings

October 5, 2018: Woods 63, Lakes 55
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
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

Sofian Massoud - SR QB #10
Khaliq Mateen - SR WR/QB #5
Josh McMillan - SOPH WR #4
Amir Turner - SOPH WR #17
Xavier Howard - SR RB #21
Luis Solis - SR OL #64
Zoel Henriquez - JR OL #63
Donavon Carter - FR LB #11
Ronald Jones - SR DL #43
Givon Ortega-Jones - JR DL #45
Kyree Anderson - SR DB #1
Xavier Corbin - SR DB #7
Eamon Perry - SR DB #12

2¢ on Lakes

Roughing the punter. That was what kept the Spartans from clinching their first-ever playoff berth in 2018. After winning a grand total of six games between 2010 and 2017, Cy Lakes nearly matched that total with their five victories in 2018. From 2010 to 2017, they won four games in district play. They matched that number with a 4-4 mark in 2018. Since Coach Patton took over the program, Lakes has transformed from a doormat to a playoff contender.

The Spartans' calling card on defense is an aggressive, hard-hitting style and their primary goal is creating havoc. They've recovered eight fumbles this year, tops in the district. Lakes had to replace all of their starting linebackers and starting defensive line entering this year, but Cameron Morgan, Ronald Jones, and Givon Ortega-Jones have all stepped up to become leaders on the Spartans' front seven. Another new face on the front line is Donavon Carter, a freshman linebacker who has started every game for Lakes up to this point and he's certainly held his own in his first year of high school. The secondary has long been the Spartans' strength and this might be their best group ever. Eamon Perry, Xavier Corbin, and Kyree Anderson are all legit impact players and all of them are capable of busting out big plays. Perry returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown while Anderson recovered a fumble and took it to the house the last time the Cats took on Lakes as they mounted a furious comeback from a 30-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Anderson has also showcased his versatility this season as he'll also line up at running back in certain situations.

Lakes has a new quarterback at the helm and he comes to Texas from New York City. Sofian Massoud torched Ranch for 416 yards last week. A UH commit, Massoud has certainly made an effortless transition into Texas high school football as he's thrown for 1,436 yards through the first five games. Khaliq Mateen, who was their quarterback for the last two seasons, is now their leading receiver and the rapport that he's built with Massoud has turned him into a legit deep threat. The Spartans' receiving corps might not have Bridgeland's depth, but they're a dangerous bunch. Josh McMillan has been one of the breakout players in 14-6A as a sophomore and Amir Turner, another sophomore, has also turned into another threat out wide. KeLan Dove is another weapon in the slot at Massoud's disposal. Corbin has also made himself a factor on offense; he'll line up as a receiver in certain situations and is also the kick holder. He scored on a fake field goal against Park so Lakes has definitely gotten creative in getting their best players the ball. Xavier Howard is their leading rusher and has also gotten himself plenty of looks in the passing game. Also, keep an eye out for Darnel Green, the other freshman on their roster. He's performed well as Howard's backup. The Spartans are stellar in the trenches; Luis Solis, Xavier Amaya, and Zoel Henriquez lead an offensive line that didn't allow a sack last season.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Cats had a happy Homecoming, but the final twelve minutes of the game were anything but. Woods led 63-33 heading into the fourth quarter but the Spartans had one last comeback in them. Lakes outscored Woods 22-0 in the final period but fortunately, the 30-point lead they built held up in the end as they won by a final of 63-55.

Cy Woods racked up 667 yards of total offense and 501 of those yards came on the ground. Carson Danner ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns while Darion Morgan had 163, including an 89-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game. Danner also threw for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Mac Bird put up a dozen tackles on defense.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Cy Lakes has two freshman teams but only one JV team. The freshmen will travel to Lakes while the JV will play at home. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 for the freshmen. If the JV gold team does not have an opponent, there will be one JV game at 5:30.

Location of Cypress Lakes High School

Cy Woods 20, Bridgeland 7: Lockdown

2019 Record: 3-2, 3-0 in District 14-6A

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography

Photo galleries for this week's games, featuring all sub-varsity teams

Bridgeland found themselves in the spotlight after they demolished Cy Ranch 48-14 last Saturday and they certainly basked in their newfound fame. The Harris poll placed them at #8 in Class 6A. The Houston Chronicle had them at #12. Dave Campbell's Texas Football had the Bears as 11-point favorites coming into this game. Bridgeland is a good football team and I don't deny that. With that being said, I thought they were getting a little more hype than what they truly deserved. I also thought I fell into that trap of hyping them up a bit too much while I was writing the preview for this game. They're good, but were they really that good?

Well, the Cats heard it all in the build-up to this game. They were supposed to provide little resistance before ultimately becoming another casualty in the Bears' march towards being crowned the new kings of District 14-6A. Oops.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats made an emphatic statement on Friday night by wrecking the Bears' Forthcoming festivities with a 20-7 victory that seemed more lopsided than the score suggested. The only scoring Bridgeland could muster up was a four-yard touchdown run from Mason Culton with 1:28 left in the ballgame. With this victory, Cy Woods took sole possession of first place in District 14-6A and they've won their first three district games for the first time in school history.

To be perfectly honest, I don't really consider this an upset. First of all, the Cats beat Bridgeland last year. Second, they came into this game believing that they were the better team and they backed up that statement by shutting down the best offense they've faced to this point this season. Taking down this team wouldn't be an easy task, but they were locked in all week to ensure that they accomplished what they set out to do.

And to think that they won this game despite the offense probably turning in their worst showing since game one. They couldn't score on fourth and goal from inside the one-yard line early in the first quarter. Jackson Jones and Trayse Holmes lost fumbles. I have previously said that when one aspect of the game falters, it's extremely difficult to make up those deficiencies in the other two phases. It's almost impossible to win when you commit four turnovers.

Conversely, the Wildcat defense more than earned their keep on Friday. On special teams, Michael Fernandez did his part in keeping the Cats in front with his two field goals. Once again, this team showed their character. Instead of moping about being forced back into duty once again because of the offensive miscues, the guys on defense just went back out and took care of business so they could give their brothers on offense another shot. I feel that the offense has shown flashes but they haven't quite put that complete game together just yet.

Next order of business: Congratulations to Sam Myers on making his varsity debut. Sam, who is a quarterback, is just the third freshman in Cy Woods history to appear in a varsity football game. The two guys who accomplished this feat before him, Samuel Stewart and Nick Hooper, turned out all right.

And finally, the Cats have won two consecutive games wearing cardinal tops and gold pants. Well, looks like that should the permanent home uniform from here on out. Personally, I think that's a sharp look.

On to Cy Lakes.

What Happened

Christian Scott opened the scoring with a four-yard run. This was the only scoring play of the first quarter.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 7, Bridgeland 0

Jackson Jones added to the lead with a four-yard touchdown run of his own and Michael Fernandez nailed a 30-yard field goal.

