Part 3 of this series on Cy Woods Wildcats football history covers the 2010 team. I did not get to see this incarnation of the Wildcats in action (I was at Arizona State that year), but I understand that they put on a show on offense. The 601 points they scored remains a team record.
Summary
Record: 10-4 (7-2 in District 17-5A); tri-district champions (Creek and Fair also finished 7-2 in district play.)
Playoffs: Division II state quarterfinalists (Region III finalists); lost 48-45 to Memorial
Points scored: 601 (42.9 per game)
Points allowed: 400 (28.6 per game)
Largest margin of victory: 60 (school record), vs. Katy Taylor (67-7)
Largest margin of defeat: 14, vs. A&M Consolidated (24-38)
Most points scored: 67, vs. Katy Taylor
Most points allowed: 48, vs. Memorial
Fewest points scored: 20, vs. Cy Falls
Fewest points allowed: 0, vs. Cy Lakes (first shutout in team history)
Team Records Set
Most points scored in a season, 601
Most points allowed in a season, 400
Most games of 50 points or more in a season, 5
Largest point differential in a season (positive or negative), +201
Largest margin of victory: 60, vs. Katy Taylor (still a record)
Longest winning streak, 9 (still a record)
Most district wins, 7
Longest play from scrimmage, Colton Huntsman 93-yard TD pass to Clesmie Burden vs. Ike
Most offensive yards in a season, 6422 (458.7 per game)
Individual Records Set
Rushing yards in a season: Fred Anderson, 1036
Rushing TDs in a season: Fred Anderson, 20
Rushing yards per carry: Fred Anderson, 8.8
Rushing yards in a game: Jeff Bogan, 217 vs. Jersey Village
Passing touchdowns in a season: Colton Huntsman, 27 (the Chronicle has 2 TDs to Clesmie unaccounted for)
Passing yards in a season: The Chronicle has a few hundred of Clesmie Burden's receiving yards unaccounted for. I assume that Colton broke the record that he set in the previous year.
Receiving touchdowns: Fred Anderson, 10
Schedule and Results
Week 1: L 38-24 @ A&M Consolidated
Week 2: L 28-20 vs. Cy Falls (Berry)
Week 3: W 28-14 @ Cy-Fair (Berry)
Week 4: L 38-35 vs. Cy Ranch (Pridgeon)
Week 5: W 35-14 @ Jersey Village (Pridgeon)
Week 6: W 34-0 vs. Cy Lakes (Pridgeon)
Week 7: W 55-27 vs. Langham Creek (Homecoming @ Berry)
Week 8: W 61-35 @ Cy Creek (Pridgeon)
Week 9: W 49-40 vs. Cy Ridge (Berry)
Week 10: W 51-41 @ Cy Springs (Pridgeon)
Bi-district: W 45-35 vs. Eisenhower (Berry)
Area: W 67-7 @ Katy Taylor (Tully)
Regional semifinals: W 52-34 @ Clear Creek (Turner Stadium, Humble)
Region III Final: L 48-45 @ Memorial (Tully)
The Rundown
A massive senior class departed, but the cupboard was hardly barren for the Wildcats entering the 2010 season.
The final year of the Colton Huntsman era saw the Wildcats score pretty much all the points. However, they had to navigate through some really rough waters in the early going. They were able to right the ship and went on a magical run which included a district championship and a return trip to the region finals.
The backfield of Colton Huntsman and Fred Anderson gave opposing defenses hell all season. Jeff Bogan had a nice first full season spelling Fred at times. Patrick Gant, Cole DeVilliers, Colton Beardmore, Gary Tesch, Jesse Astorga, and Clesmie Burden emerged as Huntsman's main targets. Fred was also heavily involved in the passing game; he was actually the leading receiver. Cole Gunderson returned to lead the offensive line; he was joined by Weston Adams, who was also a returning letterman. Accompanying them on the line were 3 juniors: Conrad Wozniak, Jimmy Schmitzer, and Tyler Mock. Also in that rotation was Cody Jessee and Seth Misley.
Defensively, the Cats were littered with young talent. Dylan Thompson, who spent last season as a defensive tackle, shifted to linebacker. Daylan Skidmore and Cody Small, after emerging as sophomores during the previous year's playoff run, also assumed central roles in the defense. They would joined by a cast that included James Randall, Christian Hynes, Estevan Villareal, Dominic Wilson, and Marquise White on the line. Christian Limbrick, the late Harley Burke, Marshall Frye, and Deoundrei Davis made significant contributions from the linebacker spots. Weston Card, who spent his first 3 years at Cy Woods as an offensive player, made the transition to the secondary in 2010. He was joined by Phillip "P.J." Johnson, Deonte Davis, Josh Holley, Jamaul Tompkins, and Alfred "Bama" Pullom.
Regular Season
The third chapter began in College Station on September 3, 2010.
