Know the Enemy: Bye

2019 Regular Season, Week 10: Cypress Woods Wildcats (6-3, 6-1) vs. Bye
Whatever time the Ranch game ended, Saturday, October 26, 2019

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

I'm not sure, the last game seems to be missing from my memory.

Well, since Cy Woods is off this week, let's delve into the current standings and playoff scenarios.

District 14-6A

Current Standings

The current top four teams are in italics. Teams in bold have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have been stricken through have been eliminated or are on the verge of getting eliminated from playoff contention. 

Three of the four playoff spots in 14-6A have been secured.

1. Cypress Woods (6-3, 6-1) - DI lock

2. Tomball Memorial (7-1, 5-1) - DII lock
3. Cypress Ranch (6-2, 5-1) - DII if Lakes qualifies

4. Bridgeland (6-2, 4-2) - DII if they qualify

5. Cypress Lakes (5-4, 4-3) - DI if they qualify
6. Cypress Park (2-6, 2-4)

7. Bryan (2-6, 1-5)

8. Langham Creek (1-7, 1-5)

9. Cypress Springs (0-8, 0-6)

Week 9 Results

Friday, October 25

Cypress Lakes 33, Langham Creek 24

Tomball Memorial 36, Cypress Park 35

Bryan 37, Cypress Springs 19

Saturday, October 26

*missing from my memory*

Week 10 Schedule

Bye: Cypress Woods (6-3, 6-1)

Thursday, October 31

Cypress Lakes (5-4, 4-3) vs. Bridgeland (6-2, 4-2), 6:30 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Cypress Springs (0-8, 0-6) vs. Tomball Memorial (7-1, 5-1), 6:30 at Pridgeon Stadium

Friday, November 1

Cypress Ranch (6-2, 5-1) vs. Bryan (2-6, 1-5), 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Saturday, November 2

Cypress Park (2-6, 2-4) vs. Langham Creek (1-7, 1-5), 1:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

The game to watch this week is Lakes/Bridgeland on Halloween. The winner will effectively get the final playoff spot in 14-6A. 

If Lakes wins: 

- Cy Woods will be the #1 seed and Cy Lakes will be the #2 seed in Division I. 

- The Tomball Memorial/Cy Ranch game in Week 11 is for seeding in Division II. Depending on the result of the Cy Woods/Bryan game, this game will also determine whether one of these teams gets to share the district championship with Cy Woods or win it outright.

- Bridgeland is eliminated from playoff contention. The result of their game against Cy Park in Week 11 will be rendered irrelevant.

If Bridgeland wins: 

- Cy Ranch will be the #1 seed and Cy Woods will be the #2 seed in Division I. 

- Tomball Memorial will be the #1 seed and Bridgeland will be the #2 seed in Division II.

District 13-6A

1. Vandegrift (8-0, 6-0) - #1 seed in DII

2. Vista Ridge (7-2, 5-2) - #2 seed in DII

3. Round Rock (6-2, 4-2) - DI lock

4. Stony Point (6-2, 4-2) - Safe DI

5. Cedar Ridge (4-4, 3-3) 

6. Westwood (4-4, 3-3)

7. McNeil (3-5, 2-4) 

8. Hendrickson (2-6, 1-5)

9. Leander (0-8, 0-6)

Week 9 Results

The Division II teams are set and it'll be Vandegrift and Vista Ridge. The Division I spots have yet to be determined.

Round Rock and Stony Point, who are currently the Division I teams in 13-6A, both lost last week. As a result, the door is still sort of open for Westwood and Cedar Ridge. McNeil needs a bunch of miracles to steal a playoff spot.

Thursday, October 24

McNeil 38, Stony Point 28

Friday, October 25

Vista Ridge 35, Hendrickson 32

Westwood 49, Leander 20

Cedar Ridge 58, Round Rock 47

Week 10 Schedule

Bye: Vista Ridge

Thursday, October 31

Hendrickson vs. Round Rock

Friday, November 1

Stony Point vs. Westwood

Leander vs. Vandegrift

Cedar Ridge vs. McNeil

And now, a look at the rest of Region II.

9-6A - Collin County: Allen has pretty much wrapped up the #1 seed for Division I. The other Division I representative from this district is yet to be determined. Right now, it is Plano, who lost to Dallas Jesuit 34-26 last week to fall to 3-2 in district. McKinney moved to 2-3 with a 28-23 win over Plano East. If McKinney advances to the playoffs, Prosper would be the #2 seed in Division I. 

Plano finishes the season with McKinney Boyd and Prosper, while McKinney's final two games are against Jesuit and Boyd. Plano defeated McKinney 56-49 on October 10 to earn the tiebreaker advantage. I believe that Plano can clinch the final playoff spot in 9-6A with a win AND a McKinney loss.

10-6A - Garland ISD + Wylie: No change from last week; the two Division I representatives out of 10-6A would still be Rowlett and Sachse. There is now a three-way tie for first as Rowlett, Sachse, and Wylie all have 4-1 records in district. Rowlett and Sachse will play each other in Week 11.

11-6A - Northeast Metroplex + Tyler and Longview: No change from last week; the current Division I teams are still Rockwall and Mesquite, who play each other this week.

12-6A - CenTex: No change from last week; it's still Shoemaker and Harker Heights. However, they both lost last week; Shoemaker fell 35-15 to Midway and Harker Heights lost 21-16 against Copperas Cove. Belton has gotten themselves back in the hunt with a 14-12 win over Ellison. They hold the tiebreaker over Harker Heights by virtue of a 21-14 win on September 20.

Belton will finish the season with Waco and Midway while Harker Heights has a bye week this week before they finish the year against Shoemaker.

15-6A - Klein/Conroe: The current Division I teams from 15-6A are The Woodlands and Klein Oak. 

Conroe is at 3-3 and they have Klein Forest and Oak Ridge remaining on their schedule. Klein Cain is currently tied with The Woodlands at 4-2 and they will finish the season against College Park and Klein Oak. The Woodlands' final two games are against Klein Collins and Klein Forest.

If Conroe advances: The Woodlands #1, Conroe #2 in Division I; Klein Oak #1, Klein Collins #2 in Division II

If Klein Cain advances: Klein Oak #1, The Woodlands #2 in Division I; Klein Collins #1, Klein Cain #2 in Division II

16-6A - Spring/Aldine: The three-way tie for fourth at 2-2 has been broken, but now there is a three-way tie for third with Dekaney, MacArthur, and Eisenhower all at 3-2. Davis is currently on the outside looking in at 2-3. 

Spring is currently one of the Division I representatives; the other team is still yet to be determined. It is entirely possible that the other three playoff teams (besides Westfield) won't be decided until the final week of the regular season.

As the smallest school in 16-6A, Ike is a Division II lock. They lost to MacArthur 32-29 and will finish the regular season with games against Spring and Dekaney.

Dekaney is a safe bet for Division II; they'll finish the season with Aldine and Ike. If Dekaney or Eisenhower qualify for the playoffs, they would send Westfield to Division I. They took on Spring last week and erased a 21-0 deficit... only to lose 26-23 in overtime.

MacArthur is a Division I lock. They lost to Dekaney 56-0 and beat Ike. They finish out the season with Davis and Spring.

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will conclude the 2019 regular season on Friday, November 8 as they travel up to Bryan/College Station to take on the Bryan Vikings at Merrill Green Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:00. Drive safely!

Cy Ranch 55, Cy Woods 7: 🥴

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

What a way for an undefeated streak to end, huh? Reeling from the loss of their starting quarterback, Jackson Jones, the Cypress Woods Wildcats faced a monumental task in trying to take the crown from the Cypress Ranch Mustangs.

