Wildcats Through the Years: 2012

Part 5 of this 7-part series of the history of Cy Woods Wildcats football takes a look at the 2012 team.

Summary

Record: 4-6 (4-5, 7th in District 17-5A)
Points scored: 296 (29.6 per game)
Points allowed: 321 (32.1 per game)
Largest margin of victory: 50, vs. Cy Lakes (63-13)
Largest margin of defeat: 33, vs. Cy Ridge (54-21)
Most points scored: 63, vs. Cy Lakes
Most points allowed: 54, vs. Cy Ridge
Fewest points scored: 10, vs. Cy Falls
Fewest points allowed: 13 twice, vs. Cy Lakes and Cy Springs

No records set.

Statistical Leaders (per Houston Chronicle)

Passing: Mason Roberts, 49-99 (49.5%), 580 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Mason Roberts, 85 carries, 510 yards (6 per carry), 7 TD (Egbezien Obiomon scored 8 TDs)
Receiving: Trent Holmes, 27 rec, 302 yards, 2 TD
Interceptions: 4 tied with 1

Schedule and Results

Week 1: L 35-14 @ Klein Collins (BBVA Compass Stadium)
Week 2: L 32-31 vs. Langham Creek (Homecoming @ Pridgeon)
Week 3: L 54-21 @ Cy Ridge (Berry)
Week 4: W 63-13 vs. Cy Lakes (Pridgeon)
Week 5: W 48-13 @ Cy Springs (Berry)
Week 6: L 49-20 @ Cy-Fair (Pridgeon)
Week 7: W 40-37 (OT) vs. Cy Ranch (Pridgeon)
Week 8: L 35-10 @ Cy Falls (Pridgeon)
Week 9: L 39-14 vs. Cy Creek (Pridgeon)
Week 10: W 35-14 @ Jersey Village (Pridgeon)

The Rundown

The Katy game proved to be the swan song of head coach David Jones' tenure at Cy Woods. In February, Coach Jones left to become the new head coach at Tivy High School in Kerrville. Taking his place was former Cy Creek defensive coordinator Trent Faith.

Year 1 of the Coach Faith era was a struggle, to say the least. The Cats dropped their first 3 games and never found anything resembling consistency, missing the playoffs for the first time in team history. The offense that seemingly put up points at will in its first 4 seasons had its moments, but never seemed to string their good performances together, and the explosiveness was just gone. The defense... struggled all season.

After seeing some time alongside Gabe West last season, Nate German assumed the reins of the offense. However, his season ended after 4 games after he underwent surgery on his shoulder. As a result, Mason Roberts took over and was joined by Nick Hooper at the QB spot. Both began the season as wideouts. Trent Holmes, Egbezien "EB" Obiomon, and Samuel Stewart were the feature backs. Chase Ragusa was the top returning receiver, and he was accompanied by Roberts, Hooper, seniors Jake Seaboch and David Burrell, and sophomore Zac Duncan. Jordan Woodward was the lone holdover from the previous year's offensive line. Brett Bryan, Jamal Kinard, and Trevor Rogas were converts from defense, and Mohammad El-Zibdeh, Robert Bruges, Logan Riordan, and Logan Wright also saw time on the O-line.

On defense, Marquise White returned to anchor the defensive line. He was joined by Jordan Cipriani, Stephen Thompson, Jordan Jones, Justyn Johnson, Jeremy Orange, and Brent Hernandez. Deoundrei Davis, who ended up signing with The University of Texas, led the linebackers, although he would be lost for the season due to a torn ACL. Also seeing significant time at the linebacker spots were Nick Csatlos, Taylor Holmes, Ayman Elayyan, Jordan Johnson, and Dimitri Smith. Alfred "Bama" Pullom, who signed with Baylor, was the leader of the secondary, and he was joined by Andrew Pruitt, Xavier Banks, and Miles Ogunyomade.

