Wildcats Through The Years: 2015

The next edition of Wildcats Through the Years takes a look back on the 2015 Cypress Woods Wildcats football team.

Summary

Record: 5-5, 5-4 (5th) in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs
Points scored: 444 (44.4 per game)
Points allowed: 407 (40.7 per game)
Largest margin of victory: 50 vs. Cy Lakes (70-20)
Largest margin of defeat: 37 vs. Cy Falls (20-57)
Most points scored: 73 vs. Jersey Village
Most points allowed: 74 vs. Jersey Village
Fewest points scored: 20 vs. Cy Falls
Fewest points allowed: 7 vs. Cy-Fair

Individual records set

Most points scored by a kicker (career): Luis Reyes, 143
Most rushing yards in a game: C.J. Jones, 346 vs. Jersey Village
Most receiving touchdowns (career): Jordan Johnson, 14 (tied record)
Most receiving touchdowns (single season): Jordan Johnson, 10 (tied record)
Longest scoring play from scrimmage: Jordan Johnson, 94-yard TD reception vs. Cy Creek

Team records set

Most points scored in a game: 73 vs. Jersey Village
Most points allowed in a game: 74 to Jersey Village

Statistical Leaders

Passing: Bryson Powers, 93/174 (53.5%), 1546 yards, 19 TD, 10 INT
Rushing: C.J. Jones, 108 carries, 948 yards (8.8 yards per carry), 10 TD
Receiving: Jordan Johnson, 25 catches, 710 yards (28.4 yards per catch), 10 TD
Interceptions: Keith Watson, 2

Schedule and Results

Week 1: L 62-21 vs. Klein Collins (game played at NRG Stadium)
Week 3: W 59-31 vs. Cy Ridge (Berry)
Week 4: L 57-20 @ Cy Falls (Berry)
Week 5: L 44-25 vs. Cy Ranch (Pridgeon)
Week 6: L 40-35 @ Cy Creek (Pridgeon)
Week 7: W 70-20 vs. Cy Lakes (Homecoming VIII @ Berry)
Week 8: W 48-33 @ Langham Creek (Pridgeon)
Week 9: W 44-7 vs. Cy-Fair (Berry)
Week 10: L 74-73 vs. Jersey Village (Pridgeon)
Week 11: W 49-39 @ Cy Springs (Berry)

The Rundown

The 2015 Cypress Woods Wildcats nearly overcame a 1-3 start in district play to sneak into the playoffs. Unfortunately, that slow start, and a lackluster defense, were the main factors that prevented them from advancing to the playoffs.

Entering the season, the Cats had questions to answer on the offensive side of the ball, especially with Nick Hooper, a two-year starter at quarterback, departing. Ultimately, Bryson Powers won the quarterback battle, while Austin Goffney, who saw playing time in the first 3 games of the season, wound up transferring. Sophomore Jacob Kainer showed his upside before he went down with an injury. Entering the season, R.J. Harmon and C.J. Jones were touted as the best running back tandem in the district. However, while C.J. continued to build upon his breakout 2014, R.J. was sidetracked by various nagging injuries and never got to truly display his skills in his final season.

The Wildcats returned 3 of their 4 starting receivers from 2014; Jordan Johnson, Jared Taylor, and Tre' Hart. Jared and Tre' had solid seasons, but Jordan was simply on another level. Had the passing game been utilized more often, he would have shattered Isaiah Battle's records.

Skylar Schulz, the lone returning starter on the offensive line, was joined by Jonathan Laven, Mario Treviño, Ryan Kenny, and Josh Beardmore.

The defense struggled mightily in 2015; they only held two of their opponents to 20 points or less. The Cats actually allowed more points in the regular season (407) than they did in 2014 (360), a season in which they ended up allowing 455 points, the most in school history.

Kason Franklin and Myles Wilson were joined in the secondary by Ryan Olvera, Terrell Brown, James Fontenot, and a promising sophomore in Collin Fewox. Brandon DePrato, Keith Watson, and Austin Greaves returned to lead the linebacking corps. Neil Chambers emerged as a key contributor out of the middle linebacker spot. Caleb Smith, Jordan Frazier, Adrian Garcia, Stace Ivie, and Tobi Orundami were the main defensive linemen.

