Sunday, October 13, 2019

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

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