Week 5: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-2, 1-1) @ Bridgeland Bears (2-2, 1-1)
6:00 PM Saturday, September 29, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium
Previously on Cy Woods Football...
The Cats survived a one-man comeback attempt from Chris Herron and snatched a victory right out of Langham Creek's grasp as Gustavo Olmedo hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired to earn a 41-39 victory. Carson Danner ran for 173 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 183 yards and two more touchdowns in the winning effort. Cy Woods forced a team-record seven turnovers; they intercepted Herron four times and also recovered three fumbles, all of which were on Herron.
Next up for the Cats is the new kids on the Cy-Fair ISD block, the Bridgeland Bears. Let's take a look at Bridgeland!
The Enemy: Bridgeland Bears
First varsity season.
This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Bridgeland. The Bears are the 30th team to take on Cy Woods.
These two schools have never played against each other at any level of football so this week's slate of games represents the first time that they will face each other in football, period.
Bridgeland season-to-date
W 48-19 vs. Waltrip
L 41-28 @ Stratford
W 40-32 vs. Cy Springs
L 52-10 @ Cy Ranch
The Bears got the real "welcome to 6A" treatment from Cy Ranch last Friday as they got walloped 52-10 in the Mustangs' Homecoming game. From the descriptions of this game, it sounded like big brother wanted to show little brother his place at the table.
Despite getting smacked for the first time as a program, Bridgeland still feels like it will have something to say when the playoff race truly gets going.
Players to Watch
Finn Nicholson - SOPH QB #8
Gavan Kaspar - SOPH RB #11
Dylan Goffney - SOPH WR #5
Connor Motsinger - SOPH LB #33
Charlie Moore - SOPH LB #41
Jack Grier - SOPH DB #24
Bryce McMorris - SOPH DB #4
Cameron Ball - JR DL #99
Oghenemine Imarah - SOPH DL #50
Brayden Amacker - SOPH DL #58
2¢ on Bridgeland
Cy-Fair ISD's newest high school embarks on its first season of varsity football under David Raffield. Coach Raffield led Cy Falls to a state championship game before a successful stint at A&M Consolidated, so he has certainly earned his status as one of the best coaches in Texas. In his return to the district, Coach Raffield is looking to build something really special at Bridgeland and he has some legitimate impact talent at the skill positions and almost all of them are sophomores.
Finn Nicholson and Gavan Kaspar form the Bears' backfield. Nicholson leads all quarterbacks in Cy-Fair ISD in passing yards and touchdowns. He has dual-threat capability but hasn't run much, most likely out of a need to keep him as fresh as possible for the next two seasons. Gavan Kaspar is the workhorse running back who's cooled off somewhat after an outstanding debut in which he scored four touchdowns on the ground. As that first game shows, however, he's a legitimate threat to score from anywhere.
Dylan Goffney is the Bears' #1 receiver and he has a great chance to emerge as their first high-profile recruit. He is also leading Cy-Fair ISD in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, so what this offense has been able to do in year one has been remarkable. The attention that Goffney will be commanding will open up chances for Tyler Stott on the opposite side and Atrevion Hunter in the slot. Kaspar has also turned into another option for Nicholson in the passing game.
Connor Motsinger has emerged as a leader for the Bridgeland defense. He reminds me a bit of Brayden Stringer, the star linebacker from Ranch who's now at Texas Tech. Jack Grier's two older brothers were receivers at Ranch, but he's forging his own path as a Bear. He and Weston Cadena will take charge in the secondary. Cameron Ball will anchor the defensive line and he's the one junior who will lead of a pack of sophomores such as Oghenemine Imarah, Brayden Amacker, and Garrett Hurley. Imarah and Amacker have quickly become disruptors in the trenches.
These Bears may just be cubs at the moment, but again, they haven't assumed their final form just yet. We'll be hearing plenty from this group over the next few years.
Sub-Varsity Game Information
Freshmen at Bridgeland, JV at Cy Woods. As always, game times are 4:30 and 6:30.
Special Note from the Booster Club
The Cy Woods Athletic Booster Club will be holding an event called the Fifth Quarter at Creekwood Grill following Saturday's game. Creekwood Grill is the building that used to be P.O.'s Burgers on Telge.
Location of Bridgeland High School
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Friday, September 21, 2018
Cy Woods 41, Langham Creek 39: Never. A. Doubt.
2018 record: 2-2, 1-1 in District 14-6A
Hello. Are you still breathing? Alright, cool.
A sudden tropical storm got in the way on Thursday but the Cypress Woods Wildcats' game against the Langham Creek Lobos at the Berry Center went off without incident. The Cats went into halftime with a 28-14 lead and then saw a 35-14 lead vanish as Chris Herron took over in the second half to set up a heart-stopping finish that saw Langham take the lead with 1:13 left in the game In the end, though, Gustavo Olmedo was the hero as his 47-yard field goal sailed through the night and through the uprights at the buzzer, giving the Wildcats a dramatic 41-39 victory and a fine segue into the weekend.
Now, blowing a 35-14 lead is... definitely not ideal. But as the old adage goes, a win is a win. It wouldn't be that easy; after all, Chris Herron is arguably the best football player in Cy-Fair ISD and he almost willed his team to the victory by himself. He played an incredible game and all of my respect goes to him and the Lobos for a such a fine game. But, it's good to see the Cats coming out on top in the end.
Going 2-2 in a pretty tough opening stretch is alright and starting 1-1 in district is infinitely better than going 0-2. For some reason, Cy Woods will always start 1-1 in district every year so I've learned to not really care too much if/when they lose one of the first two district games. Even better news for the Cats is that the schedule now softens up a bit. Their next real test will probably be the penultimate game against Cy Ranch. With that being said, Bridgeland and a vastly-improved Cy Lakes will not be easy outs. Enjoy the thrill of this victory but come Monday, get locked in again because there's still plenty of football to be played.
Classic? Eh... it'd be real hard to top the ten best games of the first decade, but this one will surely go a long way towards determining whether Cy Woods will break its playoff drought this year. After that debacle in Tomball, the Cats have gotten themselves out of an early bind and put the Lobos firmly in that bind.
The Game, Summed Up in an Image I Found on the Internet
Eh, let's mix things up a bit.
I imagine that if you are reading this, you probably don't know Korean, so here are the lyrics:
What Happened
The Wildcats survived the Chris Herron Show in the second half. Do I sense a shift in offensive philosophy?
The Wildcats went three-and-out to begin the game but on the first defensive play, Jackson Hosemann intercepted a pass from Herron to give Cy Woods the ball once again. The offense turned the turnover into points as Carson Danner hit Christian Scott for a seven-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. After yet another Lobo turnover (this time a fumble), Danner scored on a seven-yard run. The Cats forced three turnovers on their first three defensive possession, but the third time was not a charm. A botched pitch gave the Lobos the ball at Cy Woods' 30 and Corien Azema put Langham on the board with a two-yard touchdown run.
