Cy Woods 49, Spring 41: Pounding Away

2018 Record: 1-1

Photo by Tom Dendy

The Cypress Woods Wildcats tasted victory for the first time in the 2018 season as they topped the Spring Lions 49-41 in a thrilling affair at Leonard George Stadium in Spring.

When the triple option works, it's a thing of beauty. Three Wildcats finished with over 100 yards rushing and as a team, they finished with 409 on the night. Asides from letting the Lions score 13 free points, the defense held steady and played some inspired football in the last 24 minutes.

1-1 heading into district play feels a whole lot better than 0-2. Nice rebound victory for the Cats after Cy Ridge handed it to them to start the new season. This opening stretch doesn't get any easier with Tomball Memorial and Langham Creek waiting in the wings, however. Taking both of those games would be a dream start for the Cats, but a split would still put them in a good position for the rest of the season.

What Happened

Dannermania ran wild on the Spring Lions.

Both teams scored in the opening period. Dallas Reid opened the scoring in the Lions' favor when he returned a fumble 82 yards for a touchdown. Three minutes later, Darion Morgan put Cy Woods on the board by scoring on a 23-yard run.

End of 1st Quarter: Cy Woods 7, Spring 7

Trayse Holmes put the Cats in front with a 13-yard scoring run and Carson Danner scored the first of his four rushing touchdowns on the evening with a one-yard run. Spring tied the game at halftime thanks to a pair of touchdown runs from Clifton McDowell; they successfully converted a two-point conversion following McDowell's second touchdown run.

Halftime: Cy Woods 21, Spring 21

Um... on the first play of the second half, the Wildcats decided not to cover Bailee Davenport and he caught a pass from McDowell and scored from 75 yards out. Fortunately, the Cats went on a drive that culminated in Carson Danner finding a wide-open Jake Tesch for a 31-yard touchdown. Danner scored again on the ground from six yards, but Gustavo Olmedo missed the extra point, his second of the game. Before the end of the third quarter, McDowell hit Davenport for another touchdown, this time from 12 yards.

End of 3rd Quarter: Spring 35, Cy Woods 34

Danner scored on two more runs in the final period. On third and extremely long, the Wildcats forgot how to tackle and that allowed McDowell to score on a 50-yard run. Fortunately, that was the only damage that the Lions inflicted in the final quarter.

Final: Cy Woods 49, Spring 41

Ground

Carson Danner tied a school single-game record with four rushing touchdowns. Darion Morgan and Christian Scott both turned in 100-yard games on the ground. All three broke the 100-yard mark on the ground for the first time in their careers.

I did enjoy watching Carson at the sub-varsity level. Obviously, he's no Michael Vick, but he's tough to bring down once he gets himself going. It just comes from out of nowhere... you think he'd be good for 4-5 yards and then he shifts into gear and gets eight/nine yards just like that. I think he would have made a fine B-back in this offense.

Speaking of B-backs, Darion Morgan had the game this offense needed from him. He chewed up yardage all evening and even busted loose for a couple of 20-yard runs. As long as he gets at least five yards every time he runs, the offense will be fine. Congratulations to Trayse Holmes for scoring his first touchdown at the varsity level. Hopefully there will be more touchdowns in his future.

Christian Scott and Jake Tesch will cause some serious headaches on the edges. Christian got a taste of the varsity game as a sophomore and now he will be expected to handle more responsibilities on offense. He'll essentially assume the same role as Jake.

Stats from MaxPreps

Carson Danner: 18 rush, 122 yards, 4 TD; tied Cy Woods single-game record for rushing touchdowns
Darion Morgan: 13 rush, 110 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 12 rush, 49 yards
Christian Scott: 10 rush, 100 yards
Trayse Holmes: 7 rush, 28 yards, TD

Air

Carson Danner did most of his damage with his legs but he also found a wide-open Jake Tesch streaking down the middle for a touchdown. They nearly connected for another touchdown but that throw was just out of Jake's reach.

Carson Danner: 3-7, 66 yards, TD

Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 31 yards, TD
Jackson Turnbow: 1 catch, 26 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 catch, 9 yards

Defense

Colton Morris got a pick in the third quarter and the Wildcats turned it into a touchdown. They could have held Spring to less than 30 points had they not given 13 points away so carelessly.

Tackles in this game were not tracked.

Special Teams

Gustavo Olmedo missed a couple of extra points in this one, which was just about the only thing that went wrong on offense or special teams for the Cats. Cole Gerletti punted once for 26 yards.

Jake Tesch: 2 kicks returned, 47 yards; 1 punt returned, 7 yards
Pearson Chesnutt: 1 kick returned, 22 yards

Man of the Match

Carson Danner.

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will open District 14-6A play against the Tomball Memorial Wildcats on Friday, September 14, at 7:00 PM in Tomball.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #10: Samuel Stewart

It's time to officially begin the countdown of the ten best players from the first ten years of Cy Woods football.

#10: Samuel Stewart, RB, 2011-13

College: Rice

Notable games

2010 vs. Katy Taylor - first freshman to appear in a varsity football game for Cy Woods

2011 vs. Cy Lakes - 8 rush, 43 yards, TD; 3 catches, 141 yards, 2 TD

2011 vs. Cy Creek - 13 rush, 178 yards, TD

2011 vs. Eisenhower - 11 rush, 93 yards, TD; 4 catches, 66 yards, TD

2013 vs. Cy Lakes: 23 rush, 247 yards, 2 TD; at the time, he set a school single-game record for rushing yards.

When I first saw Sam, he didn't look like a typical freshman. In contrast to the gawky assemblages of limbs, he was already well-built. Sam looked like someone who could become a cornerstone player for the program and he did just that. As a sophomore, Sam led the team in rushing yards; to this day, he is still the only sophomore to lead Cy Woods in rushing yards in a single season. And just like any other running back at Cy Woods, Sam turned himself into a weapon. He lined up as a slot receiver during his sophomore year and showed that he could have been a fine wideout. 

Sam finished his Cy Woods career with 1,784 rushing yards, which puts him in fourth place all-time. With 21 rushing touchdowns, he's tied with Fredrick Anderson for third place in that statistic. Sam also held the Cy Woods single-game record for most rushing yards in a game with 247 against Cy Lakes in 2013, a record that has since been broken. He also caught 12 touchdown passes, which puts him in a tie for second with Jeff Bogan in Cy Woods history. He could have owned those records had he not battled injuries during his junior year.

After concluding his outstanding career at Cy Woods, Sam played for the Rice Owls. Unfortunately, a neck injury he suffered in 2017 ended his career.

Know the Enemy: Spring Lions

Week 2: Cypress Woods Wildcats (0-1) @ Spring Lions (1-0)
7:00 PM Friday, September 7, 2018
Leonard George Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

Season openers remain unkind to the Wildcats as they allowed 19 points in 38 seconds to Cy Ridge just before halftime and that horrid stretch ended up condemning them to a 47-21 loss, their fifth consecutive defeat to open a season. The Cats had no answers for Noah Smith, who threw four touchdowns and ran for two more. 

Chase Richter recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass. Jackson Jones ran for a touchdown but he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Rounding out the non-district portion of the schedule for Cy Woods is a team that fancies themselves as a threat to Westfield in District 16-6A. This could potentially be a playoff matchup, but first things first, let's talk about this regular-season, non-district contest.

The Enemy: Spring Lions

District 16-6A

2017: 8-2, 6-1 (2nd) in District 16-6A

Lost 10-7 to Klein in Class 6A, Division I bi-district round

It is possible that Spring could play in the Division I bracket in the playoffs, depending on which Aldine school makes the playoffs.

