The Woodlands 34, Cy Woods 28: The End.

Final 2019 Record: 8-4

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography.

Click here to view all photos from this game.

As always, in lieu of a recap, the last game post of each season will serve as an elegy to the senior class.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats saw their 2019 season end in the Area round of the Texas High School Football Playoffs as they fell 34-28 in triple overtime to The Woodlands. In all my years around this team as a player and now as a fan, this is one of the two toughest losses that I've seen Cy Woods football take.

The Woodlands was on their third-string quarterback. The Cats looked as if they were in control of this one throughout the first half. They forced a fumble to kick the Highlanders off the field to start the second half. The Woodlands' all-world kicker/punter, Fabrizio Pinton, somehow couldn't get a punt off late and the Cats took over at the ten-yard line. Jackson broke a 14-14 tie with a touchdown with less than four minutes to go. Pinton missed what could have been the game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired in regulation. Chris Agnew got his hands on a 49-yarder from Pinton in the second overtime and gave the Cats a chance to win.

And yet... this game somehow slipped away.

Ten years later, I always feel somber when a Cy Woods football season comes to an end. This one is definitely going to hurt for a while, though.

You never want to see a group of seniors go out with a loss in their final football game. It's truly one of the hardest and most cruel lessons that a 17/18-year-old kid has to learn: sometimes life doesn't give you that storybook ending. Like Mrs. McGown always said, "it is what it is." Now, that statement is certainly true, but... these kids deserved so much better than going out in the second round of the playoffs in their senior year. I've been known to say "they deserve better" with varying degrees of sincerity, but with these kids, I really, truly mean that.

When this group entered Cy Woods, this program wound up hitting rock bottom. I'm sure that Christian Scott, Jackson Jones, Cam Sowell, Tylan Foster, and Jason Christenson weren't expecting to have to contribute to a rebuilding project.

Jackson, Christian, Cam, and Tevis Adams were the first four to make varsity and eventually, Chase Richter, Jason, Ty, Jakob Jones, Colton Morris, Reagan Simmons, and Kahlil Robinson would join them. They did their part in helping the Cats end a playoff drought as juniors and ultimately, when it was their turn to carry the torch as seniors, the time and effort they invested into this program over these last four years culminated in the first district title for Cy Woods football in nine years and the first playoff victory in five years.

Nothing I say can take away the pain of this loss, and I'm usually awful at trying to console people, but I hope that this at least lessens that pain you feel. Personally, the Class of 2020 has been my favorite group to cover since I started chronicling the history of Cy Woods football five years ago. This is a group that saw it all in their four years: the worst season ever as freshmen. Narrowly missing out on the playoffs as sophomores. Finally getting back into the playoffs as juniors and leaving as district champions as seniors.

It's been a pleasure watching you guys grow up and progress through this program over these last four years and I'm truly grateful to each and every one of you for giving me the opportunity to tell your story as Cypress Woods Wildcat football players.

Box Score

The box score, as always, is provided by Varsity Wires.



Well, that's all from me for 2019. The 2020 season starts now and if there's any solace to be had, at least this offseason is a little bit shorter than the last one.

I'll be back in 2020, ready to write the next chapter of this story that is Cypress Woods Wildcats football. Trayse Holmes, Jeshurun Williams, Braden Barrett, and Chris Agnew are the four veterans of this group and they are going to be counted on to serve as leaders going into their fourth and final year as Wildcat football players. Two of their classmates, Tyler Sherrill and Ty Van Atta, both emerged as key players in their first varsity seasons and they will also have leadership roles to assume. Michael Fernandez had a tough night in this one, but he's shown that he can nail kicks when he's been summoned. They'll have a solid supporting cast returning, but who else from the sub-varsity ranks will step up?

Ja'Varian Stewart showed flashes of his potential brilliance as he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Duke Leonard got a taste of the big leagues but next year will be his turn to step up alongside Tyler and Chris. Sam Myers, Dylan Rogers, Juan Rojas, and Max Nowak all got to experience the exhilaration of the playoffs and the high tension that comes with it in their first year of high school. They provided a glimpse of what the future could hold for Cy Woods football. With Trajan Armstrong, the primary punter, graduating, this could open up a door for Max to contribute in 2020. Sam, Dylan, and Juan are probably three of the ten best prospects in the Cy Woods system and we'll definitely hear plenty from them in the coming years.

Well, Class of 2021... how will you be remembered?

I'll close out with one musical selection. It's from one of my all-time favorite groups, Epik High. They're a trio of rappers from Korea. One of the members dedicated this song to his daughter, but the outro is particularly poignant as it symbolizes the end of a journey. In this context, it's the end of a journey for the Class of 2020 as they conclude their time as Wildcat football players.

"Uphill and downhill.

Time to take off our old shoes.

Footprints and the beaten paths.

We leave in shoeboxes."

- Epik High, "Shoebox"

Know the Enemy: The Woodlands Highlanders

2019 Texas High School Football Playoffs: Class 6A Division I, Region II Area Round 
Cypress Woods Wildcats (8-3) vs. The Woodlands Highlanders (7-4)
7:00 PM Friday, November 22, 2019
Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography.