End of 1st Quarter: Woods 14, Langham 14
Herron tied the game with a five-yard touchdown run in the second, but the Cats hit back for two touchdowns. Danner scored from two yards out and on the final play of the first half, Cameron Sowell won a jump ball in the end zone to reestablish the Wildcats' two-score advantage.
Halftime: Woods 28, Langham 14
Mr. Bird told me that if he were the Lobos, he would've given Chris Herron free rein to do what he wanted. That's what we saw in the second half...
Danner scored yet again on a quarterback sneak from less than a yard to open the second-half scoring. And then the Lobos struck back. Azema fielded a punt and should have been brought down immediately for no gain... instead, he scored from 50 yards. Herron got Langham back in the game with a 30-yard touchdown run. The extra point snap was botched, fortunately.
End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 35, Langham 27
Gustavo Olmedo hit a 25-yard field goal to slow down the Lobos' momentum somewhat, but Herron would not be denied. He scored from 19 yards and also got tagged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Woods took the penalty and repelled the subsequent 18-yard two-point conversion attempt. Reagan Simmons picked Herron off in the end zone with less than two minutes to go. That should have sealed a 38-33 Cy Woods victory, right?
Nope.
The Cats went three-and-out on their next drive and Danner's punt failed to make it out of Cy Woods territory. On the very next play, Ronald Rowan caught Herron's heave inside the Cy Woods five-yard line. Herron put the Lobos in front with his fourth rushing touchdown of the night. The kickoff went for a touchback, so that left the Cy Woods offense with 73 seconds and one timeout to go 75 yards for a touchdown.
Well, it turns out that they didn't need all 75 yards. Danner executed the final drive to perfection and the offense was aided by an unnecessary roughness call following a catch from Jake Tesch that got them closer. Following the penalty, Danner looked to pass but had to scramble and was taken down inbounds, so the clock continued to run under ten seconds. Danner spiked the ball with four seconds left and Gustavo Olmedo came on for his moment of truth: a 47-yard field goal. Make it, and the Wildcats win. Miss it, and they'd really be up against it with a 0-2 district record.
The ball took flight off Olmedo's leg and cleared the uprights as the clock struck zero. Both officials raised their arms in the air to signify that the field goal attempt was good, and that's how Cy Woods won this football game.
Final: Cy Woods 41, Langham 39
Ground
The Wildcats still ran the ball more than they passed, but the vast majority of their run plays didn't come out of the Wing-T formation. I don't think they lined up in that formation at all after the first quarter. Carson Danner had to earn all 173 of his yards as he needed 37 rushing attempts to get there and none of his runs went more than 17 yards.
Guess the spread is gradually making its way back to Cy Woods. Stats from MaxPreps.
Carson Danner: 37 rush, 173 yards, 3 TD
Jacob Tesch: 12 rush, 121 yards
Darion Morgan: 5 rush, 3 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 rush, 0 yards
Jackson Jones: 1 rush, -4 yards
Air
Danner looked a lot more comfortable throwing the ball in this game although he's still working to throw better balls to give his receivers a chance. Most of his incompletions were on balls that were thrown behind his intended receivers and the one interception he threw came on a ball that he threw behind Cameron Sowell, who reached back and tipped the ball right into a Langham defender's hands.
Carson Danner: 14-26, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT
Christian Scott: 6 catches, 60 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 2 catches, 31 yards, TD
Jacob Tesch: 3 catches, 35 yards
Connor Faulk: 2 catches, 46 yards
Darion Morgan: 1 catch, 11 yards
Defense
I'm going to have to scrounge through all of the old box scores, but I am fairly confident that the seven turnovers they forced in this game is most likely a record. The Cats picked Herron off four times and recovered three more fumbles.
Herron terrorized the Cats with his legs once again by scoring four times on the ground, but the Wildcat defense intercepted him four times and all seven of Langham's turnovers were on him, so I think it all evens out.
Interceptions: Nolan Authorlee, Reagan Simmons, Jackson Hosemann, Caleb Rutherford
All four players recorded their first interceptions of the season.
Fumbles recovered: Caleb Rutherford, Chris Agnew, Jason Christenson
Nineteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and Chase Richter led the way with seven. Mac Bird had six tackles and also sacked Herron for a loss of 12 yards.
Special Teams
Gustavo Olmedo hit all of his kicks... including the one that he most definitely had to make. I'll have to scrounge through all of the old box scores but I am fairly sure that he is the first Cy Woods kicker to have more than one successful field goal in a game.
Olmedo scored eleven points, which is the second-highest scoring output for a Cy Woods kicker in a single game. The 47-yarder that won the game is not a school record (Luis Reyes hit from 48 yards against Lakes in 2014) but that's not important; the important thing is that Olmedo's kick won the game.
Gustavo Olmedo: 2-2 FG (made 25, 47), 5-5 XP; game-winning 47-yard FG as time expired
Carson Danner punted the ball four times for a total of 134 yards for an average of 33.5 yards per punt.
Christian Scott returned the opening kickoff 12 yards. That was the only chance that the Wildcats had to return a kick or a punt.
Man of the Match
Hmm... pretty tough choice this week.
The Wildcats will face the Bridgeland Bears for the first time ever. Kickoff is Saturday, September 29 at 6:00 at the Berry Center. Cy Woods will be the visitors for this contest.
Photo by Tom Dendy
View more photos from this game here.
Hello. Are you still breathing? Alright, cool.
A sudden tropical storm got in the way on Thursday but the Cypress Woods Wildcats' game against the Langham Creek Lobos at the Berry Center went off without incident. The Cats went into halftime with a 28-14 lead and then saw a 35-14 lead vanish as Chris Herron took over in the second half to set up a heart-stopping finish that saw Langham take the lead with 1:13 left in the game In the end, though, Gustavo Olmedo was the hero as his 47-yard field goal sailed through the night and through the uprights at the buzzer, giving the Wildcats a dramatic 41-39 victory and a fine segue into the weekend.
Now, blowing a 35-14 lead is... definitely not ideal. But as the old adage goes, a win is a win. It wouldn't be that easy; after all, Chris Herron is arguably the best football player in Cy-Fair ISD and he almost willed his team to the victory by himself. He played an incredible game and all of my respect goes to him and the Lobos for a such a fine game. But, it's good to see the Cats coming out on top in the end.
Going 2-2 in a pretty tough opening stretch is alright and starting 1-1 in district is infinitely better than going 0-2. For some reason, Cy Woods will always start 1-1 in district every year so I've learned to not really care too much if/when they lose one of the first two district games. Even better news for the Cats is that the schedule now softens up a bit. Their next real test will probably be the penultimate game against Cy Ranch. With that being said, Bridgeland and a vastly-improved Cy Lakes will not be easy outs. Enjoy the thrill of this victory but come Monday, get locked in again because there's still plenty of football to be played.
