Klein Cain 54, Cypress Woods 26: The End

Final 2020 Record: 6-4

The Cypress Woods Wildcats' journey through the playoffs proved to be short-lived as they were eliminated by the Klein Cain Hurricanes in the bi-district round by a final score of 54-26. In the end, Cain's backfield tandem of Carson Roper and Jaydon Blue proved to be too much for the Wildcats to handle. 

It's never fun when a season ends, especially in the playoffs, but there is no shame whatsoever in losing at this stage of the season. Not everyone receives the opportunity to play beyond the regular season, and at this point, there are very few "bad" teams remaining. 

The Class of 2021 only played one playoff game as seniors, but they still played a pivotal role in the rebuilding of Cy Woods football. 

Trayse Holmes carried the Holmes family name well during his time in the program. Dylan Cormier waited patiently for his turn to take over the starting quarterback job and once he finally received that opportunity, he performed admirably. Chris Agnew made the varsity when his older brother, Ethan, was leading the Wildcats back to relevance and he emerged as one of the leaders of the program. The contributions that this year's seniors made throughout the years won't be forgotten.

I'm sorry that it took me until Christmas to finally get around to finishing this post. See you in 2021, and hopefully, things can get a little closer to normal. Until then, stay safe and please keep your masks on. The other sports would like to play their seasons as well. Let's not deny them that opportunity. 

Know the Enemy: Klein Cain Hurricanes

2020 UIL Football Playoffs: Class 6A Division I, Region II Bi-District Round

Cypress Woods Wildcats (6-3) @ Klein Cain Hurricanes (7-2)

7:00 PM Thursday, December 10, 2020

Klein Memorial Stadium

Photo courtesy: Jo Nowak, Phlox Photography/MaxPreps

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

On November 19, the Cypress Woods Wildcats concluded the 2020 regular season by strolling to a 56-18 victory over a winless Cy Lakes squad. The Wildcats wound up securing third place in District 16-6A and the #2 seed in the Division I bracket. 

Now, after two weeks off, Cy Woods begins their road to Arlington... on the road, appropriately enough. The first team standing in their path presents a formidable challenge.

The Enemy: Klein Cain Hurricanes

2020 Record: 7-2, 5-1 (2nd) in District 15-6A

Klein Cain season-to-date

L 49-42 @ Bridgeland

W 56-21 vs. Cypress Creek

W 37-20 vs. Klein

L 64-49 @ Tomball Memorial

W 76-34 vs. Klein Forest

W 35-21 @ Klein Collins

W 37-23 vs. Klein Oak

W 53-38 @ Tomball

W 56-24 vs. Foster

This is the first meeting between Cypress Woods and Klein Cain. The Hurricanes will be the 37th different opponent to take on the Wildcats.

Players to Watch

Jaydon Blue - JR RB #23

Carson Roper - JR QB #11

Matthew Golden - JR WR #2

Byron Deary - SR OL #70

Johrdan Howard - SR OL #69

John Dos Santos - JR OL #74

Connor Been - JR LB #56

Dylan Stevens - SR LB #44

Lukia Rawls - JR DL #90

Isaac Hudson - SR DB #19

Daven Martin - SOPH DB #9

John Arispe - JR DB #10

2¢ on Cain

The Klein Cain Hurricanes, Klein ISD's newest high school, has experienced a rise similar to Bridgeland's. Cain is essentially a newer, sleeker version of Klein Oak, whose attendance zone they cut into. Like Bridgeland, the Hurricanes' junior class has put them on the map and two of these kids are on the verge of superstardom.

Jaydon Blue is one of 2022's top recruits and is probably the top junior running back in the country. He's averaging over nine yards per carry and almost 200 yards a night. Seems pretty good. Like Conner Weigman, he can pretty much go anywhere he feels like going for college.

Matt Golden is by far their top receiving threat and is also a top receiver for the class of 2022. Golden also handles the punting duties for Cain and he's done a fantastic job of flipping the field when called upon to kick it away. Carson Roper has come into his own as the Hurricanes' new signal-caller and Cade Farragut has been a solid second option in the passing game. Aaron Jordan has also done well spelling Blue in certain situations. Byron Deary and Johrdan Howard anchor the Cain offensive line along with John Dos Santos.

The Hurricanes possess solid talent across all three levels of their defense as well. Lukia Rawls was a first-team All-District pick as a sophomore last season and he has continued to be a disruptive force on their defensive line. Connor Been and Dylan Stevens are Cain's top two tacklers this season and they've done well in replacing Bryson Culton, who put up 101 tackles last year. Isaac Hudson is a three-year starter in a deep secondary and he'll be joined by Ryan Toth, John Arispe, Isaiah Elmore, Jeff Brown, and rising sophomore Daven Martin at the back. 

Klein Cain is a well-rounded team across the board and they certainly have the advantage over the Wildcats in terms of pure talent. But then again, being out-athleted isn't anything new to Cy Woods football and they've won their fair share of these matchups.

