i'm taking pictures now

So if you haven't heard, I've basically become the #2 guy at Varsity Wires now. I really didn't feel like having to fight with the district's ticket site this year, and right now I honestly feel a bit more comfortable in a room with two other people than outside with hundreds of people who probably aren't sitting very far from me, so I decided to learn how to keep stats. 

I've actually been doing Varsity Wires-related stuff for a couple of years now; last year, I just tweeted out score updates and I was doing that for free. Now, they're paying me to keep stats and spot for tackles. It was time for me to start pulling a little more weight, honestly. And I'm getting a little extra money too, so I can't complain.

The new gig has also given me an excuse to go out and buy a camera, so here are a few of my favorite shots from the last few weeks...

Mr. V (why do I call him Mr. V when he's like four years older than me lol)

Coach Turnbow

Sebastian Bruges

Christian Ruthenbeck, Langham Creek

Pridgeon Stadium before Cy Creek/Jersey Village

Owen Pewee, Cypress Park

Ty Van Atta, Chris Agnew, and Dylan Cormier looking on

Cypress Woods 56, Cypress Lakes 18: On to the Playoffs...

Final 2020 regular-season record: 6-3, 5-2 in District 16-6A

Photo courtesy: Carmen Agnew, Phlox Photography/MaxPreps

Photo gallery for this week's games: Varsity, JV combined, Freshman combined

Plug: Are you a parent of a Cy Woods football player and would like to have some pictures to remember this season by? Phlox Photography has you covered. Photographers will be on-site at every Cy Woods varsity football game, all Cy Woods sub-varsity home games, and depending on availability, most away sub-varsity games. 

For more information on how to purchase a spotlight photo gallery for your athlete, please contact Tom Dendy, JoAnn Nowak, or Carmen Agnew, visit the Phlox website for more details, or check out this explainer video on how to order photos. Tom, Mrs. Nowak, and Mrs. Agnew are all certified MaxPreps photographers and you can also view their photos on Cy Woods' MaxPreps page.

Please do not copy/paste or save the watermarked images on MaxPreps to use as your own. That's stealing. Stealing is bad.

Well, the Cypress Woods Wildcats' final regular-season contest pitted them against a Cy Lakes team that is basically back at square one after they bid farewell to a talented senior class. With a playoff spot secured, all Woods needed to do was to get through this game with as little drama as possible and they did exactly that by cruising to a 56-18 victory over a winless Spartan squad. 

Everybody played, no one got hurt. Job well done. Let's get some rest and it's on to the playoffs.

What Happened

It took three plays for Woods to get on the board as Dylan Cormier opened the scoring with a 27-yard run. Cormier then found John Niles for a 12-yard touchdown pass and five minutes later, Parker Childers blocked a Lakes field goal attempt, which Brenton Frizell scooped up and returned 72 yards for another Woods score.

End of 1st Quarter: Cypress Woods 21, Cypress Lakes 0

The second quarter started out a lot like the first one: Dylan Cormier found the end zone with a 17-yard run and then threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Myles Johnson. Trey Craft got in with a six-yard run just before halftime.

Halftime: Woods 42, Lakes 0

Jeremiah Sherrill got the Spartans on the board with a 38-yard touchdown run. KeLan Dove dropped the ball while trying to hold the extra-point kick, but he managed to scoop it up and ran it in for two points. Craft scored again on a nine-yard run, but Lakes scored again thanks to a seven-yard run by Jordan Braud.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 49, Lakes 15

Brenden Cantu got loose and scored on a 39-yard run and then Lakes bled out the rest of the clock for a 24-yard field goal by Pasqual Garay. The Spartans ran 19 plays for 60 yards and took 9:43 off the clock on that drive.

Final: Cypress Woods 56, Cypress Lakes 18

Ground

The Wildcats spread out 257 rushing yards among seven different players. Cantu's 39-yard run was Cy Woods' longest offensive play of the evening. It's looking like the run game is hitting its stride at the right time.

Air

Considering that Woods led big for most of the night, they didn't really need to pass the ball. Dylan Cormier completed four passes and two of them resulted in touchdowns. 

Defense

Aside from two long Jeremiah Sherrill runs in which a mix of backups and starters were in, the Spartans never really threatened the Wildcats. 

22 Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and the leader this week was Elijah Nicholas, a backup defensive end who had seven. Chris Agnew, Christian Faulkner, Carson Smith, and Evan Bartkowiak all finished with six as Woods brought everyone in on the action. 

Special Teams

For the second straight week, the Wildcats did not punt. After missing two extra points against Springs, Michael Fernandez bounced back to hit all eight of his chances.

Game Summary from Varsity Wires

- No punts!

- Typical blowout where there's a bunch of guys recording stats.

- It was nice of Lakes to just bleed the rest of the game away in the fourth quarter.

- Not often that Woods gets blown away in terms of time of possession; usually it's the other way around.

Man of the Match

Everyone played, no one got hurt, the Wildcats won easily, job well done.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshmen 26 (2-0 as a combined team), Cypress Lakes 6

JV (6-1 as a combined team) 42, Cypress Lakes 0

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will need to wait two weeks before their Road to Arlington begins. It's looking like a trip to Klein Memorial to take on Klein Cain to start. 

Know the Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2020 Regular Season, Week 9: Cypress Woods Wildcats (5-3, 4-2) @ Cypress Lakes Spartans (0-8, 0-6)
District 16-6A Game #7
6:30 PM Thursday, November 19, 2020
Ken Pridgeon Stadium

Photo courtesy: Phlox Photography

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

It was a happy Homecoming for the Cypress Woods Wildcats as they topped the Cypress Springs Panthers by a final score of 63-36 to clinch a playoff berth. As it stands, the Cats will be the #2 seed in the Division I bracket.