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cats knocked off Cedar Ridge 42-28 for their first playoff victory since 2014. Jackson Jones went 7-16 for 208 yards and threw two touchdowns and also ran for 54 yards and two more scores in his first game back from injury. Trayse Holmes had 123 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jason Christenson had 1.5 sacks while Tyler Sherrill, Chris Agnew, and Austyn Cohrs all had a half-sack.

Cy Woods' next challenge comes in the form of a longtime power in Texas high school football, The Woodlands Highlanders. When you get to the second round, there are no "bad" or even "mediocre" teams. Everyone will be giving the Cats their best shot from here on out. 

6A Region II, Division I Bracket

Bi-District results

Allen 55, Sachse 20
Rockwall 47, Harker Heights 7
Cypress Ranch 38, Stony Point 24
Klein Oak 47, Aldine MacArthur 17
Prosper 24, Wylie 0
Mesquite 52, Killeen Shoemaker 6
Cypress Woods 42, Cedar Ridge 28
The Woodlands 17, Spring 0

Area pairings

Allen vs. Rockwall, 8 PM Friday 11/22, AT&T Stadium
Cypress Ranch vs. Klein Oak, 3 PM Saturday 11/23, Waller ISD Stadium
Prosper vs. Mesquite, 7 PM Friday 11/22, Eagle Stadium, Allen
Cypress Woods vs. The Woodlands, 7 PM Friday 11/22, Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

The Enemy: The Woodlands Highlanders

2019 Record: 7-4, 5-3 (4th) in District 15-6A

The Woodlands season-to-date

L 17-16 vs. Cy-Fair

W 31-10 @ Lamar

W 20-14 @ Oak Ridge

W 34-7 vs. College Park

L 21-10 @ Klein Oak

L 28-14 vs. Klein Cain

W 31-7 @ Klein

W 31-16 vs. Conroe

L 20-13 @ Klein Collins

W 38-21 vs. Klein Forest

W 17-0 @ Spring

This is the first-ever meeting between Cy Woods and The Woodlands. The Highlanders are the 35th team to take on the Wildcats.

Players to Watch

Malik Johnson - SR WR #2

Bryeton Gilford - SR RB #5

Jett Duncan - SR OL #70

Caleb Fox - SR DL #90

Simon Cruz - SR DL #99

Cannon Starcke - SR LB #11

Kennedy Stewart - SR DB #1

Abb Acuff - SR DB #8

Carter Doucet - SR DB #14

Fabrizio Pinton - SR K/P #80

2¢ on The Woodlands

The Woodlands is perennially one of the top programs in the state of Texas. However, they've hit a bit of a rough patch this season, mainly due to some injuries to key players and inconsistency on offense. However, they're getting some of those key players back, like the explosive Malik Johnson. Bryeton Gilford, the Highlanders' feature back for three years, has battled issues all season ranging from injury to off-field matters, but he's been welcomed back to the fold. 

Teddy Knox, a highly-touted move-in from Louisiana, has also made an impact in his first season in Texas, but unfortunately, he's injured. Ben Mills and Peyton Janecek have both platooned at quarterback, but they're both hurt. Mills was injured last week against Spring and his status for this game is unknown. Janecek's status is also unknown. Cody Howard, a junior, will have his turn to lead the Highlander offense. In addition to Johnson, he'll have some solid targets in Jack Calhoun, Cole Dodson, Connor Stockerl, and Matt Bulovas to fall back upon. Howard is also committed to Baylor for baseball, so this kid isn't just some random who's getting thrown into the fire.

The Highlander offensive line is the same as always. Big, beefy, and at least one Division I player. This year's anchor is Jett Duncan, a North Texas commit. Cody Johnson, an FCS commit to Fordham, and Titan Tucker, a junior, will also feature up front.

To be in this position despite all of the injuries they've endured and the issues they may be facing off the field is a testament to The Woodlands' long-standing excellence as a program. They've been in "next man up" mode for much of this season, and yet... here they are. This is a team that has certainly been here before and they're starting to remember who they are as a program. 

The Highlanders' calling card is a smashmouth defense that has yet to allow 30 points in a game this season; the 161 points they've given up puts them in the top 20 in Class 6A. Caleb Fox is the anchor of TWHS' defensive line and he blows up plays with regularity. It's an imposing front six with Fox, Simon Cruz, and Will Krotee on the line while Cannon Starcke, Blane Corekin, and Noah Polotko man the second level. Abb Acuff, Carter Doucet, and Kennedy Stewart lead a battle-tested secondary that will also feature Ethan Winfield, the youngest son of 14-year NFL veteran Antoine Winfield. One of the NFL's best cornerbacks in the 2000s, Winfield recorded over 1,000 tackles and intercepted 27 passes for Buffalo and Minnesota.

Fabrizio Pinton is one of the top kickers in the country and he can hit from anywhere. In fact, he nailed a 55-yarder at the buzzer to beat Cedar Ridge in this round last year. With the game on the line, he's their man.