Week 1: L 62-21 vs. Klein Collins (Game played at Reliant Stadium)

Chapter 8 of Cy Woods Football began on August 29, 2015 at Reliant Stadium. Unfortunately, the Wildcats were completely dominated in all facets of the game as they had no answer for the Tigers' vaunted running game falling 62-21 in their first game of 2015. Bryson Powers scored the first points of the season on a 2-yard run in the 1st quarter. Tre' Hart provided a bright spot as he put up 128 receiving yards, including a 56-yard touchdown reception in the 3rd quarter.

Week 3: W 59-31 vs. Cy Ridge


The Cats managed to bounce back from their Opening Day drubbing with a win to open up district play, despite a lethargic start to this game. After falling behind 21-7 following the first quarter, the Wildcats outscored Ridge 52-10 over the final three quarters to secure their first win of the season. C.J. Jones had 4 receptions for 103 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Bryson Powers finished 14-18 through the air for 223 yards and 5 touchdowns. On defense, Kason Franklin returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown, and Brandon DePrato recovered a fumble in the endzone for another Woods score.

Week 4: L 57-20 @ Cy Falls

I did not attend this game due to prior commitments, but Desmond Hite and Shannon Vaughns wreaked havoc against a hapless Wildcat defense.

Week 5: L 44-25 vs. Cy Ranch

The Wildcats fell behind early to their hated rivals, Cy Ranch, and never seriously threatened the Mustangs. They had a better showing in the 2nd half of this game, but a 28-6 halftime deficit proved to be too much to overcome. Bryson had 176 passing yards and 2 touchdowns and added 117 more yards on the ground. R.J. Harmon had a rushing and a receiving touchdown; he had 67 receiving yards and 73 rushing yards.

Week 6: L 40-35 @ Cy Creek

The Cats' slide continued against the Cougars, who jumped out to a 33-14 halftime lead. Woods fought back valiantly, but a last-gasp heave from Jacob Kainer was picked off by Chance Steverson, sealing the Wildcats' fate. Jordan Johnson caught 6 passes for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns; his 94-yard touchdown reception in this game is now the longest play in Cy Woods history. Tre' Hart also caught 2 touchdown passes and also recovered 2 onside kicks as the Wildcats mounted a furious rally late in the ballgame.

Week 7: W 70-20 vs. Cy Lakes (Homecoming VIII)

The Cats snapped their 3-game losing streak in emphatic fashion with a 70-20 victory over Cy Lakes on Homecoming weekend. Eight different players scored touchdowns for the Wildcats; Keith Watson scored once on defense with an 82-yard interception return and once on special teams when he recovered a blocked punt at the Spartans' 3-yard line. Jared Taylor caught 3 passes for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Matt Ficalora scored his first touchdown at the varsity level with a 45-yard run that represented the final Wildcat scoring play of the evening.

The Cats also set a new school record for scoring in a single quarter with 42 in the 1st quarter.

Week 8: W 48-33 @ Langham Creek

Once again, Cy Woods the playoffs for the playoffs. Their first test was a Langham Creek squad featuring two of the state's most dynamic players in Quartney Davis and Toneil Carter. The specter of a 3-game losing streak to the Lobos also loomed large for Woods, but the Cats exorcised those demons with a 48-33 victory to give their faint playoff hopes a massive boost. C.J. and Bryson ran roughshod on the Langham defense; C.J. ran for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Bryson, who also threw 2 touchdown passes to Jordan Johnson, ran for 159 and 2 touchdowns. The Cats committed 19 penalties in this game, but they did not turn the ball over, either.

The defense bent, but it did not break. They also kept the Lobos off the scoreboard in the 3rd quarter, which proved to be the difference in this game.

Week 9: W 44-7 vs. Cy-Fair

This iteration of the Battle of the Cats was firmly in Cy Woods' favor, as they absolutely dominated the Bobcats in all facets of the game in a 44-7 victory that seemed even more lopsided than the score itself. Unlike last year's tilt, overtime was not needed.

Both of Jordan Johnson's catches resulted in touchdowns, and C.J. continued to be C.J., tearing the Bobcat defense apart for 180 yards and a touchdown.