Halftime: Woods 17, Bridgeland 0

Fernandez provided the only points of the third quarter (and the Cats' only points of the second half) with his 28-yard field goal.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 20, Bridgeland 0

Mason Culton spoiled the shutout with a four-yard touchdown run with 88 seconds left.

Final: Woods 20, Bridgeland 7

Ground

Jackson had his best game running the ball by far. He just put his head down and consistently got four/five yards every time. It was a rare rough night for Trayse Holmes as he lost a couple of fumbles in Bridgeland territory. I've seen his brothers play for this team many years ago and they rarely wallowed over poor performances. I have reason to believe that Trayse will do the exact same.

No huge runs, but the Cats wanted to chew up the clock and wear out the Bridgeland front seven and I think they did a solid job in that regard, turnovers notwithstanding.

All statistics from Varsity Wires.

Jackson Jones: 19 rush, 91 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 13 rush, 59 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 8 rush, 28 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 3 rush, -1 yard
Rudy Mejia: 2 rush, 12 yards
Sam Myers: 1 rush, 2 yards
Team: 2 rush, -2 yards (Jackson kneeled twice)

Air

Jackson completed five passes and all of them resulted in first downs. He did throw an interception to Gavan Kaspar in the third quarter but the Cats' defense responded by forcing Dylan Goffney to fumble and it should have been a touchdown for Ty Foster.

Jackson Jones: 5-12, 112 yards, INT

Cameron Sowell: 2 rec, 50 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rec, 31 yards
Christian Scott: 1 rec, 21 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 1 rec, 10 yards

Defense

A team that scored 210 points in their first four games scored zero points for 46:32 worth of game time.

I have watched virtually every Cy Woods football game since the first year and I can say that there aren't too many games where I saw Cy Woods trot out such a resolute, ironclad defense. Conner Weigman couldn't make those throws he was making against Springs and Ranch simply because he experienced stress in the pocket for the first time all year and didn't know how to respond. Aside from their lone scoring drive, Bridgeland's offense looked as though they were in a haze all night, wondering why they couldn't get anything done against this Woods defense. They got slugged in the mouth for the first time this season and they just couldn't respond. Sounds a lot like how their game with Ranch went.

Weigman threw 28 incomplete passes in his first four games. On Friday, he threw 25 incompletions as he finished just 16-41 for 110 yards and an interception, his first of the year. Atrevion Hunter entered this game leading District 14-6A in receptions. He caught just two passes... for -9 yards. Dylan Goffney needed a 28-yard reception on a fourth down in the fourth quarter just to crack 50 receiving yards on the night. Mason Culton broke off one fairly long run, but other than his touchdown, he was largely silenced.

I'm sure Ty Foster would have really loved to have that fumble return touchdown on his line. If there's some consolation, I think he'll be satisfied with the effort he and his teammates put in on defense. He ended up getting credit for 50 yards on the return.

Seventeen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Foster led the way with seven. Two of his takedowns resulted in a loss of yardage. Taber Tofte and Colton Morris had six tackles apiece. No one sacked Weigman but again, they put immense pressure on him all night. Some of the hits they delivered to the Bears' receivers rattled them a bit as they dropped some very catchable passes too.

Kahlil Robinson, after just missing a couple of chances to get an interception earlier in the year, finally got one in the first quarter when Weigman literally just threw it to him. He returned it 13 yards into the red zone, but the Cats came up empty on their ensuing drive.

Through the first three games of district play, the Wildcats are allowing 252.3 yards per game. After getting gashed in non-district, the Cats' run defense has tightened up to start off District 14-6A play. After giving up over six yards per rush to Cy Ridge and Spring, they've slashed that figure to 4.4 yards per carry in district games.

Special Teams

There was a rare special teams miscue from Chase Richter as he couldn't field an onside kick and the Bears pounced on the loose ball. Fortunately, nothing came of it.

Michael Fernandez had his best game of the year as he successfully converted all of his kick attempts. He hit a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter, was good from 28 in the third, and converted on both of his extra points. Fernandez finished with eight points on the evening.

Trajan Armstrong: 3 punts, 111 yards (37 yards per punt), long of 46, one touchback
Michael Fernandez: 2-2 FG (made 30, 28); 2-2 XP

Chase Richter: 3 punt returns, 40 yards, long of 25
Christian Scott: 1 kick return, 29 yards

Man of the Match

Had to go back and forth on this but I'll have to give the honors to the Wildcat defense. They were well aware of the challenges that awaited them in Bridgeland's offense. They embraced those challenges and had a great week of practice to prepare themselves for what awaited on Friday night. When the time came for the Cats defense to face off against the Bears, they went out and nearly pitched a shutout.

Sub-Varsity Results

All I know is that they all lost.

Freshman Gold: 2-2 - L 26-13
Freshman Cardinal: 4-1 - L 26-20
JV Gold: 2-2 - L 21-12
JV Cardinal: 2-3 - L 37-24

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will face the Cypress Lakes Spartans at 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 5 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Cy Woods will be the visitors in this contest.

Know the Enemy: Bridgeland Bears

2019 Regular Season, Week 5: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-2, 2-0) vs. Bridgeland Bears (4-0, 2-0)
7:00 PM Friday, September 27, 2019
Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cats had to wake up bright and early on Saturday because their game against Langham Creek, which was originally supposed to take place on Thursday, was postponed due to Imelda. Despite the change in the schedule, they shook off the lethargy and took care of business in a 31-14 victory. Jackson Jones threw touchdown passes to Konner Sabrsula and Cameron Sowell, while Colton Morris had seven tackles to lead the way on defense, which held the Lobos to just 126 yards of offense on the afternoon.

Now, the Cats get to tussle with a second-year program that has firmly announced their arrival on the Texas High School Football landscape. On their Homecoming game. This should be fun. Or not!

District 14-6A

Current Standings

1. Bridgeland (4-0, 2-0)

2. Cypress Lakes (3-1, 2-0)
3. Cypress Woods (2-2, 2-0)

4. Tomball Memorial (3-1, 1-1) 

5. Cypress Ranch (2-2, 1-1)
6. Bryan (1-2, 0-1)

7. Cypress Park (0-3, 0-1)

8. Cypress Springs (0-4, 0-2)

9. Langham Creek (0-4, 0-2)

Week 4 Results

Bye: Cypress Park

Friday, September 20

Tomball Memorial 40, Bryan 0

Cypress Lakes 27, Cypress Springs 7

Saturday, September 21

Cypress Woods 31, Langham Creek 14

Bridgeland 48, Cypress Ranch 14

Week 5 Schedule

Bye: Tomball Memorial

Thursday, September 26

Cypress Ranch (2-2, 1-1) vs. Cypress Lakes (3-1, 2-0), 6:30 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium 

Friday, September 27

Bryan (1-2, 0-1) vs. Langham Creek (0-4, 0-2), 7:00 at Merrill Green Stadium

Cypress Woods (2-2, 2-0) vs. Bridgeland (4-0, 2-0), 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Saturday, September 28

Cypress Springs (0-4, 0-2) vs. Cypress Park (0-3, 0-1), 6:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

I think we're going to learn a lot about this district this week. We will see whether Cy Lakes is for real or if Ranch can rebound from that debacle against Bridgeland. 