In this matchup, Cy Woods will certainly be the underdog again, but the Cats have never been the type of team to back down from a challenge. Let's roll.

Cy Woods 42, Cedar Ridge 28: 5.

2019 Record: 8-3

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography

Click here to view all photos from this game.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats entered the 2019 Texas High School Football playoffs as co-champions of District 14-6A, but no one outside of the Cy Woods community was really expecting them to do much other than being one-and-done like they were last year. Another high-powered Round Rock ISD team would be visiting the Berry Center and leading the way for the Cedar Ridge Raiders was their do-it-all running back, Chris "Deuce" Vaughn, a Kansas State commit and one of the most electrifying players in Texas.

Jackson Jones' status appeared to be uncertain although he returned to practice during the week. The PA announcer listed Dylan Cormier as the starter, but sure enough, Jackson made his return and this invigorated a Wildcat offense that seemingly returned to form with him under center and that spurred Cy Woods to a 42-28 victory over Cedar Ridge in the bi-district round, giving the Cats their first playoff win in five years.

I'm not really an "I told you so" kind of guy, but it is probably worth noting that Dave Campbell's computer projection had Woods as 13-point underdogs entering this game. Maybe Cedar Ridge was looking at too much of the Ranch film. Maybe the computer weighed that game too heavily. I know I promised to never speak of that game again, but that was an aberration. It could have been the fact that Woods went 7-1 in district play but none of those wins were really convincing. Data is useful and sometimes... it gets proven right. But this is the playoffs. Whatever numbers that it spits out can be rendered meaningless.

Coming into this game, I felt that there were a couple of questions that needed to be addressed. Could Woods find some way to slow down Deuce Vaughn and could they sustain drives to keep that Cedar Ridge offense off the field? Well, they answered those questions with a resounding yes. They lost the time of possession battle in the first quarter but won the last three quarters decisively and Vaughn was really the only Raider player to get himself going offensively. Jalen Brown made some nice throws and had he taken all of the snaps, he might've been able to light up the Cats through the air. In the end, however, the Cats got their stops on defense. They forced the Raiders to play more deliberately on offense and prevented them from establishing the rhythm they wanted on that side of the ball.

Congratulations to Dylan Rogers for making his varsity debut. Dylan is a freshman wide receiver/linebacker who I personally thought was too good for freshman football so it was about time that he got called up. But that's not my decision to make. He is the fourth freshman to appear in a varsity football game for Cy Woods, joining Samuel Stewart, Nick Hooper, and Sam Myers.

In fact, two more freshmen dressed for this game: Juan Rojas, a B-back/linebacker, and Max Nowak, a kicker. Naturally, this is the most freshmen to ever dress for a Cy Woods varsity football game.

Final thought: Cedar Woods.

On to The Woodlands.

What Happened

The Raiders marched down the field on the first drive of the game and they capped it off with a 22-yard touchdown pass by Brown to Vaughn. Earlier on the drive, Brown scrambled away from a potential sack and hit an open Joshua Devonish for a first down. It wouldn't take the Cats long to respond. In fact, they only needed one play: Jackson Jones chucked one up for Cam Sowell, who caught the pass in stride and outran everyone to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Christian Scott capped off Woods' next drive with a seven-yard touchdown run. However, Vaughn would strike again with a 32-yard touchdown run near the end of the opening frame. The Cats got three plays in on their next drive before the end of the quarter.

End of 1st Quarter: Cy Woods 14, Cedar Ridge 14

This Woods drive wound up going 15 plays and took nearly eight minutes off the clock. It took up half the second quarter! Unfortunately, the Cats came away empty-handed as Jackson's pass to Dylan Rogers was batted down on fourth and goal from the Cedar Ridge two-yard line. Both defenses held until Woods got the ball inside the Raiders' 30 with 45 seconds remaining in the first half. This drive nearly ended in disaster as Jackson badly telegraphed a pass and it was almost returned for a touchdown by Cedar Ridge cornerback Gavin Dunn, who couldn't hold on to the ball. Jackson got a reprieve as he evaded the rush and hit a wide-open Jeshurun Williams for a 21-yard touchdown right before halftime.

Halftime: Cy Woods 21, Cedar Ridge 14

The Cats got the ball to start the second half and just as Cedar Ridge did to start the game, Cy Woods returned the favor to start the second half by scoring a touchdown. Trayse Holmes finished it off as he bowled over a couple of Raider defenders on his way to scoring from 15 yards out. The Cats turned the Raiders over on downs as Chris Agnew and Austyn Cohrs sacked Brown on fourth down, but Woods ended up punting on their next drive and an absolute disaster of a punt attempt allowed Cedar Ridge to take over inside Woods' ten-yard line. The Raiders thought they had a touchdown when Brown found Devonish, but he was lined up in an ineligible position. That... did not sit too well with Cedar Ridge's head coach, Sam Robinson, who proceeded to unleash an epic tirade and he got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his troubles. While announcing that penalty, the ref pointed in the wrong direction and actually apologized for it.