Week 10: L 74-73 vs. Jersey Village

This game was played almost 8 months ago, and I'm still in shock. It was definitely a game that might not happen for at least another decade. A historic night on offense for the Wildcats was all for naught as eternal nemesis Deshun Qualls stuck a dagger in Woods' playoff hopes by successfully converting a 2-point conversion to put the Falcons up 74-73 with 1:09 left in the game. The Cats' last-ditch effort went for naught, and their playoff fate effectively fell into the Falcons' hands; a Jersey Village win over Cy-Fair the following week would give them the final playoff berth in District 17-6A. Unfortunately, the Falcons failed to do the Wildcats a solid, losing 21-13.

C.J. Jones ran for a school-record 346 yards and scored 4 rushing touchdowns for the second time in his career. Jordan Johnson caught 4 passes for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns; in this game, he tied the Cy Woods single-season and career records for touchdown receptions. Bryson ran for 174 yards and 3 touchdowns. And yet, all of that offensive production was not enough for the Wildcats to get the win. Sports can be terrible, sometimes.

Week 11: W 49-39 @ Cy Springs

Sadly, Cy-Fair's win over Jersey Village eliminated the Wildcats from playoff contention. However, the Class of 2016 ended their time as Wildcat football players on a positive note as they topped Cy Springs 49-39 on a rainy Saturday afternoon at the Berry Center. With no quarterback, C.J. Jones basically functioned as the offense. He was 4-10 as the quarterback, but 3 of those completions were touchdowns. C.J. also ran for 141 yards and 2 scores. Keith Watson, in his final game, most likely set a school record with 4 sacks in this game.

A non-playoff season is definitely an unusual event for Cy Woods football. As I said following the season finale, it's never fun when your fate is out of your hands, like it was with the 2015 Wildcats.

Despite missing the playoffs, a few players emerged as key contributors for the Wildcats, most notably Jacob Kainer, Jack Barrientez, Collin Fewox, and Neil Chambers.  The Cats also have some top prospects like Semaj Trahan and Jake Tesch waiting in the wings, as well. C.J. Jones, Kason Franklin, and Myles Wilson will be counted upon to assume leadership roles for the Cats as they head into 2016. Missing the playoffs can put a huge chip on one's shoulder, and I hope that the players returning to the program use 2015 as motivation. As Wildcat football players, they know that they have a tradition to restore and uphold. I expect them to do more than their part in the preseason so that they can experience playoff football once again. They will have to do more, because the other teams in Cy-Fair ISD are getting better every year, and as they found out in 2015, there is almost no margin for error in a district that is as competitive as 17-6A. Slow starts can be reversed, but more often than not, it can really put a team in a bind, because they don't have any leeway to slip up again.

The next chapter will cover the 2016 Cy Woods football team.

Cy Woods 59, Cy Ridge 31: An Awakening

2015 Record: 1-1. 1-0 in District 17-6A

Well, I'm not really an "I told you so" kind of person, but...

Now, the first 12 minutes of this game was far from pretty. I'm not going to argue otherwise. But suddenly, the switch turned on, and it was vintage Cy Woods afterwards as they finished this game by outscoring the Rams 52-10 over the final 3 quarters of play as they erased the horrible taste left from the beatdown the suffered at the hands of Klein Collins at Reliant on Opening Day with a 59-31 victory in the first game of district play. The Wildcats fought back from an early deficit, and once they weathered that storm, they proceeded to blow the Rams away, much like they did in last year's game.

I've gotten so many questions as to what I would do in order to improve the offense, because apparently some people are dying to hear this. My answer is that I would make it a balanced attack, and that's what I saw Friday night. This team is so much better when they successfully integrate the passing game, especially with the personnel they have. The offensive system works. The Wildcats have been a fixture in the playoffs with this system, so I admit that I am a bit perplexed at this "they should change the offense" talk. Cy Woods has played fast and furious on offense since 2008. They have always had the skill players to do so, and I do not see that changing anytime soon.

Ridge has some real intriguing players, and I think they could be a spoiler team this season. I was especially impressed by their #1 running back, Trelon Smith. He returned a kick for a score in last year's game, and in this one, he carved up the Woods defense, especially in the 1st quarter. Toneil Carter may be the more heralded player, but Trelon is another outstanding talent in this district who represents the class of 2017. He's the next in a line of great Cy Ridge running backs.