The Wildcats will wrap up the regular season with one final tune-up before a long layoff awaits. In case you have not heard, the game with Katy Tompkins that was originally scheduled for December 4 has been canceled. 

District 16-6A

Current Standings

Teams in bold have clinched a playoff berth. Teams that have been stricken through have been eliminated.

1. Bridgeland (8-0, 6-0)

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

3. Cypress Woods (5-3, 4-2)

4. Langham Creek (4-4, 3-3)

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

6. Cypress Falls (2-5, 2-3)

7. Cypress Springs (1-7, 1-5)

8. Cypress Lakes (0-8, 0-6)

Week 8 Results

Langham Creek 56, Cypress Falls 49 (OT)

Cypress Woods 63, Cypress Springs 36

Bridgeland 59, Cypress Lakes 3

Week 9 Schedule

Thursday, November 5

Cypress Lakes vs. Cypress Woods, 6:30 at Pridgeon

Cypress Springs vs. Cypress Ranch, 6:30 at CF-FCU

Friday, November 6

Cypress Park vs. Langham Creek, 7:00 at CF-FCU

Cypress Falls vs. Bridgeland, 7:00 at Pridgeon

District 15-6A

Well, things aren't getting any clearer here.

1. Tomball Memorial (7-0, 4-0)

2. Klein Cain (5-2, 4-1)

3. Klein Oak (2-3, 2-2)

4. Klein Collins (3-3, 2-2)

5. Tomball (5-2, 2-2)

6. Klein (3-3, 1-3)

7. Klein Forest (1-6, 0-5)

Week 8 Results

Tomball Memorial 49, Klein Forest 20

Klein Collins 31, Klein 24

Klein Cain 37, Klein Oak 23

Week 9 Schedule

Bye: Klein Forest

Thursday, November 19

Klein Collins vs. Tomball Memorial, 7:00 at Klein Memorial

Friday, November 20

Tomball vs. Klein Cain, 7:00 at Tomball ISD Stadium

Klein Oak vs. Klein, 7:00 at Klein Memorial

Now, let's take a look at the rest of Region II.

District 9-6A - Garland/Wylie

So apparently in 9-6A, a one-loss team missing the playoffs is now a thing as a previously winless Wylie team defeated previously undefeated Rowlett 30-27 on Friday, rendering the rest of Rowlett's season meaningless. 9-6A tried to play a zone schedule while trying to get a full district schedule in at the same time, and... it completely backfired on them. Rowlett could potentially win out and it wouldn't matter. Wylie, meanwhile, could lose out and that wouldn't matter either.

In another win-and-you're-in game, Sachse beat South Garland 57-13. So, Sachse and Wylie will be the Division I representatives for 9-6A. The other two play-in games, which would be for places in the Division II bracket, will pit Naaman Forest against North Garland while Garland faces Lakeview Centennial.

Sheesh.

District 10-6A - East DFW/Tyler

Rockwall tops 10-6A with their 4-0 record. Behind them are Rockwall-Heath and a familiar school: Dallas Skyline, who are tied at 2-1. Currently, the Division I teams from 10-6A are Rockwall (#1) and Skyline (#2); the Yellowjackets smacked the Raiders 56-6 last week.

District 11-6A - South DFW/Waco

The four playoff teams in District 11-6A are set. 11-6A utilized zone play this season. Much more competently than District 9-6A, might I add.

Division I: #1 Duncanville, #2 DeSoto

Division II: #1 Cedar Hill, #2 Waxahachie

District 12-6A - CenTex

The two schools currently slated for Division I are Killeen Shoemaker and either Harker Heights or Belton, who are currently tied for fourth at 2-2. Temple and Bryan are the current Division II teams. 

The Knights and Tigers will play each other on December 3, during the final week of the regular season. Harker Heights beat Shoemaker 51-50 in overtime last week. Before they meet, Harker Heights will play Killeen and Copperas Cove, while Temple has Ellison and Shoemaker.

District 13-6A - Conroe ISD/Willis

College Park and The Woodlands are the current DI teams. Oak Ridge and Grand Oaks would be in Division II.

District 14-6A - Aldine/Spring

Spring (#1) and Westfield (#2) are the current Division I teams. The last two spots, currently occupied by Dekaney and Eisenhower, will go to Division II.

The Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2019 Record: 5-5, 4-4 (5th) in District 14-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cypress Lakes season-to-date

L 24-14 vs. Morton Ranch

L 35-7 @ Mayde Creek

L 56-0 @ Cypress Ranch

L 55-32 vs. Cypress Park

L 35-28 @ Cypress Springs

L 27-7 @ Langham Creek

L 42-27 vs. Cypress Falls

L 59-3 @ Bridgeland

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 10-0.

Previous Meetings

October 5, 2019: Woods 31, Lakes 28
October 5, 2018: Woods 63, Lakes 55
October 21, 2017: Woods 31, Lakes 20
October 13, 2016: Woods 36, Lakes 33
October 9, 2015: Woods 70, Lakes 20 (Homecoming VIII)
October 10, 2014: Woods 52, Lakes 10
September 28, 2013: Woods 34, Lakes 14
September 29, 2012: Woods 63, Lakes 13
October 6, 2011: Woods 63, Lakes 14
October 7, 2010: Woods 34, Lakes 0

Players to Watch

Amir Turner - JR WR #9
KeLan Dove - SR WR #14
Darnell Green - SOPH RB #1
Zoel Henriquez - SR OL #63
Donovan Carter - SOPH LB #11
Givon Ortega-Jones - JR DL #45

Enrique Urrutia - SR LB #34

Dewillie Thomas - SR DB #23

2¢ on Lakes

The Cypress Lakes Spartans were once again on the doorstep of the playoffs in 2019, but once again, they couldn't make the breakthrough as they were left to rue some close losses. You can take your pick as to which loss stung more: 

- The 73-70 slugfest against Tomball Memorial in which they just needed one more stop. 