As you all know, there's no tomorrow when playoff time rolls around. This game will be a huge challenge for Cy Woods football, but I know they have the fortitude to find a way to win this game. These are the games where 212° shines brightest. 

Location of Klein Memorial Stadium

If you're familiar with this area, you know that Klein Memorial is not a fun stadium to enter or exit with your vehicle. The visitor's side faces Steubner-Airline.

Playoff Outlook

With the season complete, Cy Woods has two weeks off to prepare for the playoffs. This is week two of their time off... now that Thanksgiving is over with, it's time to get back to work. The Wildcats will begin their road to Arlington on Thursday, December 10 against Klein Cain.

District 16-6A knows who they'll be matching up against, but what does the rest of Region II look like?I'll update this post once we know more. 

Final District 16-6A Standings

Teams in bold are the four playoff teams. Teams struck through... are not.

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

2. Cypress Ranch (7-2, 6-1) - DI #1

3. Cypress Woods (6-3, 5-2) - DI #2

4. Cypress Park (6-4, 4-3) - DII #2

5. Langham Creek (4-5, 3-4)

6. Cypress Falls (2-7, 2-5)

7. Cypress Springs (1-9, 1-6)

8. Cypress Lakes (0-9, 0-7)

Final District 15-6A Standings

1. Tomball Memorial (9-0, 6-0) - DII #1

2. Klein Cain (7-2, 5-1) - DI #1

3. Klein Oak (3-4, 3-3) - DI #2

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

5. Tomball (6-3, 3-3)

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

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

Yes, there was a three-way tie for third, but the aspect of the tie that mattered most was Klein Collins' 31-17 victory over Tomball.

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

District 9-6A - Garland/Wylie

Division I: #1 Sachse, #2 Wylie

Division II: #1 Naaman Forest, #2 Garland

The two Division II spots for 9-6A were decided this past weekend. Naaman Forest beat North Garland 51-0 while the Garland/Lakeview Centennial game got canceled. Lakeview was supposed to advance by virtue of being the higher seed in their zone, but a COVID outbreak in their program has resulted in Garland advancing. If any of the four teams above are affected by the virus, then Rowlett would be the replacement team.

District 10-6A - East DFW/Tyler

10-6A wraps up district play this week and there is one spot left to be decided.

Division I: #1 Rockwall, #2 Dallas Skyline

Division II: #1 Rockwall-Heath, #2 Tyler Legacy

Tyler Legacy (formerly known as Tyler Lee) clinched the final playoff spot in 10-6A with a 42-35 win over Mesquite Horn on Saturday.

District 11-6A - South DFW/Waco

Division I: #1 Duncanville, #2 DeSoto

Division II: #1 Cedar Hill, #2 Waxahachie

District 12-6A - CenTex

Division I: #1 Killeen Shoemaker, #2 Harker Heights

Division II: #1 Temple, #2 Bryan

Harker Heights defeated Belton 42-20 on Thursday to claim the final playoff spot in District 12-6A.

District 13-6A - Conroe/Willis

Division I: #1 College Park, #2 The Woodlands

Division II: #1 Oak Ridge, #2 Willis

District 14-6A - Aldine/Spring

Division I: #1 Spring, #2 Westfield

Division II: #1 Dekaney, #2 Eisenhower

So here is my guess at how the Region II brackets will look like. Division I first.

6A Region II, Division I

Well, how about that. Two rounds to try and get out of Houston and the reward for the surviving team is most likely a date with Duncanville.

Top half: the #1 seeds from odd-numbered districts are the home team.

Sachse vs. Dallas Skyline

Duncanville vs. Harker Heights

College Park vs. Westfield

Klein Cain vs. Cypress Woods

Bottom half: the #1 seeds from even-numbered districts are the home team.

Well, how about that. Two rounds to try and get out of Houston and the reward for the surviving team is a date with either Rockwall (last year's Region II champions in the DI bracket) or DeSoto (yet another longtime power in the Metroplex).

Rockwall vs. Wylie

Killeen Shoemaker vs. DeSoto

Spring vs. The Woodlands

Cypress Ranch vs. Klein Oak

6A Region II, Division II

That's a pretty nice draw for Bridgeland. They should beat Klein Collins although they'll probably get pushed and they'll probably be the favorite against whoever they match up against in round 3 (my guess is Temple), too. Well, you can only play who's in front of you.

Congratulations to Park for making the playoffs for the first time ever. Their reward is a Tomball Memorial team that's laid waste to everyone in their path. I wish them well.

Naaman Forest vs. Tyler Legacy

Cedar Hill vs. Bryan

Oak Ridge vs. Eisenhower

Tomball Memorial vs. Cypress Park

Rockwall-Heath vs. Garland

Temple vs. Waxahachie

Dekaney vs. Willis

Bridgeland vs. Klein Collins