Spring dominated Elsik 47-6 down in Alief to open their 2018 campaign. Lions quarterback Clifton McDowell ran for 147 yards and four touchdowns as the Lions made short work of the Rams. 

This will be the first meeting between Cy Woods and Spring.

Players to Watch

Clifton McDowell - SR QB
Clyde Lacy - SOPH RB
Azavier Roane - SR RB
Marques Pearson - SR WR
Marcus Senne - SR TE
Dylan Roy - SR OL
Treyvon Mays - SR DB
Xavier Pittman - JR DL

2¢ on Spring

The Lions, after a period of dormancy, have re-emerged as one of the top Region II teams out of Houston along with their hated rivals, Westfield.

Spring's offense is keyed by their quarterback, Clifton McDowell, one of the most dynamic players on the North side. McDowell, a Louisiana commit, threw just one interception last season. Azavier Roane will split time with emerging sophomore Clyde Lacy at running back. Senne can use his 6'5" frame to overmatch his defenders and also functions as an extra lineman in the running game. Considering how the Cats defense had their hands full with Noah Smith, they're going to have to really lock in against McDowell.

Mays and Pittman will be counted on to lead the defense, which Dave Campbell's Texas Football describes as young.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The freshmen will travel to Spring while the JV will play at home. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30.

Location of Leonard George Stadium

Leonard George Stadium is on the campus of Spring High School. Per the Spring ISD website, visitor parking is located on the northeast side of the stadium. It may be a good idea to have cash on hand in case the box office does not accept credit cards.

Cy Ridge 47, Cy Woods 21: Unraveled

2018 Record: 0-1

Photo by Tom Dendy

Well, the second decade of Cy Woods football began with a less-than-desirable result as the Cypress Ridge Rams scored 19 points in the span of 38 seconds before halftime to seize control as they cruised to a 47-21 victory on Opening Night for the Wildcats.

Cy Woods has not won a season opener since 2013 when they shut Klein Collins out 21-0. Since then, they've lost the first game in five consecutive seasons, losing by an average of 28.2 points. The 2017 season opener was the "closest" game they played, relatively speaking... and they lost that one by 18 points.

Don't get me wrong, I want to see this team win every time they step onto the football field. I hate to sound flippant, but to me, non-district games are the final phase of the preseason, even if they happen to count in the win-loss column. It would've been nice to win this game, and it'd be nice to see them beat Spring, but the real season starts September 14 in Tomball. Hopefully, they'll be able to work out whatever kinks they have between now and then.

When I spoke with Mr. Bird after the game, he raised the theory that they could be playing this portion of the schedule close to the vest and I'm inclined to agree; it wouldn't make any sense for the Cats would show everything they plan on doing this upcoming season in a non-district game that also happens to be the first game of the season...

Forcing five turnovers on defense was rather encouraging. Reagan Simmons and Tevis Adams recovered fumbles; Tevis's recovery occurred in the end zone so they got a touchdown out of it. Chase Richter recovered a fumble and also picked Smith off in the first quarter.

The busted coverages were not encouraging; Noah Smith connected with John Moten for a couple of touchdowns after Moten had gotten behind the secondary. They really couldn't stop Smith, who was involved in every Ridge offensive touchdown; he threw four touchdown passes, ran for two more, and accounted for 338 yards of offense.

What Happened

The Noah Smith Show.

He connected with Roderick Jelks for a 17-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring.

End of 1st quarter: Ridge 7, Woods 0

After Richter's interception, Jackson Jones capped off a 97-yard drive with the first Cy Woods points of the season, scoring on a one-yard run. Unfortunately, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion for the Cats right before halftime. Smith scrambled out of the pocket and found a wide-open John Moten for a 59-yard touchdown. The Cats muffed the ensuing kickoff and one play later, Smith put another touchdown on the board with a 22-yard run. This horror-show stretch was capped off when D.D. Redmond intercepted a Jackson pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown with seven seconds left in the first half.

Halftime: Ridge 26, Woods 7

Whoever was trying to cover Tyler Cockle slipped and fell, and Smith took advantage and found him for a 48-yard touchdown.

End of 3rd quarter: Ridge 33, Woods 7

Jake Tesch found the end zone on a six-yard run, but once again, Moten slipped behind everyone and Smith found him again, this time from 33 yards. The Rams threw the ball away on a pitch and Tevis Adams pounced on it for a score. Smith capped off the evening with a 39-yard touchdown run.

Final: Ridge 47, Woods 21

Ground

The Cats barely averaged over three yards per attempt. B-back production should be a focal point; they're going to need Darion Morgan and Trayse Holmes to average more than four yards a carry. Christian Scott took an end-around for 21 yards to put the Wildcats in the red zone on the 97-yard touchdown drive.

Trayse had a couple of nice, tough runs. They're gonna need a running back to step up because Jackson (or any quarterback, for that matter) really shouldn't be leading the team in rushing attempts on a consistent basis.

Stats from the Chronicle.

Jake Tesch: 5 rush, 14 yards, TD
Jackson Jones: 13 rush, 4 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 11 rush, 43 yards
Darion Morgan: 6 rush, 24 yards
Tre Mejia: 3 rush, 16 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 17 yards
Carson Danner: 2 rush, 10 yards

Air

Redmond literally came out of nowhere for his pick six. Jackson probably saw Trayse wide open and his eyes lit up... only to see Redmond run the other way for a touchdown.

Nice to see them throw a little more, though.

Jackson Jones: 5-8, 88 yards, INT

Cameron Sowell is the early clubhouse leader for catch of the year... he made a one-handed snag while being held and that was one of the key plays on the 97-yard drive.

Connor Faulk: 2 catches, 31 yards
Cam Sowell: 1 catch, 37 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 15 yards
Christian Scott: 1 catch, 6 yards

Defense

The good news: They forced five turnovers and scored 21 points off those turnovers.

The bad news: The Rams scored 47, but seven of them can be pinned on the special teams (muffed kickoff) and seven more came on the pick six. They also let Noah Smith run roughshod on them.

Unfortunately, the Chronicle doesn't track tackles. Fortunately, MaxPreps sort of does! 19 Cats recorded at least one tackle with Chase Richter leading the way with seven. Jackson Turnbow and Mac Bird recorded six apiece.

Turnovers

Interceptions: Chase Richter
Fumbles recovered: Tevis Adams (returned for TD), Reagan Simmons, Chase Richter

Special Teams

Gustavo Olmedo hit all three of his extra-point attempts. Jake Tesch could become a factor in the return game; he had a couple of nice returns on kickoffs.

Cole Gerletti: 3 punts, 113 yards (37.7 average); long of 46, one punt inside 20

Jake Tesch: 5 kicks returned, 124 yards, long of 34
Christian Scott: 1 kick returned, 12 yards

Man of the Match

I'll go with Chase Richter for leading the team with seven tackles and forcing two turnovers.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will travel to Leonard George Stadium in Spring to take on the Spring Lions at 7:00 on Friday, September 7.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #1: Dallas Skyline, 2009

Well, here it is... the greatest game of the first decade of Cy Woods football.

November 28, 2009: Cy Woods 28, Dallas Skyline 21

After outlasting Westfield in the area round of the 2009 Class 5A, Division I playoffs, the Cypress Woods Wildcats advanced to the Region II semifinals against the very team that ended their season in this very round last year, the Skyline Raiders. This game took place in Temple.