- Missing a game-tying field goal against Woods that would have forced overtime, or... 

- ...squandering a 31-13 second-half lead against Ranch.

Not even the otherworldly efforts of Sofian Massoud could spur the Spartans onto the playoffs. Now, with Massoud moving on to the University of Houston, the Spartans now face a significant rebuild and at 0-8, they are essentially back at square one. Not only has Massoud departed, Lakes also lost their leading receiver, Khaliq Mateen, and the person who would have been their top returning receiver, Josh McMillan, who moved to Tompkins. They also lost a talented trio in the secondary as Eamon Perry, Kyree Anderson, and Xavier Corbin have all moved on. Simply put, the Spartans were decimated by graduation and a very significant move-out.

I've said this many times, however: even the teams that are perceived as being "not good" in Cy-Fair ISD have a few players who can cause problems. There are no truly bad teams in this district. Amir Turner and KeLan Dove are legit threats in the passing game and they could certainly play at any of the other schools in this district. Zoel Henriquez, Justin Gomez, and Neven Aguilar anchor the Spartans' offensive line. 

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Wildcats fended off a challenge from probably one of the best quarterbacks to come through Cy-Fair ISD in a decade, Sofian Massoud, and hung on for a 31-28 victory as Lakes kicker Axel Espinal missed a 48-yard field goal as time expired. Massoud had four total touchdowns, but Jackson Jones matched him with four of his own as he ran for 96 yards and three scores while throwing for 157 yards and a touchdown.

Colton Morris had 14 tackles, a season-high for any Cy Woods player in that category during the 2019 season. 

Sub-Varsity Game Information

As this is a Thursday game week, the sub-varsity teams will play on Wednesday. Cypress Lakes has two freshman teams and one JV team. The JV will play at Cy Woods at 5:30 while the freshmen travel to Lakes.

Location of Cypress Lakes High School

Cypress Woods 63, Cypress Springs 36: Happy Homecoming.

2020 Record: 5-3, 4-2 in District 16-6A

Photo courtesy: JoAnn Nowak, Phlox Photography/MaxPreps

Photo galleries for this week's games: Varsity, JV Combined, Freshman A, Freshman B

Plug: Are you a parent of a Cy Woods football player and would like to have some pictures to remember this season by? Phlox Photography has you covered. Photographers will be on-site at every Cy Woods varsity football game, all Cy Woods sub-varsity home games, and depending on availability, most away sub-varsity games. 

For more information on how to purchase a spotlight photo gallery for your athlete, please contact Tom Dendy, JoAnn Nowak, or Carmen Agnew, visit the Phlox website for more details, or check out this explainer video on how to order photos. Tom, Mrs. Nowak, and Mrs. Agnew are all certified MaxPreps photographers and you can also view their photos on Cy Woods' MaxPreps page.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats clinched a berth in the 2020 playoffs with their 63-36 victory over the Cypress Springs Panthers on Homecoming. 

Well, you know, sometimes there's not really much to say. I guess part of that is because I'm so late in getting this post out. The Wildcats did what they were expected to do by putting up nearly 600 yards of offense while trouncing an inferior team and winning the Homecoming game. Don't ever lose this game.

On to Lakes.

What Happened

Trey Craft opened the scoring with a seven-yard run. Connor Morris scored on an eight-yard run and Dylan Cormier punched it in from a yard out near the end of the first quarter.

End of 1st Quarter: Cypress Woods 21, Cypress Springs 0

Trayse Holmes scored on a two-yard run and this game was on the verge of really turning ugly, but the Panthers showed a pulse by getting on the board courtesy of a 70-yard touchdown catch by Kristofer Dargin. Then on Woods' next drive, Trey Craft got stripped by Isaiah Keller, who ran 63 yards the other way for another Springs score. Suddenly, the Wildcats only had a two-score lead despite largely shutting down the Panthers. Woods responded by scoring the last 17 points of the quarter as Dylan Cormier threw touchdown passes to JaVarian Stewart and Connor Morris. Michael Fernandez added a 32-yard field goal to end the quarter. 

Halftime: Woods 44, Springs 14

Luis Medina-Avelar opened the scoring in the second half for the Panthers with a 41-yard field goal. The Wildcats played much of the second half with a mix of starters and backups; one of those backups, Brenden Cantu, scored on a ten-yard run. Terrill Curtis scored on a 22-yard catch for Springs.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 50, Springs 24

Woods and Springs both had two rushing touchdowns in the final period; Woods got a pair of one-yard touchdown runs from Zack Smolko while the Panthers got in with a six-yard run by Quazean Bou and a ten-yard run from Marc Bailey.

Final: Cypress Woods 63, Cypress Springs 36

Ground

For the second straight week, Cy Woods ran for over 400 yards. 28 of the 37 first downs they recorded in this game came via the ground. Amazingly, no one ran for 100 yards. 

Air

After struggling with the passing game the last two weeks, Dylan Cormier bounced back with a nice performance. He probably could have had three touchdown passes, but Myles Johnson got caught around the five-yard line.

Defense

Yes, the Wildcat defense gave up 29 points (the other seven was scored by the Panther defense), but there wasn't really any point in time during this game where you had the feeling that Woods was seriously threatened. The Wildcats took a 30-point lead into halftime and the backups played for much of the second half.

Parker Childers had an interception return for a touchdown wiped out by a block in the back. 

A season-high twenty Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and we have a three-way tie at the top as Juan Rojas, Dylan Rogers (as usual), and Tyler Sherrill all finished with six apiece. Sherrill also had two sacks in this game. 

Special Teams

Cy Woods did not punt in this game. Michael Fernandez hit a 32-yard field goal but missed two extra points which denied him from finishing with a ten-point game.