Classic? Eh... it'd be real hard to top the ten best games of the first decade, but this one will surely go a long way towards determining whether Cy Woods will break its playoff drought this year. After that debacle in Tomball, the Cats have gotten themselves out of an early bind and put the Lobos firmly in that bind.
The Game, Summed Up in an Image I Found on the Internet
Eh, let's mix things up a bit.
I imagine that if you are reading this, you probably don't know Korean, so here are the lyrics:
What Happened
The Wildcats survived the Chris Herron Show in the second half. Do I sense a shift in offensive philosophy?
The Wildcats went three-and-out to begin the game but on the first defensive play, Jackson Hosemann intercepted a pass from Herron to give Cy Woods the ball once again. The offense turned the turnover into points as Carson Danner hit Christian Scott for a seven-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. After yet another Lobo turnover (this time a fumble), Danner scored on a seven-yard run. The Cats forced three turnovers on their first three defensive possession, but the third time was not a charm. A botched pitch gave the Lobos the ball at Cy Woods' 30 and Corien Azema put Langham on the board with a two-yard touchdown run.
End of 1st Quarter: Woods 14, Langham 14
Herron tied the game with a five-yard touchdown run in the second, but the Cats hit back for two touchdowns. Danner scored from two yards out and on the final play of the first half, Cameron Sowell won a jump ball in the end zone to reestablish the Wildcats' two-score advantage.
Halftime: Woods 28, Langham 14
Mr. Bird told me that if he were the Lobos, he would've given Chris Herron free rein to do what he wanted. That's what we saw in the second half...
Danner scored yet again on a quarterback sneak from less than a yard to open the second-half scoring. And then the Lobos struck back. Azema fielded a punt and should have been brought down immediately for no gain... instead, he scored from 50 yards. Herron got Langham back in the game with a 30-yard touchdown run. The extra point snap was botched, fortunately.
End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 35, Langham 27
Gustavo Olmedo hit a 25-yard field goal to slow down the Lobos' momentum somewhat, but Herron would not be denied. He scored from 19 yards and also got tagged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Woods took the penalty and repelled the subsequent 18-yard two-point conversion attempt. Reagan Simmons picked Herron off in the end zone with less than two minutes to go. That should have sealed a 38-33 Cy Woods victory, right?
Nope.
The Cats went three-and-out on their next drive and Danner's punt failed to make it out of Cy Woods territory. On the very next play, Ronald Rowan caught Herron's heave inside the Cy Woods five-yard line. Herron put the Lobos in front with his fourth rushing touchdown of the night. The kickoff went for a touchback, so that left the Cy Woods offense with 73 seconds and one timeout to go 75 yards for a touchdown.
Well, it turns out that they didn't need all 75 yards. Danner executed the final drive to perfection and the offense was aided by an unnecessary roughness call following a catch from Jake Tesch that got them closer. Following the penalty, Danner looked to pass but had to scramble and was taken down inbounds, so the clock continued to run under ten seconds. Danner spiked the ball with four seconds left and Gustavo Olmedo came on for his moment of truth: a 47-yard field goal. Make it, and the Wildcats win. Miss it, and they'd really be up against it with a 0-2 district record.
The ball took flight off Olmedo's leg and cleared the uprights as the clock struck zero. Both officials raised their arms in the air to signify that the field goal attempt was good, and that's how Cy Woods won this football game.
Final: Cy Woods 41, Langham 39
Ground
The Wildcats still ran the ball more than they passed, but the vast majority of their run plays didn't come out of the Wing-T formation. I don't think they lined up in that formation at all after the first quarter. Carson Danner had to earn all 173 of his yards as he needed 37 rushing attempts to get there and none of his runs went more than 17 yards.
Guess the spread is gradually making its way back to Cy Woods. Stats from MaxPreps.
Carson Danner: 37 rush, 173 yards, 3 TD
Jacob Tesch: 12 rush, 121 yards
Darion Morgan: 5 rush, 3 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 rush, 0 yards
Jackson Jones: 1 rush, -4 yards
Air
Danner looked a lot more comfortable throwing the ball in this game although he's still working to throw better balls to give his receivers a chance. Most of his incompletions were on balls that were thrown behind his intended receivers and the one interception he threw came on a ball that he threw behind Cameron Sowell, who reached back and tipped the ball right into a Langham defender's hands.
Carson Danner: 14-26, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT
Christian Scott: 6 catches, 60 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 2 catches, 31 yards, TD
Jacob Tesch: 3 catches, 35 yards
Connor Faulk: 2 catches, 46 yards
Darion Morgan: 1 catch, 11 yards
Defense
I'm going to have to scrounge through all of the old box scores, but I am fairly confident that the seven turnovers they forced in this game is most likely a record. The Cats picked Herron off four times and recovered three more fumbles.
Herron terrorized the Cats with his legs once again by scoring four times on the ground, but the Wildcat defense intercepted him four times and all seven of Langham's turnovers were on him, so I think it all evens out.
Interceptions: Nolan Authorlee, Reagan Simmons, Jackson Hosemann, Caleb Rutherford
All four players recorded their first interceptions of the season.
Fumbles recovered: Caleb Rutherford, Chris Agnew, Jason Christenson
Nineteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and Chase Richter led the way with seven. Mac Bird had six tackles and also sacked Herron for a loss of 12 yards.
Special Teams
Gustavo Olmedo hit all of his kicks... including the one that he most definitely had to make. I'll have to scrounge through all of the old box scores but I am fairly sure that he is the first Cy Woods kicker to have more than one successful field goal in a game.
Olmedo scored eleven points, which is the second-highest scoring output for a Cy Woods kicker in a single game. The 47-yarder that won the game is not a school record (Luis Reyes hit from 48 yards against Lakes in 2014) but that's not important; the important thing is that Olmedo's kick won the game.
Gustavo Olmedo: 2-2 FG (made 25, 47), 5-5 XP; game-winning 47-yard FG as time expired
Carson Danner punted the ball four times for a total of 134 yards for an average of 33.5 yards per punt.
Christian Scott returned the opening kickoff 12 yards. That was the only chance that the Wildcats had to return a kick or a punt.
Man of the Match
Hmm... pretty tough choice this week.
Looking Ahead47-yard field goal with the game on the line? No problem when you have ice water in your veins like Cy Woods' Gustavo Olmedo (@olmedo669). Check out his kick that beat Langham Creek 41-39 tonight. (Video by @Texan_Live) #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/D88k3puFEu— Chron HS Sports (@HoustonChronHS) September 21, 2018
The Wildcats will face the Bridgeland Bears for the first time ever. Kickoff is Saturday, September 29 at 6:00 at the Berry Center. Cy Woods will be the visitors for this contest.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #8: Dominique Robertson
Continuing the countdown of the ten best players in the first decade of Cy Woods Football is one of the most feared linebackers in Wildcat history.