Skyline rolled out a lineup of major-college talent on both sides of the ball. Mike Davis, a wide receiver, was bound for Texas. Corey Nelson, a linebacker, was heading to Oklahoma. Paul Dawson, who was a junior that year, ended up going to TCU; he became a linebacker and played a couple of seasons for the Bengals. Tony Drake, the starting running back, had some interest from Michigan and Texas Tech before he decided to sign with Colorado State. Adrian Lee, a starting safety, signed with Cal. Javia Hall, their starting quarterback, was headed to UTEP and had not thrown an interception all season heading into this game. There were at least a couple more guys who signed with Division I programs but for brevity's sake, I will move on.

No doubt that they were the best collection of talent we faced that year. I said earlier that Jermicheal Selders might have been the best individual player that we went up against in 2009, but the Raiders had infinitely more star power in their lineup than Cy Creek did.

Skyline came into this contest ranked #2 in the state in Class 5A. The Raiders entered 2009 as a potential state title contender and up to this point, they had lived up to that billing. After strolling through their regular-season schedule and the bi-district round, they got a scare in the second round against DeSoto before ultimately prevailing 41-36.

Like the Klein Oak game in week two, no one really gave us a realistic shot of winning this game, much less making this game competitive. Maybe the DeSoto game revealed some of Skyline's vulnerabilities, but again, nobody gave us a chance.

Unfortunately, this game is too far back in the archive to pull up some of the comments that were made in the lead-up to this game, so there won't be any old takes that will be exposed. Also, I think there's some kind of statute of limitations in play. With that being said, I did remember a thread on the old 5ATexasFootball.com board that was titled "We're choppin' wood... Cypress Wood!" It was created by a Skyline fan who essentially believed that the Raiders would win in a walkover.

Hahaha.

Colton Huntsman opened the scoring in the first quarter with a touchdown run, but Skyline hit back with a couple of scores of their own to take a one-touchdown lead into halftime. The score remained 14-7 heading into the final quarter until Bryce Callahan snagged a bomb from Colton to tie the game. The deadlock remained until the Raiders regained the lead, which set the stage for a thriller.

Hall threw a ten-yard touchdown to Davis with 2:54 left in the game. It wouldn't take long for the Cats to respond because they went into their bag of tricks. Fred Anderson found a wide-open Patrick LaFleur to tie the game with 1:44 to go. On the ensuing defensive series, Hall's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and Dylan Thompson was the quickest to react to the ball in the air and his interception gave Woods the chance to get the lead... which they did when Isaiah Battle scored on a 44-yard touchdown catch with thirty seconds remaining. Bryce sealed the victory when he picked off Hall with about twenty seconds left.

On that Thanksgiving weekend, Cy Woods was the hot topic in Texas High School Football. We had upset the #2 team in the state of Texas. We defeated a team of legitimate Division I players. With this victory, we made it further than the first senior class at Cypress Woods High School.

Obviously, the following week's game against Stony Point was a massive crash. But, we're not talking about that.

With that, this series chronicling the ten best games from the first ten years of Cypress Woods Wildcats football is complete. Let's hope that the second decade produces more memorable moments like these ten games.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Ridge Rams

Week 1: Cypress Woods Wildcats vs. Cypress Ridge Rams

6:00 PM Saturday, September 1, 2018

Pridgeon Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Football has returned and a new decade of Cy Woods football has dawned.

Normally, this would be a district game. But, the UIL's realignment has split Cy-Fair ISD into two separate districts for athletics. And so for the first time ever, the Cypress Woods Wildcats will take on a Cy-Fair ISD school in a non-district contest.

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats fell 21-17 to the hated Cypress Ranch Mustangs in the 2017 regular-season finale for both teams. This was definitely a game in which the Cats had opportunities to win, but unfortunately, the Mustangs invoked some kind of black magic that allowed them to get the victory somehow. Well actually, they converted a couple of interceptions into touchdowns. A missed field goal gave Woods one final shot to steal the game, but they were stopped on fourth down to end it.

Jacob Kainer threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez on the first play of the game, setting a new school record for longest play from scrimmage.

The Enemy: Cypress Ridge Rams

I don't recall the name of the school district to which they belong.
District 17-6A
2017 record: 1-8, 9th in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 6-4.

Previous Meetings

September 22, 2017: Woods 35, Ridge 34

September 17, 2016: Ridge 36, Woods 21

September 11, 2015: Woods 59, Ridge 31

September 13, 2014: Woods 59, Ridge 28
September 19, 2013: Woods 28, Ridge 26
September 20, 2012: Ridge 54, Woods 21
October 29, 2011: Woods 45, Ridge 13
October 30, 2010: Woods 49, Ridge 40
September 25, 2009: Ridge 46, Woods 20 (Homecoming II)
September 26, 2008: Ridge 43, Woods 41

Players to Watch

I don't know whether any of them have changed numbers this season.

Noah Smith - SR ATH, most likely QB
Leslie Wellington - JR RB
Tristian Fletcher - SOPH RB
Lejune Patterson - JR WR
Kade Barnes - JR DB
JeVaun Dabon - JR DB
Branden Nguyen - SR DB
Michael Rich - SR LB
Tyler Cockle - SR DL/TE
D.D. Redmond - SR DL/LB
Vernon Broughton - JR DL

2¢ on Ridge

One year after enjoying the thrill of the most successful season in program history in which they advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs, the Rams crashed to the bottom of the standings in 2017 with a single, solitary victory over Cy Lakes serving as the barrier between them and the ignominy of a winless season.

Cy Ridge has a few pieces to build around as they look for another playoff bid and it starts with Noah Smith. Smith has served as a super-utility player on offense for three years but now he will engineer the Rams' offensive attack. Wellington and Fletcher, who saw plenty of playing time as a freshman, will platoon at running back. Patterson will likely be one of Smith's primary targets in the passing game and at 6-3, he'll have an advantage over his defender.

The Rams always seem to have quality players on the defensive side of the ball, especially in their front seven. Tyler Cockle, another three-year letterman, will team up with D.D. Redmond, Mike Rich, Centarus Smith, and Vernon Broughton, who transferred in from Spring Woods. Broughton, one of the top juniors in Texas, is a huge pickup for an already talented defense. Cockle is also listed as a tight end in the team preview in Dave Campbell's Texas Football, so expect to see him play offense when the situation warrants it. Branden Nguyen led the Rams in tackles last season as an outside linebacker; he's moving to the secondary where he'll lead a talented cast that includes JeVaun Dabon and Kade Barnes. Dabon, who might be Ridge's top prospect in the Class of 2020, impressed immensely after working his way into the starting lineup last season.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

A frenzied finish in the fourth quarter saw the Wildcats emerge with a 35-34 victory after they thwarted a two-point conversion that would have given the Rams the lead in the final minute of regulation. Jack Barrientez ran for 69 yards and a touchdown and also caught a screen pass and ran 68 yards for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Woods, JV at Ridge. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Thursday.

The Rams only had one JV team last season, so it is possible that there will only be one JV game.

UPDATE: Per Angel Verdejo, the JV Gold (B) will play Humble on Thursday at 4:30 at Woods. The freshman gold team will travel to College Station High School to take on the Cougars at 4:30.

Location of Cypress Ridge High School

For Freshman Gold team: Location of College Station High School

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #2: Georgetown, 2008

Two more games remain in the countdown of the ten best games of the first decade of Cy Woods football. 

Let's take a trip back to the very first playoff game in program history.

November 15, 2008: Cy Woods 21, Georgetown 20

The Cypress Woods Wildcats would be traveling to Kyle Field to take on the Georgetown Eagles in their first-ever playoff football game. Both teams handled themselves well in district play and finished third in their respective districts. On paper, this seemed to be an even matchup with a few questions: How would the high-flying Wildcats fare against a Georgetown team that put up a decent amount of points, but obviously not at the obscene rate that Woods did; they only exceeded 40 points once. On the other hand, the Eagles allowed just 202 points in the regular season. But then again, Woods only gave up 194, albeit in eight games.