Well, my friends, I must inform you all that it did not go well.

The Cats suffered their first loss in district play in historic fashion as they fell 55-7. This is the largest margin of defeat in Cy Woods football history. Yes, the Cats are missing a rather important player in Jackson, but trying to positively spin a 48-point loss is absolutely ridiculous. I guess Ranch finally got their payback for 54-0. Oh, right. This is their sixth consecutive win in the series. Ugh.

Well, sometimes life can kick your butt like this. The key is how you respond. This is the first time this season that this team has faced serious adversity. Down two quarterbacks. Suffered the biggest loss in school history. It's not fun having to go into a bye week with this beatdown on the record, but the kids need to have a short memory. Learn from the myriad of mistakes they made in this game... and then burn the tape.

Let us never speak of this game again.

Here's the box score of this game, provided by Varsity Wires.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshman Gold (4-3) - L 22-12 vs. Cy Ranch
Freshman Cardinal (7-1) - W 24-13 vs. Cy Ranch
JV Gold (3-5) - W 50-0 @ Cy Ranch
JV Cardinal (4-5) - L 23-20 @ Cy Ranch

Looking Ahead

Cy Woods has a bye this week. They will conclude the regular season on Friday, November 8 as they hit the road to take on the Bryan Vikings at Merrill Green Stadium.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Ranch Mustangs

2019 Regular Season, Week 9: Cypress Woods Wildcats (6-2, 6-0) vs. Cypress Ranch Mustangs (5-2, 4-1)
1:00 PM Saturday, October 26, 2019
Ken Pridgeon Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats clinched a playoff berth with a 31-15 victory over Cy Springs. This win came at a huge cost as Jackson Jones left the game with an injury. JaVarian Stewart ran for 65 yards and a touchdown while Amari McDonald had a 53-yard touchdown catch.

The Cats come into this game with victories over three of the four teams that have been pursuing them this season. Ranch is the fourth and final team that's on their tail. This is Woods' last shot for a signature win in the 2019 regular season. Unfortunately, they're going to have to find a way to win this game against a team they have not beaten in six years without their starting quarterback. Fun times!

Although Jackson's injury is a massive loss, the Cats are going to have to roll into this game against a hated rival with whoever they have at their disposal. If Christian Scott has to play quarterback... well, he's gonna have to. All hands on deck now. 

District 14-6A

Current Standings

The current top four teams are in italics. Teams in bold have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have been stricken through have been eliminated or are on the verge of getting eliminated from playoff contention. 

1. Cypress Woods (6-2, 6-0) - DI lock

2. Tomball Memorial (6-1, 4-1) - DII lock
3. Cypress Ranch (5-2, 4-1) - DII if Lakes qualifies

4. Bridgeland (6-2, 4-2) - DII if they qualify

5. Cypress Lakes (4-4, 3-3) - DI if they qualify
6. Cypress Park (2-5, 2-3)

7. Langham Creek (1-6, 1-4)

8. Bryan (1-6, 0-5)

9. Cypress Springs (0-7, 0-5)

Week 8 Results

Thursday, October 17

Cypress Park 34, Bryan 24

Friday, October 18

Bridgeland 29, Langham Creek 0

Saturday, October 19

Cypress Woods 31, Cypress Springs 15

Tomball Memorial 73, Cypress Lakes 70

I can confirm that the score of that TMHS/Lakes game is indeed real because I was there. I didn't think I would ever see a quarterback be responsible for ten touchdowns and still end up on the losing side. Even though Tomball Memorial escaped, Sofian Massoud just might have found the next level he needed to find in order to carry Lakes to the playoffs.

Week 9 Schedule

Bye: Bridgeland (6-2, 4-2)

Friday, October 25

Langham Creek (1-6, 1-4) vs. Cypress Lakes (4-4, 3-3), 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Bryan (1-6, 0-5) vs. Cypress Springs (0-7, 0-5), 7:00 at Merrill Green Stadium

Tomball Memorial (6-1, 4-1) vs. Cypress Park (2-5, 2-3), 7:00 at Tomball ISD Stadium

Saturday, October 26

Cypress Woods (6-2, 6-0) vs. Cypress Ranch (5-2, 4-1), 1:00 at Pridgeon Stadium

District 13-6A

1. Vandegrift (8-0, 6-0) - Safe DII

2. Stony Point (7-1, 5-1) - DI if Vista Ridge qualifies

3. Round Rock (6-2, 4-2) - DI lock

4. Vista Ridge (6-2, 4-2) - DII lock

5. Cedar Ridge (3-4, 2-3) - DI lock if they qualify

6. Westwood (3-4, 2-3) 

7. Hendrickson (2-5, 1-4)

8. McNeil (2-5, 1-4) 

9. Leander (0-8, 0-6)

Week 8 Results

In the two games to watch, Vista Ridge beat Cedar Ridge 49-42 on a hail mary as time expired and Round Rock beat Stony Point 34-31 in overtime.

Friday, October 18

Vista Ridge 49, Cedar Ridge 42

Round Rock 34, Stony Point 31

Vandegrift 42, Westwood 17

McNeil 28, Leander 3

Week 9 Schedule

Bye: Vandegrift

Thursday, October 24

McNeil vs. Stony Point

Friday, October 25

Vista Ridge vs. Hendrickson

Westwood vs. Leander

Round Rock vs. Cedar Ridge

And now, a look at the rest of Region II.

9-6A - Collin County: Allen beat Dallas Jesuit 58-33. The other Division I representative from this district is yet to be determined. Right now, it is Plano, who defeated Plano East 42-20 last week.

10-6A - Garland ISD + Wylie: No change from last week; the two Division I representatives out of 10-6A would still be Rowlett and Sachse. There is now a four-way tie for first as Rowlett, Sachse, Lakeview Centennial, and Wylie all have 3-1 records in district.

11-6A - Northeast Metroplex + Tyler and Longview: No change from last week; Rockwall and Mesquite are both sitting at 3-1, but they took contrasting paths to get there. The Yellowjackets hammered North Mesquite while the Skeeters needed a touchdown in the last ten seconds to snatch a victory from Tyler Lee's grasp. 

Mesquite is on shakier ground, however; their final two games are against Rockwall and Longview. They lost to Horn, who will close out with North Mesquite and Tyler Lee.

12-6A - Central Texas: No change from last week; it's still Shoemaker and Harker Heights. Shoemaker knocked off Waco 42-31, while Harker Heights pulled off one of the bigger upsets in the state last week when they traveled to Midway and won 17-14, snapping the Panthers' 37-game winning streak in district play. Both teams, along with Midway, have four wins in district so far.

13 and 14 - see above

15-6A - Klein/Conroe: The Woodlands beat Conroe 31-16 so they are currently the #1 seed in Division I while Conroe would be the #2 seed. This loss puts Conroe in a tie for fourth with Klein Cain at 3-2. However, the Tigers won 58-55 when they met last month. Cain would be a Division II lock if they qualified and they would move Klein Oak to Division I. Conroe has a tough matchup with Klein Collins up next and they finish out with Klein Forest and Oak Ridge. Cain has Oak Ridge, College Park, and Klein Oak remaining on their schedule.

16-6A - Spring/Aldine: The four-way tie at 2-1 has been broken. Spring is currently one of the Division I representatives; the other team is still yet to be determined as Davis is now in a three-way tie for fourth with MacArthur and Eisenhower at 2-2. Ike is a Division II lock and they would move Westfield into Division I should they qualify for the playoffs. MacArthur and Davis are the two largest schools in 16-6A. Spring holds the tiebreaker over Davis. Ike and Davis play this week; MacArthur beat Ike 32-29 three weeks ago.