Regular Season

Chapter 5 began on September 1, 2012. The venue was BBVA Compass Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo. This was the first neutral-site regular season game in Cy Woods history. The opponents for that night were Tigers, again. Only this time, they were a little closer. The Cats matched up against the Klein Collins Tigers. This game was actually rather close, as EB Obiomon tied the game at 14 with an 11-yard TD run midway through the 3rd. However, the Cats were doomed to a season-opening 35-14 defeat as Collins scored 21 unanswered points to close out the game.

District play kicked off with Homecoming V at Pridgeon against Langham Creek. They were in an 18-0 hole early on, but a 31-7 surge put them in front. The Cats got 2 TD runs from Nate German and 1 apiece from Trent Holmes and Mason Roberts. However, they couldn't hold off the final Lobo surge, as they gave up the go-ahead score with 2:33 to go. And, as a result, the Wildcats fell to 3-2 on Homecoming with the 32-31 loss.

The next game was against Cy Ridge, and..... ugh. The Cats were absolutely steamrolled, falling behind 44-7 at halftime on their way to a 54-21 loss. No further comment.

No Wildcat team has ever lost their first 3 games to open a season. However, the schedule would provide a brief break in the form of Cy Lakes and Cy Springs.

The Cats absolutely stomped the Spartans, going up 56-0 at halftime as they won their first game of the Coach Faith era, 63-13. Mason Roberts ran for 69 yards on 6 carries and scored 3 times. He also tossed a 65-yard TD pass to Trent Holmes.

The following week, they ruined Cy Springs' homecoming with a 48-13 victory. Mason had another solid game as he threw for 183 yards and 2 scores (both to Zac Duncan) and ran for 98 more, which included a 28-yard TD. EB Obiomon had 142 yards on 9 carries and had a 7-yard TD run in the 3rd.



So, the Cats had some positive momentum built up for this incredibly tough stretch that faced them. Did they have a late surge in them? Unfortunately......................

Sad times. Sad times indeed.

The Cats were locked into a tight battle against Cy-Fair and trailed 21-20 at halftime. Unfortunately, they came undone in the 2nd half and got swamped 28-0 over the final 24 minutes on their way to a 49-20 loss.

Next up, Woods rekindled their rivalry with that school on Fry. And that was an absolutely epic encounter. After a scoreless 1st quarter, business picked up as the Cats blocked a field goal. On the ensuing Wildcat possession One play later, Mason Roberts opened up the scoring with an 88-yard TD run. The Mustangs thought they had him, but then again, they thought they heard a whistle. Mason didn't and scampered all the way to the house. Just 2 minutes later, Mason found Samuel Stewart for a 33-yard touchdown pass. Both teams were tied at 13 at halftime. Trent Holmes put the Cats on the board first in the 2nd half with a 3-yard touchdown run, but Ranch hit back for 17 unanswered and led 30-20 in the final stanza.

With Mason out of commission, Nick Hooper slid over to the QB spot for the 2nd half. He found Trent Holmes on a pass, and Holmes did the rest. He ran 80 yards and slashed the Mustang lead to 3 with just over 7 minutes to go in regulation. Nick put the Cats on top 34-30 as he basically strolled in untouched from 3 yards.

Nick Hooper coming through in the clutch!

The Mustangs re-took the lead with 97 seconds left in the game as Keith Ford ran one in from 11 yards out, but the last-gasp effort for the Cats was successful as Chase McLaughlin kicked his way into Wildcat football lore. He tied the game with a 42-yarder as the clock struck zero! And so, the Cats would play an overtime game for the first time ever.

It didn't take long for Chase to cement his place there. After the Mustangs missed their shot in OT, Chase sent the Wildcat faithful home in absolute jubilation by nailing a 26-yarder in Woods' half of overtime. The Cats took the series lead with a 40-37 victory.