Nathaniel Crea scored the Cats' first points of the season with a 29-yard field goal in the 2nd. The first TD of the year belonged to Patrick Gant, who hauled in a 42-yard pass from Colton with a little over 4 minutes left, which tied the game at 10.
However, the Cats were outscored 28-14 in the 2nd half, and for the first time in team history, the Wildcats dropped a season opener. The final of this one was 38-24, A&M Consolidated. Fred had 199 total yards (80 rushing, 119 receiving). Colton also threw a 71-yard TD to Cole DeVilliers.
8 days later, the Cats opened up the district slate with a tilt against Cy Falls at the Berry Center. Colton opened the scoring with a 5-yard run in the 1st, but he left with an injury. The reins were handed to junior Gabe "Tarzan/Thor" West. He scored on a 2-yard run and threw a 6-yard TD to Colton Beardmore in the 2nd. The Cats led 20-14 at halftime, but once again, they were outscored in the 2nd half as they fell 28-20. I suppose Cy Falls kids have long memories.
It was the Fred Show against Cy-Fair, as he scored all 4 Woods touchdowns. He scored on 3 runs from 9, 17, and 14 yards, and also had a 51-yard TD catch. He finished with 189 yards on 19 carries. The defense was swarming, as they forced 4 fumbles and recovered 3 of them.
Next up was the highly-anticipated first matchup against Cy Ranch. Very intriguing storylines in this game. Most of the players on both sides know each other personally. They all grew up together, and if I remember correctly, most of Ranch's seniors that year attended Woods at one point alongside the Cats players.
Well, if I could slip in an analogy here.... if the Cats are the Houston Rockets, then the Mustangs would be the Dallas Mavericks. This rivalry formed in literally no time flat. My time came before this ever happened, but I've been to all 4 Woods/Ranch games since I came back from Phoenix and there is legitimate enmity between both sides here. It's not quite the Yankees-Red Sox of Cy-Fair ISD; that title belongs to Fair and Creek. But the, uh....
disdain that Woods and Ranch have for each other has put this tilt on equal footing.
The Cats jumped out to a 28-7 lead as Fred caught 2 TDs from 42 and 6 yards out and added another score on a run from 5 yards out. The other Woods TD in the 1st half belonged to Jeff Bogan, who scored on a 6-yard run.
But that theme of having a lackluster 2nd half came back to haunt the Cats once more. After Fred's 6-yard TD run put Woods up 28-7 in the 2nd, they were outscored 31-7 the rest of the way. Their 7 in that stretch came on a 2-yard run from Fred with just over 4 minutes to go in regulation that tied the game at 35. The defense was unable to prevent the final Cy Ranch advance, and they would lose 38-35 on a 24-yard field goal as time expired.
A 1-2 record in district play is not a death sentence, but it certainly makes earning a playoff berth slightly more difficult. After their toughest loss of the season to that point, the Cats were left to do some soul-searching.
All they did after losing to Ranch was rattle off 9 straight wins. The first of those 9 wins came on October 2, against Jersey Village. Jeff Bogan had a historic night as he set a team record (since broken) with 216 yards rushing. He scored from 7 yards out in the 1st, caught a 16-yard pass from Gabe West and added a 6-yard run in the 2nd, and finally, he capped off his night with a 66-yard run for his 3rd rushing TD of the evening. Deonte Davis had a pick 6 in the 1st, and Nathaniel Crea opened the 2nd half for the Cats with a 31-yard field goal as the Cats picked up a 35-14 victory.
In their first Thursday varsity game, the Cats were at Pridgeon taking on the district's other debutants, Cy Lakes. They welcomed Colton back, jumped out to a 20-0 lead after the 1st, forced 5 turnovers, and romped to the first shutout in team history, winning 34-0. Fred had 2 scoring runs from 26 and 60 yards, and Gabe also had 2 TD runs from 1 yard and 20 yards. Colton threw a 13-yard TD to J-Bo in the 1st.
Homecoming III was the first one at the Berry Center. Langham Creek was the opponent for the night. Colton kicked off the Homecoming festivities by having a hand in all 4 Woods TDs in the 1st quarter. He had 2 scoring runs of 75 and 17 and 2 scoring passes to J-Bo for 65 and Fred for 80 yards. Huntsman added 2 more TD passes in the 2nd; he connected with Gary Tesch for 22 yards and Clesmie Burden for 74. At the half, the Cats had the situation under control with a 41-7 lead. Colton finished off his night with an 84-yard TD pass to Fred to open up the scoring in the 2nd half. Gabe capped off the scoring with a 7-yard run to begin the 4th, wrapping up a 55-27 win.
Weston Card hauls in one of the Cats' 3 interceptions against Langham Creek.
The machine kept rolling on against Cy Creek, as they took a 35-7 lead at halftime on their way to a 61-35 victory. Colton had 391 total yards (287 passing, 104 rushing) and 5 TDs (3 passing, 2 rushing). Fred opened the scoring with a 9-yard run 2 minutes into the game. Colton then connected with Gary Tesch from 86 and Fred from 58 yards. In the 2nd, Fred found the end zone once again from 11 yards, and Cole DeVilliers caught a 35-yard TD. It was more of the same in the 2nd half, as Huntsman scored from 43 and 27 yards out, and in the 4th, Daylan Skidmore had this play... a strip-and-score.