Last week, Westfield smacked MacArthur 49-6, Spring clobbered Aldine 68-0, while Davis fell to Dekaney 58-28. This week, Spring plays Dekaney and MacArthur takes on Nimitz. 

The Enemy: Cypress Ranch Mustangs

2018 Record: 11-1, 8-0 (1st) in District 14-6A

Lost 24-17 to Westfield in 6A Division II, Region II Area round

Cypress Ranch season-to-date

W 44-3 @ Cinco Ranch

L 35-7 vs. Westlake

W 55-7 vs. Langham Creek

L 48-14 @ Bridgeland

W 34-31 vs. Cypress Lakes

W 24-14 @ Cypress Park

W 59-13 vs. Cypress Springs

The Mustangs had an extra week to prepare for this game as last week was their bye week.

All-Time Series

Cy Ranch leads 6-3.

Previous Meetings

October 27, 2018: Ranch 45, Woods 21
November 11, 2017: Ranch 21, Woods 17
November 4, 2016: Ranch 52, Woods 13
September 26, 2015: Ranch 44, Woods 25
September 27, 2014: Ranch 38, Woods 35
October 19, 2013: Woods 54, Ranch 0
October 20, 2012: Woods 40, Ranch 37 (OT)
September 23, 2011: Woods 68, Ranch 21
September 24, 2010: Ranch 38, Woods 35

Players to Watch

Logan McDougald - SR QB #10

D.J. Ciers - JR QB #8

Elias Pino - SR ATH #1

Willie Eldridge - SR RB #5

Kameron Burton - SOPH RB #24

Kobe Banks - SR WR #4

Drake Dabney - SR TE/WR #89

Logan Stiba - SR DL #40

Christian Richards - SR LB #27

Orlando Thibodeaux - JR LB #38

Landen Nowak - JR LB #45

Robin Neely - JR DB #7

Romario Noel - JR DB #18

2¢ on Ranch

Cy Ranch is now under new management. Longtime nemesis Gene Johnson has departed for Waller and in steps Sean McAuliffe. Before he got the Ranch job, Coach McAuliffe was the head coach at Converse Judson, which has been one of the standard-bearing programs of the San Antonio area for decades.

When the 'Stangs got absolutely clobbered by Bridgeland, we were all wondering whether that game would signal the end of their reign of terror. The next week, they looked completely beaten for three quarters against Lakes before coming back to snatch the win and the week after that, they beat Park in rather unconvincing fashion. Now, they look like they've righted the ship after beating down a winless Cy Springs team, which honestly, was something that they were expected to do. 

Although this is no longer the Ranch that was consistently ranked among the state's elite teams, there's still plenty of fight left in the old horse, make no mistake. Best believe that they're going to be up for this one. Again, although they may not be among the elite, the road to a district title still goes through them. They're not just going to hand the crown over to Woods; the Cats better expect to have to take it. The Mustangs have played with fire this year and they've been begging to get burned. Let's oblige their request.

The Mustangs return probably the best collection of offensive skill players they've ever had. They did have to endure the absence of Logan McDougald for the first half of this season, but he's back now. D.J. Ciers commandeered the offense effectively in McDougald's absence and the quarterback spot has essentially turned into a platoon. Ciers' ability to run gives the Mustang offense another wrinkle to throw at the Cats while McDougald is the cooler head who keeps them composed when he's on the field.

Willie Eldridge and Elias Pino, their two-headed monster at running back, also return. Instead of splitting time in the backfield, they've both been on the field at the same time more than ever. Kameron Burton, a sophomore, has now emerged as the next running back in line for the Mustangs, who just seem to churn out at least one good tailback a year. Pino, on the other hand, has spent more time as a slot receiver this year and that makes an already dynamic player more dangerous. Kobe Banks is another burner on the outside. Drake Dabney has become more than a reliable target for Ciers and McDougald; he's become their top threat in the passing game and as a tight end playing receiver, he presents a matchup problem. 

Ranch had some rebuilding to do defensively, but they still possess plenty of talent at all three levels and their front seven should be as salty as ever. They boast a deep defensive line led by Logan Stiba and Devante Keys at the end spots. Jacob Cooksey, Blane Channel, and Chibuikem "Chibi" Nwajuaku have all stepped up to contribute. Christian Richards leads the linebackers; Landen Nowak and Orlando Thibodeaux are two juniors who have emerged as playmakers and they've also seen Alex Garcia and Jonovan Dennis, a couple of sophomores, step up as well. Christian Brathwaite, the only freshman on the Mustangs' roster, hasn't featured a whole lot, but he's earned some experience through special teams; he's certainly one to watch for the future. Their top defensive backs are all juniors; Robin Neely leads the district in interceptions from his safety spot. Romario Noel is a Division I talent who recently committed to Baylor. Xavier Watson and Rodrick Edwards round out the secondary and they're all solid hitters.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

I have no recollection of this game. 

(Ranch won 45-21)

They've written the last five chapters of this rivalry. What happened back then doesn't matter when you finally get the chance to put your hands on them this Saturday. It's time for Cy Woods to write the next chapter in the book. 

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Woods, JV at Ranch. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30.

Location of Cypress Ranch High School

Special Note

This is the second and final year of the current district configuration. In 2020, the biennial realignment will take place. On Friday, the UIL will conduct a process that they call "Snapshot Day," which is essentially one massive attendance check of every high school in the state of Texas. Snapshot Day is the first phase of realignment and it ultimately determines the classification that a school will be assigned to for matters of UIL competition, which of course includes athletics.

As Cy-Fair ISD is one of the largest school districts in Texas, we all know that all 12 high schools in the district will be placed in Class 6A, the largest classification. The question is... who will be sharing districts with them? The Region III portion has shared it with Spring Branch the last two years, while the Region II district has featured Bryan and Tomball Memorial. Come February, we could see either the status quo being maintained or another shake-up. Maybe the schools will switch regions. Who even knows what the UIL has in store?

Well, we'll have to wait until February to see how things shake out.

Cy Woods 31, Cy Springs 15: But At What Cost?

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

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography.

Photo galleries for this game and all Cy Woods sub-varsity games can be viewed by clicking here.

The good news: On Saturday at the Berry Center, the Cypress Woods Wildcats became the first team in District 14-6A to clinch a playoff berth as they dispatched the Cypress Springs Panthers 31-15.

The (extremely) bad news: The Cats will be without the services of their starting quarterback, Jackson Jones, who suffered an injury early in this game, for the foreseeable future.

As a result, Trey Craft, a sophomore who's only been on the varsity for two weeks, got thrust into action as the primary quarterback for the remainder of the contest.

The good news, part 2: Trey was able to gain some much-needed experience as he took all of the snaps at quarterback after Jackson went down. He got the opportunity to commandeer the Wildcat offense at the highest level and he managed to keep his head above water.

The less bad but still not good news: If Craft is the QB1 moving forward, he's going to have to grow up, like, immediately. Because... guess who's next? That's right, Cy Ranch. They're certainly going to be licking their chops at getting to face whoever gets the start at quarterback for Woods and they would absolutely love to hang the first district loss on the Cats' record on Saturday.

The Cats shouldn't be winning games against winless teams by two scores, but... a win is a win. One step closer to the playoffs. I didn't think I'd almost fall asleep during a Woods game, but I was getting close to it. Just... a lethargic scene.