But, the question that burned most was: How would the first-year program fare in its first playoff voyage at the highest classification of Texas high school football?

Lucas DeVilliers was clearly far from his best as he only finished 13-33 through the air and got held to just 11 yards on ten carries on the ground. He did find Brad Korndorffer on a bubble screen and Brad did the rest for a 41-yard touchdown. Lucas also scored on a six-yard run just before halftime and that gave Woods a two-touchdown lead in College Station. The Eagles would turn the tables however as they scored the first two touchdowns of the second half, including the game-tying score at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, Jeremy Conley stopped the bleeding momentarily with a touchdown about two minutes after Georgetown tied the game, giving Woods a lead that somehow held up for seven minutes.. when the Eagles scored again and were on the verge of tying the game with two minutes left in regulation. The Cats had other ideas, however.

Josh Theut used all of his 6-foot-8 frame to block what would have been the game-tying extra point and preserved the Wildcats' lead. Extra points make all the difference in such a tight game. Fortunately, the always-reliable Andrew Klink converted all of his opportunities. Georgetown's kicker... got shut down at the most crucial moment of the game.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #11: Jeremy Conley

This next series profiles the ten best players through the first ten years of the Cypress Woods Wildcats football program.

Where do I even begin with this? I've played with and seen many outstanding players in this program and it was quite torturous to just whittle the list down to ten people.

Well, I'll take a creative liberty here. 2018 is the tenth anniversary of the inaugural varsity football season for Cypress Woods High School, but this will also be the eleventh incarnation of the varsity football team at Cy Woods. I was also planning on doing this during the off-season and have it run concurrently with the ten best games series, but it's been a hectic summer at the job. So instead, I will make this a weekly feature during the season.

#11: Jeremy Conley, RB, 2008-09

Notable games

2009 @ A&M Consolidated: 13 carries, 172 yards, 3 TD
2009 vs. Klein Oak: 9 carries, 81 yards; 3 receptions, 124 yards, TD
2009 vs. Cy Falls: 6 carries, 108 yards, TD; 4 receptions, 52 yards, 2 TD

There were about 15 other people that I considered putting at #11, but I feel pretty safe with this selection.

Jeremy Conley is the template for every Cy Woods running back: elusive, lightning-quick, and a threat to score every time he touched the ball. No doubt, Jeremy was the coldest running back I have ever seen. What he also had that sets him apart from many of the running backs who have come through Cy Woods was his pure strength. Pound for pound, Jeremy was probably the strongest person in the program while we were at Woods. Jeremy also competed in powerlifting so he was truly a blend of brute force and pure speed.

I have no idea how he didn't earn any legitimate offers to play college football. Maybe Division I FBS would've been a bit much for him, but this guy overcame a torn ACL sophomore year and he worked extremely hard to return to his pre-injury form. I don't doubt that he could've held his own at the FBS level although he might've had to redshirt and then bide his time before getting a chance. Jeremy definitely would have been a good FCS player and he could've dominated Division II.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #3, Cy-Fair, 2014

Three games left in this countdown. Checking in at the #3 spot is... the other overtime game in Cy Woods football history and a crucial victory over one of their fiercest rivals in a bid to keep their playoff hopes alive.

October 25, 2014: Cy Woods 38, Cy-Fair 31 (OT)

Photo by Don Carson

In a double Homecoming game in 2014, Langham Creek made sure to spoil Cy Woods' festivities as Paul Watson and Toneil Carter overwhelmed the Cats in the second half on their way to a 55-31 victory. Cy Woods wouldn't have any time to recover and they wouldn't have a minnow to help them rebound right away because next up on the schedule was Cy-Fair, who started off 17-6A play in dominant fashion but began to show some cracks in a loss to Langham Creek. They also trailed at halftime against Cy Falls but managed to escape by pitching a shutout in the second half and wearing the Eagles out with their signature ground game.

Eleven penalties. Six turnovers. Four fumbles, three of which were lost. Three interceptions. Judging by those numbers, one may assume that Cy Woods was blown out in this game. 

Narrator's voice: They were not. 

Not only were the Wildcats not blown away on that Saturday afternoon, but they... won. I couldn't believe it either. With this victory, they defeated the Cy-Fair Bobcats in a varsity football game for the first time since 2010. Luis Reyes, a sophomore kicker who turned himself into a special teams weapon, hit a 37-yard field goal with five seconds to go in regulation to force overtime. This was one of the kicks that defined his career at Cy Woods. Bryson Powers did it all that season as he burst onto the scene; he caught two touchdowns against Cy Ridge before moving over to safety, where he continued to make an impact and on this day, he secured the win with an interception in overtime. 

This game surely has to be on the same tier as the Jersey Village game in 2015 in terms of absurdity. As sloppily as they played, the Cats showed why they were a great team that season by finding ways to overcome their miscues that day. Of course, a team can only commit so many mistakes before they get punished for them, but on this day, six turnovers and eleven penalties apparently weren't enough to condemn the Cypress Woods Wildcats to defeat. Luck was certainly on their side on that October afternoon. But most importantly, the Wildcats maintained their composure even as the turnovers mounted and kept the Bobcats from making them pay for those mistakes enough times to give them a chance to snatch the victory in the end.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #4: Cy Ranch, 2011

Number four is yet another revenge game...

I dunno, I guess I'm just a vengeful person by nature.

September 23, 2011: Cy Woods 68, Cy Ranch 21

The 2011 Cypress Woods Wildcats had a nightmare start to District 17-5A play as they got handcuffed on offense in their first two games, scoring a grand total of 12 points in losses to Cy Falls and Cy-Fair; in the loss against Cy-Fair, the Wildcats let a stellar defensive performance go to waste as were shut out for the first time in team history. They needed to find a way to right the ship before things got hopelessly out of hand.

Their next opponents, Cy Ranch, had stunned them with a game-winning field goal in the first-ever meeting between the two hated rivals in the previous season. The Mustangs entered this contest coming off wins in their first three games and they were definitely relishing the fact that they would get to go up against a reeling Cy Woods squad. Well... they had no idea just how fed up the Cats were.

The Cats realized that their early results fell woefully short of the expectations set by the community, the pundits, and most of all, themselves. They set out to prove that the reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated, and boy, they did that in emphatic fashion.

Cy Woods set out to humiliate Cy Ranch that evening and their intentions were made extremely clear when Josh Holley skied to snatch a pooch kick out of the air from right under a Mustang's nose. Should've called a fair catch... right after that, Trent Holmes left everyone in the dust for a 42-yard touchdown run that put Woods up 21-0. The second quarter only contained more pain and misery for the Mustangs and when halftime arrived, Woods entered with a 48-0 lead. This wasn't even their largest lead of the contest; they led by 54 points at two different points in the second half. They terrorized Keith Ford all evening, holding him to just 54 yards on the ground and forcing him to lose three (or maybe it was four) fumbles. The Cats forced seven fumbles and recovered five of them and if I remember correctly, they converted all of those turnovers into touchdowns.

Whenever I brought up this game with Coach Jones, he'd always say that he should've told the Cats to keep scoring. I honestly think that had he felt like doing so that night, he would've told Cy Woods to score 100 points. He definitely had disdain for Cy Ranch and deep down, he wanted to humiliate them. As it stands, though, the Cats still managed to get their revenge on Cy Ranch... and then some. This win also kick-started an eight-game winning streak that carried them through district play where they absolutely laid waste to everyone in their path. This was also the first game in a stretch where they scored at least 60 points in three straight games.