Game Summary from Varsity Wires

All those rushing yards for Woods and they didn't even have a 100-yard rusher.

Another season high in rushing yards for the Wildcats!

Man of the Match: Everyone

Everyone played, the Wildcats won handily, job well done all around.

Sub-Varsity Results

JV (5-1 as a combined team) 28, Cypress Springs 6

Freshman Cardinal (1-5-1, 0-4-1) 28, Cypress Springs 28

Freshman Gold (3-4, 1-3) 34, Cypress Springs 24

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will wrap up the 2020 regular season on Thursday, November 19 as they take on the Cypress Lakes Spartans at Ken Pridgeon Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 and the Wildcats will be the away team in this contest.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Springs Panthers

2020 Regular Season, Week 8: Cypress Woods Wildcats (4-3, 3-2) vs. Cypress Springs Panthers (1-6, 1-4)

District 16-6A Game #6

7:00 PM Friday, November 13, 2020

Homecoming XIII at Pridgeon Stadium

Photo courtesy: Phlox Photography

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcat offense broke free from Cy Ranch's shackles as they ran roughshod over Cypress Park in a 42-28 victory. Trayse Holmes ran for 138 yards and tied a single-game record with four touchdowns. Dylan Cormier got intercepted three times but he ran for 81 yards and two scores of his own. Dylan Rogers' breakout season continued as he put up 12 tackles and a sack. 

And now, it's Homecoming at the Woods! As always, Homecoming brings out the pageantry and the possible distractions. Well, given that we are still in a pandemic, maybe not this year. This will be the third time that the Cypress Springs Panthers will serve as the Homecoming opponent. 

District 16-6A

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. Bridgeland (7-0, 5-0)

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

3. Cypress Woods (4-3, 3-2)

4. Cypress Park (4-3, 3-2)

5. Cypress Falls (2-4, 2-2)

6. Langham Creek (3-4, 2-3)

7. Cypress Springs (1-6, 1-4)

8. Cypress Lakes (0-7, 0-5)

Week 7 Results

Cypress Woods 42, Cypress Park 28

Cypress Ranch 35, Langham Creek 14

Cypress Falls 42, Cypress Lakes 27

Bridgeland 78, Cypress Springs 14

Week 8 Schedule

Thursday, November 12

Langham Creek vs. Cypress Falls, 6:30 at CF-FCU

Friday, November 13

Bridgeland vs. Cypress Lakes, 7:00 at CF-FCU

Cypress Springs vs. Cypress Woods, 7:00 at Pridgeon

Saturday, November 14

Cypress Ranch vs. Cypress Park, 7:00 at CF-FCU

District 15-6A

Week 7 proved to be a total mess in 15-6A and Tomball Memorial got a front-row seat to watch it all unfold.

1. Tomball Memorial (6-0, 3-0)

2. Klein Cain (4-2, 3-1)

3. Klein Oak (2-2, 2-1)

4. Tomball (5-2, 2-2)

5. Klein (3-2, 1-2)

6. Klein Collins (2-3, 1-2)

7. Klein Forest (1-5, 0-4)

Week 7 Results

Tomball 17, Klein Oak 16

Klein 42, Klein Forest 7

Klein Cain 35, Klein Collins 21

Week 8 Schedule

The game to watch here is Saturday's matchup between Oak and Cain as these two teams are currently slated for the Division I bracket. 

Bye: Tomball

Friday, November 13

Klein vs. Klein Collins, 7:00 at Klein Memorial

Tomball Memorial vs. Klein Forest, 7:00 at Tomball ISD Stadium

Saturday, November 14

Klein Cain vs. Klein Oak, 2:00 at Klein Memorial

The Enemy: Cypress Springs Panthers

2019 Record: 0-10, 0-8 (9th) in District 14-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cypress Springs season-to-date

L 37-0 @ Katy Taylor

L 35-14 vs. Humble

L 62-13 @ Cypress Park

L 49-0 vs. Langham Creek

W 35-28 vs. Cypress Lakes

L 25-10 @ Cypress Springs

L 78-14 vs. Bridgeland

Yeah, that game against Bridgeland was ugly. I have no idea what Springs did in the past to wrong David Raffield, but there was blood everywhere. If it wasn't for two missed extra points, the Bears would have matched Cy-Fair's record set just last week with 80 points.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 11-1.

Previous Meetings

October 19, 2019: Woods 31, Springs 15
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

Jeremiah Mosley - SR QB #8

Camdyn Brooks - SR RB/LB #11

Quazean Bou - SR RB #2

Jermari Seals - JR DB #4

Marc Bailey - JR RB/WR #24

Cameron White - SR DB/RB/P #3

Malik Barnes - SR DB #9

Terrill Curtis - JR DB/WR #5

Jayven Jackson - SOPH LB #26

Josh Hunter - SR LB #33

2¢ on Springs

The Cypress Springs Panthers spent the latter part of the 2010s as a sleeping giant. With players such as Troy Brown, Donnell Dunn, Leon O'Neal, Taye Barber, and Xayvion West assuming starring roles, they looked like they would finally shed their status as the minnows of Cy-Fair ISD football. Unfortunately, despite flashing their prodigious potential, the Panthers never really fulfilled that promise.

Cy Springs only won one game in the previous district alignment and they entered the 2020s mired in a 15-game losing streak, the longest in program history. The 15-game slide also included a 13-game losing streak in district play. The Panthers managed to stop those streaks at 19 and 15, respectively, with their victory over Lakes, but they are clearly a team in the midst of a long-term rebuilding project.