So, What Happened Was....

On the first play from scrimmage, Kamari Staton forced a fumble by delivering a jarring hit to Bryson Powers, and the Rams recovered it at the Cy Woods 1. The Cats very nearly got it back on the next play, but Trelon Smith opened the scoring with a 1-yard run on 2nd down. The Cats responded with a fine drive that culminated in Bryson connecting with Jordan Johnson for a 14-yard touchdown pass. The 1st quarter turned out to be the Trelon Smith Show for the Rams, as he scored two more times (from 69, and again from 1 yard out) in the 1st quarter.

End 1st: Ridge 21, Woods 7

After Smith's 3rd score, the Wildcats scored 22 unanswered in the 2nd quarter. R.J. Harmon busted out a couple of 20-yard runs, and finished it off with a 7-yard touchdown catch. The defense then foiled a fake punt attempt, and one play later, Bryson found C.J. Jones for a 30-yard score. Another Ridge drive stalled, and on the first play of the Cats' next drive, C.J. found a wide-open Jordan Johnson for 57 yards. C.J. wrapped that drive up with a 15-yard touchdown catch, and Bryson Powers ran the ball in for 2 points following a botched snap. Ridge's 3 points in the 2nd came on a 40-yard field goal from Kevin Campos.

Halftime: Woods 29, Ridge 24

The Cats left the Rams in the dust by outscoring them 30-0 in the 3rd quarter.

For the 2nd time in his Woods career, C.J. Jones recorded 3 receiving touchdowns in a game. This one went for 56 yards, and on the PAT, Jordan leapfrogged a Ridge defender for 2 more points. Myles Wilson recovered a fumble and ran it back for a touchdown, but that got negated by a penalty. On the ensuing Wildcat drive, Jared Taylor punched it in from 10 yards out, and C.J. added 2 more points on a pass from Bryson. The Rams were knocking on the door late in the 3rd, but Kason Franklin put a stop to all of that with an interception, which he returned 96 yards for another score. Woods' final points of the night came when Brandon DePrato fell on an errant snap in the endzone.

End 3rd: Woods 59, Ridge 24

Ridge backup QB Tyson Williams scored the final points of the evening with a 5-yard run.

Final: Woods 59, Ridge 31 

Ground

Despite the limited exposure, R.J. Harmon and C.J. Jones still made the most of their playing time. R.J. rattled off 3 20-yard runs, while C.J. did his damage in the passing game.

Jared Taylor, who did play some running back as a freshman, made his first start as a running back at the varsity level.

Jared Taylor: 11 carries, 69 yards, TD
Bryson Powers: 6 carries, 36 yards
Austin Goffney: 5 carries, 59 yards
R.J. Harmon: 4 carries, 65 yards
C.J. Jones: 2 carries, 15 yards
Jack Barrientez: 2 carries, 9 yards
Jordan Johnson: 1 carry, 3 yards

Air

Now that's the Cy Woods passing attack that I've been accustomed to seeing all these years. Bryson Powers looks to be the man going forward. Bryson didn't throw for 500 yards here, but his throws in this game were precise, and his receivers did the rest. He almost had a 6th passing touchdown, if it wasn't for a timely breakup in the 1st. Otherwise, Jordan Johnson would have left everyone in the dust. It's the 5th time that a Wildcat quarterback has thrown for 5 touchdowns in a game. 3 of these games have come against Ridge, and it's the 2nd consecutive year that this has occurred against Ridge.

Bryson Powers: 14-18, 223 yards, 5 TD
C.J. Jones: 1-1, 57 yards
Austin Goffney: 2-2, 4 yards

Jordan caught a 14-yard strike for the Wildcats' first points of the evening. His 57-yard catch on a halfback pass by C.J. Jones is now the longest pass play of the year for the Cats.