Safe to say that the 2011 Cy Woods Wildcats turned their season around with this win.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #5: Jersey Village, 2015

Continuing the countdown is the only loss on this list and possibly a game that we may not see for another 10-20 years.

October 30, 2015: Jersey Village 74, Cy Woods 73

Photo by Billy Schuerman

The most prolific night of offense in the history of the Cypress Woods High School football program went to waste... all because Jersey Village scored one more point. This was a game that the Cats desperately needed to win in order to keep their playoff hopes alive and would have prevented them from relying on the Falcons to help them out the next week against Cy-Fair. 

Unfortunately, Deshun Qualls had other ideas as he threw for 518 yards and six touchdowns, ran for 161 more yards and scored four more touchdowns, and converted the game-winning two-point conversion with just over a minute remaining in the game to swing the outcome in the Falcons' favor. To this day, Qualls is the only opposing starting quarterback to defeat the Wildcats three times.

C.J. Jones ran for a school-record 317 yards and scored four times while Jordan Johnson became the second Cy Woods player to record 200 receiving yards. He did so on just four catches and scored on three of those receptions. But once again... it was all for naught. Josh Marvin, a linebacker who played only in garbage time until this game, was all over the field. He had an interception, a couple of sacks, and even recovered a fumble. Safe to say he made the most of his opportunity.

Yes, this was a loss that decimated the 2015 Cy Woods Wildcats' playoff hopes. Then again, it's on the countdown because of its sheer absurdity. It was one of those games where you had to be there to believe what transpired. Even now, I am still in utter shock over what occurred in this game.

What we saw that night probably will not be replicated for another decade, if ever. One team scored 73 points... and lost. A seldom-used linebacker who literally did not see any playing time until injuries forced him onto the field for this game had one of the greatest individual performances on defense in Cy Woods history. The Wildcats had a player run for over 300 yards and had another record 200 receiving yards... and lost. The Falcons had a player who accounted for ten touchdowns. Two teams and a school district had their record books forever altered.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #6: Cy Ranch, 2013

#6 in "Ten Years, Ten Best Games" was a particularly satisfying night in the history of the Cypress Woods Wildcats football program...

October 19, 2013: Cy Woods 54, Cy Ranch 0

For an entire offseason, the Cypress Woods Wildcats had to hear about Cy Ranch going four rounds deep in their first-ever playoff appearance while they were missing out on the playoffs for the first time ever. They'd be sure to circle the date of this matchup...

Cy Woods was coming off a 30-23 defeat at the hands of Cy-Fair in which they mounted a furious second-half comeback bid that the Bobcats seemed to have an answer for. Meanwhile, the Mustangs demolished Cy Lakes 45-3 entering this game. Both teams came in to this contest at 3-2 in District 17-5A play, so the winner of this contest would surely receive a huge boost for their playoff hopes.

Well... it turned out that this game was no contest whatsoever. The Cats stormed out to a 20-0 lead after the first quarter and pretty much dominated the Mustangs in every facet of the game as they sauntered to a 37-0 halftime lead. The Outlaw, Shane Lawless, started off the second half by compounding Ranch's misery by intercepting a pass with one hand and returning it for a touchdown. Mason Roberts completed the massacre with an 85-yard touchdown run midway through the final period, and in the end, Cy Woods dealt Cy Ranch the worst loss in their program's history in terms of scoring margin. The 54-0 final score still stands today as the Mustangs' heaviest defeat. For Cy Woods' class of 2014, they ended up beating their counterparts from Cy Ranch all four years.

There is no statement more emphatic than blowing out your most hated rival while also shutting them out and handing them their worst loss ever, especially when their fortunes during the previous season turned out to be so much better than yours. It's also particularly sweet when you had to endure the non-stop smack talk for such a long time.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #7: A&M Consolidated, 2008

The next entry in "Ten Years, Ten Best Games" takes us back to the very first varsity football game.

September 6, 2008: Cy Woods 28, A&M Consolidated 17

After tearing through a junior varsity schedule in 2007, the Cypress Woods Wildcats would finally get their chance to enter the big leagues in 2008. The Cats might have been the fresh faces, but they were already being perceived as a threat in District 15-5A. 

September 6, 2008. It was the first Saturday of September. This was the night that Cy Woods football formally began. The A&M Consolidated Tigers served as the first opponent in Wildcat football history and they made the journey from College Station to the Berry Center for this momentous occasion.

Well... it wasn't the greatest start. They gave up a touchdown on their very first defensive series. They moved the ball but couldn't seem to find the end zone or sustain any drives. The Tigers got another touchdown and a field goal and the Cats found themselves down 17-0 after their very first half as a varsity football program. It looked as though the Cypress Woods Wildcats would debut with a feeble meow rather than a fierce, earth-shattering roar.

Whatever words were uttered inside that locker room at halftime appeared to have a profound effect on the Wildcats as they snapped out of their slumber on offense and kept Consol off the scoreboard on defense in the second half. A couple of touchdown passes from Lucas DeVilliers early in the third quarter got the Cats back in the game and he put them in front for good with his legs, scoring on a couple of runs. This was a team that cut their teeth against some solid varsity programs in Texas in the last two seasons as they waited for their chance to finally show off their skills; the Cats proved that they belonged on the same field as those teams, the light finally switched on for them and they came to that realization in the final 24 minutes of this game.

For the first time, Texas high school football got a glimpse of what Wildcat football was all about. They got a chance to see a team that fully embraced the opportunity to build something special. They saw the massive 212° flag waving in the breeze and saw a group of guys and a community that bought in to the mantra that it symbolizes. It was truly a memorable night in this little corner of Harris County.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #8: Cy Creek, 2009

A 2009 District 15-5A thriller checks in at #8 on the ten best games of the first decade of Cy Woods football.

October 9, 2009: Cy Woods 21, Cy Creek 20

Entering 2009, we knew that the road to a district title ran through Cy Creek. The year before, the Cougars completed a season to remember as they went from worst to first and advanced to the third round of the playoffs. They also beat us down that year. It was a tight game at halftime, but Lucas Devilliers went down with an injury and the Cougars went on to go nuts in the second half.

Before I start, I want to provide a little backstory.

I went to Hamilton for middle school, just before Cy Woods opened. I lived in Quail Forest, which is off Grant Road near the intersection with Louetta. This was a neighborhood that had been zoned to Cy-Fair for a long time, but when Woods opened, this neighborhood, along with Longwood, Lakewood Glen, Fairwood, Rock Creek (when it was just barely being populated), Lakewood Glen Trails, and Lakewood Oaks Estates, was re-zoned to Cy Woods.

Hamilton had always been divided between Cy-Fair and Cy Creek, but when Cy Woods opened, it ended up getting split in three. And then when Cy Ranch opened, those neighborhoods went back to Cy-Fair. That's how I ended up at Woods and my brother went to Cy-Fair; while some people I knew had older siblings who went to Cy-Fair, I was the opposite.

This game had a few bragging rights at stake, especially for those of us who went to Hamilton with some of the Creek players. Of course, we also had a little payback on our minds.

The Cougars had some outstanding players on their roster in 2009. Cameron Fleming ended up going to Stanford and won two Super Bowls with the Patriots. Chuckie Keeton started three years for them and went on to set records at Utah State. Ivan and Archie Muniz both signed with Mississippi State. Brent Mitcham, an old friend of mine, signed with Texas Tech. Will Hampton played four seasons at Northwestern and was a starter on their defensive line for parts of two seasons. Cy Creek had legit Division I talent on their squad in 2009. But the one guy I thought would be the best of all of them was their running back, Jermichael Selders. In my opinion, he was one of the five best players that Woods faced that season, even with Dallas Skyline trotting out a whole starting lineup of DI football players. So much unfulfilled promise...