The Kick

Unfortunately, all the good feelings and all that good stuff from that win went up in smoke as the Cats were pummeled 35-10 by Cy Falls. Zac Duncan had a 17-yard TD run in the 3rd quarter. It didn't get any better against Cy Creek, as the Cougars condemned them to a year without playoff football after a 39-14 thrashing. The Cats only had 151 yards of total offense, according to the Chronicle. Nick Hooper caught a 12-yard TD pass from Mason, and Nick Csatlos had a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.

In the season finale, the Wildcats took on Jersey Village in a game that had zero significance, other than deciding which team would finish the season above the other in the standings. On a beautiful November afternoon, EB Obiomon, who is now playing at West Point, went out with a great game as he rushed for 72 yards on 12 carries and 3 scores. After the Falcons tied the game at 7 midway through the 2nd, the Cats erupted for 28 unanswered as they won 35-14.

Yes, it was a tough season, but there were encouraging signs for the future. I'm one of those people who try to find the good whenever things get tough. Nick Hooper and Zac Duncan cut their teeth as sophomores and they would eventually evolve into centerpieces on the offense. Mason Roberts and Sam Stewart had solid junior seasons and became the unquestioned leaders of the offense. Defensively, Nick Csatlos and Taylor Holmes played prominent roles as the outside LBs and became stalwarts on defense. Justyn Johnson, another sophomore, held his own on the defensive line and would eventually anchor the defensive line.

Wildcats Through the Years: 2011

Part 4 of Wildcats Through the Years takes a look back at the 2011 season.

Summary

Record: 9-3 (7-2, 3rd in District 17-5A)
Playoffs: 5A Division II, Region III Area round, lost 44-30 to Katy
Points scored: 496 (41.3 per game)
Points allowed: 261 (21.8 per game)
Largest margin of victory: 49, vs. Cy Lakes (63-14)
Largest margin of defeat: 16, vs. Cy Falls (28-12)
Most points scored: 68, vs. Cy Ranch
Fewest points scored: 0, vs. Cy Fair (first time shut out in team history)
Most points allowed: 44 twice, vs. Langham Creek and Katy
Fewest points allowed: 0, vs. Cy Springs

Team Records Set or Tied

Greatest point differential (positive or negative), +235
Fewest points allowed in a season, 261
Fewest points allowed per game in a season, 21.8
Most offensive yards in a game, 724 vs. Jersey Village
Most district wins, 7 (tied with 2010)
Most passing yards in a game, 532 vs. Cy Lakes

Individual Records Set or Tied

Receiving TDs in a season: Gary Tesch, 10 (tied)
Rushing TDs in a game: Jeff Bogan, 4 vs. Langham Creek

Statistical Leaders (per Houston Chronicle)

Passing: Gabe West, 117-207 (56.2%), 1662 yards, 17 TD, 9 INT (also ran for 9 TD)
Rushing: Samuel Stewart, 93 carries, 769 yards (8.3 per carry), 8 TD
Receiving: Gary Tesch, 44 rec, 582 yards, 10 TD
Interceptions: Josh Holley and Alfred Pullom, 3 each

Schedule and Results

Week 1: W 27-21 vs. A&M Consolidated (Berry)
Week 2: L 28-12 @ Cy Falls (Berry)
Week 3: L 14-0 vs. Cy-Fair (Berry)
Week 4: W 68-21 @ Cy Ranch (Pridgeon)
Week 5: W 63-24 vs. Jersey Village (Pridgeon)
Week 6: W 63-14 @ Cy Lakes (Berry)
Week 7: W 50-44 @ Langham (Berry)
Week 8: W 49-31 vs. Cy Creek (Homecoming @ Pridgeon)
Week 9: W 45-13 @ Cy Ridge (Berry)
Week 10: W 47-0 vs. Cy Springs (Pridgeon)
Bi-district: W 42-7 vs. Eisenhower (Thorne Stadium, Aldine ISD)
Area: L 44-30 vs. Katy (Berry)

The Rundown

Few schools experience the success that the Cy Woods Wildcats immediately experienced: Three seasons, three deep playoff runs. A 3rd round appearance followed by 2 straight appearances in the 4th round. However, the Wildcats entered the 2011 season with questions on offense. They had to replace Colton Huntsman, who was, without a doubt, the face of the program. Colton was a truly special talent who would be incredibly difficult to replace. However, the Wildcats' system was still stocked with talent.