Can Bryan get on the board in district play to keep pace in the early playoff race? I know they've got the defense to stay in games, but their offensive issues are well-documented. It's unlikely that they'll lose against a rebuilding Langham Creek squad, but those issues on offense mean that there's a greater than 0% chance that they could lose. 

And finally, I feel like Park is going to get that long-awaited first win on Saturday.

The Enemy: Bridgeland Bears

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

Did not qualify for playoffs

Bridgeland season-to-date

W 70-17 @ Waltrip

W 54-7 vs. Stratford

W 38-0 @ Cypress Springs

W 48-14 vs. Cypress Ranch

The Bears (I apologize for my language) administered an epic ass-kicking to Cy Ranch with a wire-to-wire 48-14 victory. There was blood everywhere. Bridgeland slugged Ranch in the mouth and the Mustangs just could not mount a response. 

Connor Weigman went 34-42 for 384 yards and four touchdowns through the air, putting up one of the most impressive displays of passing I've ever seen at any level of football. Ranch was expected to provide a stiff test for the Bears, who walked over Waltrip, crushed a Stratford team that could legitimately challenge for a playoff spot in District 17-6A, and blanked a Cy Springs team that might end up going winless. 

Well, they certainly aced that test. 

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 1-0.

Previous Meeting

September 29, 2018: Woods 56, Bridgeland 14

Players to Watch

Conner Weigman - SOPH QB #15

Finn Nicholson - JR QB/WR #8

Mason Culton - SOPH RB #27

Gavan Kaspar - JR RB/DB #11

Dylan Goffney - JR WR #5

Atrevion Hunter - JR WR #7

Mine Imarah - JR DL #50

Charles Moore - JR LB #41

Connor Motsinger - JR LB #33

Jack Grier - JR DB #24

Weston Cadena - SR DB #23

Bryce McMorris - JR DB #4

2¢ on Bridgeland

The Bridgeland Bears are making some serious moves in Year Two. Apparently they decided to stop listening to the memo that their time hasn't quite come yet. They've parlayed the incredible summer they had towards transforming into a budding juggernaut. They were the first team to qualify for this year's State 7-on-7 Tournament and in College Station, they advanced to the semi-finals of the Consolation bracket before ultimately bowing out to Round Rock. I have to say, I'm legitimately impressed.

I didn't even know that it was possible for them to have a quarterback better than Finn Nicholson, but Conner Weigman has absolutely taken the district by storm. He completely dissected Ranch's secondary and with the way he was slinging the ball, it really looked like he was playing 7-on-7 football. We know what Dylan Goffney brings to the table as one of the state's top junior receivers, but Atrevion Hunter is another home run threat in the slot. Honestly, right now it doesn't matter who lines up at receiver for the Bears because Weigman can turn any of them into a threat. It could be Hunter Wallis. Maybe it'll be Andrew Maleski or Dylan Crippen. It could even be Nicholson, who's now a wideout thanks to Weigman's emergence. Goffney might have another 200-yard game in him before season's end.

The Bears don't run much, but Mason Culton and Jerrell McWilliams can keep opposing defenses honest. Culton has also established himself as a factor in the passing game as he's hauled in a couple of touchdown catches. The line, led by John Hughes and Brian Cisneros on the left side, has done a tremendous job of keeping Weigman's pocket clean and that's a huge reason why he's carving up everybody. The Bears have a plethora of weapons on offense and they definitely remind me of the early Cy Woods teams.

While all of the attention is being (deservedly) heaped on the Bears' rendition of the Greatest Show on Turf, the defense has also stepped up their game big-time. Mine Imarah was probably their best defensive lineman in 2018 (at least when I saw them play Woods) and he's one of the many Bears who are breaking out. Of his 18 tackles this season, six have resulted in a loss and that also includes a sack. Charles Moore has also turned into a disruptive force on the outside and he's also gotten some time as a defensive end in passing situations. Gavan Kaspar, last year's starting running back, moved to the secondary and he's shown that he's just a fine football player no matter the position, showcasing his playmaking ability on defense to add to an already formidable backline of Bryce McMorris, Weston Cadena, Jack Grier, and Kamryn Amao. McMorris and Cadena come into this game leading the Bears in tackles.

Additionally, Tyler Slusher has also become an asset for Bridgeland in the kicking game and he's gotten plenty of work thanks to his offense. He's hit all five of his field goal attempts and has 27 extra points.

And to think... this isn't even their final form.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

Riding high off their dramatic victory over Langham Creek, the Wildcats made short work of the Bears in a 56-14 victory. The only points that Bridgeland scored came on a gift fumble that Carson Danner lost in the end zone in the second quarter and their first drive of the second half. 

Cy Woods outgained Bridgeland 578-162 on offense; Trayse Holmes ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Jacob Tesch ran for 121 and a touchdown and also had 73 receiving yards and caught a touchdown pass. Carson Danner threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns and added 83 yards and three more scores on the ground. On defense, Ty Foster had a couple of sacks and recovered a fumble, while Jackson Hosemann had two interceptions.

I'm thinking that this year's game will take on a different tune.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Woods, JV at Bridgeland. Game times, as always, are 4:30 and 6:30. 

Location of Bridgeland High School

Cy Woods 31, Langham Creek 14: Rain, rain, go away

2019 Record: 2-2, 2-0 in District 14-6A

Photo courtesy: Phlox Photography

Photo galleries for this week's games, including Cy Woods JV games 

While the Cy-Fair area was largely spared from Tropical Storm Imelda's wrath, the district decided to postpone this game, which was originally scheduled for Thursday, to Saturday afternoon. As a result, the Cypress Woods Wildcats got up bright and early and dispatched the Langham Creek Lobos 31-14 on Saturday afternoon. Nothing like an unexpected day game.

Coming in, I had a feeling that the Cats might come out flat in the beginning because of the rescheduling. After all, this game was supposed to take place on Thursday, but they had to come in on Saturday afternoon to play due to a situation beyond their control. I felt like they handled this situation well enough, even though they appeared listless on offense in the first half. I'll be honest: the Cats were far from their best in this one.

Fortunately, this wasn't the Langham Creek of old that they were going up against. The defense handled their business against a Lobo offense that featured six sophomores and the offense did enough to earn the win. Not all victories can be pretty, 55-0 blowouts. Winning ugly isn't ideal, especially against a team that is starting a rebuilding phase. It's infinitely better than losing, though!

On to Bridgeland, and it's going to be imperative for the Cats to be much better than what they showed on Saturday.

What Happened

When a team has the ball for 34 out of a possible 48 minutes, they definitely wanted to get this game over with. I can't say I blame the Cats because again, they weren't supposed to be playing on Saturday afternoon.