Trying to dethrone Creek wouldn't be easy, especially with the firepower they possessed. This game was a 48-minute heavyweight fight and it took all hands in order for Woods to earn the victory.

Both teams scored in the first quarter; the Wildcats opened the scoring when Colton Huntsman connected with Isaiah Battle for a 32-yard touchdown pass. Selders scored the Cougars' touchdown right before the end of the quarter. Colton scored late in the second and gave Woods a 14-7 halftime lead.

Creek turned the tables to start the second half and scored twice to take a 20-13 lead into the fourth quarter; they missed an extra point, which always looms large. Unlike the previous year's encounter, however, there wouldn't be a sense of déjà vu. We could hang with those guys and we could beat them.

Both defenses held steady for the vast majority of the final 12 minutes, but the Wildcats finally broke through with a late march downfield that culminated with Huntsman diving in from four yards out with 45 seconds left in regulation. The always-reliable Andrew Klink hit the extra point to put Woods back in front and the outcome of this game rested in our defense's hands. The Cougars advanced into Wildcat territory but we held them back to force them into a long field goal attempt (it had to be from at least 45 yards out), which naturally fell short and would've been wide right had it had the requisite distance. Payback... earned. In a game where both teams scored three touchdowns, a missed extra point turned out to be the difference.

This game was just one of the many thrilling victories earned by the Cy Woods Wildcats during the course of the 2009 season. We rebounded from an ugly loss on Homecoming by knocking off Jersey Village, but this win over the defending district champions was a legit shot in the arm for us. 

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #9: Katy Taylor, 2010

The next entry in this series is a playoff game that still stands as the most lopsided victory in Cy Woods football history.

After outlasting Eisenhower in the first round of the 2010 playoffs, the Cy Woods Wildcats traveled to Tully Stadium for the area round to take on the Katy Taylor Mustangs, who topped Chavez in their bi-district matchup.

It was business as usual for the Wildcats as they dominated the Mustangs in all facets of the game and disposed of them quickly and painfully. The Cats led 53-0 at halftime and cruised for the final 24 minutes on their way to a 67-7 victory. The Mustangs' only points came on a fumble recovery for a touchdown, so the Wildcat defense pitched a shutout. Just about every person who dressed for this game got to play... including a freshman named Samuel Stewart.

When a game is that out of hand, the final score usually speaks for itself. The 60-point margin of victory still stands as not just the most lopsided win in Cy Woods football history; it is also the most lopsided point differential in a Cy Woods game, regardless of the result. No doubt, Woods was on a mission that season... Taylor was just standing in the way and the buzzsaw claimed another victim.

Ten Years, Ten Best Games - #10: Cy Ranch, 2012

2018 marks the tenth anniversary of the inaugural varsity football season for the Cypress Woods Wildcats football program. In the build-up to the 2018 season, I will be taking a look at the games and the players that have shaped this football team.

This series will chronicle the ten best games in Cy Woods football history through the first ten years. First up is a game from 2012: the first overtime game in program history against a hated rival.

The 2012 season proved to be a year of transition for the Cypress Woods Wildcats. A new head coach took over, another outstanding senior class departed, and sadly, the early run of excellence came to a crashing halt. Cy Woods dropped their first three games of the season before rebounding with a couple of blowout victories over Cy Lakes and Cy Springs to rebuild some momentum. Unfortunately for them, the momentum that they built collapsed dramatically when Cy-Fair unleashed a merciless second-half torrent aided by some turnovers to condemn them to a 49-20 loss.

And so... with their playoff hopes on the line, the Cats faced off against their most hated rivals, who were surely out for revenge after Woods hung 68 points on them in the previous year's meeting. The Mustangs were firmly in the playoff hunt after rattling off three consecutive wins after dropping a 42-35 decision to Creek to open district play.

Business picked up in the second quarter when Mason Roberts, in his second start at quarterback for the Cats, kept the ball and got wrapped up but was never whistled down. He had the wherewithal to keep playing and outran everyone to the endzone for an 88-yard touchdown. Ranch managed to respond a minute later when their two professional baseball players, Bryce Johnson and Corbin Martin, connected on a touchdown pass. But, Sam Stewart put the Cats back in front with a 33-yard touchdown catch.

Mason got knocked out of commission by what sort of looked like a late hit right before halftime, so Woods had to throw in Nick Hooper, who had started all season as a wide receiver, behind center. This was the night that Nick Hooper became the Wildcats' quarterback of the present and the future. Trent Holmes helped carry his team to the finish line with an 80-yard touchdown and  Chase McLaughlin, who hadn't really played football until he was recruited to be the JV cardinal team kicker the year before, refused to wilt in the spotlight as he nailed the two biggest kicks of his career.

Ranch may have made it to the fourth round in 2012, but it's all good. Woods got one over on them.

Miles "OG" Ogunyomade saves the game

Cats win.

7-on-7 State Tournament Report/DCTF Predictions

Cy Woods took part in the Texas State 7-on-7 Football Tournament in College Station this past weekend and they dropped all four of their games. In pool play, they fell 33-31 to A&M Consolidated, 33-15 to Prestonwood Christian Academy, and 28-20 to Mesquite Poteet, making them the only winless team in Pool C. I did not attend on Friday because... I value my job.

The Cats faced Laredo Alexander in their first game in the consolation bracket on Saturday and lost 28-19. Not a weekend to remember, but hopefully they enjoyed the experience playing against some of the top teams from all over this great state. State championships aren't won playing touch football in June in t-shirts and shorts, but the tournament also serves as a barometer to where a team stands during the pre-season. Finish the summer workouts strong and get back to it once you get to put on the pads again.

Also, the state tournament is always my excuse to go on a long roadtrip.

The 2018 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football is now out and I was pleasantly surprised. The magazine believes that the Wildcats will end their three-year playoff drought as they have picked Woods to finish third in District 14-6A. As the largest school in the district, Cy Woods will play in the Division I bracket no matter what; they would be projected to take on Round Rock Cedar Ridge in bi-district if the prediction holds. DCTF is also predicting that the four playoff spots in 14-6A will be taken by Cy-Fair schools this season.

This half of Cy-Fair ISD (plus Bryan and Tomball Memorial) looks to be the more wide-open district than District 17-6A, which sounds like an understatement. The only serious challenger to Cy-Fair is probably going to be Cy Falls.

2018 District 14-6A projected order of finish, per Dave Campbell's Texas Football

1. Langham Creek (DI)

2. Cy Ranch (DII)

3. Cy Woods (DI)

4. Cy Springs (DII)
-------------------------

5. Tomball Memorial

6. Bryan

7. Cy Lakes

8. Bridgeland

9. Cy Park

I got mine as a subscriber. I believe that there are still copies of the Cy Woods special edition available for purchase for $20. Just ask Coach Faith.

2018 Schedule, 7-on-7 Tournament Information

The pools for the State 7-on-7 tournament this weekend in College Station have been released, and the Cy Woods Wildcats were drawn into Pool C with A&M Consolidated, Mesquite Poteet, and Prestonwood Christian Academy. They'll take on A&M Consolidated at 1:00, Prestonwood at 3:00, and finish pool play against Poteet at 5:00 on Friday. 

Single-elimination play will begin Saturday morning. The top two teams in each pool will move on to the Championship bracket, which starts at 9:00 AM. The bottom two will play in the consolation bracket beginning at 8:00.

Now... on to actual football. After a long wait, the full 2018 football schedule has finally been released, and the tenth anniversary season of Cy Woods football will look like this:

Cy Woods will open the 2018 season against Cy Ridge at Pridgeon Stadium on September 1. They'll wrap up the non-district portion of the schedule by traveling to Spring to take on the Spring Lions.