The Raiders still scored anyway as Brown hit D.J. Rountree for a 12-yard touchdown on fourth and goal. Well, that's one of the weirder sequences of football I've seen. From the punt to the touchdown taken off the board to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the coach... have I seen it all? Ha, not even close.

End of 3rd Quarter: Cy Woods 28, Cedar Ridge 21

The Wildcats were five plays into their drive when the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth, Jackson hit Rudy Mejia for a 44-yard pass that went all the way down to Cedar Ridge's one-yard line. One play later, Jackson snuck in from a yard out. The defense turned the Raiders away on another fourth down and then Holmes ripped off a 42-yard run to put the Cats in the red zone. Jackson more or less ended this one with a three-yard touchdown run with 4:43 left in the game. Cedar Ridge had the final scoring play as they called a hook-and-ladder and Vaughn outraced everyone to the end zone from 78 yards.

Final: Cy Woods 42, Cedar Ridge 28

Ground

Trayse Holmes followed up his big game in Bryan with another monster performance. This is the Trayse Holmes that we expected to see heading into the season and he's found that form at the right time. Christian Scott was dependable as always and Rudy Mejia turned in a solid all-around performance.

The box score for this game, as always, is provided by Varsity Wires.

Trayse Holmes: 14 rush, 123 yards, TD
Jackson Jones: 14 rush, 54 yards, 2 TD
Rudy Mejia: 9 rush, 57 yards
Christian Scott: 8 rush, 40 yards, TD
Jeshurun Williams: 2 rush, 15 yards
Team: 2 rush, -2 yards (Jackson kneeled twice to end the game)

Air

Jackson could've had an even bigger night through the air. A couple of passes on the drive with the disaster punt hit receivers square in their hands. They weren't hauled in. Other than that, he hasn't missed a beat.

Jackson Jones: 7-16, 208 yards, 2 TD

Cameron Sowell: 2 rec, 89 yards, TD
Rudy Mejia: 2 rec, 66 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 2 rec, 33 yards, TD
Amari McDonald: 1 rec, 20 yards

Defense

Neither team committed a turnover, so this game boiled down to which defense could get the stops when they needed and in the end, Cy Woods won in that regard. Which defense could avoid giving up chunk plays? Again, the Cats managed to limit the damage from those chunk plays. They weren't lights out by any means, but they did their job and Cy Woods won the game. That's good enough for me.

The Cats sacked Jalen Brown three times in this game but they could've had a couple more. The tackling was fine, it could've been better. A little too much arm-tackling for my taste, especially from the linemen. It's fine if the guy goes down but if you're gonna do that, better make sure your grip is true.

Brown extended a few plays with his feet and he's a pretty big kid, so he wasn't the easiest to bring down. As I said earlier, Vaughn was really the only guy on their offense to get himself going and the Raiders ended up trying to give him as many touches as possible. That strategy usually ends up well if no one else steps up, and nobody else on Cedar Ridge's offense really did.

Fifteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Chase Richter led the way with seven. The defensive line got to Jalen Brown three times in this game; Jason Christenson finished the night with 1.5 sacks, while Chris Agnew, Tyler Sherrill, and Austyn Cohrs were all credited with a half-sack.

Special Teams

Next time, Trajan... just take the safety. He did have a good punt late in the first half that pinned the Raiders at their two-yard line. They went three-and-out and the Cats wound up scoring right before halftime.

Trajan Armstrong: 3 punts, 51 yards; long of 43

Michael Fernandez made all six of his extra-point attempts.

Christian had a nice return that was wiped out by a block in the back. Ja'Varian Stewart had some action on his mind with his returns. He fumbled on a pretty good one but fortunately, Reagan Simmons pounced on the loose ball right away.

Christian Scott: 1 kick return, 10 yards
Ja'Varian Stewart: 3 kick returns, 51 yards
Chase Richter: 1 punt return, 6 yards

Man of the Match

1. Jackson Jones

Welcome back.

2. Defensive line

Jalen Brown is a pretty good quarterback but the Cats made him sweat quite a bit.

3. Trayse Holmes

As I've said, Trayse is starting to heat up at the right time. He's not Trent, but making people miss isn't his style. His block recognition has allowed him to break off some nice runs as we've seen the last couple of weeks. As long as he gets four, five yards on a consistent basis, he's keeping the offense moving.

Looking Ahead

Round 2!

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will take on The Woodlands Highlanders in the Area round of the 6A Division I, Region II bracket on Friday, November 22, at Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:00 PM.

Know the Enemy: Cedar Ridge Raiders

2019 Texas High School Football Playoffs, Class 6A Division I, Region II Bi-district Round 
Cypress Woods Wildcats (7-3, 7-1 in District 14-6A) vs. Cedar Ridge Raiders (6-4, 5-3 in District 13-6A)
7:00 PM Friday, November 15, 2019
Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography.

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cats wrapped up a share of the District 14-6A championship by closing out the regular season with a 33-17 victory on the road against Bryan. This is Cy Woods' second district championship in school history and the first since the 2010 season.

Dylan Cormier threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to Cam Sowell. Trayse Holmes ran the ball 22 times for 109 yards and a touchdown.