Gabriel West, who gained some varsity experience filling in for Huntsman during the 2010 season, was the next man up at quarterback. For the first time, the Wildcats employed a 2-QB system, with Nate German also seeing spot duty. Jeff Bogan became the featured running back, and he was backed up by junior Trent Holmes and rising sophomore Samuel Stewart, who was primarily a wideout. Gary Tesch and Jesse Astorga were the top returning receivers, and they were joined by junior Chase Ragusa and another rising sophomore in Mason Roberts. Conrad Wozniak and Jimmy Schmitzer returned to anchor the Wildcats' offensive line, and accompanying them were Brad Sharp, Jordan Woodward, Braxton Norris, Tyler Mock, and Michael Gallagher.

Cody Small had a trial run at receiver, but this move did not pan out. The experiment lasted all of 3 games before he returned to the defensive side of the ball. He was joined by a deep defensive line rotation that included Dominic Wilson, Marquise White, Blake Bennett, Estevan Villarreal, Jordan Cipriani, Jordan Jones, Jordan Hardy, and Stephen Thompson. Daylan Skidmore entered his final season as the new face of the Wildcats. Christian Limbrick and Deoundrei Davis, who both saw significant playing time in 2010, also returned to give the Cats a formidable trio of LBs. Casem Noureddin, Will Glover, and Ryan Renaud also saw some action from the outside linebacker spots. The secondary was a nasty quartet. 3 of those 4 were returning starters, and all of them saw significant action in the 2010 season. Josh Holley and Deonte Davis were the cornerbacks, while Jamaul Tompkins and Alfred Pullom manned the safety spots. They gave no quarter to their opponents, as they only allowed two opposing receivers to gain over 100 yards in a game all season.

After a rough beginning to district play, the Cats suddenly sprang to life and ran the table, clinching a playoff berth for the 4th consecutive season.

Regular Season

Chapter 4 of Cy Woods Football began on September 2, 2011. For the 4th consecutive year, the A&M Consolidated Tigers provided the competition on Opening Night.

The first points of the season belonged to Gary Tesch, who caught a 14-yard TD pass from Gabe with just over 4 minutes left in the 1st. Gabe West had a hand in all 4 Woods scores, as he had 2 touchdown runs from 21 and 7 yards, and he also threw an 18-yard TD to Sam Stewart. He threw for 183 and ran for 161.

Much like the first 3 meetings, this was a very tightly-contested affair. West's 7-yard touchdown run came with 55 seconds left in regulation and turned out to be the difference as the Cats outlasted the Tigers, 27-21.



Cy Falls was the first game on the district slate. This was a forgettable affair, to say the least. Although the final margin was 2 touchdowns, the Cats never found a consistent rhythm on offense and they trailed by as many as 22 points before scoring a consolation touchdown with 1:45 left in the game, as Gary Tesch caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from Nate German. The Wildcats dropped their 4th straight district opener, losing by a score of 28-12. The other Woods touchdown came on a 1-yard run from Gabe West early in the 2nd quarter.




The offensive woes continued against Cy-Fair, which really put an outstanding defensive effort to waste. Unfortunately, the defense committed a crucial miscue right before halftime as a busted coverage effectively gifted the Bobcats a touchdown. Fair added another touchdown with a minute left in the game, and the Wildcats, who were held to just 209 yards of offense, were shut out for the first time ever, 14-0. This was Fair's first win in the series after Woods took the first 3.