#8: Dominique Robertson, LB, 2008-09
1st-team All-District 15-5A
Team captain
Holds school record in high jump (6-6)
College: Tulane
What's he doing now: Coach at Cy Falls
Notable Games
2009 vs. Cy Falls: Forced fumble that was recovered for a touchdown, 2 sacks
2009 vs. Cy-Fair: Returned interception 60 yards
2009 vs. Round Rock Westwood:
The other guy came at him first. He didn't take too kindly to getting tossed aside, so Dominique had no choice but to defend himself there. Dominique wasn't looking for a fight... he just stood his ground and hit back when the other guy got in his face.
Bryce Callahan might have been the most talented player on the 2009 Cypress Woods Wildcats defense, but in my opinion, Dominique Robertson was not only in the same tier as Bryce athletically, he was the heart and soul of that unit. He was probably the most athletically gifted linebacker to ever come through the program; it was clear that he had the heart and the talent to match. Dominique was one of the most passionate competitors that I have ever seen on the football field and a man who I would want to have on my side in a battle.
On occasion, he'd line up as a defensive end in pass-rush situations and it just wasn't fair. Opposing linemen had absolutely no chance of containing him. Case in point: Westwood's left tackle in the clip above.
Dominique Robertson was a unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection in 2009. After Cy Woods, he played college football at Tulane, where he battled Bryce and the Rice Owls in Conference USA.
#8: Dominique Robertson, LB, 2008-09
1st-team All-District 15-5A
Team captain
Holds school record in high jump (6-6)
College: Tulane
What's he doing now: Coach at Cy Falls
Notable Games
2009 vs. Cy Falls: Forced fumble that was recovered for a touchdown, 2 sacks
2009 vs. Cy-Fair: Returned interception 60 yards
2009 vs. Round Rock Westwood:
The other guy came at him first. He didn't take too kindly to getting tossed aside, so Dominique had no choice but to defend himself there. Dominique wasn't looking for a fight... he just stood his ground and hit back when the other guy got in his face.
Bryce Callahan might have been the most talented player on the 2009 Cypress Woods Wildcats defense, but in my opinion, Dominique Robertson was not only in the same tier as Bryce athletically, he was the heart and soul of that unit. He was probably the most athletically gifted linebacker to ever come through the program; it was clear that he had the heart and the talent to match. Dominique was one of the most passionate competitors that I have ever seen on the football field and a man who I would want to have on my side in a battle.
On occasion, he'd line up as a defensive end in pass-rush situations and it just wasn't fair. Opposing linemen had absolutely no chance of containing him. Case in point: Westwood's left tackle in the clip above.
Dominique Robertson was a unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection in 2009. After Cy Woods, he played college football at Tulane, where he battled Bryce and the Rice Owls in Conference USA.
Know the Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos
Week 4: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-2, 0-1) vs. Langham Creek Lobos (0-3, 0-1)
6:30 PM Thursday, September 13, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium
Previously on Cy Woods Football...
In a battle of the Wildcats, Cy Woods did not win. After tying the game at 21, Cy Woods surrendered 34 unanswered points to Tomball Memorial, who seized all control and strutted their way to a 55-21 victory in the first meeting between the two schools. Carson Danner threw for 109 yards and also ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Chase Richter led the way on defense with 16 tackles.
Cy Woods suddenly finds itself having a must-win game early in the season. Interestingly enough, so do their opponents! Let's take a look at Langham Creek.
The Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos
2017 Record: 8-1, 2nd in District 17-6A
Lost 31-14 to Cy-Fair in Class 6A Division II, Region III Final
In the first District 14-6A game of 2018, the Lobos scored with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 24-17 lead on Cy Ranch. However, the Mustangs released their devil magic by scoring two touchdowns in 22 seconds to steal a 31-24 victory. Langham Creek also dropped both of their non-district games to Klein Oak (35-27) and Fort Bend Bush (23-20).
All-Time Series
Series tied 5-5.
Previous Meetings
October 5, 2017: Langham 31, Woods 24
September 29, 2016: Langham 62, Woods 35
October 16, 2015: Woods 48, Langham 33
October 17, 2014: Langham 55, Woods 31 (Homecoming VII)
September 13, 2013: Langham 48, Woods 20
September 14, 2012: Langham 32, Woods 31 (Homecoming V)
October 14, 2011: Woods 50, Langham 44
October 15, 2010: Woods 55, Langham 27 (Homecoming III)
October 31, 2009: Woods 42, Langham 7
November 1, 2008: Woods 58, Langham 20
Players to Watch
Chris Herron - SR QB #8
Brendan Valentine - SR WR #5
Gerald Arline - SR WR/QB #3
Brayden Staggs - JR OL #72
D.J. Harris - SR LB #18
Chase Hanks - SR LB #20
Jordan Shields - JR LB #17
Corien Azema - SR DB #27
Ernest Thomas - JR DL #60
2¢ on Langham
The Lobos entered the season as a favorite to win District 14-6A. However, they have gotten off on the wrong foot by dropping three games that they felt they should have won. Nevertheless, they should still be in the hunt for a playoff spot.
On offense, it all starts with Chris Herron, one of the most dynamic players in Cy-Fair ISD. He's committed to Kansas State and he has absolutely terrorized the Cats over the last two seasons, especially with his legs. Herron's very first start at quarterback came against Cy Woods as a sophomore and he threw three touchdowns and added another on the ground. Last year, he ran for 130 and a touchdown. So, it's probably safe to say that he enjoys playing Cy Woods. He'll also line up as a receiver in certain situations with Gerald Arline lining up as the quarterback. Herron has had to do it all for the Lobos in the early part of the season as there's been uncertainty with regards to the offensive skill positions, especially at running back, where Rashaun Hammonds will platoon with Kash McCray, a sophomore. Herron is the leading rusher by a significant margin. Langham Creek has produced some quality offensive linemen through the years and Brayden Staggs will continue that trend.
There is significantly less uncertainty on the defensive side of the ball for Langham and they have no shortage of star power. D.J. Harris, Chase Hanks, and Corien Azema are the undisputed leaders of the Lobo defense. Azema has also seen time as a running back. Jordan Shields has emerged as another playmaker at linebacker. Ernest Thomas is in his second year as a starter on the defensive line and he'll be joined by Ralph Carter and Alex Rodriguez.
Having specialists who are multi-year lettermen is also an asset as Everett Ornstein and Kevin Marks are both back to handle kicking and punting duties for the Lobos.
Last Time These Two Teams Met
The Cats trailed 31-9 in the third quarter before attempting a comeback that ultimately fell short, condemning them to a 31-24 defeat. Jackson Jones ran for 100 yards and a touchdown and also threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez. Mac Bird had 16 tackles in what turned out to be his final appearance of 2017 before a serious health scare ended his season.
Sub-Varsity Game Information
The freshmen will play at Cy Woods and the JV games will take place at Langham Creek. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday.