I'm a firm believer in the "next man up" philosophy, but right now, the next man up at quarterback for Woods is a sophomore who has three quarters of varsity football experience. It is a little tough to not feel a little squeamish about this development. But then again, C.J. Jones, who probably hadn't played quarterback since little league, completed four passes and three of them went for touchdowns when he got pressed into duty for his one career start at quarterback for Woods back in 2015.

Well then, on to Ranch.

One more note: This is the Wildcats' seventh consecutive win in district play, which ties a program record that they set in 2011. That season, they won their last seven games in District 17-5A play after losing the first two to Cy Falls and Cy-Fair.

What Happened

Trayse Holmes opened the scoring with a one-yard run and on his only passing attempt of the night, Jackson Jones hit Amari McDonald for a 53-yard touchdown. After that, he was finished for the game.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 14, Springs 0

The only scoring play of the second quarter belonged to Cy Springs. The Cats lined up to try a field goal but the snap was botched and after a scramble for the ball, Chris Williams picked up the ball and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown.

Halftime: Woods 14, Springs 7

JaVarian Stewart provided some fireworks to start the second half when he capped off the Cats' first offensive series with a 42-yard touchdown run. A minute later, Reagan Simmons intercepted a Jeremiah Mosley pass and returned it 27 yards for a pick-six. Cy Woods was lining up for a field goal attempt when the third quarter ended.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 28, Springs 7

This kick attempt went off without a hitch and Michael Fernandez nailed a 36-yard field goal. The Panthers scored the final points of the night with a 12-yard run from Terrance Sneed and on the conversion, Julian Macfie hit Marcus DeJesus for two points.

Final: Woods 31, Springs 15

Ground

The Cats did plenty of damage once they got to the edges. Aside from making a couple of incorrect reads, Trey kept the offense moving and didn't commit any egregious errors.

As always, the box score and stats are provided by Varsity Wires.

Trey Craft: 11 rush, 41 yards
Trayse Holmes: 9 rush, 63 yards, TD
JaVarian Stewart: 6 rush, 65 yards, TD
Rudy Mejia: 5 rush, 58 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 4 rush, 11 yards
Christian Scott: 3 rush, 27 yards
Team: 1 rush, -2 yards (Craft took a knee to end the game)

Air

After Jackson left the game, the Cats essentially shelved the passing game. Moving the ball through the air probably isn't happening if a team is on their fourth quarterback.

Jackson Jones: 1-1, 53 yards, TD
Trey Craft: 2-6, 25 yards

Amari McDonald: 1 rec, 53 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 1 rec, 13 yards
Ryan Faulk: 1 rec, 12 yards

Defense

Well, I didn't hear all of it, but I did hear Coach Beerwinkel go off on some of the defensive kids at the start of the second half for a rather lethargic effort. He may look rather unassuming at first glance, but when this man talks, you had better damn well listen. By now, you should be rather familiar with his reputation. Just look at the defenses he helped build and then later oversaw at Ridge when he was there for 12 seasons. He knows what he's doing.

The second-stringers played for almost the entire third quarter and a good chunk of the fourth. I don't know if Coach Beerwinkel was trying to send a message to the starters or if he figured that Springs' offense wouldn't be able to move the ball much regardless of who was on defense for Woods, but evidently, the starters heard that message loud and clear. Again, this was a winless Springs team, but the backups did a pretty decent job.

22 different Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and this week, Tylan Foster and Gavin Snow tied for the top spot with six apiece. Kahlil Robinson intercepted Jeremiah Mosley to end the first half and Reagan Simmons picked Mosley off for a pick-six in the third quarter. Simmons has returned both of his interceptions this season for touchdowns, which has never been done before in Cy Woods football history.

Special Teams

Michael Fernandez has simply gotten better as the season has progressed. Once again, he hit all of his kicks, or more accurately, the ones he attempted.

Michael Fernandez: 1-1 FG (made 36), 4-4 XP; a second field goal was not attempted due to a bad snap.

Trajan Armstrong's services as a punter were only needed one time in this game and his one kick went for 38 yards.

Jeshurun Williams: 2 punt returns, 7 yards; long of 4
Christian Scott: 2 kick returns, 22 yards; long of 21

Man of the Match

In lieu of a man of the match this week, I would like to wish Jackson Jones a full and speedy recovery. We've seen that he's a fine football player, but from everything I've heard about him off the field, Jackson is an even better person. I can't even begin to imagine what's on his mind, seeing his senior season cut short by an injury with his team on the cusp of the playoffs.

Although your time on the field may be done, you're still a captain of this football team and you still have your duty as a leader to fulfill. They'll need your support as much as you need them in this trying time in your life. Get well soon, man.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshmen (1-0 as a combined team) - W 14-7 @ Cy Springs; both teams combined to play as one.
JV Gold (2-5) - L 20-6 @ Cy Falls
JV Cardinal (4-4) - W 40-6 vs. Cy Springs

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will take on those horses from Cy Ranch at 1:00 on Saturday, October 26, at Pridgeon Stadium. Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Springs Panthers

2019 Regular Season, Week 8: Cypress Woods Wildcats (5-2, 5-0) @ Cypress Springs Panthers (0-6, 0-4)
7:00 PM, Saturday, October 19, 2019
Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats had themselves a happy Homecoming as they topped Cypress Park 49-28. Christian Scott and Jackson Jones both ran for two touchdowns, while Colton Morris had ten tackles. Sam Myers scored his first touchdown at the varsity level with a two-yard run with about three minutes left in the game.

Only three more games to go in the regular season. This season really has flown by, but I guess time flies when you're having fun. Next up for Cy Woods: a struggling Cy Springs squad that may very well go winless in 2019. 

This will also be the 100th district game in Cy Woods football history.

District 14-6A

Current Standings

The current top four teams and which bracket they'd be playing in if the playoffs started today are in italics. Teams that have been stricken through have been eliminated or are on the verge of getting eliminated from playoff contention. 

I am unsure about the official math, but I believe that a Woods win this week essentially means that they'll clinch a playoff spot.

1. Cypress Woods (5-2, 5-0) - Division I lock (largest school in district)

2. Cypress Ranch (5-2, 4-1) - Bubble; Division I if Tomball Memorial and Bridgeland both qualify, Division II if Lakes and either Tomball Memorial or Bridgeland qualifies
3. Tomball Memorial (5-1, 3-1) - Division II lock (2nd-smallest enrollment)

4. Bridgeland (5-2, 3-2) - Safe Division II (in the current top 5, only Tomball Memorial has fewer students)

5. Cypress Lakes (4-3, 3-2) - Division I lock if they qualify (2nd-largest enrollment)
6. Cypress Park (1-4, 1-3)

7. Langham Creek (1-5, 1-3)

8. Bryan (1-5, 0-4)

9. Cypress Springs (0-6, 0-4)

Week 7 Results

Friday, October 11

Cypress Woods 49, Cypress Park 28

Cypress Lakes 62, Bryan 10

Tomball Memorial 42, Bridgeland 14

Saturday, October 12

Cypress Ranch 59, Cypress Springs 13

Week 8 Schedule

Bye: Cypress Ranch

Thursday, October 17

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

Friday, October 18

Bridgeland vs. Langham Creek, 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Saturday, October 19

Cypress Lakes vs. Tomball Memorial, 1:00 at Pridgeon Stadium

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

I think it's also time to take a look at the other half of the bi-district pairing in District 13. No prognostication involved... it's just an update.