Gabe finished it off with a 29-yard run in the 4th quarter, which gave Woods a 61-28 lead.
Next up was Cy Ridge. The previous 2 meetings resulted in a Russell Shepard and a massacre on Homecoming. Would the third time be the charm?
The Rams scored first, but the Cats responded with 28 unanswered and led 35-14 at halftime. They did get outscored in the 2nd half again, but Fred provided the cherry by snagging a 42-yard TD pass with less than a minute remaining in the game, extending the Woods lead to 9. Colton was doing Colton things, as usual... he tossed 5 TD passes (3 to Fred, 2 to Cole) and ran for another. The third time was the charm after all, as Woods defeated Ridge for the first time, 49-40.
Colton Huntsman, doing Colton Huntsman things against Cy Ridge.
The season finale pitted the Wildcats against Cy Springs. They cruised out to a 32-7 halftime lead and was up by as much as 51-14 in the 4th... and that was when the Panthers suddenly arose and made things way too close for comfort. Mop-up time was abruptly cut short, as the starters were pressed back into duty after Springs ran off 27 unanswered points. However, Woods still emerged from this game with the victory, 51-41. And with that win, the Wildcats clinched the first district championship in team history.
Playoffs
November 13, 2010. This playoff run was a little different. The Wildcats moved over to Region III after spending their first 2 years in Region II. They also moved over to the Division II bracket.
Game 1 took place at the Berry Center, and the Eisenhower Eagles of Aldine ISD made the trek over from Antoine. It was a fun, back-and-forth affair. The difference was that the Cats kept Ike off the board in the 3rd, which allowed them to gain a little bit of separation. Clesmie opened up the scoring in the 3rd with the longest play in Wildcat history, a 93-yard TD reception. The 31-21 lead after 3 quarters held up at the end, and the Wildcats advanced with a 45-35 win. The Cats defense had their hands full with Ike QB James Jones. But the Cats offense was up to the task and as a result, they were able to outlast Ike.
The area round took the Cats to Tully Stadium, where they would face the Katy Taylor Mustangs. Well, uh... absolutely no offense to Taylor, but the game went sort of like this:
Woods led 53-0 at halftime and basically strolled through to the next round, winning Bloody Saturday II by a count of 67-7. I don't really care to elaborate on this game, as the final score speaks for itself. Deep into garbage time, Samuel Stewart, then just a freshman, made his debut with a 5-yard run.
Sam Stewart's first carry as a varsity player. I'm fairly sure he was a freshman in this picture.
Round 3 was a battle of the Wildcats. The venue was a place where a school whose mascot was the Wildcats called home. That would be Turner Stadium in Humble, home of the Humble Wildcats (and other Humble ISD high schools). The other Wildcats came from Clear Creek, and their star running back from that season, C.J. McElroy, is currently playing minor league baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals system.
Cole wasted little time getting the fireworks started as he took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score. This was the 2nd kick returned for a TD in team history; Tyler Williamson returned one 98 yards in that very first Cy Falls game. Woods led wire-to-wire, as they created just enough separation between them and Clear Creek. The difference was a 21-0 2nd quarter that gave them a 35-14 lead at halftime. All 6 TDs on offense were scored on the ground. Colton ran for 191 yards and 2 TDs from 47 and 4 yards. Fred provided 120 yards and 4 scoring runs; 2 came from 7 yards out, while the other 2 came from 8 and 3 yards. Nathaniel Crea had a 21-yard field goal in the 3rd. For the 2nd straight year, the Cypress Woods Wildcats would return to the Regional final, as they knocked off Clear Creek 52-34.
The Cats returned to Tully, where Memorial and their own two-headed monster of QB Wayne Taylor (who now plays baseball in the Seattle Mariners organization) and RB Justin "Boomer" White awaited. A trip to the Final Four was on the line. And...
...for the second straight season, the Cats' season ended in the 4th round. This was one of those games where both teams had an answer for everything. Unfortunately, an interception with 4 minutes left in the 4th sealed the Cats' fate, and Memorial scored on their next offensive possession to extend their lead to 48-38 with 2:12 left in the game. That was the one stretch that Woods could not answer the Mustangs, and it could not have happened as a worse time. Colton Huntsman went out with 3 TD passes and a TD run. He threw 1 to Gary, 1 to Jeff Bogan, and one to Patrick Gant. He also ran for 124 yards, scoring from 20 yards out in the 1st.
The 2010 Wildcats were a fantastic bunch. They lit up the scoreboard every night; they scored at least 20 points in every game that year. The Memorial game was simply one that they let get away. It was a shame to see a player like Colton go out like that. The 2009 and 2010 Wildcats still stand as the most successful teams in Cy Woods history.