After eleven minutes and thirty-five seconds in the first quarter elapsed without points, Konner Sabrsula finally opened the scoring when he caught a 14-yard pass from Jackson Jones on Cy Woods' second offensive possession of the game. On their first drive, they went 60 yards in eleven plays, took over six minutes off the clock and got to Langham's three-yard line, but the Lobo defense ended up turning them away.

End of 1st Quarter: Cy Woods 7, Langham Creek 0

Woods got a relatively short field following a Langham punt early in the second quarter and they slowly but surely made their way downfield and Jackson capped off the drive by finding Cam Sowell for a 21-yard scoring pass.

Halftime: Cy Woods 14, Langham Creek 0

Langham Creek pinned the Cats at their end zone, forced a three-and-out, and got a short field to work with. They'd get on the board on their next series thanks to Jayden Landry's 33-yard run on a fourth down. Woods responded near the end of the third with a 19-yard scoring run from Rudy Mejia.

End of 3rd Quarter: Cy Woods 21, Langham Creek 7

Mejia's score appeared to snap the Cats out of their stupor as they marched right back down the field after turning the Lobos over on downs and capped it off with Jeshurun Williams' two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Gavin Snow picked off Seth Johnson but they couldn't convert the miscue into points as Michael Fernandez sent a 33-yard field goal wide left. He got another chance after Michael Akita intercepted another pass from Johnson and hit from 42. The Lobos capped off the scoring when Jordan Shields bulled his way into the end zone with a ten-yard run with just over 1:30 left.

Final: Cy Woods 31, Langham Creek 14

Ground

The Cats ran for over 200 yards for the second consecutive week, but they needed 57 attempts to gain their 204 yards. Trayse Holmes busted loose for a 38-yard run, the Cats' longest run of the year. He came up grabbing his shoulder after the play, but he shook it off. Langham looked intent on keeping the Cats from burning them on the edges.

Eleven players recorded a rushing attempt in this game. It's nice when everyone gets a chance to appear in a game.

All statistics from Varsity Wires.

Jackson Jones: 16 rush, 43 yards
Trayse Holmes: 10 rush, 60 yards
Christian Scott: 8 rush, 48 yards
Rudy Mejia: 6 rush, 21 yards, TD
Dylan Cormier: 5 rush, 24 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 4 rush, 19 yards, TD
Victor Benavides: 2 rush, 3 yards
Team: 2 rush, -25 yards (bad snap in 2nd quarter, botched pitch in 3rd quarter)
Cameron Sowell: 1 rush, 5 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 1 rush, 3 yards
Aaron Recio: 1 rush, 3 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, 0 yards

Air

Jackson Jones had his best game of the season in terms of passing accuracy, which is certainly a welcome sign. He also went interception-free, also another good sign. Jackson was also battling a little illness in the build-up to this game, so hopefully, he can get over that bug as soon as possible. Dylan Cormier handled the offense well in his one series at the helm.

Jackson Jones: 10-17, 136 yards, 2 TD
Dylan Cormier: 1-1, 9 yards

Christian Scott: 3 rec, 47 yards
Cameron Sowell: 2 rec, 44 yards, TD
Amari McDonald: 2 rec, 24 yards
Trayse Holmes: 2 rec, 11 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rec, 14 yards, TD
Ryan Faulk: 1 rec, 5 yards

Defense

Langham Creek did not have a drive longer than six plays and their longest drive, which ended in a punt, lasted 2:20. The Cats defense took care of business against this young Lobo offense. They're going to have to step up in a huge way next week, that's for sure.

Sixteen Wildcats recorded a tackle and Colton Morris was the runaway leader with seven. Chris Agnew finished in second place with three. Jason Christenson and Jakob Jones teamed up to sack Langham quarterback Seth Johnson early in the second quarter.

Interceptions

Gavin Snow - 1, returned 8 yards
Michael Akita - 1, returned 9 yards

Special Teams

Michael Fernandez missed a 33-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter but when he got another chance for a field goal, he made a 42-yarder about three minutes later. He also hit all four of his extra-point attempts.

Michael Fernandez: 1-2 FG (made 42, missed 33), 4-4 XP
Trajan Armstrong: 2 punts, 52 yards (26 yards per punt), long of 35; one punt blocked

Chase Richter had another nice return to set the Cats up with good field position, but unfortunately, the offense could not capitalize. After Langham scored their first touchdown of the day, JaVarian Stewart fielded a kickoff and had some action on his mind after returning one for a touchdown against Tomball Memorial, but his legs wound up betraying him as he slipped and fell.

Chase Richter: 3 punt returns, 42 yards, long of 26
JaVarian Stewart: 1 kick return, 8 yards

Some lapses in kickoff coverage allowed Langham Creek's Naisiah Jacobs to bust off a couple of long returns, the second of which was an 80-yarder that Jacobs actually fumbled, but the ball was recovered inside the Cats' five-yard line and set up the Lobos' second score.

Man of the Match

No real standout performances on either side of the ball, but Colton Morris and Jackson Jones get the nod for this game.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshman Gold (2-1) 7, Cy Falls 6
Freshman Cardinal (4-0) 43, Langham Creek 8
Langham Creek 34, JV Gold (2-1) 20
Langham Creek 38, JV Cardinal (2-2) 36

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will take on the Bridgeland Bears at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on Friday, September 27, at 7:00 PM. Cy Woods will be the home team in this game.

Know the Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

2019 Regular Season, Week 4: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-2, 1-0) @ Langham Creek Lobos (0-3, 0-1)
6:30 PM Thursday, September 19, 2019
Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cats began District 14-6A play by snatching a 31-28 victory over Tomball Memorial, thanks to Michael Fernandez's 24-yard field goal with six seconds remaining in regulation. Taber Tofte had eleven tackles and forced a fumble. Kahlil Robinson broke up two more passes and none of them was bigger than his breakup on Joseph Manjack in the fourth quarter to keep the game tied at 28.

Christian Scott stuffed the box score as he ran for 80 yards and a touchdown, caught three passes for 72 yards, and also added 85 more yards on kickoff returns. Cameron Sowell had 124 yards receiving and kicked off Woods' game-winning drive with an unbelievable one-handed grab that went for 26 yards. 

Cy Woods scored touchdowns in all three phases of the game as JaVarian Stewart returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and Reagan Simmons returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown.

Now, the Cats kick off Week 4 in District 14-6A with a tussle against Langham Creek. It's the fourth year in a row that the Cats and Lobos have met on a Thursday. At least we're not traveling to Pridgeon again!