District 13-6A

1. Vandegrift (7-0, 5-0) - Safe Division II

2. Stony Point (6-0, 4-0) - Bubble; Division I if Vista Ridge qualifies, Division II if Cedar Ridge qualifies

3. Round Rock (5-1, 3-1) - Division I lock (largest school in 13-6A)

4. Vista Ridge (5-2, 3-2) - Division II lock

5. Cedar Ridge (3-3, 2-2) - Division I lock if they qualify (only Round Rock has more students)

6. Westwood (3-3, 2-2)

7. Hendrickson (2-5, 1-4)

8. McNeil (1-5, 0-4)

9. Leander (0-7, 0-5)

Week 7 Results

Friday, October 11

Round Rock 53, Leander 7

Cedar Ridge 31, Hendrickson 21

Vandegrift 35, McNeil 14

Stony Point 44, Vista Ridge 29

Week 8 Schedule

Bye: Hendrickson

Friday, October 18

Vandegrift vs. Westwood

Stony Point vs. Round Rock

Leander vs. McNeil

Cedar Ridge vs. Vista Ridge

Big week ahead in District 13-6A. The two games to watch here are Cedar Ridge/Vista Ridge and Stony Point/Round Rock. If Vista Ridge qualifies for the playoffs, they would be a lock for Division II as they have the second-fewest number of students in District 13-6A. 

Vandegrift should be comfortable favorites against Westwood and Leander and McNeil are already out of the playoff picture. Hendrickson's loss last week puts them in grave danger of elimination.

What about the rest of the region? Well, let's go district-by-district real quick. I'll only talk Division I because Woods is a lock for that bracket should they advance to the playoffs.

9-6A - Collin County: Allen, as the largest high school in Texas, is certainly a Division I lock. The other Division I representative from this district is yet to be determined. Right now, it is Plano, which sits at 2-1 and tied with Prosper, who would currently be in Division II. Behind those two teams are Plano East and McKinney Boyd, which are tied at 1-2. If Boyd qualifies for the playoffs in front of these two Plano schools, that would bump Prosper up to Division I. 

10-6A - Garland ISD + Wylie: Right now, the two Division I representatives out of 10-6A would be Rowlett and Sachse. Sachse is one of three teams that are 2-1 in district play, along with the two would-be Division II teams in Lakeview Centennial and Wylie.

11-6A - Northeast Metroplex + Tyler and Longview: The two teams that would be in Division I if the playoffs started today are currently Rockwall and Mesquite and they're tied at 2-1.

12-6A - Central Texas: The Division I spots are currently occupied by two Killeen schools: Shoemaker and Harker Heights. Harker Heights has a tough matchup this week with Midway.

15-6A - Klein/Conroe: The Division I spots in this Klein/Conroe district are currently occupied by The Woodlands and Conroe, who play each other this week.

16-6A - Spring/Aldine: There is currently a four-way tie at 2-1 between Dekaney, MacArthur, Davis, and Spring. Right now, MacArthur and Spring would be the Division I representatives... I think. Honestly, who knows how this district will shake out because there was a five-way tie for second at 4-3 last year.

Alright, now on to Springs.

The Enemy: Cypress Springs Panthers

2018 Record: 1-9, 1-8 (8th) in District 14-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cypress Springs season-to-date

L 52-3 @ Pearland

L 28-14 vs. Katy Taylor

L 38-0 vs. Bridgeland

L 27-7 @ Cypress Lakes

L 24-10 vs. Cypress Park

L 59-13 @ Cypress Ranch

The Panthers became the second team in District 14-6A to be eliminated from playoff contention following their 59-13 loss to Cy Ranch. The Mustangs returned two interceptions for touchdowns and blew this game wide open by scoring 31 points in the third quarter.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 10-1.

Previous Meetings

October 19, 2018: Woods 36, Springs 7
September 14, 2017: Springs 27, Woods 9

September 9, 2016: Woods 69, Springs 34

November 7, 2015: Woods 49, Springs 39

November 6, 2014: Woods 70, Springs 44

October 4, 2013: Woods 57, Springs 14 (Homecoming VI)
October 5, 2012: Woods 48, Springs 13
November 5, 2011: Woods 47, Springs 0
November 6, 2010: Woods 51, Springs 41
October 16, 2009: Woods 23, Springs 13
October 17, 2008: Woods 48, Springs 14 (Homecoming I)

Players to Watch

Cameron Jackson - SR RB #22

Terrence Sneed - SR RB #24

Anderson Johnson - SR OL/DL #62

Johnathan Bloom - SR LB #2

Jermari Seals - SOPH DB #4

Darius Allen - SR DB #3

2¢ on Springs

The Cypress Springs Panthers, owners of the longest active football playoff drought in Cy-Fair ISD, will see this drought get extended by one more year. It's now 16 years since their first and (so far) only appearance in the Texas high school football playoffs. Right now, they're on the long road to merely becoming competitive. Low numbers have plagued the Panthers this season and they simply haven't had the depth to compete in 14-6A.

Yes, Springs is winless and few (if any) people are expecting them to come out victorious on Saturday. That still doesn't mean that the Cats can just sleepwalk through practice during the week and expect to win 48-0 on game day. 

Johnathan Bloom is a three-year starter and a two-time All-District defender for the Panthers who will likely earn All-District honors yet again. Bloom is probably one of the better players in Cy-Fair ISD who nobody really knows about because, well, he plays for a team that's won five games over the last 2.75 years. He just keeps plugging away no matter the score. The future face looks to be sophomore safety Jermari Seals, who got a taste of varsity football last year as a freshman. In his first full season, Seals has turned into a player that the Panthers can build around on the defensive side of the ball. 

Jeremiah Mosley is in his first full season as the starting quarterback after getting baptized by fire as a sophomore. Once again, the Panthers have a nice stable of running backs led by Cameron Jackson and Terrence Sneed. Anderson Johnson anchors the offensive line and will also play both ways.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Cats came out with a 36-7 victory in a game that was delayed by severe weather in the second half. This resulted in probably the quickest half of football I have ever seen and one of the eeriest atmospheres I've ever experienced at a game. I think this was the first time that I could hear chatter from the opposite sideline because it was that quiet, since the bands, drill teams, and cheerleaders all left. Once play resumed, Woods just wanted to get this game over with. 

Carson Danner ran for 134 yards and three touchdowns and threw a couple of touchdown passes to Cameron Sowell. Jason Christenson had a couple of sacks for the Wildcat defense, which held Springs to just 99 yards of offense. The Panthers did not complete a pass in this game.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Cy Springs has one freshman and one JV team. The freshmen will travel to Springs while the JV will play at Woods. If the Gold (B) teams do not have opponents of their own, there will be one game for the Cardinal (A) teams at 5:30.

Location of Cypress Springs High School

Cy Woods 49, Cy Park 28: Happy Homecoming.

2019 Record: 5-2, 5-0 in District 14-6A

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography.

Photo galleries for this week's games, including the freshman games and the 2019 Cy Woods Homecoming parade, can be viewed by clicking here.

There are two types of games that a football team should never lose: a rivalry game, and Homecoming.

Coming off another thrilling victory against Cy Lakes, the Cypress Woods Wildcats would see their schedule ease up somewhat before the showdown with Cy Ranch. And for once, instead of finding themselves in yet another chaotic "playoffs for the playoffs" dogfight, they would have the opportunity to watch the teams chasing them beat each other up from their first-place position. Of course, even though they've gotten through the meat of the schedule, there's no time for the Cats to rest on their laurels. They're going to get everyone's best shot from here on out, regardless of whether their opponent is winless, a defending district champion, or a second-year varsity program like the Cypress Park Tigers.