Location of Langham Creek High School
6:30 PM Thursday, September 13, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium
Photo by Tom Dendy
In a battle of the Wildcats, Cy Woods did not win. After tying the game at 21, Cy Woods surrendered 34 unanswered points to Tomball Memorial, who seized all control and strutted their way to a 55-21 victory in the first meeting between the two schools. Carson Danner threw for 109 yards and also ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Chase Richter led the way on defense with 16 tackles.
Cy Woods suddenly finds itself having a must-win game early in the season. Interestingly enough, so do their opponents! Let's take a look at Langham Creek.
The Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos
2017 Record: 8-1, 2nd in District 17-6A
Lost 31-14 to Cy-Fair in Class 6A Division II, Region III Final
In the first District 14-6A game of 2018, the Lobos scored with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 24-17 lead on Cy Ranch. However, the Mustangs released their devil magic by scoring two touchdowns in 22 seconds to steal a 31-24 victory. Langham Creek also dropped both of their non-district games to Klein Oak (35-27) and Fort Bend Bush (23-20).
All-Time Series
Series tied 5-5.
Previous Meetings
October 5, 2017: Langham 31, Woods 24
September 29, 2016: Langham 62, Woods 35
October 16, 2015: Woods 48, Langham 33
October 17, 2014: Langham 55, Woods 31 (Homecoming VII)
September 13, 2013: Langham 48, Woods 20
September 14, 2012: Langham 32, Woods 31 (Homecoming V)
October 14, 2011: Woods 50, Langham 44
October 15, 2010: Woods 55, Langham 27 (Homecoming III)
October 31, 2009: Woods 42, Langham 7
November 1, 2008: Woods 58, Langham 20
Players to Watch
Chris Herron - SR QB #8
Brendan Valentine - SR WR #5
Gerald Arline - SR WR/QB #3
Brayden Staggs - JR OL #72
D.J. Harris - SR LB #18
Chase Hanks - SR LB #20
Jordan Shields - JR LB #17
Corien Azema - SR DB #27
Ernest Thomas - JR DL #60
2¢ on Langham
The Lobos entered the season as a favorite to win District 14-6A. However, they have gotten off on the wrong foot by dropping three games that they felt they should have won. Nevertheless, they should still be in the hunt for a playoff spot.
On offense, it all starts with Chris Herron, one of the most dynamic players in Cy-Fair ISD. He's committed to Kansas State and he has absolutely terrorized the Cats over the last two seasons, especially with his legs. Herron's very first start at quarterback came against Cy Woods as a sophomore and he threw three touchdowns and added another on the ground. Last year, he ran for 130 and a touchdown. So, it's probably safe to say that he enjoys playing Cy Woods. He'll also line up as a receiver in certain situations with Gerald Arline lining up as the quarterback. Herron has had to do it all for the Lobos in the early part of the season as there's been uncertainty with regards to the offensive skill positions, especially at running back, where Rashaun Hammonds will platoon with Kash McCray, a sophomore. Herron is the leading rusher by a significant margin. Langham Creek has produced some quality offensive linemen through the years and Brayden Staggs will continue that trend.
There is significantly less uncertainty on the defensive side of the ball for Langham and they have no shortage of star power. D.J. Harris, Chase Hanks, and Corien Azema are the undisputed leaders of the Lobo defense. Azema has also seen time as a running back. Jordan Shields has emerged as another playmaker at linebacker. Ernest Thomas is in his second year as a starter on the defensive line and he'll be joined by Ralph Carter and Alex Rodriguez.
Having specialists who are multi-year lettermen is also an asset as Everett Ornstein and Kevin Marks are both back to handle kicking and punting duties for the Lobos.
Last Time These Two Teams Met
The Cats trailed 31-9 in the third quarter before attempting a comeback that ultimately fell short, condemning them to a 31-24 defeat. Jackson Jones ran for 100 yards and a touchdown and also threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez. Mac Bird had 16 tackles in what turned out to be his final appearance of 2017 before a serious health scare ended his season.
Sub-Varsity Game Information
The freshmen will play at Cy Woods and the JV games will take place at Langham Creek. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday.
Location of Langham Creek High School
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21: It All Went Horribly Wrong
2018 Record: 1-2, 0-1 in District 14-6A
Well, that degenerated rather quickly.
In their first district game outside of the Cy-Fair ISD stadiums, the Cypress Woods Wildcats saw the wheels fall out from under them in a catastrophic third quarter as the Tomball Memorial Wildcats finished this game on a 34-0 run after Darion Morgan's touchdown run tied the game at 21 midway through the second quarter. As a result, the other Wildcats cruised to a 55-21 victory in the District 14-6A opener for both squads.
As this game progressed, there was this feeling of inevitability that steadily crept in. Cy Woods was able to keep up with Tomball Memorial for much of the first half on offense, but the defense got ravaged in the process. Once the offense stopped scoring, the floodgates opened and Tomball Memorial absolutely devoured Woods. Leaving what could have been 14 points on the table in the first half didn't exactly help, either!
I'm always Mr. Optimism when it comes to Cy Woods football... but this was a poor showing from this team. As horrid as it was in Tomball... it is only the first district game. By no means am I trying to justify anything. It was simply an awful game and every team is bound to have one of those nights. Nothing more, nothing less. 0-1 isn't the end of the world but it makes next week's game with Langham Creek even more crucial. If this team truly has legitimate playoff ambitions, they'd better top Langham. Every game is a must-win in district play... but some games have more significant ramifications than others and this upcoming game certainly has more significant ramifications for Cy Woods than some of the other games they'll be playing.
And finally... Scott Wiesmann got the last laugh. Scott's a longtime friend, so I'm legitimately happy for him. Obviously, I am not thrilled about the result, but I'm happy for him and Caroline. And only for them. Now that this game is over with, I can resume with wishing Scott and his team good luck for the rest of their season.
The Game, Described In an Image I Found on the Internet
What Happened
When the points stopped coming, bad things started to happen. It really was only a matter of time because aside from a couple of instances, Cy Woods did not show that they could stop, much less slow down, Tomball Memorial's offense.
After Carson Danner overthrew a wide-open Connor Faulk on second down, Cy Woods went three-and-out. Danner had his punt downed at the one-yard line, but it didn't matter because Tomball Memorial opened the scoring on their first offensive play as Chandler Galban chucked it downfield to Logan Kyle, who ran 99 yards untouched. Later in the first, Galban found Jordan Grice for a 24-yard score. On Cy Woods' ensuing drive, Carson Danner outran everyone to the end zone from 61 yards out.
End of 1st Quarter: Tomball Memorial 14, Cy Woods 7
Christian Lovick opened the second quarter with a 58-yard touchdown run. Danner scored again from four yards and Darion Morgan tied the game with a six-yard touchdown run with a nice second effort. Gustavo Olmedo's extra point tied the game at 21. Unfortunately, that was Cy Woods' last scoring play of the evening as it was all TMHS afterwards.