And now, the real fun begins. It's playoff time in the state of Texas!

District 14-6A Final Regular Season Standings

1. Cypress Woods (7-3, 7-1) - DI #1

2. Tomball Memorial (9-1, 7-1) - DII #1
3. Bridgeland (8-2, 6-2) - DII #2

4. Cypress Ranch (7-3, 6-2) - DI #2

5. Cypress Lakes (5-5, 4-4)
6. Cypress Park (3-7, 3-5)

7. Langham Creek (2-8, 2-6)

8. Bryan (2-8, 1-7)

9. Cypress Springs (0-10, 0-8)

6A Region II, Division I

Allen vs. Sachse
Rockwall vs. Harker Heights
Stony Point vs. Cypress Ranch
Klein Oak vs. Aldine MacArthur
Wylie vs. Prosper
Killeen Shoemaker vs. Mesquite
Cypress Woods vs. Cedar Ridge
Spring vs. The Woodlands

The Enemy: Cedar Ridge Raiders

2019 Record: 6-4, 5-3 (t-3rd) in District 13-6A

Cedar Ridge season-to-date

W 35-29 vs. Temple

L 26-14 @ Cedar Park

L 28-7 vs. Vandegrift

W 49-27 @ Leander

L 42-32 vs. Stony Point

W 31-21 @ Hendrickson

L 49-42 vs. Vista Ridge

W 58-47 @ Round Rock

W 38-21 vs. McNeil

W 77-69 @ Westwood

This will be the first meeting between the Wildcats and Raiders. Cedar Ridge will be the 34th team to take on Cy Woods in football.

Players to Watch

Chris "Deuce" Vaughn - SR RB #22

Jalen Brown - SR QB #11

Jack Turner - SR QB #14

Devon Turner - JR WR #4

Marcus Bryant - SR OL #52

Tyler Swanberg - SR DL #43

Devin Taylor - SR LB #36

Brett Hartgrove - JR LB #40

Gavin Dunn - SR DB #21

2¢ on Cedar Ridge

It's playoff time and that means it's time for me to research some of these teams.

The Raiders boast a high-flying offense typical of a Round Rock ISD team although they can certainly be scored on. Well, Round Rock had an awful defense last year but they won with special teams, so moving the ball and scoring points won't equal a guaranteed victory. 

One player for Cedar Ridge is very much a known quantity and that is Deuce Vaughn, one of the top running backs in all of Texas. He's done it all for the Raiders; he's their leading rusher and also leads them in receptions and is tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions. Vaughn, a Kansas State commit, is definitely one of the most dynamic players in the state and limiting his impact will be crucial. Jalen Brown and Jack Turner are a pair of solid quarterbacks; Brown is the better passer while Turner can hurt opposing defenses with his legs. Cedar Ridge boasts a solid group of wideouts led by Devon Turner, D.J. Rountree, and MarkAnthony Bryant. The 6-7 Marcus Bryant anchors the Raiders' offensive line. 

Cedar Ridge's defense is... another story. In the regular season, they allowed 466.3 yards per game. Only Westwood and Leander allowed more points in District 13-6A than Cedar Ridge did this season. Gavin Dunn is the leader of a fast, aggressive secondary; he had three interceptions last season. Devin Taylor and Brett Hartgrove have emerged as the Raiders' top two linebackers and Tyler Swanberg leads the defensive line. This is a unit that's streaky and could be susceptible to a few long, sustained drives. That might be the key to slowing down that high-powered offense.

Location of Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Haha, nice try. I assume you've been here before. But, for any Cedar Ridge people who have found this blog:

8877 Barker Cypress Rd

Cypress, TX 77433

Cy Woods 33, Bryan 17: (Co-)District Champs!

Final 2019 regular-season record: 7-3, 7-1 in District 14-6A

Photo courtesy of Phlox Photography.

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

The Cypress Woods Wildcats closed out the 2019 regular season where it began: in Aggieland. This time, they went up to Bryan and came away with a 33-17 victory over the Bryan Vikings to wrap up their season with a 7-3 overall record and a 7-1 mark in District 14-6A play. As a result of this victory, the Wildcats have clinched a district championship! This is their first district championship since 2010.

Well actually, they have to share this title with Tomball Memorial even though they won head-to-head. In my book, Cy Woods' 31-28 victory when those two teams met all the way back in September is the tiebreaker. Unfortunately, the district recognizes co-champions so there's no choice but to accept that decision. In the end, it's just high school football and I have neither the time nor the energy to waste on any "one true champion" nonsense. I will say this, though... it's much better to share a district title with someone other than Ranch.

It's been quite the journey for the Class of 2020. They had to watch Cy Woods football crash to the bottom of the standings and I'm sure that none of them expected to participate in a rebuilding process. As juniors, they did their part in helping to complete the rebuild by getting the Cats back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Now in control of the program, these guys led a Cy Woods team to an achievement that has only been done one other time in program history as they will finish their final regular season as district (co-)champions.