Springs has been missing one of their top returning players, Camdyn Brooks, for much of this season. Jermari Seals enters his third year on the Panthers and has become a leader on defense in Brooks' absence. Marc Bailey, who got thrown into the fire as a sophomore defensive back last season, has switched to offense and has become one of their primary weapons on that side of the ball. Josh Hunter, a move-in from Langham Creek, has emerged as a playmaking linebacker as he leads the Panthers in tackles. Terrill Curtis, who played receiver last year, is now a defensive back and he's taken to the transition very well as he leads District 16-6A with three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Cameron White is fourth on the team with 27 tackles; he has become a factor in the return game as he's averaging a little over 24 yards per kick return and he's also done a decent job handling the punting duties.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

Cy Woods clinched a playoff spot with a 31-15 victory over the winless Panthers. Woods ran for 290 yards and that yardage was split between seven different players. Amari McDonald had a 53-yard touchdown reception. 

This game wasn't particularly memorable, really.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Well, considering that both sub-varsity levels played at Park last week, I have no idea where they'll play this week. I believe that Springs has two freshman teams and one JV team.

Location of Cypress Springs High School

Cypress Woods 42, Cypress Park 28: Running Riot

2020 Record: 4-3, 3-2 in District 16-6A

Photo courtesy: Carmen Agnew, Phlox Photography/MaxPreps

Photo galleries for this week's games: Varsity, JV Combined, Freshman A

Plug: Are you a parent of a Cy Woods football player and would like to have some pictures to remember this season by? Phlox Photography has you covered. Photographers will be on-site at every Cy Woods varsity football game, all Cy Woods sub-varsity home games, and depending on availability, most away sub-varsity games. 

For more information on how to purchase a spotlight photo gallery for your athlete, please contact Tom Dendy, JoAnn Nowak, or Carmen Agnew, visit the Phlox website for more details, or check out this explainer video on how to order photos. Tom, Mrs. Nowak, and Mrs. Agnew are all certified MaxPreps photographers and you can also view their photos on Cy Woods' MaxPreps page.

After getting suffocated on offense against Cy Ranch, the Cypress Woods Wildcats' offense could only go up from there. They knew that they wasted an excellent defensive performance against the Mustangs and had to go back to work to right the ship. Well, the work they put in during the week certainly paid off as they ran riot on a Cypress Park Tiger football team, setting a new season high in rushing yards as they topped the Tigers 42-28 in a game that felt a bit more lopsided than the final score suggested.

This matchup featured two teams that had their momentum stunted; of course, we know what happened to Woods against Ranch. Park also suffered a massive defeat against Bridgeland where they were simply blown away in the second half. Only one team can regain the momentum they lost, and well, glad it was the Wildcats. Couple this win that gives them the tiebreaker over the Tigers with a Langham Creek loss to Ranch and the Wildcats are now firmly in control of their own playoff destiny. They should slot in nicely in the #3 spot in District 16-6A.

On to Springs.

What Happened

After a Cameron King interception, the Tigers opened the scoring on a five-yard touchdown pass from Edward Dixon to Nate Livingston. The Wildcats got on the board with an 11-yard touchdown run by Trayse Holmes.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 7, Park 7

Woods marched down the field to start the second quarter and Holmes capped it off with a 14-yard touchdown run. However, Livingston re-tied the game by busting loose for a 66-yard scoring run. Both teams traded turnovers on their next possessions; Dylan Cormier got intercepted in the red zone and then Chris Agnew stripped Harold Perkins of the ball and then pounced on the loose ball inside the Tigers' ten-yard line. One play later, Cormier atoned for his pick by scoring on a nine-yard run. Carson Smith made a nice diving interception to end Park's next drive at one play and the Wildcats also scored off that turnover as Trayse Holmes found the end zone for the third time on a seven-yard run. Chris Agnew smacked Dixon on Park's next drive and the dying duck found its way into Grant Ladner's arms. Ladner managed to return his interception into the red zone, giving the Wildcats a chance to put this game away early. Unfortunately, Cormier threw his second interception of the quarter with thirty seconds to go in the half.

Halftime: Woods 28, Park 14

The Wildcats were supposed to get the ball to start the second half, but Christian Castaneda stole that possession with a surprise onside kick. Fortunately, the Wildcat defense turned them over on downs. Holmes' fourth touchdown run of the game came from two yards out and was the only scoring play of the third quarter.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 35, Park 14

Cameron King scored on a three-yard run early in the fourth and then for some reason, Park called for a pooch kick when the Wildcats went all-out to guard against an onside kick. Myles West fair caught the kick without much difficulty, Woods gladly accepted the gift of good field position, and they repaid Park by driving down the field for another touchdown as Cormier finished it off with a six-yard run. The Tigers got the last score of the night when Harold Perkins caught a pass in the flat on the right side. He broke a few tackles, changed fields, and scored from 64 yards out. That's a seriously impressive play from one of the top players in the class of 2022.

Final: Cypress Woods 42, Cypress Park 28

Ground

The Tigers simply had no answer for the Cy Woods rushing attack. The Wildcat offense clearly wanted to purge themselves of the awful feelings they had after not scoring against Ranch the previous week and they just took it to Park from the opening snap. 

Trayse Holmes' four rushing touchdowns tie a Cy Woods single-game record; it's the eighth time that a Wildcat has accomplished this feat. The Wildcats set the edge on outside runs extremely well and that allowed Philip White and Trey Craft to rip off some nice runs. Woods got some good solid running out of Dylan Cormier, who made up for his poor showing in the passing game with two scoring runs.

Air

For the second straight week, Dylan Cormier did not have a good game passing the ball. Throwing three interceptions kind of speaks for itself. The first two picks were Park players just making plays. The third, however, came on a lame-duck throw and was rather inopportune, as the Cats squandered a chance to end this game in short order.

DC will be fine, he's shown that he can make the throws that he's expected to make when called upon.