Lovick struck again from 46 yards and shortly before halftime, Colbie Habermacher survived first contact (which occurred behind the line of scrimmage) and found a way to get into the end zone from three yards out.
Halftime: Tomball Memorial 35, Cy Woods 21
The collapse was complete in the third quarter as TMHS outscored Cy Woods 20-0. The defense aggravated Habermacher in the first half and he decided that he had enough. He opened the scoring in the second half with a 19-yard run and added a 28-yard run later in the frame. In between, Galban connected with Grice again for a 33-yard touchdown pass. There was no scoring in the fourth quarter.
Final: Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21
Ground
Carson Danner busted loose for a 61-yard scoring run in the first quarter and added another touchdown on a four-yard run in the second period. However, outside of those two scoring runs, Danner was held to 22 yards on his eight other rushing attempts. Darion Morgan also found the end zone for the second time this year. It looked as if they went away from the outside runs that worked extremely well against Spring. Christian Scott touched the ball twice on offense. Jake Tesch got three touches. Why did the A-backs get shut out of the offense in this game?
Jackson Jones is trying to get himself going again following an injury and he had a couple of really nice runs on busted plays.
Well, they gained 256 yards on the ground and got seven yards per carry, but the offense completely fell off the breakneck pace that Tomball Memorial was setting.
Stats from MaxPreps.
Carson Danner: 10 rush, 87 yards, 2 TD
Jackson Jones: 8 rush, 80 yards
Darion Morgan: 7 rush, 23 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 4 rush, 11 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 20 yards
Jake Tesch: 2 rush, 5 yards
Tre Mejia: 1 rush, 21 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, 9 yards
Air
Cy Woods tried to incorporate some more pass plays into the offense to no avail. Not the best showing from Danner as he threw a couple of balls behind receivers and couldn't complete the throws he had to make. His receivers were positioned to make plays... he just couldn't get the ball to them. On the second play of the game, Connor Faulk emerged from a collision with literally NO ONE within fifteen yards of him and Danner overthrew him by about four yards.
Jake Tesch had a really nice gain after making a one-handed catch on a slightly overthrown ball, and that was probably the only way that he was going to come up with that ball.
Carson Danner: 3-11, 109 yards
Jackson Jones: 0-2
Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 43 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 34 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 32 yards
Defense
So Tomball Memorial recorded 616 yards of offense and scored 55 points. I don't think anything else needs to be said but I will continue anyway.
In what appears to be a running theme for the last four years, Cy Woods' defense couldn't get the opposing offense off the field on third down. I think TMHS failed to convert three, maybe four, third downs all night?
Seeing this team give up first downs in third-down situations time and time again is just tiring. What bothers me most is that it doesn't even matter whether it's 3rd and 1 or 3rd and 21, the other team somehow ends up with a first down.
Jakob Jones strip-sacked Chandler Galban and came up with the loose ball at Tomball Memorial's 11-yard line. UNFORTUNATELY... Cy Woods came away with zero points on their ensuing offensive possession. That's just aggravating. Really felt like they were playing for eight downs and then the points instead of just going for the points.
Cy Woods managed to get some pressure on Chandler Galban, so they did much better with regards to quarterback pressure compared to what they did during non-district play. It wasn't consistent, but they had a few of those moments, which was nice to see, and the results showed as Galban got a bit careless with the ball as the game went on. Mac Bird got a sack that forced a turnover on downs and Jones had the strip-sack and fumble recovery.
Sixteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle; leading the way was Chase Richter, who had 16. Mac Bird had 14, ten of which were solo. Jakob Jones and Jackson Hosemann both finished with seven, and Reagan Simmons and Colton Morris had six each.
Oh, did I mention that they gave up 616 yards and 55 points?
Special Teams
Jackson Hosemann tried to flop to draw a flag after he fair caught a kickoff. It wasn't a very convincing effort, but at least he tried. He probably should've been slightly more dramatic about it and he was also probably lucky that he didn't get penalized for his, um... theatrics. Jake Tesch had a 30-yard kickoff return that resulted in Tomball Memorial reverting to pooch kicking for the rest of the evening.
Gustavo Olmedo hit all three of his extra points. He needs to get a few touchbacks on kickoffs, though.
Danner boomed a couple of punts, one of which was downed at the one-yard line.
Carson Danner: 3 punts, 143 yards (47.7 yards per punt), long of 60; one punt inside 20
Cole Gerletti: 1 punt, 9 yards
Gustavo Olmedo: 3-3 XP
Jake Tesch: 3 kicks returned, 65 yards
Chase Richter: 2 kicks returned, 25 yards
Christian Scott: 1 kick returned, 16 yards
Man of the Match
Pass.
Alright, fine. I guess it would have to be Chase Richter, who put up 16 tackles. Carson Danner also scored two of the three Cy Woods touchdowns, so he's basically here by default.
Ugh, let's just move on.
Looking Ahead
The Cats will kick off Week 4 in District 14-6A against the Langham Creek Lobos on Thursday, September 20, at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30; Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.
Photo: Tom Dendy
Darion Morgan powers his way into the end zone.
Well, that degenerated rather quickly.
In their first district game outside of the Cy-Fair ISD stadiums, the Cypress Woods Wildcats saw the wheels fall out from under them in a catastrophic third quarter as the Tomball Memorial Wildcats finished this game on a 34-0 run after Darion Morgan's touchdown run tied the game at 21 midway through the second quarter. As a result, the other Wildcats cruised to a 55-21 victory in the District 14-6A opener for both squads.
As this game progressed, there was this feeling of inevitability that steadily crept in. Cy Woods was able to keep up with Tomball Memorial for much of the first half on offense, but the defense got ravaged in the process. Once the offense stopped scoring, the floodgates opened and Tomball Memorial absolutely devoured Woods. Leaving what could have been 14 points on the table in the first half didn't exactly help, either!
I'm always Mr. Optimism when it comes to Cy Woods football... but this was a poor showing from this team. As horrid as it was in Tomball... it is only the first district game. By no means am I trying to justify anything. It was simply an awful game and every team is bound to have one of those nights. Nothing more, nothing less. 0-1 isn't the end of the world but it makes next week's game with Langham Creek even more crucial. If this team truly has legitimate playoff ambitions, they'd better top Langham. Every game is a must-win in district play... but some games have more significant ramifications than others and this upcoming game certainly has more significant ramifications for Cy Woods than some of the other games they'll be playing.
And finally... Scott Wiesmann got the last laugh. Scott's a longtime friend, so I'm legitimately happy for him. Obviously, I am not thrilled about the result, but I'm happy for him and Caroline. And only for them. Now that this game is over with, I can resume with wishing Scott and his team good luck for the rest of their season.
The Game, Described In an Image I Found on the Internet
When the points stopped coming, bad things started to happen. It really was only a matter of time because aside from a couple of instances, Cy Woods did not show that they could stop, much less slow down, Tomball Memorial's offense.