However, this Park team isn't a typical 1-4 team. Their record might not reflect it but this is a program that is starting to figure some things out. Park has taken the hard lessons that they had to learn in order to compete in Class 6A last year and they have improved markedly. It also helps that they've gotten a serious infusion of talent in the form of sophomores such as Cameron King, who gashed the Cats all evening, and Harold Perkins, who had a sack. They certainly competed for all 48 minutes and gave Woods a bit of a fight on Friday. With a pretty impressive freshman class just entering their system, the Tigers could be a team to watch in the coming years. I watched the freshman games on Thursday and they've got some impressive-looking kids on their lines and another lightning-quick wingback in the same mold as King. If the Tigers can develop a quarterback, they might evolve from merely being a tough out to a possible playoff contender.

It might have taken Park a little longer than Bridgeland to get off the ground, but the talent and coaching on that team are solid and they've received great support from their community and their administration. Mrs. Romo, Mr. Hecker, and Mrs. Lester (former lead counselor at Woods) have all witnessed firsthand what occurs when a program receives that kind of support when they were at Cy Woods and they've spearheaded the operation to get their students at Park and their community to get amped about Tiger football.

Make good choices this weekend! Come Monday, it's on to Springs.

What Happened

After Jakob Jones recovered a fumble to set the Cats up at Park's 25-yard line, Christian Scott opened the scoring with a four-yard run with 7:40 left in the first quarter. This was the only scoring play of the first 12 minutes.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 7, Park 0

A 14-play drive for Park ended with them turning the ball over on downs. A 52-yard catch from Amari McDonald set Woods up at the ten-yard line and it culminated in Jackson Jones sneaking in from a yard out. A failed fake punt attempt gave the Cats the ball at the Park 25-yard line again and Christian got the pitch on the option, juked a Tiger defender, and scored on a 14-yard run. The Tigers got on the board just before halftime when Sergio Small caught the screen pass and dashed in from 15 yards. They thought that would give them a little momentum heading into the second half, but JaVarian Stewart immediately provided a response by returning the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to re-establish Woods' three-score lead.

Halftime: Woods 28, Park 7

Park got points on their first possession of the second half as Michael Tolbert snuck in from a yard. The Cats went three-and-out... but Park had twelve men on the field. After this reprieve, Woods was able to respond when Jackson Jones hit JaVarian Stewart for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The Tigers were still hanging around though and Cameron King, who's been one of their playmakers this season, busted loose to score on a 56-yard run about a minute later.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 35, Park 21

Cy Woods responded to Park's quick strike by going on a little drive. Nearly seven minutes later, Jackson faked everyone out and strolled into the end zone from eight yards out to cap off a 13-play, 74-yard drive. The Cats wouldn't have to wait long to score again because Michael Akita forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Trajan Armstrong pounced on the loose ball at Park's 24-yard line. Sam Myers, the freshman, capped off the scoring from Woods' end by getting in from two yards out. The last scoring play of the game went to King, who scored on a 16-yard run with 2:25 left in the game.

Final: Woods 49, Park 28

Ground

The Cats ran the ball 41 times and gained 204 yards for a very respectable five yards per carry. Nobody broke off a big run, but they just consistently gained yards each time and kept themselves moving on offense. Again, they were very workmanlike in their approach to this game.

Congratulations to Sam Myers for scoring the first of what should be many touchdowns for him during his time as a Cy Woods Wildcat football player. I'm sure he would have liked it to be a little bit prettier (he dropped the snap but picked it up and dove into the end zone), but they don't hand out additional points for style.

The box score for this game and all statistics are from Varsity Wires.

Christian Scott: 9 rush, 57 yards, 2 TD
Trayse Holmes: 10 rush, 49 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 3 rush, 36 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 5 rush, 26 yards
Rudy Mejia: 2 rush, 16 yards
Victor Benavides: 3 rush, 14 yards
Jackson Jones: 6 rush, 6 yards, 2 TD
Sam Myers: 2 rush, 5 yards, TD
Team: 1 rush, -1 yard (Sergio Small forced a fumble)

Air

Jackson didn't need to throw much, but he probably should have had two touchdown passes in this game. He had Christian Scott wide open but Christian looked like he stopped running. It would have been a 62-yard touchdown pass because there was nobody within ten yards of him.

Jackson Jones: 6-9, 132 yards, TD

Christian Scott: 4 rec, 50 yards
Amari McDonald: 1 rec, 52 yards
JaVarian Stewart 1 rec, 30 yards, TD

Defense

Allowing 28 points was not exactly how I expected this defense to perform on Friday. Credit to Park though; they found ways to keep themselves on the field. The Tigers are the first team to sustain three drives of five minutes or more against the Woods defense this season and all three of them lasted at least ten plays. The Cats defense has played well this year but lately, they've run into a few difficulties in trying to get off the field. Lakes had four drives of at least ten plays last week and that was a vastly superior offense to the one Park was trotting out. In the end, though, they still scored fewer points than Woods. It didn't look pretty at times, but the Cats, for the most part, did their job defensively.

The Tigers' constant misdirection appeared to fluster the Cats all evening. It seemed as though once they snapped the ball, there were eleven different players moving in eleven different directions. Park utilized the speed of Cameron King and James LeBlanc to get to the edges and they consistently broke off some nice runs all night. Together, the two of them combined for 198 of the Tigers' 263 rushing yards in this game.

The screen pass that went for a touchdown was designed pretty cleverly with the quarterback (Tolbert) rollout to the left as the running back (Small) and linemen slipped out to the right. The Cats sort of did Small's job for himself when they left him behind in an attempt to sack Tolbert. Small simply just had to follow his convoy into the end zone after catching the ball.

22 Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and once again, Colton Morris led the way with ten. Ty Foster rebounded from a performance against Lakes that didn't match the standards he set for himself with seven tackles of his own, while Taber Tofte, Jace Williams, and Gavin Snow all finished with six. Snow had two tackles for a loss and also forced the first Park fumble, which Woods turned into a touchdown. Williams surpassed his season total in tackles in this game.


Special Teams

Michael Fernandez hit all seven of his extra points. Trajan Armstrong punted a couple of times, and JaVarian Stewart provided some more fireworks in the return game. Stewart has surely parlayed his explosiveness in the return game into an expanded role on the offense.

The Cats recovered another fumble on a kickoff in the fourth quarter and they also parlayed that turnover into points. Michael Akita jarred the ball loose from LeBlanc and Armstrong pounced on it.

Michael Fernandez: 7-7 XP
Trajan Armstrong: 2 punts, 68 yards (34 yards per kick), long of 41

JaVarian Stewart: 2 kick returns, 105 yards (long of 85), TD
Christian Scott: 1 kick return, 14 yards
Ethan Bryant: 1 kick return, 1 yard

Man of the Match

1. JaVarian Stewart

If it weren't for a holding call, JaVarian Stewart would have been the first player in Cy Woods football history to record a rushing, receiving, and a return touchdown in the same game. With his 85-yard kickoff return touchdown in this game, he's now tied with C.J. Jones for the Cy Woods single-season record for kickoff return touchdowns.

2. Christian Scott

Christian continues to be the Cats' most steady offensive option. He could have had an even bigger night had he just caught that pass from Jackson in stride in the first quarter, but he still turned in another solid outing.