Defense

Another inspired performance from the Wildcat defense, who have picked the perfect time to play their best football. The Tigers' trio of Harold Perkins, Nate Livingston, and Cameron King were largely bottled up. King was largely a non-factor even though he scored and had an interception, while Perkins and Livingston had just one explosive play apiece. 

Other than that, Park just couldn't move the ball because those three are essentially their offense. The Tigers have done well up to this point because they've decided to give their three best players the ball as much as possible, but that also speaks to their lack of depth. Take one of them out of the game and Park's offense gets forced to go off-script.

Fourteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and once again, Dylan Rogers took first place with twelve. Grant Ladner put up another fine performance as he had eight tackles (three for loss) and an interception. 

Special Teams

The one miscue really came when Philip White muffed a punt. He called for a fair catch, dove for it, and missed. Yeah, that's not an ideal way to field a fair catch. He did have another nice kickoff return, however.

Michael Fernandez hit all six of his extra-point attempts. Woods did not punt until about 2:30 remaining in the game.

Game Summary from Varsity Wires

Two big plays inflated Park's total yardage in this game.

Woods' 431 rushing yards in this game shattered the previous season high of 349. 

Man of the Match: Philip White, Dylan Rogers, and Grant Ladner

Philip White has quickly turned into a key player for the Wildcat offense since his call-up. He was actually slated to be the JV Cardinal quarterback to start the season but [redacted]. Once he was cleared, I guess the coaches decided to bring him up as an A-back to bolster a group that had been struggling to start the season. 

At this point, I don't know what else to say about Dylan Rogers. He has a legitimate chance to win Defensive Newcomer of the Year. He has the potential to become the most heralded recruit in Cy Woods football history. I've seen very few players like him come through the program and perform the way he has as a sophomore. Dylan will be expected to lead the Wildcat defense in the next couple of years and I know he's more than capable of assuming the responsibilities that come with leadership.

Grant Ladner has turned in two straight strong performances. With a safety last week and an interception to go along with three tackles for a loss in this game, he's emerged as a big-time playmaker for a Wildcat defense that's hitting its stride.

Sub-Varsity Results

JV (4-1 as a combined team) 35, Cypress Park 18

Cypress Park 49, Freshman Cardinal (1-5, 0-4) 12 

The Freshman Gold team apparently beat Kingwood Park? If so, they are 2-4 on the year and 0-3 in district play.

Looking Ahead

It's Homecoming at the Woods! Although, given the fact that we are still (yes, still) in a pandemic, the Homecoming festivities will undoubtedly take on a much different tone.

The 13th Cypress Woods Homecoming football game will take place on Friday, November 13 at Ken Pridgeon Stadium as the Wildcats host the Cypress Springs Panthers. Kickoff is at 7:00 PM.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Park Tigers

2020 Regular Season, Week 7: Cypress Woods Wildcats (3-3, 2-2) @ Cypress Park Tigers (4-2, 3-1)

District 16-6A Game #5

6:30 PM Thursday, November 5, 2020

Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium

Photo courtesy: Tom Dendy, Phlox Photography/MaxPreps

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

Ugh, do I have to?

The Wildcat offense went missing last Saturday against Cy Ranch and the defense had to do all the scoring. Unfortunately, they only scored two points. The Wildcats lost 20-2.

Now, Cy Woods kicks off Week 7 in District 16-6A against a young program that has started to find its way in the jungle of Texas high school football using a relentless rushing attack.

District 16-6A

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. Bridgeland (6-0, 4-0)

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

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

4. Cypress Woods (3-3, 2-2)

5. Langham Creek (3-3, 2-2); Cy Woods owns tiebreaker over Langham Creek

6. Cypress Falls (1-4, 1-2)

7. Cypress Springs (1-5, 1-3)

8. Cypress Lakes (0-6, 0-4)

Week 6 Results

Langham Creek 27, Cypress Lakes 7

Bridgeland 62, Cypress Park 20

Cypress Ranch 20, Cypress Woods 2

Cypress Falls 25, Cypress Springs 10

Week 7 Schedule

Thursday, November 5

Cypress Park (4-2, 3-1) vs. Cypress Woods (3-3, 3-2), 6:30 at CF-FCU

Friday, November 6

Cypress Ranch (3-2, 2-1) vs. Langham Creek (3-3, 3-2), 7:00 at CF-FCU

Saturday, November 7

Cypress Lakes (0-6, 0-4) vs. Cypress Falls (1-4, 1-2), 1:00 at Pridgeon

Cypress Springs (1-5, 1-3) vs. Bridgeland (6-0, 4-0), 7:00 at CF-FCU

Let's take a look at the bi-district opponents in District 15-6A:

District 15-6A

1. Tomball Memorial (6-0, 3-0)

2. Klein Oak (2-1, 2-0)

3. Klein Cain (4-2, 2-1)

4. Klein Collins (2-2, 1-1)

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

6. Klein (2-2, 0-2)

7. Klein Forest (1-4, 0-3)

Week 6 Results

Bye: Klein Oak

Tomball Memorial 29, Klein 14

Klein Collins 31, Tomball 17

Klein Cain 76, Klein Forest 34

Week 7 Schedule

Bye: Tomball Memorial

Thursday, November 5

Klein Oak vs. Tomball, 7:00 at Klein Memorial

Friday, November 6

Klein Forest vs. Klein, 7:00 at Klein Memorial

Saturday, November 7

Klein Collins vs. Klein Cain, 2:00 at Klein Memorial

The Enemy: Cypress Park Tigers

2018 Record: 3-7, 3-5 (6th) in District 14-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cypress Park season-to-date

W 55-40 @ Cypress Ridge

L 44-27 vs. Cy-Fair

W 62-13 vs. Cypress Springs

W 55-32 @ Cypress Lakes

W 61-41 vs. Cypress Falls

L 62-20 @ Bridgeland

Cy Park faced Bridgeland with first place in District 16-6A on the line last Friday and despite an encouraging start, the Bears' unrelenting assault eventually overwhelmed the Tigers as they were blown away by a final of 62-20.

