Cypress Ridge 31, Cypress Woods 14: Sputter, pt.6

2019 Record: 0-1

Photo by Tom Dendy

Trayse Holmes fights for yardage.

The start of a new football season brings new hope to a team and its fans.

"This is the year." 
"We're gonna win district."
"We're gonna keep playing when December rolls around."
"State bound!"

Well... the start of football season has proven to be rather unkind to the Cypress Woods Wildcats as they started off 2019 with a 31-14 loss to the Cypress Ridge Rams. This is the sixth straight year that they've lost the season opener; their last win came in 2013 when they blanked Klein Collins 21-0.

Yes, first game and whatnot. Really though, it would be nice to start off a season on a winning note for a change.

Special teams proved to be quite the adventure for Woods on Thursday. There was a seven-yard punt, a bad snap on another punt that allowed the Rams to start a drive at the Woods one-yard line instead of falling on the ball in the endzone for a safety, another punt where a Woods player ran towards a bouncing ball after everyone else heeded the warning to get away from it, and a muffed punt that the Rams recovered in the red zone which they converted into a touchdown. We saw it in the playoffs last year... if one phase of the game falters, it's tough for the other two phases to make up the difference.

The Rams threw three quarterbacks at the Wildcat defense; all three of them brought that dual-threat capability and all of them found a way to gash the Cats on the ground; Le'juene Patterson, who started the evening as a wide receiver, scored twice. Jaelon Madden also had a rushing touchdown. Isaiah Phillips managed to gain 54 yards on his six carries.

The tandem of Leslie Wellington and Tristian Fletcher wore the Cats down and Mark Benjamin delivered a haymaker out of nowhere with his 54-yard touchdown run. The Rams simply won the battle in the trenches. Ridge consistently winning at the line of scrimmage can largely be attributed to one Vernon Broughton, who spent the evening terrorizing the Wildcat offensive line. He only had three tackles but he was effective in disrupting the Cats' offense, especially in the running game, and that allowed guys like Daniel Zarate, Ja'Nyus Morgan, and Centarus Smith to make some plays themselves.

What Happened

It started out encouragingly enough. The Wildcat defense forced a turnover on downs in their first appearance of 2019 and gave the offense the ball inside the Rams' 35. Tre Mejía scored the first points of the season when he scored on a 13-yard pass from Jackson Jones. Unfortunately, on their next drive, Ridge marched 96 yards to tie the game and Jaelon Madden capped it off with a 16-yard touchdown run.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 7, Ridge 7

The Cats were forced to punt midway through the second quarter and the Rams wasted little time on their next drive as Mark Benjamin scored on a 54-yard run on the very next play. Miguel Moreno added to Ridge's lead with a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Halftime: Ridge 17, Woods 7

The Wildcat offense went three-and-out to start the second half and then when they lined up to punt, the snap sailed over Michael Fernandez's head and instead of taking a safety, he fell on the loose ball at the one-yard line. The Rams gladly accepted the gift in the form of a one-yard touchdown run by Le'juene Patterson. Christian Scott answered with a four-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter.

End of 3rd Quarter: Ridge 24, Woods 14

The Rams recovered a muffed punt in the red zone about midway through the fourth quarter and Patterson capped off the scoring with a five-yard run on a keeper.

Final: Ridge 31, Woods 14

Ground

The Wildcats only had 59 rushing yards, but they lost 32 of those on a bad snap as they were trying to punt. Amazingly, again, instead of taking the safety, Michael Fernandez fell on the ball at the one-yard line. Hopefully he'll learn from that and just give the other team the two points the next time he's in that situation.

Other than that, Trayse Holmes had a couple of decent runs but no one could break out for a big gain. Christian Scott found the end zone late in the third quarter, so there's that.

All statistics from Varsity Wires.

Trayse Holmes: 13 rush, 54 yards
Christian Scott: 6 rush, 25 yards, TD
Victor Benavides: 1 rush, 9 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, 8 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 1 rush, 6 yards
Jackson Jones: 7 rush, -2 yards
Tre Mejía: 2 rush, -9 yards

Air

Jackson Jones found himself under pressure for much of the game and it was clear that the timing between him and his receivers wasn't quite there. Cam Sowell was inactive for this game so his presence was sorely missed. The first touchdown of the season came through the air as he found Tre Mejía in the first quarter. JaVarian Stewart's 24-yard catch late in the fourth quarter ended up being the Wildcats' longest play from scrimmage in this game.

Jackson Jones: 11-25, 117 yards, TD; sacked three times
Dylan Cormier: 1-4, 24 yards

Tre Mejía: 4 catches, 45 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 4 catches, 39 yards
Ryan Faulk: 2 catches, 28 yards
JaVarian Stewart: 1 catch, 24 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 catch, 5 yards

Defense

Honestly, I didn't think that the defense played terribly, but they were certainly forced into some undesirable positions because of the aforementioned special teams mishaps. Eventually, the Rams' linemen would take over this game and the Cats' lack of discipline in defending the zone read doomed them in this game. I can't remember seeing the man responsible for outside containment getting fooled every. single. time.