3. Gavin Snow

Snow has stepped up huge since being inserted into the starting lineup. He set the tone by forcing the fumble on Park's first drive and the Cats converted it into points.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshman Gold (4-2) - W 8-6 vs. Cy Park
Freshman Cardinal (6-1) - W 25-6 vs. Cy Park
JV Gold (2-4) - L 27-7 @ Tomball
JV Cardinal (3-4) - L 26-25 @ Cy Park

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will face off against the Cypress Springs Panthers on Saturday, October 19, at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium at 7:00 PM. Cy Woods will be the away team in this contest.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Park Tigers

2019 Regular Season, Week 7: Cypress Woods Wildcats (4-2, 4-0) vs. Cypress Park Tigers (1-4, 1-2)
7:00 PM Friday, October 11, 2019
Homecoming XII at Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats escaped with a 31-28 victory over Cypress Lakes as Axel Espinal's 48-yard field goal fell short as time expired. Jackson Jones ran for 96 yards and three touchdowns and he also threw for 157 yards, 53 of which came on a touchdown connection with JaVarian Stewart. Colton Morris had 14 tackles and a sack. 

And now... it's Homecoming at the Woods! Complete with all of the pageantry and potential distractions!

District 14-6A

Current Standings

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

2. Bridgeland (5-1, 3-1)
3. Cypress Ranch (4-2, 3-1)

4. Tomball Memorial (4-1, 2-1)

5. Cypress Lakes (3-3, 2-2)
6. Cypress Park (1-4, 1-3)

7. Langham Creek (1-5, 1-3)

8. Bryan (1-4, 0-3)

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

Week 6 Results

Thursday, October 3

Bridgeland 49, Bryan 24

Friday, October 4

Cypress Ranch 24, Cypress Park 14

Saturday, October 5

Cypress Woods 31, Cypress Lakes 28

Tomball Memorial 49, Langham Creek 14

Week 7 Schedule

Bye: Langham Creek

Friday, October 11

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

Bryan vs. Cypress Lakes, 7:00 at Merrill Green Stadium

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

Saturday, October 12

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

The Enemy: Cypress Park Tigers

2018 Record: 0-10, 0-9 (9th) in District 14-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cypress Park season-to-date

L 56-27 vs. Klein Cain

L 44-0 @ Cy-Fair

L 61-28 vs. Cypress Lakes

W 24-10 @ Cypress Springs

L 24-14 vs. Cypress Ranch 

In a double Homecoming game last Friday, the Tigers played Cy Ranch tough and gave them a scare before ultimately falling 24-14. Harold Perkins intercepted a pass from a returning Logan McDougald and returned it 87 yards for a score.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 1-0.

Previous Meeting

October 11, 2018: Woods 61, Park 7

Players to Watch

Michael Tolbert - SR QB #2

Sergio Small - SR RB/LB #24

James LeBlanc - SR RB/DB #23

Cameron Jeng - SR WR/DB #13

Cameron King - SOPH RB #17

Harold Perkins - SOPH QB/LB #4

Raymond Sims - JR LB #32

Bryan Gutierrez - SR OL/DL #55

Carl Jenkins - SR DB #25

Alpha Roberts - SR DL #88

Christopher Gilbreath - SOPH LB #27

2¢ on Park

Cypress Park and Bridgeland both made their debuts last season. While the Bears have quickly become rising stars in Class 6A, the Tigers' path has been slightly more arduous. However, they've got some players that can cause issues for the Cats if they're not careful. That's the thing about Cy-Fair ISD football: even the teams that are perceived as not being very good have a few pretty good players on their rosters. 

Park earned their first victory when they topped Springs a couple of weeks ago and while they've struggled record-wise, they have made legitimate improvement on the field and have been competitive in almost all of their games. That win over Springs remains their only victory, but that hasn't seemed to dampen school spirit; Park will usually have a decent turnout, especially among the students. That level of support is incredibly crucial, especially with a new program. 

The Tigers will still have a few players who will play both ways, but no matter where they line up, they get after it on every play. They hung with Ranch for 48 minutes and that will certainly give them the belief that they can hang with Woods.

Cameron Jeng is a deep threat on offense and a hard-hitting defensive back who leads the Tigers in tackles. Sergio Small leads the district in sacks and also their starting running back. He's been known to break off a few long runs coming up the middle. James LeBlanc might be their most dynamic player, though; he's a burner who will use his speed to bust loose on the outside and he also has a 102-yard kick return touchdown to his name. 

The Tigers are getting some major contributions from sophomores such as Cameron King, Harold Perkins, and Chris Gilbreath. They have certainly turned into a pretty nice core for Park's future. King is a wing-back who probably doesn't have LeBlanc's speed (yet) but he's proven to be rather elusive. Perkins, a linebacker, had the pick six against Ranch and he's turned into a run stopper on the defense with 5.5 tackles for loss. Gilbreath has started every game this season alongside Small, Perkins, and Raymond Sims. Park's strength on defense looks to be their depth at linebacker, where Kyran Christian and Omega Goodlette (who was a starter last season) will also factor into the mix. Carl Jenkins is tied with Jeng for the team lead in tackles and they are the leaders of a vastly improved secondary that also features LeBlanc and Derrick Watson. 

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Cats did what they were expected to do and won big (61-7) over a first-year varsity football program with fewer than 40 kids on the roster. What more is there to say besides "they did what they were expected to do?"

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Cy Park has two freshman teams and one JV team. If the JV Gold team does not have an opponent, there will be one game played at Cy Park at 5:30. Game times for the freshmen, who will be at Cy Woods, are 4:30 and 6:30.

Location of Cypress Park High School

Cy Woods 31, Cy Lakes 28: No Chaos

2019 Record: 4-2, 4-0 in District 14-6A

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography

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

Well, when you're all alone in first place, there's a target on your back. And the longer you're there, the larger it gets. The Cypress Lakes Spartans got the first crack at a Cy Woods squad that entered Week 6 as the lone undefeated team in District 14-6A. The Spartans certainly gave the Cats a run, but in the end, Woods made just a few more plays and they emerged with a 31-28 victory to remain unbeaten in district play.

Some victories (*cough*Bridgeland*cough*) are more satisfying than others. Other victories are a little more significant. This victory over Lakes means that Woods has successfully avoided the absolute chaos scenario that would have come with four teams tied at the top with 3-1 records in district. Oh, and Tomball Memorial is very much in the picture at 2-1. I'm just glad that Woods has a bit of a head start on everyone instead of having to endure another "playoffs for the playoffs" scenario. Of course, they can't rest on their laurels now... they still have another hurdle to clear in the form of Cy Park.

One of the main questions leading up to this game was whether Cy Woods' defense could turn in another lockdown performance on another stellar quarterback in Sofian Massoud after they completely stymied Bridgeland's Conner Weigman last week. Massoud still managed to post some good numbers, but fortunately, the Cats were able to create just enough separation from him and his team.

There was an eyebrow-raising decision near the end of the game where Woods had a fourth down at Lakes' 17 with a little over a minute to go in regulation. Instead of trying a field goal that would have extended their lead to 34-28, they went for it by attempting a trick play that failed. Lakes made it as far as Woods' 31, but a 48-yard field goal attempt from Axel Espinal fell one yard short as time expired.

Although the kick, which would have been a 34-yard attempt, was well inside Michael Fernandez's range, we've already seen that gimme field goals are not necessarily guaranteed points (See: blocked 20-yard field goal vs. Tomball Memorial). Yes, they probably could have tried a run up the middle. Even if that didn't get them a first down, they could have gained some yards to make Lakes' journey a little longer. On the other hand, they could have gotten stopped for no gain or for a loss. So, they tried the trick play. They didn't get it, but fortunately, it was an incomplete pass, so no loss of yardage. That meant that the Spartans needed to go 83 yards in 73 seconds. On the other hand, had the Cats successfully kicked a field goal, they would have had to kick it back to the Spartans and Xavier Howard had already ripped off a couple of pretty good returns. If he had gotten another chance, Howard could have shortened the field. I would also imagine that they were not too keen on kicking it to Kyree Anderson, either.