Next up on the schedule was Cy Ranch. The Wildcats and Mustangs entered this game on opposite ends of the district standings; the Mustangs won their first two games in district play, while the Wildcats looked lethargic, especially on offense, in losing their first two contests.

Gary Tesch opened up the scoring by catching a 5-yard TD in the 1st. Then, with just under 2 minutes left in the quarter, Sam had a nice catch-and-run TD from 58 yards out. On the ensuing kickoff, Josh Holley snared the pooch kick from Gus Rabadan out of the air to give the Wildcats another offensive possession. On the ensuing drive, Trent Holmes struck with a 42-yard TD run, and just like that, the Wildcats led 21-0 after the 1st.

Trent Holmes (27) leaves the Mustangs in the dust on his way to the endzone.

This game degenerated into a complete bloodbath rather quickly, as the Cats clearly had payback on their minds after they were upset by the Mustangs in their first meeting, thanks to a field goal as time expired. The Cats forced 7 fumbles and recovered 5 of them. They terrorized Keith Ford, the Mustangs' all-world running back, all evening, holding him to just 54 yards rushing. They were up 48-0 at halftime and that was not their largest lead of the night; Mason Roberts' touchdown run with 3:55 left in the game gave them a 68-14 lead. Gary Tesch by himself scored as many touchdowns as the Mustangs. Long story short: Cy Woods got their revenge on Cy Ranch by romping to a 68-21 victory.

The Wildcats, now unchained, faced Jersey Village, and it was déjà vu from last week. After the Falcons got on the board first with a field goal in the 1st, the Cats scored 49 unanswered points and put on another show on offense with 724 total yards as they cruised to a 63-24 win. Jeff Bogan had a monster night, catching 6 passes for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bogan also ran for 151 yards on just 6 carries, one of which was a 60-yard touchdown.




Against Cy Lakes, it was more of the same, as they strolled to a 63-14 win. Gabe West and Nate German tore the Spartan secondary apart to the tune of 532 passing yards (Gabe 311, Nate 221). The two of them threw for 3 touchdowns apiece. Jeff Bogan had 146 receiving yards and caught 2 TD passes; one from West from 28, and a 64-yarder from Nate. The super sophomores also provided some fireworks of their own as Sam Stewart caught a 72-yard touchdown pass from Gabe, and a 61-yard touchdown pass from Nate to end the 3rd. Sam also scored a 15-yard TD run. Mason Roberts caught a 63-yard touchdown from Gabe halfway through the 2nd and capped off the night with an 8-yard touchdown run in the 4th.



The game against Langham Creek was a departure from the blowouts of the previous 3 weeks. The Cats got out to a quick 15-0 start in the 1st, but the Lobos kept themselves within striking distance for much of the game. After Chase Ragusa caught a halfback pass from Bogan to put Woods up 35-16 in the 3rd, Langham struck back and whittled the lead down to just 5 heading into the 4th. But, the Cats held steady in the final period and weathered the Lobo storm, outlasting them 50-44. Bogan had a career night as he ran for 101 yards and 4 TDs on 16 carries. That TD pass he threw went for 29 yards. Chase also caught a 31-yard TD from Nate German in the 4th and Sam tacked on the 2-point conversion.



Homecoming IV pitted the Cats against Cy Creek at Pridgeon. This was another rollercoaster affair, as the Cats opened up the game with a 21-0 lead, only to see the Cougars begin to stir and get off the canvas a bit with 10 unanswered. However, Woods responded by finishing the 2nd quarter with 2 unanswered touchdowns, taking a 35-10 lead into the locker room. Creek then proceeded to put a legitimate scare into the Wildcats as they nearly erased that halftime deficit with a 21-0 3rd quarter. Like the Langham game, though, the Cats took Creek's best shot and they were still standing. Ragusa caught a halfback pass for a TD for the 2nd straight week, and Sam Stewart, who threw that pass, iced the game with a 54-yard TD run with just under 7:30 to go in the game. He ran for 178 yards on 13 carries, and those 54 yards were huge as they sealed a 49-31 victory.