After Carson Danner overthrew a wide-open Connor Faulk on second down, Cy Woods went three-and-out. Danner had his punt downed at the one-yard line, but it didn't matter because Tomball Memorial opened the scoring on their first offensive play as Chandler Galban chucked it downfield to Logan Kyle, who ran 99 yards untouched. Later in the first, Galban found Jordan Grice for a 24-yard score. On Cy Woods' ensuing drive, Carson Danner outran everyone to the end zone from 61 yards out.
End of 1st Quarter: Tomball Memorial 14, Cy Woods 7
Christian Lovick opened the second quarter with a 58-yard touchdown run. Danner scored again from four yards and Darion Morgan tied the game with a six-yard touchdown run with a nice second effort. Gustavo Olmedo's extra point tied the game at 21. Unfortunately, that was Cy Woods' last scoring play of the evening as it was all TMHS afterwards.
Lovick struck again from 46 yards and shortly before halftime, Colbie Habermacher survived first contact (which occurred behind the line of scrimmage) and found a way to get into the end zone from three yards out.
Halftime: Tomball Memorial 35, Cy Woods 21
The collapse was complete in the third quarter as TMHS outscored Cy Woods 20-0. The defense aggravated Habermacher in the first half and he decided that he had enough. He opened the scoring in the second half with a 19-yard run and added a 28-yard run later in the frame. In between, Galban connected with Grice again for a 33-yard touchdown pass. There was no scoring in the fourth quarter.
Final: Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21
Ground
Carson Danner busted loose for a 61-yard scoring run in the first quarter and added another touchdown on a four-yard run in the second period. However, outside of those two scoring runs, Danner was held to 22 yards on his eight other rushing attempts. Darion Morgan also found the end zone for the second time this year. It looked as if they went away from the outside runs that worked extremely well against Spring. Christian Scott touched the ball twice on offense. Jake Tesch got three touches. Why did the A-backs get shut out of the offense in this game?
Jackson Jones is trying to get himself going again following an injury and he had a couple of really nice runs on busted plays.
Well, they gained 256 yards on the ground and got seven yards per carry, but the offense completely fell off the breakneck pace that Tomball Memorial was setting.
Stats from MaxPreps.
Carson Danner: 10 rush, 87 yards, 2 TD
Jackson Jones: 8 rush, 80 yards
Darion Morgan: 7 rush, 23 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 4 rush, 11 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 20 yards
Jake Tesch: 2 rush, 5 yards
Tre Mejia: 1 rush, 21 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, 9 yards
Air
Cy Woods tried to incorporate some more pass plays into the offense to no avail. Not the best showing from Danner as he threw a couple of balls behind receivers and couldn't complete the throws he had to make. His receivers were positioned to make plays... he just couldn't get the ball to them. On the second play of the game, Connor Faulk emerged from a collision with literally NO ONE within fifteen yards of him and Danner overthrew him by about four yards.
Jake Tesch had a really nice gain after making a one-handed catch on a slightly overthrown ball, and that was probably the only way that he was going to come up with that ball.
Carson Danner: 3-11, 109 yards
Jackson Jones: 0-2
Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 43 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 34 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 32 yards
Defense
So Tomball Memorial recorded 616 yards of offense and scored 55 points. I don't think anything else needs to be said but I will continue anyway.
In what appears to be a running theme for the last four years, Cy Woods' defense couldn't get the opposing offense off the field on third down. I think TMHS failed to convert three, maybe four, third downs all night?
Seeing this team give up first downs in third-down situations time and time again is just tiring. What bothers me most is that it doesn't even matter whether it's 3rd and 1 or 3rd and 21, the other team somehow ends up with a first down.
Jakob Jones strip-sacked Chandler Galban and came up with the loose ball at Tomball Memorial's 11-yard line. UNFORTUNATELY... Cy Woods came away with zero points on their ensuing offensive possession. That's just aggravating. Really felt like they were playing for eight downs and then the points instead of just going for the points.
Cy Woods managed to get some pressure on Chandler Galban, so they did much better with regards to quarterback pressure compared to what they did during non-district play. It wasn't consistent, but they had a few of those moments, which was nice to see, and the results showed as Galban got a bit careless with the ball as the game went on. Mac Bird got a sack that forced a turnover on downs and Jones had the strip-sack and fumble recovery.
Sixteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle; leading the way was Chase Richter, who had 16. Mac Bird had 14, ten of which were solo. Jakob Jones and Jackson Hosemann both finished with seven, and Reagan Simmons and Colton Morris had six each.
Oh, did I mention that they gave up 616 yards and 55 points?
Special Teams
Jackson Hosemann tried to flop to draw a flag after he fair caught a kickoff. It wasn't a very convincing effort, but at least he tried. He probably should've been slightly more dramatic about it and he was also probably lucky that he didn't get penalized for his, um... theatrics. Jake Tesch had a 30-yard kickoff return that resulted in Tomball Memorial reverting to pooch kicking for the rest of the evening.
Gustavo Olmedo hit all three of his extra points. He needs to get a few touchbacks on kickoffs, though.
Danner boomed a couple of punts, one of which was downed at the one-yard line.
Carson Danner: 3 punts, 143 yards (47.7 yards per punt), long of 60; one punt inside 20
Cole Gerletti: 1 punt, 9 yards
Gustavo Olmedo: 3-3 XP
Jake Tesch: 3 kicks returned, 65 yards
Chase Richter: 2 kicks returned, 25 yards
Christian Scott: 1 kick returned, 16 yards
Man of the Match
Pass.
Alright, fine. I guess it would have to be Chase Richter, who put up 16 tackles. Carson Danner also scored two of the three Cy Woods touchdowns, so he's basically here by default.
Ugh, let's just move on.
Looking Ahead
The Cats will kick off Week 4 in District 14-6A against the Langham Creek Lobos on Thursday, September 20, at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30; Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #9: Justin Washington
One of the most dominating defensive linemen in Cy Woods history.
#9: Justin Washington, DL, 2008
Unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection, 2008
Unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection, 2008
Justin Washington formed probably the best defensive line in Cy Woods history in year one with Josh Theut, Anthony Villamagna, and Glenn Etienne. All four of them received opportunities to play college football, but Justin had the most successful football career after Cy Woods. He went on to play at the University of Arizona, where he earned Freshman All-American honors in 2010 after recording six sacks and also blocking a kick.
The last time I saw him, I know that he was working in Cy-Fair ISD. I'm not sure in what capacity, however.
The last time I saw him, I know that he was working in Cy-Fair ISD. I'm not sure in what capacity, however.
Know the Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats
Week 3: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-1) @ Tomball Memorial Wildcats (2-0)
7:00 PM Friday, September 14, 2018
Tomball ISD Stadium
Previously on Cy Woods Football...