After... whatever that was two weeks ago, the Cats decided to roll with Dylan Cormier as the starting quarterback and he acquitted himself very well in his first career start at the varsity level. Well, the second half wasn't the greatest display of Cy Woods football that I've seen as threw a pick-six and lost a couple of fumbles in a span of three possessions, but the Cats' 33-0 halftime lead held up in the end despite the Vikings managing to dent it a bit.

And now the real fun begins. On to the playoffs!

What Happened

The Vikings started this game with the ball. On the second play of the game, they tried to run a double reverse but the second pitch was mishandled and Colton Morris pounced on the loose ball to give Woods possession. It took three plays for Woods to open the scoring as Dylan Cormier hit Cam Sowell on the slant for a 24-yard touchdown. Bryan got a big kickoff return from Christian Richardson but that drive also ended in a turnover as Chase Richter intercepted Nico Bulhof. He was apparently ruled down at the Woods four-yard line, but no matter. The Cats drove 96 yards for another score, capped off by a 39-yard pass from Cormier to Sowell.

Richter muffed a punt about midway through the opening period but Reagan Simmons was able to get on the ball at midfield. Trayse Holmes did all the heavy lifting on Woods' next drive but in the end, Christian Scott scored on a three-yard run.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 20, Bryan 0

After Christian put the Cats inside the Vikings' ten-yard line, Cormier threw his third touchdown pass of the night on a bootleg, finding Jeshurun Williams in the flat from nine yards out. Holmes capped off an 11-play, 68-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock by getting in with a one-yard run.

Halftime: Woods 33, Bryan 0

Both teams traded three-and-outs to start the second half, but the Vikings got on the board when J.D. Smith picked off Cormier and returned the interception 79 yards for a touchdown. This was the first of three straight possessions that ended in turnovers by the Cats. Cormier lost a fumble on the next drive and Bulhof converted that miscue into points by nailing a 40-yard field goal. Bryan recovered another fumble near the end of the third quarter but they ended up punting the ball away to start the fourth quarter.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 33, Bryan 10

The only scoring play in the final quarter was a 77-yard touchdown run from Christian Richardson with a little over four minutes left in the game.

Final: Woods 33, Bryan 17

Ground

Prior to this game, no Wildcat player had run for 100 yards in a game this year. Trayse Holmes finally broke through with 109 on 22 carries. His form this year has been a bit inconsistent but he picked a great time to turn in his best game of the year. He'll have to find a way to build upon this if the Cats want to make a run in November.

Cormier looks to be a good fit for this offense; he certainly has the frame to absorb contact and that is a vital skill to have in a system where the quarterback serves as the catalyst for virtually every play. With time, he should be able to turn some two-yard gains into four yards and/or more.

The box score for this game and all statistics, as always, are provided by Varsity Wires.

Trayse Holmes: 22 rush, 109 yards, TD
Dylan Cormier: 15 rush, 31 yards
Christian Scott: 8 rush, 44 yards, TD
Jeshurun Williams: 3 rush, 18 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 2 rush, 17 yards
Rudy Mejia: 2 rush, 9 yards
Team: 1 rush, -2 yards (Cormier took a knee to end the game)

Air

Out of all the quarterbacks in the Cats' system, Cormier by far has the best pure arm strength and the Cats opened things up a little in order to take advantage of that. He put up two beautiful throws to Cam Sowell for two scores and hit Jeshurun Williams right on the numbers after rolling out. On the other hand, he threw quite a few balls behind receivers and Bryan probably should've intercepted him more than once.

With that being said, he did as well as one could expect, especially now that he has had time to settle into the starting role.

Dylan Cormier: 9-18, 193 yards, 3 TD, INT

If the Cats still ran the spread, Cam Sowell would probably be flirting with a 1000-yard season at this point. He's still put up huge numbers in an overwhelmingly run-first offense. Cam is absolutely just as good (and in some cases, probably better than) as guys like Logan Kyle, Khaliq Mateen, and Dylan Goffney.

Cam Sowell: 3 rec, 77 yards, 2 TD
Amari McDonald: 2 rec, 48 yards
Christian Scott: 1 rec, 27 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 1 rec, 19 yards
Rudy Mejia: 1 rec, 13 yards
Jeshurun Williams: 1 rec, 9 yards, TD

Defense

Until Richardson ripped off his 77-yard run, Bryan had a grand total of 50 yards on offense. As a result, the Vikings finished with one more yard (127) than Langham Creek (126) did against Woods.

Sixteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and there was a three-way tie at the top with Kahlil Robinson, Jakob Jones, and Taber Tofte all finishing with... three. Not letting the opponent sustain drives is a great thing, even if there's fewer opportunities to put up stats. Jones and Ethan Gonzales both combined on a sack early in the second quarter.

As I mentioned earlier, Colton Morris recovered a fumble on the second play of the game and Chase Richter intercepted a pass.