Having to make decisions like these just reinforces the notion of how excruciatingly tough coaching can be. If Lakes had forced overtime or won, the entire Cy Woods community would most likely be bombarding Coach Faith with questions about why he didn't kick a field goal. I guess he trusted his defense to get the stop they needed to get this victory. And in a way, they got that stop because they halted the Spartans' advance to the point where they needed to make a long field goal to force overtime and the kick fell just short.

Speaking of Sofian Massoud, this kid is a must-see talent. I've had the chance to see Massoud a few times before tonight and I absolutely believe that he is the best quarterback in all of Cy-Fair ISD. I can't even be a homer here. I like Jackson and he's certainly a fine player in his own right, but Sofian Massoud is just... on another level. There have been some stellar athletes in Cy-Fair ISD who have lined up at quarterback like Chris Herron, Nick Hooper, Taye Barber, and Deshun Qualls. Massoud, however, is a true dual threat. If he leads Lakes into the playoffs, that's a team that could spring an upset.

On to Park! And... on to Homecoming.

What Happened

Jackson Jones opened the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run. This was the only scoring play of the first quarter.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 7, Lakes 0

Lakes got on the board when Sofian Massoud got in with a quarterback sneak early in the second quarter. Jackson responded with a six-yard touchdown run three minutes later. With about four minutes left, Massoud hit back with an eight-yard run. The Cats quickly regained the lead when JaVarian Stewart sprang loose and Jackson found him for a 53-yard touchdown pass.

Halftime: Woods 21, Lakes 14

Woods got a stop to start the second half and they got points on their first offensive drive with a 27-yard field goal from Michael Fernandez. Lakes responded with an eight-yard touchdown pass by Massoud to Khaliq Mateen. Once again, the two quarterbacks exchanged rushing touchdowns late in the third; Jones scored from 12 and Massoud got in from ten yards.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 31, Lakes 28

Both teams had chances to score at the end of the game: Woods to seal the victory and Lakes to at least force overtime. Neither team was successful.

Final: Woods 31, Lakes 28

Ground

Some tough running gave the Cats a season-high 249 yards on the ground. They ran the ball 44 times and that gives them a very respectable 5.7 yards per carry.

Jackson has been running like a man possessed since district play started. I thought there'd be a little re-adjustment needed on his part when he re-assumed his role as the starting quarterback and it felt like he would need the non-district slate to really settle in. He is now showing the ability that allowed the coaching staff to turn the reins over to him when he was a sophomore.

All statistics are from Varsity Wires.

Jackson Jones: 19 rush, 96 yards, 3 TD
Christian Scott: 11 rush, 54 yards
Rudy Mejia: 5 rush, 43 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 3 rush, 39 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 2 rush, 15 yards
Trayse Holmes: 3 rush, 9 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, -5 yards

Air

Nothing spectacular other than the touchdown pass to JaVarian Stewart, but Jackson had a solid night throwing the ball. That's really the essence of this offense: get 4/5 yards per carry and then when it's time to take a shot downfield, make the throw that needs to be made. There was one pass that I thought would get intercepted, but fortunately, Christian Scott got there and the Cats got a nice gain out of it.

Jackson Jones: 9-13, 157 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 0-1

Cameron Sowell: 3 rec, 49 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 1 rec, 53 yards, TD
Rudy Mejia: 1 rec, 22 yards
Amari McDonald: 1 rec, 13 yards
Christian Scott: 1 rec, 11 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rec, 5 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 rec, 3 yards

Defense

Massoud left his mark on this game, but again, the Cats' defense made a few more plays on him than the Spartans' defense did on Jackson. Neither offense committed a turnover so it would all come down to which defense could make more plays. Massoud proved to be a tough out as he consistently extended plays using his feet and he also scored three touchdowns on the ground.

The one thing that Lakes' receivers had excelled at all season was getting yards after the catch. Aside from a heave that was caught by Josh McMillan for 54 yards and a 32-yard catch-and-run from Amir Turner, they didn't have much room to get more yardage, even on the big pass plays. Josh McMillan put up 119 yards on just four catches; that's a season-high in yards for an opposing receiver.

For the most part, however, the Cats came into this game prepared for the deep passes that Massoud likes to uncork. He threw up a few for Khaliq Mateen but they were all broken up. Mateen did catch the one touchdown pass but he was pretty quiet for most of the night, finishing with just 51 yards.

21 Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Colton Morris was the runaway winner with 14, including the only sack of Massoud on the night. The secondary put up a huge performance in this critical game: Reagan Simmons had seven tackles and three pass breakups. Kahlil Robinson had three tackles and broke up two more passes.

Special Teams

Another solid night for Michael Fernandez as he hit all of his kicks: he had a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter and went 4-4 on extra points.

Lakes made sure to keep Christian Scott and JaVarian Stewart from burning them on kickoffs, so they pooch kicked all night, which doesn't really come as a surprise; this has been their approach on kickoffs for a long time.

Michael Fernandez: 1-1 FG (made 27), 4-4 XP
Trajan Armstrong: 2 punts, 60 yards (30 yards per punt), long of 34

Chase Richter got all the kickoff return opportunities as he got three returns for 26 yards.

Man of the Match

1. Jackson Jones

Massoud put up his usual gaudy numbers, but Jackson more than held his own in this game. And most importantly, he led his team to the victory. His decision-making has gotten more sound as the season has progressed and this was the first clean game that the offense turned in. Every snap decision he needed to make, he made the right one.

2. JaVarian Stewart

JaVarian has really shined when he's gotten opportunities. Again, I expect to see him take on a more prominent role in the offense as the season progresses.

3. Colton Morris

Against probably the best quarterback that Cy Woods will face all year, Colton elevated his game to a Defensive MVP level. He definitely has to be one of the leading candidates for the Defensive MVP of District 14-6A.

4. The secondary

Against another outstanding group of opposing wideouts, the secondary had yet another solid outing. McMillan went off, but he was the only Lakes receiver who did so. Again, Mateen was rather quiet outside of his touchdown catch, Turner only caught one pass, and KeLan Dove didn't catch any. Massoud did some damage through the ground game, but his M.O. has been to sling the ball all over the field to let his receivers make the plays. Only one of them could.

Michael Akita and Tevis Adams had a couple of key pass breakups near the end of the game. Chase Richter had nine tackles and forced a fumble on Kyree Anderson early in the game. Unfortunately, he left the game with a lower-body injury. That's a huge blow to a secondary, a defense, and a football team that will have to play without one of its leaders for an undetermined amount of time.

Well, time to see who's going to step up in his absence.

A Random Tidbit I Found

This is the first time that Cy Woods has won multiple games by the same final score in the same season. The other 31-28 victory, if you've forgotten, came in the district opener against Tomball Memorial. The Cats had two games that finished 35-14 in 2012, but they lost the first one to Klein Collins and beat Jersey Village in the second 35-14 game.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshman Gold (3-2) - W 20-16 @ Cy Lakes
Freshman Cardinal (5-1) - W 40-20 @ Cy Lakes
JV Gold (2-3) - L 20-14 vs. College Station
JV Cardinal (3-3) - W 27-0 vs. Cy Lakes

Looking Ahead

It's Homecoming Week at the Woods!

Homecoming XII will take place at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium at 7:00 as the Wildcats host the Cypress Park Tigers.