All-Time Series

Woods leads 2-0.

Previous Meetings

October 11, 2019: Woods 49, Park 28 (Homecoming XII)

October 11, 2018: Woods 61, Park 7

Players to Watch

Harold Perkins - JR ATH #4

Nathan Livingston - JR ATH #8

Edward Dixon - JR QB #5

Cameron King - JR RB/WR #17

Connor King - FR RB/DB #15

Jarra Anderson - SOPH OL/DL #68

Owen Pewee - JR ATH #14

Christopher Gilbreath - JR LB #27

Raymond Sims - SR LB #32

2¢ on Park

After a winless debut season, the Cypress Park Tigers made significant strides in Year Two, and to be honest, they were probably a handful of plays from finishing .500 last season. After just trying to survive Year One, the Tigers found themselves hanging around with Cy Ranch and nearly pulled off a stunning upset on the road against Tomball Memorial, so they were *that* close to posting a 5-3 mark in District 14-6A. This may be a program that has won just three of its first 20 varsity football games entering this season, but the Tigers are enjoying a breakout 2020 that's put them in prime position to clinch its first-ever playoff berth. 

Like Bridgeland, Park graduated its first senior class so foundational players like Sergio Small, Cameron Jeng, and James LeBlanc have all moved on. However, a good portion of their progress in 2019 can be credited to an excellent junior class headed by Harold Perkins, last season's Defensive Newcomer of the Year in District 14-6A. With game-changing ability on offense and defense, Perkins has certainly turned himself into a player to watch and as a result, he has gained serious helium on the recruiting trail as nearly every Power 5 school is vying for his services. Nate Livingston might probably be just as good as Perkins and with the season he's having, it won't be long before Livingston builds up an extensive offer list. Cameron King is a scat-back whose elusiveness makes him a home-run threat whenever he touches the ball. His younger brother, Connor, is a freshman who plays exactly like he does. The younger King has been a role player for the Tigers this year, but keep an eye on him in the coming years.

One of the main questions facing this team was whether they could get some quarterback play. Edward Dixon is now in control of the Tiger offense and he's done enough to keep opposing defenses honest. But truthfully, with the trio of Livingston, Perkins, and Cameron King tearing everyone apart, all Dixon really needs to do is keep opposing defenses honest. His continued development will be key as the season progresses and will ultimately determine how far Park goes this season.

Most of Park's starters play both ways; Perkins and Livingston have also showcased their game-changing ability on defense. Owen Pewee steps into the role Cameron Jeng had last year: a deep threat on offense, a hard hitter on defense. Raymond Sims is the veteran of a talented linebacker group that includes Perkins, Livingston, and Chris Gilbreath. Jarra Anderson is a star in the making on the defensive line that also features Jaylon Simien, Wesley Echerenwa, and Elijah Frazier. Raymond Davis, Mason Canty, Devin Neugebauer star in the secondary.

Like Bridgeland, Park is still a young team and they've got some legit talent in their system and like the Bears, they will be making plenty of noise now and in the future.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Wildcats enjoyed a happy Homecoming as they took down a Tigers squad that was up for the challenge, 49-28. Christian Scott scored on a couple of runs while JaVarian Stewart had a 30-yard touchdown catch and an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown. Defensively, Colton Morris had ten tackles. Cameron King gave the Wildcat defense fits for much of the night as he ran for 121 yards and two scores for Park.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

As it's a Thursday game week, sub-varsity game day is Wednesday. JV at Woods, freshmen at Park. Cy Park has one team at each level, so unless Woods finds games for the B-teams, there will be one game at 5:30.

Location of Cypress Park High School

 

Cypress Ranch 20, Cypress Woods 2: Misery.

2020 Record: 3-3, 2-2 in District 16-6A

Photo courtesy: Carmen Agnew, Phlox Photography/MaxPreps

Photo galleries for this week's games: Varsity, JV Combined, Freshman A, Freshman B

Plug: Are you a parent of a Cy Woods football player and would like to have some pictures to remember this season by? Phlox Photography has you covered. Photographers will be on-site at every Cy Woods varsity football game, all Cy Woods sub-varsity home games, and depending on availability, most away sub-varsity games. 

For more information on how to purchase a spotlight photo gallery for your athlete, please contact Tom Dendy, JoAnn Nowak, or Carmen Agnew, visit the Phlox website for more details, or check out this explainer video on how to order photos. Tom, Mrs. Nowak, and Mrs. Agnew are all certified MaxPreps photographers and you can also view their photos on Cy Woods' MaxPreps page.

I'll start with a content warning because this game was simply an affront to the sport of American football. The descriptions of this game aren't pretty and if you were there in person like I was, my condolences go out to you for subjecting yourself to this atrocity.

Oh brother.

On a beautiful afternoon to close out October, the Cypress Woods Wildcats delivered an absolute stinker on offense. Meanwhile, the defense more than earned their keep as they held the Cypress Ranch Mustangs to just 210 yards on the day, but Ranch's offense found a way to be slightly less incompetent and once again, for the seventh consecutive year, the Mustangs will be writing the next chapter of this book as they emerged with a 20-2 victory. 

For the first time since the 2013 regular-season finale against Jersey Village, the Cypress Woods Wildcats failed to score a point on offense. So technically, yes... the offense got shut out. Thanks to Grant Ladner sacking D.J. Ciers in the end zone in the second quarter, Cy Woods avoided finishing a football game with zero points.

What's frustrating is that this game was winnable if the Wildcats had any semblance of offensive production.