Special Teams

Michael Fernandez had a rare rough night (relatively speaking) as he missed two extra points. 3-5 XP

Trajan Armstrong: 2 punts, 69 yards (34.5 average), long of 54

Chase Richter: 2 punts returned, 27 yards; long of 30
Christian Scott: 1 kick return, 25 yards

Man of the Match

Trayse Holmes gets the nod for his 100-yard game. Without a doubt, this was his finest performance of the year. Dylan Cormier also gets kudos for winning his first varsity start, although cleaning up the miscues will definitely be a point of emphasis heading into the playoffs. By now, any margin of error is completely gone.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshman Gold - L 17-15 @ Bryan
Freshman Cardinal - L 17-16 @ Bryan
JV - W 21-0 vs. Bryan; combined team

The Freshman Gold team lost on a field goal as time expired. Yes, you read that correctly.

Final sub-varsity records

Freshman Gold - 4-4 (one game canceled)
Freshman Cardinal - 7-2
JV Gold - 3-5 (one game canceled)
JV Cardinal - 4-5
Combined teams - 2-0 (both freshman and JV played one combined game apiece)
Total, not counting combined games: 18-16

Looking Ahead

It's playoff time in Texas!

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will begin their road to Arlington on Friday, November 15 when they host the Cedar Ridge Raiders from District 13-6A in a Class 6A Region II, Division I bi-district playoff game at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:00.

Know the Enemy: Bryan Vikings

2019 Regular Season, Week 11: Cypress Woods Wildcats (6-3, 6-1) @ Bryan Vikings (2-7, 1-6)
7:00 PM Friday, November 8, 2019
Merrill Green Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

After nine consecutive weekends of playing football, the Cypress Woods Wildcats had last week off.  

A little over two months after beginning the journey that is the 2019 football season, the Cats have arrived at Game 10 and they will be making a trip up to the Brazos Valley for the regular-season finale. 

District 14-6A

Current Standings

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

1. Tomball Memorial (8-1, 6-1) - DII #1

2. Cypress Ranch (7-2, 6-1) - DI ?
3. Cypress Woods (6-3, 6-1) - DI ?

4. Bridgeland (7-2, 5-2) - DII #2

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

7. Bryan (2-7, 1-6)

8. Langham Creek (1-8, 1-6)

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

Week 10 Results

Thursday, October 31

Tomball Memorial 55, Cypress Springs 0

Bridgeland 56, Cypress Lakes 41

Friday, November 1

Cypress Ranch 56, Bryan 14

Saturday, November 2

Cypress Park 24, Langham Creek 10

Week 11 Schedule

Bye: Cypress Lakes

Friday, November 8

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

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

Tomball Memorial vs. Cypress Ranch, 7:00 at Tomball ISD Stadium

Saturday, November 9

Bridgeland vs. Cypress Park, 1:00 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

The winner of the TMHS/Ranch game will either share the district title with Woods... or they could even win it outright. In addition, seeding for Division I has yet to be determined. A Woods win and a Ranch loss will give Woods the #1 seed by virtue of having the better district record, even though they lost to Ranch. A Ranch win over Tomball Memorial, however, will give them the #1 seed. 

District 13-6A

1. Vandegrift (9-0, 7-0) - DII #1

2. Vista Ridge (7-2, 5-2)

3. Stony Point (7-2, 5-2)

4. Round Rock (6-4, 4-3)

5. Cedar Ridge (5-4, 4-3)

6. Westwood (4-5, 3-4)

7. Hendrickson (3-6, 2-5)

8. McNeil (3-6, 2-5)

9. Leander (0-10, 0-8)

Week 10 Results

Thursday, October 31

Hendrickson 35, Round Rock 28

Friday, November 1

Vandegrift 56, Leander 3

Cedar Ridge 38, McNeil 21

Stony Point 45, Westwood 28

Week 11 Schedule

Bye: Leander

Thursday, November 7

Round Rock vs. Vista Ridge

Friday, November 8

Westwood vs. Cedar Ridge

Vandegrift vs. Stony Point

McNeil vs. Hendrickson

Ten weeks have passed and the only team in 13-6A that has clinched a playoff berth is Vandegrift. A four-way tie at 5-3 is possible if Round Rock beats Vista Ridge, Cedar Ridge beats Westwood, and Stony Point loses to Vandegrift. 

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

9-6A - Collin County: Allen is the #1 seed in Division I. The other Division I representative from this district is yet to be determined. Right now, it is Plano, who lost to McKinney Boyd 28-0 to fall to 3-3 in district. McKinney topped Dallas Jesuit 24-21 to move to 3-3. 

Plano holds the tiebreaker over McKinney, but if McKinney advances to the playoffs, Prosper would be the #2 seed in Division I. Plano High takes on Prosper and McKinney will play Boyd to end the season.

10-6A - Garland ISD + Wylie: The two Division I representatives out of 10-6A are Rowlett and Sachse and they'll play each other this week to determine seeding. Naaman Forest is 3-3, but Rowlett would still advance via tiebreaker; the Eagles beat the Rangers 7-6 in the district opener for both teams.

11-6A - Northeast Metroplex + Tyler and Longview: DI #1 - Rockwall, DI #2 - Mesquite

12-6A - CenTex: No change from last week; it's still Shoemaker and Harker Heights. They play each other this week. A Heights win will give them the #1 seed in Division I. A loss and a Belton win means that Belton will advance as the #2 seed in Division I. 