C.J. Jones: 4 catches, 109 yards, 3 TD
R.J. Harmon: 4 catches, 32 yards, TD
Jordan Johnson: 2 catches, 71 yards, TD
Tre' Hart: 2 catches, 33 yards
Jared Taylor: 2 catches, 31 yards
Austin Goffney: 1 catch, 12 yards
Jake Wolf: 1 catch, 2 yards
Brandon Sustala: 1 catch, 1 yard

Defense

Uh oh we found our defense

— Brandon DePrato (@cdubbdeprato8) September 12, 2015

The last time the Wildcats scored 2 defensive touchdowns in a game was the 2011 season finale against Cy Springs. It would've been 3 on Friday, had a penalty not wiped out Myles Wilson's 70-yard fumble return in the 3rd quarter. The Rams had a tough time holding on to the ball, as they put it on the ground 5 times. The Cats picked up 2 of them, one of which resulted in a touchdown. They both should've resulted in touchdowns, but oh well.

The late-down defense still needs some shoring up; the Rams were 8-15 on 3rd down, which included 2 touchdowns. Okay, one of those scores occurred midway through the 4th quarter, but this remains an area of concern. Both of their opponents have converted more than half of their 3rd-down situations, which is completely inexcusable. I know it's only been 2 games, but against teams like Ranch and Fair, they're going to have to find a way to get those offenses off the field as quickly as possible.

Brandon DePrato deflected a couple of passes that both nearly turned into interceptions. He almost deflected one to himself, but the ball was just out of his reach. He put up 6 more points in the 3rd when he outraced Ridge QB Cody Canady to a bad snap that found its way into the endzone, Austin Greaves made his presence felt with 9 tackles and a forced fumble. Kason Franklin put up double-digits in the tackle column to go along with his pick 6.

Jordan and Jared were also summoned to try to slow down Kevin LeDee, who gave the secondary fits all night. Trelon Smith had a fine night, but the Wildcat defense did well to keep him out of the endzone for the final 36 minutes of the game.

Tobi Orundami, in his first extended action, was a force on the line of scrimmage. This sophomore has tremendous upside, and it's going to be interesting to see how he develops. The Wildcats' first sack in district play belongs to Jordan Frazier; he drove the Rams back 6 yards.

Sacks: Jordan Frazier 1 (6 yards lost)
Passes broken up: Brandon DePrato 2, Collin Fewox 1, Elijah Strang 1, Jordan Johnson 1
Interceptions: Kason Franklin 1 (96 yards, returned for TD)
Fumbles recovered: Brandon DePrato 1 (recovered in endzone for TD)

Tackles: Kason Franklin 10 (4 assisted), Austin Greaves 9 (3 assisted, 1 tackle for loss), Terrell Brown 6, Keith Watson 5 (3 assisted, 1 for loss) Myles Wilson 5 (1 assisted), Neil Chambers 3 (2 for loss), Tobi Orundami 3 (all assisted), Elijah Strang 3 (2 assisted), Collin Fewox 3 (1 assisted), Ryan Olvera 3 (2 assisted), Jamion Fontenot 3 (1 assisted, 1 for loss), Cody Eggleston 2 (1 assisted), Caleb Smith 2 (1 assisted, 1 for loss), Brandon DePrato 2 (both assisted), Jordan Frazier 1 (sack), Austin Goffney 1 (assisted), Hunter Carmouche 1 (assisted), Adrian Garcia 1 (assisted), Dylan Bert 1, Brandt Redden 1 (assisted), Stace Ivie 1 (for loss)

Special Teams

The Wildcats did not punt in this game. Well, they did line up to punt once, and Jordan Johnson ended up running for 3 yards after a high snap forced him to do so.

Luis Reyes hit all 5 of his extra points. 2 more weren't attempted because of bad snaps, but Bryson Powers and Jordan Johnson were both able to run the ball in for 2 points.

Luis Reyes: 5-5 XP

Nothing significant in the return game. Ridge's only punt went for 19 yards and was not returnable.

Jared Taylor: 2 kicks returned, 40 yards
Jordan Johnson: 1 kick returned, 30 yards
C.J. Jones: 1 kick returned, 25 yards
Tre' Hart: 1 kick returned, 23 yards

Miscellaneous

The Ridge band played Skyfall as part of their halftime show. Skyfall is one of my guilty pleasure songs, and the fact that they played this song immediately makes them one of my favorite marching bands.

Man of the Match

This was a total team effort, rallying from a 21-7 deficit. So, I'm going with the entire team.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will be back at the Berry Center on Thursday to take on Cy Falls. Kickoff is at 7:00.