The Cats will open District 14-6A play on Friday, September 14 as they travel to Tomball to face the Tomball Memorial Wildcats. This game will mark the first time that Cy Woods will play a district game outside of Pridgeon or the Berry Center and also the first time that they will play a district opponent hailing from a school district outside of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District,.

Cy Woods will have a bye week in the penultimate week of the regular season, which falls on the weekend of November 1-3. 

Week 1: Cy Ridge (Pridgeon) Sat 9/1, 6:00

Week 2: @ Spring (Leonard George Stadium), Fri 9/7, 7:00

Week 3: @ Tomball Memorial (Tomball), Fri 9/14, 7:00

Week 4: Langham Creek (Cy-Fair FCU), Thu 9/20, 6:30

Week 5: @ Bridgeland (Cy-Fair FCU), Sat 9/29, 6:00

Week 6: Cy Lakes (Homecoming XI at Pridgeon), Fri 10/5, 7:00

Week 7: @ Cy Park (Pridgeon), Thu 10/11, 6:30

Week 8: Cy Springs (CF-FCU), Fri 10/19, 7:00

Week 9: @ Cy Ranch (CF-FCU), Sat 10/27, 1:00

Week 10: Bye (Week of November 1-3)

Week 11: Bryan (Pridgeon), Thu 11/8, 7:00

State Bound!

The Cypress Woods Wildcats are heading to state! They're heading to the 2018 Texas State 7-on-7 Football Tournament, that is.

Congrats to the Cy Woods 7v7 football team for qualifying for state! ⁦@CyWoodsFB212⁩ #212 pic.twitter.com/qZLFWohs8C

— CyWoodsBooster (@CyWood_Boosters) June 9, 2018

The state tournament will begin on June 29 at Veterans Park in College Station. Cy Woods clinched their berth by winning four games in the Cypress State Qualifying Tournament which took place Friday evening at Cy Creek and Jersey Village. They had previously attempted to qualify at the Richmond State Qualifying Tournament last month but failed to advance out of pool play on that occasion. The Cats last appeared at the state tournament in 2014, which also happens to be the last time they made the playoffs in 11-on-11 football. You know, the variation that's played in pads...

Cy Woods won all three of their games in pool play on Friday, topping Memorial 33-20 in the opener. A long weather delay followed, but they got back to it by dominating Katy Paetow 47-0. They had to go to overtime in their final game as they got away from what was working for them on offense in the second half and Willowridge's comeback was aided by a few, um... questionable calls, but they pulled themselves together and held off the Eagles by a final score of 33-32 to advance to the semi-finals. Willowridge got the ball to start overtime and scored but failed to convert their point-after try. The Wildcats responded with a score and successfully converted their point-after try, and that ended up being the difference.

The Cats were matched up with Terry High School out of Lamar Consolidated in the semi-final. A tight first half saw Woods emerge with a 14-6 lead. A hearty diet of Jake Tesch effectively carried the Cats to the finish line. Cameron Sowell got the ball coming out of a crossing pattern and left everyone in the dust in the second half, and the defense bent a bit, but held firm and got the stops they needed, and as a result, Cy Woods capped off a successful evening with a 33-19 victory to send them to College Station.

Chase Richter was the defensive standout as he recorded five interceptions across the four games and returned one of them for a touchdown against Paetow. Chase had his baseball commitments to fulfill during the spring so he didn't spend much time with football, but I came away extremely impressed by his ball skills out of the safety spot. He'll definitely be a player to watch this upcoming season.

Jake was also helping the Wildcat baseball team in their playoff run, but he was virtually unguardable out of the slot and Jackson Jones just kept exploiting the matchup, especially as the night wore on. Just get him through the summer and he's going to be a huge difference-maker on offense.

Location of Veterans Park, College Station

Get there early. Also, this is a massive complex so you may have to walk a fair amount to get to where the Cats will be playing on Friday.

From Highway 6, take the exit to Highway 30/Harvey Road and turn right. If you somehow missed that exit, you can also take the exit to University and turn right from there. The park will be on the left if you're coming in from Harvey or on the right if you're on University.

Wildcats Through the Years: 2017

The next chapter of Wildcats Through the Years takes a look back at the 2017 Cypress Woods Wildcats football season.

Summary

Record: 4-5, t-5th in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs
Points scored: 259 (28.7 per game)
Points allowed: 270 (30 per game)
Largest margin of victory: 30 vs. Cy Creek (59-29)
Largest margin of defeat: 28 vs. Cy-Fair (21-49)
Most points scored: 59 vs. Cy Creek
Most points allowed: 49 vs. Cy-Fair
Fewest points scored: 9 vs. Cy Springs
Fewest points allowed: 20 vs. Cy Lakes

Team Records Set or Tied

Fewest points in a season: 259 (previous: 284)
Longest playoff drought: 3 seasons (currently active)
Longest losing streak: 4 (tied with loss to Cy Springs)
Longest play from scrimmage: 99 yards (Jacob Kainer touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez vs. Cy Ranch)

Statistical Leaders

Passing: Jackson Jones, 31-59 (52.5% completion), 708 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Jackson Jones, 138 carries, 532 yards (3.9 YPC), 7 TD
Receiving: Jack Barrientez, 9 receptions, 351 yards (39 yards per catch), 5 TD
Interceptions: Matt Roberts, 2

Schedule and Results

Week 1 vs. Klein Collins canceled due to Hurricane Harvey
Week 3: L 27-9 vs. Cy Springs (Pridgeon)
Week 4: W 35-34 @ Cy Ridge
Week 5: W 42-35 vs. Jersey Village (Homecoming X at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium)
Week 6: L 31-24 @ Langham Creek (CF-FCU)
Week 7: L 24-21 @ Cy Falls (CF-FCU)
Week 8: W 31-20 vs. Cy Lakes (CF-FCU)
Week 9: L 49-21 @ Cy-Fair (CF-FCU)
Week 10: W 59-29 vs. Cy Creek (Pridgeon)
Week 11: L 21-17 @ Cy Ranch (CF-FCU)

The Rundown

Coming off their worst season in school history, expectations for the 2017 Cypress Woods Wildcats were minimal, even though they would return their starting backfield and most of their offensive production from 2016.

In the offseason, the Wildcats underwent a radical change in offensive philosophy. A team that once aspired to be the high school version of the Greatest Show on Turf was grounded, literally. Starting in 2017, the Cats would adopt the triple-option offense run by the likes of Navy and Georgia Tech. Despite the lack of expectations from outside the Cy Woods community, the players and coaching staff showed optimism and excitement as the season drew near.

Jacob Kainer, coming off a tough first season as the starting quarterback, was looking forward to showing off what he could do in a new system. Unfortunately, he never really got that opportunity due to an injury he suffered before the season opener against Cy Springs. As a result, Jackson Jones, a sophomore, was thrown into the gauntlet and despite the growing pains associated with having a sophomore starting quarterback, was able to hold his own in one of the toughest districts in Texas.

Jack Barrientez turned into the Wildcats' primary offensive option but also had to play both ways as a starting safety after Tory Spears suffered an injury against Springs. Bobby Dodson started the season as the starting A-back, but an injury pressed Darion Morgan into duty. Jake Tesch had a delayed start to his season also due to injury but turned into a weapon at B-back once he returned. Arkievrick Vitatoe, a move-in from Louisiana, emerged as another option at B-back and in the return game as well.