In one of the more unexpected results in Texas, Belton lost to a winless Waco team 24-21 last week. They'll finish the regular season by hosting Midway.

15-6A - Klein/Conroe: The current Division I teams from 15-6A are The Woodlands and Conroe. There is currently a three-way tie at 4-3 with Conroe, The Woodlands, and Klein Cain. If all three teams are still tied at the end of the season, then the four playoff teams from 15-6A will be Klein Oak, Klein Collins, The Woodlands, and Klein Cain. 

Conroe, The Woodlands, and Klein Cain are all 1-1 against each other, but Conroe has the worst point differential in this "mini-district," so they would be eliminated.

Conroe has Oak Ridge remaining on their schedule, Klein Cain finishes with Klein Oak, and The Woodlands' final game is against 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: MacArthur defeated Davis 25-22 to clinch the final playoff spot in 16-6A.

DI: #1 Spring, #2 MacArthur

DII: #1 Westfield, #2 Dekaney

The Enemy: Bryan Vikings

2018 Record: 4-6, 3-5 (6th) in District 14-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Bryan season-to-date

W 14-3 @ Waller

L 49-7 vs. A&M Consolidated

L 40-0 @ Tomball Memorial

L 35-31 vs. Langham Creek

L 49-24 @ Bridgeland

L 62-10 vs. Cypress Lakes

L 34-24 @ Cypress Park

W 37-19 vs. Cypress Springs

L 56-14 @ Cypress Ranch

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 1-0.

Previous Meeting

November 8, 2018: Woods 20, Bryan 19

Players to Watch

Nico Bulhof - JR QB/K/P #15

Ja'lijah Tyler - SR RB #11

Jalen Davis - SR RB #5

Carnellius Lawrence - SOPH WR #8

Du'wayne Paulhill - SOPH ATH #20

Christian Richardson - SR ATH #28

Nick McDaniel - SR LB #23

Jamil Williams - SR LB #29

Kenny Collins - JR DB #4

Nic Caraway - SOPH DL #94

Tanner Allen - SOPH DL #30

2¢ on Bryan

The Vikings have had a rather rough season that certainly did not go as planned. A solid collection of talent returning on both sides of the ball seemed good enough for them to contend for a playoff spot, but instead, they've been a fight to stay out of the bottom of the district.

The unraveling began in the offseason as they had a rather high-profile player transfer out of their program. Kerry Brooks, last year's starting quarterback, went to A&M Consolidated. A couple more players attempted to follow suit: Gary Lynch, a starting receiver, and Christian Richardson, a starting defensive back, both went to College Station but saw their requests get denied. A couple more key players wound up defecting during the season: Dylan Carroll, last year's Defensive Newcomer of the Year in District 14-6A, and Darius Peterson, another starting defensive back, left before their game against Langham Creek back in September. Carroll left due to... creative differences with his coaches. Peterson went to Klein. 

But as I've said countless times on here, the Wildcats cannot underestimate inferior teams because they still have players who can cause issues for them if they aren't careful. One such player is Ja'lijah Tyler, who ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns against the Cats last year. He's the bruising half of a solid running back tandem with Jalen Davis, who's the do-it-all back for Bryan. Davis is the Vikings' leading rusher and receiver. Nico Bulhof is the quarterback and as we saw last year, he's also the kicker and punter. 

Bryan's defense kept their team in just about every game last year, but it's been clear that they've lost a lot of that punch this year, especially with the departures of Carroll, Peterson, and an All-State performer in Ja'Various Sullivan. Nick McDaniel, one of their captains, is the leader of this iteration of the Viking defense and he's had a solid supporting cast at linebacker with Caleb Merrell, Jack Blackburn, Caden Heil, and Jamil Williams all stepping up. Richardson, one of the players who attempted to transfer, leads the secondary, which features Du'wayne Paulhill, a sophomore who played a little running back early in the season and has now emerged as a rising star on defense. Richardson will also line up as a running back in certain situations. Carroll's departure has left a significant experience void on the defensive line, where Nic Caraway and Tanner Allen, a couple of sophomores, have had to grow up in a hurry.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

In the 2018 regular-season finale for both squads, the Cats escaped with a 20-19 victory after stopping what could have been a go-ahead two-point conversion. Gustavo Olmedo hit a pair of 38-yard field goals. Carson Danner ran for 154 yards and a touchdown and also hit Jake Tesch for a 39-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. Jakob Jones forced a fumble with three minutes left, Caleb Rutherford recovered the loose ball, and the Cats ran out the clock.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Bryan has two freshman teams and one JV team. The freshmen will go on a little trip up to Bryan to finish their first year of high school football while the JV will play at Cy Woods. 

Game times for the freshmen are 4:30 and 6:30. There will be one JV game at 5:30.

Location of Merrill Green Stadium

On the campus of Bryan High School. Merrill Green Stadium will be the 17th different stadium to host a Cy Woods football game.

Drive safely!