After a happy Homecoming, a tilt with Cy Ridge awaited the Wildcats. Gary Tesch broke a scoreless tie with a 60-yard touchdown catch in the 2nd quarter. Later in the 2nd, Alfred Pullom scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. The Cats took a 14-6 lead into halftime, and then they promptly opened up the floodgates in the 2nd half, putting the Rams away with a 21-0 3rd quarter. Gabe and Nate had touchdown runs, and Jesse Astorga caught a 15-yard TD pass. Gus Rabadan added a field goal in the 4th, and Jordan Cipriani fell on an errant snap in the endzone for the Cats' final TD of the evening. The Wildcats ended up cruising to a 45-13 victory in a game that got rather chippy; the tensions reached a boiling point with a brawl midway through the 2nd quarter.



The season finale pitted the Cats against winless Cy Springs in their final tuneup before the playoffs. The offensive engine looked to be running just fine and the fans got a glimpse of the future in the 47-0 victory. Nicholas Hooper, then just a freshman, made his debut. Nick is best known for his work as a quarterback, but in this game, he was deployed as a running back. He had a rather productive afternoon, running for 101 yards on 7 carries, including a 16-yard touchdown run in the 4th.

Nick Hooper's debut

Playoffs

November 11, 2011. The Cats had a rematch with the Eisenhower Eagles at Aldine ISD's Thorne Stadium. Although they struggled to move the ball (286 yards), they certainly did not struggle with putting points on the board (42 points). The defense suffocated Ike all night, holding them to 191 total yards of offense and 7 points. After Ike tied the game at 7 with less than 2 minutes in the 1st quarter, it was all Woods as they scored the game's final 35 points and went on to win 42-7. Trent Holmes had 3 carries for 33 yards; 2 of them went for touchdowns in the 3rd quarter.



The area round pitted the Cats against the the most storied program in Texas, the mighty Katy Tigers.

In the words of Ric Flair: "To be the man, you gotta beat the man!" Katy, time and again, has proven that they are the kings of the mountain known as Texas high school football. Attempting to depose the kings would prove to be a Herculean feat.

But.... these Cats were up to the task. This was a labor that they were more than willing to undertake.

November 18, 2011. The Berry Center was the site of the most electric environment that Cy Woods Football was ever a part of. That night, te Berry Center transformed into a sea of maroon, red, gold, and white.

The game matched its atmosphere; it truly felt like a heavyweight title fight. Katy's signature physicality was on display that night, but the Cats found a way to respond each time they were challenged. The reaction was pure ecstasy when Deonte ran that blocked extra point back for the Cats' first 2 points of the night. It was absolutely deafening when Jeff Bogan caught a pass from Gabe West and outran everyone on his way to the endzone to put the Cats up 9-6. The Cats led 16-13 early in the 2nd quarter after Jamaul Tompkins returned a fumble 81 yards for a score, but the Tigers seized the momentum in this game when they scored 21 unanswered points to take a 34-16 halftime lead. The Cats' signature resilience was on full display that night as well, but they ultimately fell short after putting a scare into the mighty Katy Tigers, 44-30. In his final high school game, Jeffrey Bogan had 2 touchdown receptions. Gary Tesch caught a 49-yard touchdown pass in the 3rd.

Although the 2011 Cypress Woods Wildcats fell short in their task to dethrone the best team in Texas, they proved that they could hang with the best for 48 minutes, and at their best, they could've pulled off something the 2009 Wildcats would have never dreamed of. If they didn't let the game get away from them, even just a little bit, in the 2nd quarter, they could have pulled off the unthinkable. You just have to tip your hat to the Katy Tigers; they made a few more plays on both sides of the ball than the Cats did that night.

Jamaul Tompkins returns a fumble for a touchdown against Katy.