Defensively, Spears and Collin Fewox returned to form a solid duo at safety, but after Tory got hurt, Jack had to move to the defensive side of the ball. Mac Bird racked up the tackles in the early part of the season before a serious medical emergency cut his season short. Tobi Orundami left the team shortly after the 2016 season opener against Klein Collins, but he worked his way back into the program and became a key contributor on the defensive line.

If Cy Woods' 2017 season could be summed up in one phrase, it would definitely be "what if." What if they entered the season fully healthy? What if they had a chance to test-drive the new offensive system before delving into district play? What if they didn't run a fake punt in their own territory against Langham Creek?

Season

Chapter 10 of Cy Woods football was originally scheduled to begin on September 1, 2017, when they were supposed to take on Klein Collins at Pridgeon Stadium. However, one week earlier, Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Texas coast, forcing football out of everyone's minds. As a result, the beginning of the season was delayed; in District 17-6A's case, the schedule would solely consist of district games once the season could begin.

Cy Woods and Cy Springs kicked off football season in Cy-Fair ISD on September 14 at Pridgeon Stadium. For everyone in attendance, the game represented a sign of normalcy returning after its violent upheaval.

Week 3: L 27-9 vs. Cy Springs

The Cats entered the 2017 season armed with the knowledge of a new offensive system, but due to the storm, were unable to implement it in a game situation, let alone a situation simulating an actual football game.

Yes, every school in Southeast Texas was affected by Harvey. Cy Woods' pain was not unique. With that being said, a coaching staff of a football team implementing a brand-new offensive system would have definitely loved to have an evaluation period of that new system before their team played games that really mattered in the standings.

The Cats came out tentative on offense, which was completely understandable considering that again... there was no evaluation period. The coaches were essentially handed a blank slate and were forced to populate it with information as the season progressed.

Cy Woods' first points of the 2017 season came on a 30-yard field goal from Jared Swonke in the first quarter. The Wildcats lost four fumbles in this game and the Panthers scored 14 points off of those miscues. Jack Barrientez scored the first Wildcat touchdown of 2017 on a three-yard run in the third quarter, which brought them to within 12 points.

Woods was not completely out of this game... until Kevonne Hyde ripped off a 51-yard run to the Wildcats' one-yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game. One play later, Xayvion West sealed the Cats' fate with a one-yard touchdown run, giving Cy Springs their first-ever victory over Cy Woods in a football game. The Panthers, despite ten penalties, did not commit a turnover and got big plays when they needed to have one.

Photo by Kyle Ransleben, The Crimson Connection

Jack Barrientez got well-acquainted with the Cy Springs defense on Opening Night.

Week 4: W 35-34 @ Cy Ridge

The Rams would have a little rebuilding to do after graduating the most successful senior class in their program's history, but they would still pose a formidable challenge. After all, this was a team that dominated the Wildcats in their previous meeting despite Woods somehow holding a halftime lead.

Cy Woods scored first, but the Rams were firmly in control as they took a 21-6 lead into the intermission on the strength of two touchdowns on fourth down. Ridge's other touchdown came on third and 19, so the defense had trouble winning on the late downs in the first half.

The Cats received a momentum boost when they forced a turnover on the first drive of the second half and they managed to turn the miscue into points when Jackson Jones floated a ball towards the outstretched arms of Cullen Sherrill, who outran everyone to the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown reception. Jackson added a four-yard touchdown run to start the final period but the Rams turned him away from the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game at 21.

Arkievrick Vitatoe scored on a two-yard run with 3:23 remaining and Jackson got into the end zone for the two-point conversion, which gave Woods a 27-21 lead and set the stage for a frenzied finish. The Rams responded with a touchdown to re-take the lead, and then Jack Barrientez took a screen pass and somehow weaved his way through the Ridge secondary for a 68-yard touchdown to put Woods back in front. Ridge had one more touchdown in them and they decided to go for two and the win... and the Cats ended up thwarting that attempt.

Once again, Mac Bird led the way on defense with 13 tackles; 5.5 of those resulted in a loss of yardage. Matt Roberts intercepted a pass at the end of the first half and Tyler Redgrave opened the second half with by recovering a fumble. Jackson only completed two passes, but they both resulted in touchdowns.

Week 5: W 42-35 vs. Jersey Village

Next up for Cy Woods... the Jersey Village Falcons on Homecoming. JV had proven to be a serious thorn in the Wildcats' side as they came in owning a four-game winning streak that started with a 42-0 beatdown in the 2013 season finale. In 2015, Deshun Qualls and the Falcons ended Cy Woods' playoff hopes in one of the wildest, most dramatic games in Texas high school football history. Needless to say, the Cats had some demons in need of exorcising. What better time to do it than on Homecoming?

This was the triple-option at its best. The Cats put up 422 yards on the ground and Jackson Jones completed all four of his pass attempts for 110 yards, while Jack threw a 33-yard touchdown pass. Bobby Dodson ran for 146 yards and a score.

Woods took control with an early outburst, but the Falcons were right on their tails. JV got a couple of touchdowns in the third to take a 35-28 lead into the fourth, but Jack's 33-yard touchdown pass to Cullen Sherrill and Jackson's 26-yard scoring run put the Cats back in front. Unlike the previous week, however, the Wildcat defense tightened up and got the stop they needed to close out this game and secure Cy Woods' first win over Jersey Village in five years.

Now, unfortunately, I'm going to have to speed through the rest of this season's games because I've sat on this for entirely too long.

Week 6: L 31-24 @ Langham Creek

The Wildcats outgained the Lobos on offense, had more first downs, had one less penalty, dominated the time of possession... and lost. Unfortunately, they also trailed 31-9 at one point. Woods had enough about themselves to claw back into the game, but their comeback bid ultimately fell short.

Week 7: L 24-21 @ Cy Falls

Jacob Kitterman's 22-yard field goal with 34 seconds left broke a 21-21 tie in the Eagles' favor.

No further comment.

Week 8: W 31-20 vs. Cy Lakes

The Cats won this game despite only gaining 241 yards on offense. Jake Tesch and Jack Barrientez both scored two touchdowns to pace the Cats: Jake scored on a 21-yard run and a 53-yard reception, while Jack scored on an eight-yard run and returned an interception 69 yards. Jackson Hosemann recorded 10 tackles and sealed the deal with an interception deep in Spartan territory.

Week 9: L 49-21 @ Cy-Fair

Well... this one got ugly in a hurry. Cy Woods trailed 42-0 at halftime and never really threatened the eventual state champions. On the bright side, Tanner Sherrill finally caught his first touchdown pass.

Week 10: W 59-29 vs. Cy Creek

The Cats' slim playoff hopes received a brief lifeline as they blew out the Cougars in their penultimate game of the regular season. Jackson Jones threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more touchdowns. The defense picked off Cougar quarterback Mateo Renteria three times and also recorded three sacks.

Week 11: L 21-17 @ Cy Ranch

This iteration of the Battle of 290 was a far cry from the debacle of 2016... but the Mustangs still found a way to eke out a victory over the Wildcats. Jacob Kainer threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez on the first play of the game; this is the longest play from scrimmage in Cy Woods history.

Despite absolutely no foundation to build their new offensive system upon, the 2017 Cypress Woods Wildcats managed to improve on their win total and remained in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season. The Wildcats lost their starting quarterback shortly before the season opener but they found their quarterback of the present and the future in Jackson Jones. With the exception of one game, the Cats were competitive; they outplayed some clearly superior opponents and had their chances to pull off some upsets, but for... reasons, they couldn't seal the deal.

Had a few bounces gone their way, the Cats would have made their return to the playoffs. No time to wallow over the what-ifs, though. Let's hope that the kids continue to work in order to return Cy Woods football to prominence.