District 14-6A

Current Standings

1. Bridgeland (3-0, 1-0)

2. Cypress Lakes (2-1, 1-0)
3. Cypress Ranch (2-1, 1-0)

4. Cypress Woods (1-2, 1-0)

5. Bryan (1-1)
6. Tomball Memorial (2-1, 0-1)

7. Cypress Park (0-3, 0-1)

8. Langham Creek (0-3, 0-1)

9. Cypress Springs (0-3, 0-1)

Week 3 Results

Bye: Bryan

Thursday, September 12

Cy Ranch 55, Langham Creek 7

Friday, September 13

Cy Woods 31, Tomball Memorial 28

Bridgeland 38, Cy Springs 0

Saturday, September 14

Cy Lakes 61, Cy Park 28

Week 4 Schedule

Bye: Cy Park

Thursday, September 19

Langham Creek vs. Cy Woods, 6:30 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium 

Friday, September 20

Tomball Memorial vs. Bryan, 7:00 at Tomball ISD Stadium

Cy Lakes vs. Cy Springs, 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Saturday, September 21

Bridgeland vs. Cypress Ranch, 6:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

The Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

2018 Record: 6-5, 6-2 (4th) in District 14-6A

Lost 21-15 to Cedar Ridge in 6A Division I, Region II bi-district round

Langham Creek season-to-date

L 17-0 vs. Klein Oak

L 19-2 @ Bush

L 55-7 @ Cy Ranch

In the first game of the District 14-6A slate, the Lobos were soundly trounced by Cy Ranch, 55-7. They found the end zone for the first time this season when Jordan Shields, a linebacker by trade, bulldozed his way in from two yards out in the second quarter. 

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 6-5.

Previous Meetings

September 13, 2018: Woods 41, Langham 39

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

Kash McCray - JR RB #6
Brayden Staggs - SR OL #72
Daniel Keys - SR OL #51
Ernest Thomas - SR DL #60
Alex Rodriguez - SR DL #15
Jordan Shields - SR LB #17
Tyler Wardlow - SR LB #29
Keyshawn LeBlanc - SR DB #41
Henry Jackson - JR DB #3
Everett Ornstein - SR K/P #12

2¢ on Langham Creek

Chris Herron's departure has left the Lobos in a state of transition. Unfortunately, it appears that the first stage of this transition is hitting rock bottom. Langham was shut out for the first time in seven years in their season opener against Klein Oak. In Sugar Land, they had one first down and 47 yards of offense against Bush. They lost a district game by 40 or more points for the first time since 2007 when Ranch throttled them last week. This is clearly a Langham Creek team that is about to begin a rebuilding phase.

With that being said, the Cats absolutely cannot take the Lobos lightly, even with all of the hardships they've had to endure on offense. While they were ravaged by graduation on offense, they've got a few players on the defensive side of the ball who can certainly cause issues for Cy Woods.

Kash McCray is looking to build upon a promising sophomore season. Not only is he their leading returning rusher, he's also their leading returning receiver. McCray will run behind a line anchored by Brayden Staggs, a captain three-year starter, and Daniel Keys. In three games, they've had three different players take snaps at quarterback in Kelon Manning, Joe Puccio, and Jalen Herndon, so they'll need to settle that situation immediately.

Even though Ranch put up 55 on them, the Lobos still have a fair amount of talent returning on defense, especially up front. Ernest Thomas is a three-year starter at nose tackle while Alex Rodriguez is also a returning starter. Jordan Shields had 113 tackles last year and is the district's leading returning tackler. He'll be joined by Tyler Wardlow, who played well in a backup role last season. Langham has had some success in developing linebackers over the years and Anthony Caudillo, A.J. Owens and Jayhvion Gipson are a trio to watch for the future. Keyshawn LeBlanc and Henry Jackson will lead the secondary. Everett Ornstein spent his first two seasons platooning with Kevin Marks, but this year, he's handling the kicking and punting duties on his own. Against Klein Oak, he had a particularly impressive punt with his left foot while under duress.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

Last year's affair was delayed by lightning. When the all-clear was given, the Cats and Lobos went on to deliver one of the best games in Cy-Fair ISD in 2018.

Chris Herron scored on a one-yard run with 1:13 left in the game to put Langham Creek up 39-38 and complete a comeback from a 35-14 deficit. However, the Wildcats had enough time for a last-gasp drive and in the end, Gustavo Olmedo saved the day by kicking a game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired to give Cy Woods a breathtaking, heart-stopping 41-39 victory. Carson Danner ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more. Danner ran for 169 yards on the night, while Jake Tesch had 121.

The defense hounded Herron all night as they forced him into committing seven turnovers (!!!); he fumbled the ball five times and lost three of them and he also threw four interceptions. Chase Richter had seven tackles to lead the Wildcats in that category. Jackson Hosemann, Reagan Simmons, Nolan Authorlee, and Caleb Rutherford all picked Herron off. Rutherford, along with Chris Agnew and Jason Christenson, recovered fumbles for the Cats.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

As it's a Thursday game week, the freshmen and JV will play on Wednesday.

Langham Creek has one freshman team this year. As a result, Cy Woods' Freshman Cardinal team will travel to Langham to play a game at 5:30. Meanwhile, the Freshman Gold team will travel to Cy Falls to play a game at 6:30.

The JV will play at Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30.

Location of Langham Creek High School



Freshman Gold: Location of Cypress Falls High School

Cy Woods 31, Tomball Memorial 28: Who are we? The Wildcats! Who did we just beat? The Wildcats!

2019 Record: 1-2, 1-0 in District 14-6A

All photographs in this post are courtesy of Phlox Photography unless stated otherwise. Here are the photo galleries for this week's games. 

"All the underdogs in the world!
A day may come where we lose, but it is not today.
Today we fight!" - BTS

I must admit that coming into this game, knowing what happened last season when Cy Woods tussled with Tomball Memorial gave me a sense of dread and I also wondered what would be going through their heads after losing a heartbreaker to Spring the week before. Woods definitely came into this game as the underdog (or cat, I guess); they were stumbling into district play at 0-2 while Tomball Memorial made short work of Tomball and Klein, looking like threats to contend for a district title once again.

When Tomball Memorial scored in two plays after Woods had opened up the scoring, I had the feeling that it was going to be another shootout and it wouldn't bode well for the team that ran out of bullets first.

Instead, both teams stood their ground and traded scores all evening. Cy Woods started the scoring and in the end, they finished the scoring as Michael Fernandez's 24-yard field goal with six seconds remaining in regulation sailed through the uprights and gave Cy Woods a 31-28 victory over Tomball Memorial in a game filled with its share of dramatics.

Yes, winning one of the two non-district games would have been nice. But then again, having success in district play is the ultimate determination between making the playoffs and missing it. Not only did Cy Woods start off on the right foot in district, they also avenged a blowout loss in the process.

We have seen the true character of this team over the last five quarters of football. This is a team that believes that they will always have a chance to win a game, no matter the odds. They displayed their resilience in coming back against Spring even though they ultimately lost. Against Tomball Memorial, they utilized the hard lessons they had to learn after such a bitter defeat in order to finish off a victory against one of the best teams they will face all season. Without a doubt, they finished this game.

And now, on to Langham Creek.