The Cypress Woods Wildcats took down Spring 49-41 to wrap-up the non-district portion of their schedule. Carson Danner ran for 122 yards and four touchdowns and threw for another, while Darion Morgan and Christian Scott both gained over 100 yards on the ground as well.
Now, the real season begins and Cy Woods will open District 14-6A play with their first district game against a school from outside the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. It is also their first true road game in district play. That means that they will be entering a legitimately hostile environment. This tenth anniversary season has featured quite a few firsts (and still plenty more to go) for Cy Woods football.
The Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats
School district: Tomball ISD
2017: 5-4, 3-4 (6th) in District 20-5A
Did not qualify for playoffs
First season in Class 6A
This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Tomball Memorial. This will also be the first time that 2010 Cy Woods graduate Scott Wiesmann will take on his alma mater. Scott is the offensive line coach for Tomball Memorial.
Tomball Memorial emerged from their non-district games undefeated. They topped Tomball 41-18 in their first game and escaped with a 57-56 victory over Klein thanks to a field goal with 25 seconds left in that game. TMHS had over 600 yards of offense in both of these games but they had some issues trying to stop Klein running back D'Anthony Simms, who ran for 273 yards and five touchdowns against them.
Players to Watch
Chandler Galban - JR QB #7
Jordan Gidrey - SR WR #2
Chris Lovick - SR ATH #3
Logan Kyle - JR WR #21
Jordan Grice - SR WR #11
Colbie Habermacher - SR RB #5
Trenton Moore - JR LB #9
Tre Jordan - SOPH DB #1
Braedon Nutter - JR DL #52
Matt Yearwood - SR DL #90
2¢ on Tomball Memorial
For the first time in school history, Tomball ISD's newest high school is playing in Texas' highest classification for high school athletics. I'm sure they are excited to leave a district that featured Huntsville, the Magnolia schools, and Tomball High School behind.
TMHS boasts a talented, experienced group of skill players and the offensive battery has been bolstered significantly by a couple of transfers. The spread attack will be led by Chandler Galban, a transfer from Burnet. He played well at the 4A level as a sophomore and in his first season at 6A, he's at the helm of what's been one of the state's most impressive offensive. Small sample size caveat applies, but this looks like an offense that will remind long-time Cy Woods fans of the early Cy Woods squads.
At 6-4, Logan Kyle is a huge target with a huge wingspan who will create matchup problems out wide. Chris Lovick is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. Colbie Habermacher has stepped into the starting running back spot and has made an immediate impact; he and his brother, Clay, a sophomore safety, both transferred in from Klein Oak. Lovick and Habermacher are both averaging over seven yards per carry.
The defense is young, but there's some intriguing young talent, especially in the secondary. Nutter, Yearwood, and Elijah Champaigne are a load in the trenches. Trenton Moore will lead the TMHS linebacking corps. Preston Downey will serve as the senior leader of a secondary that features five sophomores; the two names to know from that group are Tre Jordan and D.J. Streat.
Sub-Varsity Game Information
The freshmen will travel to Tomball Memorial and the JV plays at Cy Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Thursday.
Location of Tomball Memorial High School
Location of Tomball ISD Stadium
On the campus of Tomball High School. The box office is cash only.
7:00 PM Friday, September 14, 2018
Tomball ISD Stadium
Previously on Cy Woods Football...
The Cypress Woods Wildcats took down Spring 49-41 to wrap-up the non-district portion of their schedule. Carson Danner ran for 122 yards and four touchdowns and threw for another, while Darion Morgan and Christian Scott both gained over 100 yards on the ground as well.
Now, the real season begins and Cy Woods will open District 14-6A play with their first district game against a school from outside the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. It is also their first true road game in district play. That means that they will be entering a legitimately hostile environment. This tenth anniversary season has featured quite a few firsts (and still plenty more to go) for Cy Woods football.
The Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats
School district: Tomball ISD
2017: 5-4, 3-4 (6th) in District 20-5A
Did not qualify for playoffs
First season in Class 6A
This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Tomball Memorial. This will also be the first time that 2010 Cy Woods graduate Scott Wiesmann will take on his alma mater. Scott is the offensive line coach for Tomball Memorial.
Tomball Memorial emerged from their non-district games undefeated. They topped Tomball 41-18 in their first game and escaped with a 57-56 victory over Klein thanks to a field goal with 25 seconds left in that game. TMHS had over 600 yards of offense in both of these games but they had some issues trying to stop Klein running back D'Anthony Simms, who ran for 273 yards and five touchdowns against them.
Players to Watch
Chandler Galban - JR QB #7
Jordan Gidrey - SR WR #2
Chris Lovick - SR ATH #3
Logan Kyle - JR WR #21
Jordan Grice - SR WR #11
Colbie Habermacher - SR RB #5
Trenton Moore - JR LB #9
Tre Jordan - SOPH DB #1
Braedon Nutter - JR DL #52
Matt Yearwood - SR DL #90
2¢ on Tomball Memorial
For the first time in school history, Tomball ISD's newest high school is playing in Texas' highest classification for high school athletics. I'm sure they are excited to leave a district that featured Huntsville, the Magnolia schools, and Tomball High School behind.
TMHS boasts a talented, experienced group of skill players and the offensive battery has been bolstered significantly by a couple of transfers. The spread attack will be led by Chandler Galban, a transfer from Burnet. He played well at the 4A level as a sophomore and in his first season at 6A, he's at the helm of what's been one of the state's most impressive offensive. Small sample size caveat applies, but this looks like an offense that will remind long-time Cy Woods fans of the early Cy Woods squads.
At 6-4, Logan Kyle is a huge target with a huge wingspan who will create matchup problems out wide. Chris Lovick is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. Colbie Habermacher has stepped into the starting running back spot and has made an immediate impact; he and his brother, Clay, a sophomore safety, both transferred in from Klein Oak. Lovick and Habermacher are both averaging over seven yards per carry.
The defense is young, but there's some intriguing young talent, especially in the secondary. Nutter, Yearwood, and Elijah Champaigne are a load in the trenches. Trenton Moore will lead the TMHS linebacking corps. Preston Downey will serve as the senior leader of a secondary that features five sophomores; the two names to know from that group are Tre Jordan and D.J. Streat.
Sub-Varsity Game Information
The freshmen will travel to Tomball Memorial and the JV plays at Cy Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Thursday.
Location of Tomball Memorial High School
Location of Tomball ISD Stadium
On the campus of Tomball High School. The box office is cash only.
Cy Woods 49, Spring 41: Pounding Away
2018 Record: 1-1
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.
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.
Monday, September 3, 2018
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
#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.
Sunday, September 2, 2018
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
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.
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
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.
Photo by Tom Dendy
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.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
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.
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.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
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.
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
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.
For Freshman Gold team: Location of College Station High School
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 28September 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
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.
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.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
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)
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.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
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.
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.
Monday, August 20, 2018
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
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.
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.
Saturday, August 11, 2018
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.
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.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
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.
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.
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