I hate to say it, but this game has lost a significant amount of its luster over the years. It's clear that this is still a game that the Woods community gets up for and it's a fun matchup to talk about, but Woods just seems snakebit when they go up against Ranch. And now with Bridgeland posing a serious problem for the Mustangs (well, they're officially everyone's serious problem now), this matchup is just about ready to shed its status as a "rivalry game."

We're also learning that there is a clear talent gap in District 16-6A and it's much more pronounced than in recent years. Bridgeland is well ahead of everyone else here, that's obvious. There's a gap between them and Bridgeland, but Ranch is probably the second-most talented team in 16-6A. After an even bigger gap, Park and Woods are in the next tier, so to speak. Those are probably going to be the four playoff teams this year. After that, Langham is improving and trying to mount a challenge for the top four, but after them then is a cliff where Falls, Springs, and Lakes reside at the bottom. 

On another note, it was nice to see Coach Zachos again. Mike Zachos was the defensive coordinator at Cy Woods until the 2018 season, a position that he had held since the school opened. He served as the defensive coordinator at Humble last season and is now back in Cy-Fair ISD as an assistant... for Ranch. Traitor. Just kidding. If I remember correctly, Coach Z has known Coach McAuliffe over at Ranch for a long time and they've gone hunting together in the past. If you're reading this, Coach, hope you're doing well and it was good to see you again, even if you are on the other side now.

Well, no time to wallow over this one because it's a short week. On to Park.

What Happened

The Mustangs opened the scoring with a pair of Charlie Feris field goals in the first quarter.

End of 1st Quarter: Cypress Ranch 6, Cypress Woods 0

Woods got on the board in the second quarter with a safety as Grant Ladner brought D.J. Ciers down in the end zone with a little over five minutes left in the first half. Turns out that those two points would be Cy Woods' only two points of the day.

Halftime: Cypress Ranch 6, Cypress Woods 2

One team finally found the end zone in the third quarter, and unfortunately, it was not Cy Woods. Ciers rolled out to his left to avoid a sack and chucked one up towards the end zone, and Edwin Smith tumbled in after coming down with the ball at around the Woods two-yard line. 

Ranch's other touchdown legitimately upset me because it really should not have happened. Dylan Cormier rolled out to his right on an option play and an ill-advised pitch to Trey Craft was mishandled since Craft got drilled the moment he touched the ball and the carom found its way to Orlando Thibodeaux, who plays for Cypress Ranch. 

Thibodeaux proceeded to return the fortuitous bounce 50 yards the other way to more or less ice this game because it was quite obvious that Woods was not going to get anything done on offense in this one. And it's going down as an interception, despite the fact that the pitch went completely backward. However, as Craft gets hit, he bats the ball forward and the ball never hits the turf. Basically, Orlando Thibodeaux returned an intercepted lateral for a touchdown. You can basically sum up this game with that play.

There was no scoring in the fourth quarter.

Final: Cypress Ranch 20, Cypress Woods 2

Ground

The running game was a fiasco. Missed blocks, incorrect reads, ill-advised pitches, one of which got returned for a touchdown...

Air

The passing game was a fiasco. I mean, whatever I say here will just lead you to draw the conclusion that Cy Woods' offense stunk, which... they did.

Defense

Yeah, it's not a good day when the defense scores more points than the offense. They certainly played well enough to win, but uh... it's almost impossible to win a game where you score two points. 

Twice they bailed out the special teams: Michael Fernandez completely whiffed on his first punt, which gave the Mustangs the ball at the Woods 24-yard line, but the defense tightened up and held Ranch to a field goal. Riley Redgrave's interception negated a bad snap on another punt attempt that resulted in a 30-yard loss and put Ranch in scoring position yet again. The Wildcat defense fought all afternoon to repel the Mustangs and their offense couldn't back them up by scoring points. 

This safety was the first for Cy Woods since 2013 when they had one against Cypress Ridge. It is also the fourth safety recorded in Cy Woods football history; the other two occurred against Cypress Creek in 2008 and Cypress Springs in 2010.

Thirteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and this week, Carson Smith and Dylan Rogers share the top spot with ten apiece. Riley Redgrave put up another fine game as he had six tackles and a big interception to stop a Ranch scoring threat.

Special Teams

The kicking game was not much of an adventure since the Wildcats only had one chance for a kickoff and it was fair caught. Philip White ripped off a couple of nice returns; he had a 31-yard punt return and a 27-yard kickoff return. Cumulatively, White racked up a total of 113 return yards. 

Unfortunately, special teams has presented its challenges for the Wildcats this season and sadly, this game proved to be no different. Punting was the phase that was afflicted here. Michael Fernandez's first punt attempt appeared to get blocked... but he actually just missed the ball. Yeah, his foot failed to make contact with the ball. Fortunately, the defense held Ranch to a field goal. His second punt attempt never happened because the snap sailed over his head. But again, the defense saved the day as Riley Redgrave intercepted D.J. Ciers.

Game Summary from Varsity Wires

If you skipped the content warning, that's on you honestly.

Good defense? Yeah, there were some nice defensive plays made on both sides, but both offenses were largely shambolic.

Man of the Match: The Defense

13 points allowed, 210 yards allowed (58 plays, 3.6 yards per play), 1 INT, 1 sack, 1 safety

Let's focus on the silver linings. On a day where just about everything went wrong for Cy Woods, the defense was certainly the one thing that they had going for them. This game, to say the least, was by far the best Cy Woods defensive performance this season. They'll have a big test coming up against a Cy Park team that has been running riot as they've broken out in District 16-6A.

Sub-Varsity Results

JV combined won. They are 3-1 as a combined team.

Both freshman teams lost. They're both 1-4, 0-3 in district play.

Looking Ahead

Three district games left... better make them count. The Cypress Woods Wildcats will take on the Cypress Park Tigers to kick off Week 7 in District 16-6A on Thursday, November 5 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 and the Wildcats will be the visitors in this contest.