What Happened

After a nice punt return from Chase Richter and a personal foul on Tomball Memorial, Trayse Holmes opened the scoring with a 13-yard run. Tomball Memorial responded with a 72-yard touchdown pass by Colton Marwill to Joseph Manjack. On the ensuing kickoff, JaVarian Stewart took it 93 yards to the house. There was a flag but the penalty was on Tomball Memorial, so Stewart got his first touchdown as a varsity football player.

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

Marwill pushed a pile and found the end zone from four yards out. Christian Scott had a nice return on the ensuing kickoff and then on the ensuing drive, Dylan Cormier took the ball on the reverse and fired it to a wide-open Christian for 43 yards. Christian capped off that drive with an eight-yard touchdown run.

Halftime: Cy Woods 21, Tomball Memorial 14

Marwill hit Logan Kyle for a 24-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring in the second half. Woods turned the ball over on downs on their next drive, but Reagan Simmons put them back in front by picking off Marwill and taking it 43 yards to the house. Tomball Memorial re-tied the game after Carbrey Barnes took it up the middle and scored from 24 yards. A tense final twelve minutes awaits...

End of 3rd Quarter: Cy Woods 28, Tomball Memorial 28

Eleven minutes and fifty-four seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter without a point until Michael Fernandez's 24-yard field goal. Cy Woods was set up by another good punt return by Chase Richter, who took it to Tomball Memorial's 39. On the first play of the drive, Jackson Jones threw it to Cam Sowell, who made a one-handed catch and then trapped the ball against his helmet to secure it. Christian Scott caught a pass for six yards and Fernandez came on to win it.

Final: Cy Woods 31, Tomball Memorial 28

Ground

After running for just 136 yards as a team in non-district play, Cy Woods busted out for 200 against Tomball Memorial and gained a little over five yards per rush. That's a little more like it. They had to grind out some yardage against a stout Tomball Memorial defensive line, which was what I sort of expected. The outside runs proved to be the key as it allowed them to get out of the mess up front and they managed to unlock the defense once Christian Scott got involved. Christian busted out a few nice runs, including a 31-yarder that put them at the foot of the red zone in the fourth quarter.

Jackson Jones also found his footing in the run game; he had a 47-yard run that was negated by a holding call. I'm sure he would have loved to have that run shown on his line, but he did find Cam Sowell to get Woods out of first and 35 on the next play.

All statistics from Varsity Wires.

Jackson Jones: 18 rush, 65 yards
Trayse Holmes: 10 rush, 43 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 7 rush, 81 yards, TD
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, 11 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 1 rush, 1 yard

Air

It would've been nice if Woods could have made it 2-2 on offensive drives in the first quarter to make it a two-score game. Christian Scott was outmuscled by Kerwin Ross, who ended up getting an interception in the red zone to turn Woods away.

No touchdowns in the passing game, but that doesn't mean that Woods was shut down in this phase. They also used some... creative means to move the ball through the air as well. Oh, and that catch from Cam Sowell in that situation... players make plays.

Jackson Jones: 7-17, 153 yards, INT
Dylan Cormier: 1-1, 43 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 0-1

Cameron Sowell: 5 rec, 124 yards
Christian Scott: 3 rec, 72 yards

Me, after seeing that catch:

This was a screenshot I took on my computer a long time ago

Defense

I don't think I've seen a team successfully convert three fourth-down situations on one drive, but Tomball Memorial did, right after they got the ball back on Ross's interception. That was part of a 14-play, 90-yard drive that was capped off by Marwill's touchdown run on... fourth down. That's rough, but every defense is bound to give up those kinds of scoring drives. TM went 2-13 on third down but somehow went 4-6 on fourth down.

Kahlil Robinson had two more pass breakups and came up huge again late. Early in the fourth, with Tomball Memorial driving to try and take the lead yet again, Marwill threw one up to the end zone for Joseph Manjack, who had gotten the better of Kahlil in the first quarter with a 72-yard touchdown. Manjack was a step in front but Kahlil recovered and got to Manjack right as the ball reached his hands to break up the pass and keep the game tied. One play later, Tomball Memorial turned it over on downs. Logan Kyle was... oddly quiet, even though he did have a 24-yard touchdown catch. He had six other catches and recorded a meager 43 yards on those six.

Carbrey Barnes ran for 191 yards, but everyone else on his team combined to run for eight yards. I'll admit, it did get frustrating watching him run off tackle to the left and getting six or seven yards every time. But then again, he wound up emptying the tank in three quarters. In the fourth, he ran for only nine yards on six carries and had a fumble. Marwill did score once, but most of the running he did was for his well-being because Woods got solid pressure on him all evening.

Eighteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Taber Tofte led the way with eleven. He also forced Barnes to fumble on the third play of the evening. With his eleven tackles, he now moves ahead of Colton Morris in that category by one (Taber 21, Colton 20).

Trajan Armstrong, Chris Agnew, Jakob Jones, and Colton Morris all got to Marwill in this game and they hung a total loss of 34 yards on Marwill's rushing line.

Reagan Simmons' pick-six couldn't have come at a better time. Cy Woods had turned the ball over and Tomball Memorial was looking to take the lead. Reagan obviously had other ideas.

Special Teams


In terms of kickoff and punt returns, I don't think Cy Woods has had a better game than this one. JaVarian Stewart became the seventh Cy Woods player to return a kickoff for a touchdown. This was Cy Woods' first kickoff return touchdown in five years; the last time this occurred came in 2014, when Jordan Johnson ran one back against Jersey Village. Tomball Memorial thought they'd get away with kicking it to Christian Scott instead, but they somehow forgot that Christian has been Woods' primary kickoff returner for three years. Chase Richter returned two punts into Tomball Memorial territory and Woods came away with points each time.

Christian Scott - 3 kicks returned, 85 yards; long of 33
JaVarian Stewart - 2 kicks returned, 103 yards, TD; long of 93
Chase Richter - 2 punts returned, 67 yards; long of 48

None of them made a blunder as big as Kyle, who fielded a kickoff at the two-yard line and his momentum ended up taking him into the end zone. Unfortunately for him, that meant that he couldn't kneel, otherwise Woods would have gotten a safety. He ended up getting swallowed up at his team's own six. I also learned that the kicking team can also be called for holding on kickoffs. Don't think I've seen that before.

Michael Fernandez may have missed his first two field goal attempts but when he absolutely needed to make one, he did just that. He also made all four of his extra point attempts. Trajan Armstrong took over the punting duties and I believe that this will benefit Woods' special teams unit moving forward.

Michael Fernandez: 1-3 FG (made 24; missed 34, 20), 4-4 XP
Trajan Armstrong: 2 punts, 69 yards (34.5 yards per punt); long of 36

Man of the Match

1. Michael Fernandez

Michael could've just packed it in and called it a night after seeing his 34-yard field goal attempt sail just wide to the left. His second try, from 20 yards, ended up getting blocked. When he was summoned once again, however, the third time proved to be the charm as his 24-yard field goal was the difference between the Wildcats and the Wildcats. He showed his resilience by putting his two prior misses behind him and nailing the biggest kick of his career so far. Michael should be even better now that it looks like he'll be focusing exclusively on placekicking.

2. Cameron Sowell

One of the best catches you'll see all year. In all my years of watching Cy Woods football, this might be the most spectacular catch I've ever seen, especially given the game situation. In any other system, Cam could put up 1,000 yards easily. Playing in this Woods offense as a wide receiver requires a great deal of sacrifice because as we've all seen, Woods is now very much a run-first team.

That hasn't stopped Cam from making big plays, however. He may not have scored on Friday, but getting 43, 40, and 26 (on that catch) shows that he's a playmaker. After recording just one catch through the first two games, him getting five in this one was great to see.

3. Returns

Special teams played a crucial role in this Woods victory. At this point, I've discussed Michael Fernandez's kick ad nauseam, so let's look at the kick/punt return game.

The return game was won by Woods in an absolute landslide. JaVarian Stewart wrestled the momentum back to Cy Woods' side with his kick return touchdown. Tomball Memorial thought they'd be off the hook by deciding to kick to Christian Scott. Both of Chase Richter's punt returns set up Woods scoring drives.

In addition, Woods turned the ball over on downs to a Tomball Memorial team looking to take the lead for the first time. Reagan Simmons came up with the interception and returned it for a touchdown to put Cy Woods back in front.

4. Christian Scott

Speaking of Christian, he came into this season with high expectations. He was expected to be the guy who would replace the vast majority of Jake Tesch's production last season. So far, so good. Another touchdown on the ground and with his contributions on kickoff returns, he certainly had a huge game.

5. JaVarian Stewart

Not a bad way to score your first touchdown at the varsity level. He's made some good things happen in the return game and with Rudy Mejía's injury, JaVarian looks to be in line to take on a greater role in the offense.

6. Kahlil Robinson

Probably made the defensive play of the game. He also missed a couple of opportunities to get an interception, but he certainly did his part in saving the night.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshman Gold (1-1) 40, Tomball Memorial 0
Freshman Cardinal (3-0) 44, Tomball Memorial 8
JV Gold (2-0) 28, Tomball Memorial 24
JV Cardinal (2-1) 15, Tomball Memorial 0

Looking Ahead

Cy Woods will kick off Week 4 in District 14-6A when they face the Langham Creek Lobos at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 PM. Cy Woods will be the away team in this game. After three straight weeks at Pridgeon to start the year, I welcome this change of venue.

Know the Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats

2019 Regular Season, Week 3: Cypress Woods Wildcats (0-2) vs. Tomball Memorial Wildcats (2-0)
7:00 PM Friday, September 13, 2019
Pridgeon Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats trailed Spring 40-20 after three quarters. They managed to erase that deficit and took a 43-40 lead... only to lose 47-43. I'm going to stop talking about this game now.

And now, the real season begins. Unfortunately, Cy Woods will be stumbling into District 14-6A play while Tomball Memorial pounded Tomball and Klein to open their season. The good thing is, as Coach Neill pointed out to me, everybody's 0-0 now.

I know I used this last year but I'm using it anytime Cy Woods plays another school that has the Wildcat as their mascot.

The Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats

2018 Record: 8-3, 6-2 (2nd) in District 14-6A

Lost 35-14 to Vandegrift in 6A Division II, Region II bi-district round

Tomball Memorial laid waste to their non-district schedule as they smacked Tomball 48-14 in their season opener and mauled Klein 47-21 last week.

All-Time Series

Tomball Memorial leads 1-0.

Previous Meeting

September 14, 2018: Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21

Players to Watch

Colton Marwill - JR QB #4
Logan Kyle - SR WR #21
Joseph Manjack - JR WR #14
Carbrey Barnes - JR RB #5
Cameron Cook - JR OL #77
Braedon Nutter - SR OL/DL #52
Elijah Champaigne - SR DL #58
Trenton Moore - SR LB #9
Seth Fremin - SR LB #8
Hayden Davis - JR LB/DB #3
Tre Jordan - JR DB #1
Josh Ruiz - JR DB #17

2¢ on Tomball Memorial

The Wildcats lost last year's starting quarterback, Chandler Galban, after he transferred to Lone Star High School in Frisco. Christian Lovick and Colbie Habermacher, their top two rushers from last season and two of their leading receivers, Jordan Gidrey and Jordan Grice have all departed as well, but they haven't appeared to miss a beat on offense.

But... they do have Logan Kyle returning to the fold. One of the top receivers in the state, he's committed to Vanderbilt and Dave Campbell's tabbed him as the preseason Offensive MVP in the district. You may remember that he scored on a 99-yard touchdown reception on Tomball Memorial's first offensive play of last year's meeting. This year, he has backup in the form of Joseph Manjack, a transfer from Alief Hastings. Manjack, who also played some quarterback at Hastings, is a rising star in the city and together, they may be the best 1-2 receiver tandem in the Houston area.

The offense is now in the hands of Colton Marwill, a junior who was Galban's backup last year. He's stepping into a very nice situation with Kyle and Manjack as his top two receivers, to say the least. Carbrey Barnes has emerged as the #1 running back for TMHS and he's turned into the workhorse, though they'll probably look to find someone to take some of the load off of him. Barnes enters district play as District 14-6A's leading rusher.

A relatively young defense is now a year older and they've got playmakers at every level. Braedon Nutter anchors the defensive line and has also become the starting center. Elijah Champaigne is a Tulane commit who led TM with seven sacks last season. Trenton Moore and Josh Ruiz are the leading returning tacklers. Moore can also get to the quarterback as he finished right behind Champaigne with six sacks of his own. He and Seth Fremin give Tomball Memorial two formidable linebackers. The secondary is stacked with talent as Ruiz, Tre Jordan, Darnell Streat, and Alex Edmonson, who all saw playing time as sophomores, return. Hayden Davis is one of the hybrid linebacker/safety types that are becoming increasingly more common in the game; he was yet another sophomore who emerged as a key player for the Tomball Memorial defense last season.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

When Cy Woods couldn't keep up, it got ugly. Woods tied the game at 21 midway through the second quarter, but Tomball Memorial finished the game by scoring 34 unanswered to run away with a 55-21 victory. Chase Richter had 16 tackles on the night while Carson Danner ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

JV at Tomball Memorial, Freshmen at Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Thursday.

Location of Tomball Memorial High School

Spring 47, Cy Woods 43: In Vain, In Pain

2019 Record: 0-2

Photo by Tom Dendy

Photo gallery for this week's games

After the third quarter, the Cypress Woods Wildcats trailed the Spring Lions 40-20 and they looked utterly shellshocked. Getting outscored 28-6 in twelve minutes can have that effect on teams.

But suddenly, the Cats found a second wind in the fourth quarter and they found themselves with a 43-40 lead with 7:45 left. And then Spring quarterback Alden Bradley scored on a keeper with 1:19 to go in the game. The Wildcats responded with a drive in a last-ditch attempt to reclaim the lead but sadly, Jackson Jones' hail mary went unanswered and the Lions wound up stealing this game right back from the Cats, escaping with a 47-43 victory.

And just like that, the fact that the 20-point deficit was the largest deficit ever overcome by a Cy Woods football team just becomes a footnote in a game that they ultimately lost. There's no worse feeling than doing all that work to come back (and take the lead!!!), only to lose in the end.

I'm always excited for a new Cy Woods football season and this year (still) has the potential to be truly special. As we've seen, however, this season hasn't started out the way we all expected. The non-district phase, mercifully, is over. There's still plenty of time to right this ship.

The Cats showed tremendous character in erasing that 20-point deficit, no doubt. But this team is too good to settle for moral victories. In the end, they didn't finish, and that's why they're entering district play 0-2 instead of 1-1. No time to wallow over this loss, either. Tomball Memorial is definitely relishing the chance to put Woods in an early hole.  Lest we forget, this is a Tomball Memorial team that turned last year's game into a rout in the second half.

What Happened

A rather ho-hum first half gave way to a chaotic second half in which the Lions were on the verge of a blowout victory until Cy Woods finally woke from their stupor.

After a 49-yard pass on third and 16, Alden Bradley opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown run. The Cats responded with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Jones to Amari McDonald.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 7, Spring 6

Cy Woods got the ball to start the second quarter and Rudy Mejía finished off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. A Jackson Jones pass was picked off shortly before halftime and Spring got back on the board as Terrance Singleton got the pitch and fired it to a wide-open Cadyn Bradley for a 46-yard touchdown.

Halftime: Woods 14, Spring 12

That touchdown kicked off a stretch of 21 unanswered points for the Lions, who wound up with a 33-14 lead at the end of it. Bailee Davenport caught two touchdown passes of 18 and 14 yards and Bradley scored on a 41-yard run. Christian Scott stopped the run when he caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Jackson, but the Lions responded with a 75-yard touchdown run from Singleton and it looked like the Wildcats' death knell was impending.

End of 3rd Quarter: Spring 40, Woods 20

Christian scored again on a one-yard run and after a Taber Tofte interception and a Spring personal foul penalty that put the ball at the Lions' five-yard line, Trayse Holmes punched it in from five yards out and then Jackson found Colton Morris for two points. The Cat defense forced a turnover on downs on their next series. The offense suddenly found itself moving backward, but Jackson heaved one up for Cameron Sowell, who caught the ball while fully extended, absorbed the contact from the Spring defensive back, kept his balance, and outran everybody for a 75-yard touchdown. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Konner Sabrsula got the ball on a reverse and found Jackson wide open in the end zone. Cy Woods, down 40-20 entering the last twelve minutes, now led 43-40.

It was all for naught as Bradley scored on a 14-yard run with 1:19 left in the game. This came after Woods went three-and-out in an attempt to burn some clock and a 24-yard punt that gave the Lions the ball at the Cats' 38. The Cats got to the Lions' 22-yard line, but that was as close as they could get. A sack and fumble drove them back to the 39, and Jackson's last-gasp heave towards the end zone was picked off.

What a moronic game.

Final: Spring 47, Woods 43

Ground

For a team that wants to run first, averaging less than two yards per rushing attempt is absolutely unacceptable. Linemen not blocking, receivers not blocking... whatever the cause, the Cats did not get a thing from the run game in non-district play.

All statistics from Varsity Wires.

Trayse Holmes: 10 rush, 39 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 7 rush, 28 yards, TD
Rudy Mejía: 4 rush, 15 yards, TD
Konner Sabrsula: 4 rush, 8 yards
JJ Williams: 2 rush, 4 yards
Team: 1 rush, -2 yards
Cameron Sowell: 1 rush, -6 yards
Jackson Jones: 13 rush, -9 yards

Air

Too many throws bouncing off receivers' hands in this one. Some of them looked hot, but a few more of them looked like they were right on the money; the plays just weren't being completed.

Jackson Jones: 15-30, 293 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Christian Scott: 0-1

Christian Scott: 5 rec, 111 yards, TD
Amari McDonald: 2 rec, 49 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 1 rec, 75 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 3 rec, 10 yards
Rudy Mejía: 2 rec, 5 yards
JJ Williams: 1 rec, 35 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rec, 8 yards

Defense

The tandem of Terrance Singleton and Alden Bradley gashed the Cats to the tune of 272 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries. They ran zone read like 90% of the time in the second half and it seemed like that play always resulted in positive yardage for the Lions.

Kahlil Robinson broke up a couple of passes, one coming on a hit to jar the ball loose. On the other one, a more nitpicky ref could have called him for pass interference. Taber Tofte had a huge interception in the fourth quarter that set up a Woods score.

Eighteen different Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game; Chase Richter and Riley Redgrave shared the top spot with eight apiece. Redgrave and Austyn Cohrs had two tackles that resulted in a loss of yards.

Sacks

It's been a while since I saw a Woods defense get consistent pressure on the quarterback.

Riley Redgrave 1.5
Austyn Cohrs 1
Jason Christenson 1
Tyler Sherrill 1
Mason Rickmers 1
Colton Morris 0.5

Interceptions

Taber Tofte - 1, returned 25 yards

Special Teams

Another bad snap on a punt... this time, it sailed about ten feet over Michael Fernandez's head and rolled inside the Cats' five-yard line. He didn't fall on the ball; instead, he ended up kicking it into the ground while under severe duress. Unfortunately, that set the Lions up at the Woods 14 and they ended up scoring, but he at least managed to kick the ball away. Fernandez will need to improve on the 27 yards per punt figure that he's bringing into district play.

On the placekicking side, Fernandez has been largely steady, even though he did have an extra point attempt that was blocked. He went 5-6 on extra points in this one.

Michael Fernandez: 5-6 XP; 5 punts, 152 yards (30.4 yards per punt), long of 38

Christian Scott rattled off a 42-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, following Spring's first touchdown. Chase Richter looked like he had a nice punt return in the cards until he got upended out of nowhere.

Amari McDonald: 4 kick returns, 49 yards, long of 16
Christian Scott: 3 kick returns, 78 yards, long of 42
Chase Richter: 1 punt return, 5 yards

Man of the Match

Christian Scott was there when the Cats needed a big play, or at the very least, a decent gain. In all, he recorded 217 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

Riley Redgrave shined on defense as well and his 1.5 sacks in this game puts him on top in that category for the Cats entering district play.

Sub-Varsity Results

Spring Freshman B 14, Cy Woods Freshman Gold 12 (0-1)
Cy Woods Freshman Cardinal 40 (2-0), Spring Freshman A 22
Cy Woods JV Gold 36 (1-0), Spring Sophomores 22
Spring JV 22, Cy Woods JV Cardinal 15 (1-1)

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will open District 14-6A play against the Tomball Memorial Wildcats at Pridgeon Stadium on Friday, September 13. Kickoff is at 7:00.