Twenty Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Colton Morris led the way with eleven. 2.5 of his tackles resulted in a loss of yards. It was a busy night for the second level of the defense as Tylan Foster racked up eight and Riley Redgrave had six. Taber Tofte and Chase Richter had five apiece. Kahlil Robinson broke up a couple of passes.

Special Teams

Special teams ended up being the culprit in Woods' playoff loss; it could definitely be argued that it played a role in this loss. Again, it's the first game, but that was particularly disconcerting to see.

Michael Fernandez hit both of his extra points, so he's got the placekicking part down pat. Punting... well, there's plenty of time and room for improvement.

Michael Fernandez: 2-2 XP; 5 punts, 119 yards (23.4 yards per punt), longest punt 34 yards

Christian Scott: 3 kicks returned, 51 yards, longest return 23 yards
Chase Richter: 2 punts returned, 14 yards, longest return 9 yards; one muffed punt

Man of the Match

Colton Morris and Ty Foster definitely stood out on the defensive side of the ball. They were involved in virtually every play defensively; Ty had a particularly impressive open-field tackle in the second quarter.

Sub-Varsity Results

Freshman Cardinal 43 (1-0), Cy Ridge Freshmen 0
Freshman Gold @ Westfield canceled
JV Cardinal 31 (1-0), Cy Ridge JV 2
JV Gold vs. Klein Cain canceled, Woods JV teams played as one team against Ridge

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will return to Pridgeon Stadium to take on the Spring Lions on Saturday, September 7. Kickoff is at 6:00.

New Blog Name!

Thank you, Coach Crumedy.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Ridge Rams

Week 1: Cypress Woods Wildcats @ Cypress Ridge Rams
6:30 PM, Thursday, August 29, 2019
Pridgeon Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

On November 10, 2018, the Cypress Woods Wildcats made their return to the Texas High School Football playoffs after a four-year absence. Unfortunately, they failed to win their bi-district playoff game for the first time in school history as the Round Rock Dragons came to Cy-Fair FCU Stadium and escaped with a 56-49 victory. Special teams proved to be the culprit as Round Rock managed to return two kickoffs back for touchdowns.

Darion Morgan ran for 217 yards and a touchdown. Mac Bird had eleven tackles and forced a fumble in his final high school football game. Chase Richter had ten tackles.

A new chapter of Cy Woods football has begun and the Class of 2020 will be authoring this latest installment.

The Enemy: Cypress Ridge Rams

2018 Record: 7-3, 5-3 (5th) in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

The Rams actually finished in a tie for fourth with Cy Creek, but they lost the tiebreaker to the Cougars when they lost 37-7 in a game where they committed seven turnovers. This resulted in them being the only Cy-Fair ISD school from 17-6A to miss out on the playoffs. Creek, on the other hand, wound up advancing to the fourth round of the playoffs in the Division II bracket. Oh, what could have been.

New Cy Woods defensive coordinator Brad Beerwinkel will face his former team for the first time. Before joining the Cats, Coach Beerwinkel was on the Rams' staff for the last eleven seasons.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 6-5.

Previous Meetings


September 1, 2018: Ridge 47, Woods 21

September 22, 2017: Woods 35, Ridge 34

September 17, 2016: Ridge 36, Woods 21

September 11, 2015: Woods 59, Ridge 31

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

Players to Watch

Vernon Broughton - SR DL #45
Je'vaun Dabon - SR DB #28
Kade Barnes - SR DB #7
Ja'Nyus Morgan - SR DL #8
Centarus Smith - SR DL #44
Le'juene Patterson - SR ATH #2
Tristian Fletcher - JR RB #25
Leslie Wellington - SR RB #1
John Moten - SR WR #5

2¢ on Ridge

It's a new era for the Cypress Ridge Rams. Coach Thiebaud has retired and in steps Andrew Shanle. Coach Shanle was formerly the defensive coordinator at Cy Ranch and his defenses consistently ranked as one of the top units in the city. In his first season at the helm, he inherits a roster that is primed to challenge Cy-Fair for the District 17-6A crown.

The Rams have always had talent on the defensive side of the ball... but this year, they have a player who is surely their most heralded recruit since Russell Shepard. Vernon Broughton, who committed to Texas earlier this summer, has been rated as one of the top defensive linemen in the country by virtually every college football recruiting service you can think of since his sophomore year at Spring Woods. Once he was eligible to play for Cy Ridge, he showcased the potential that has made him so highly regarded. Now with a full season ahead, Broughton will be counted on to lead the Ram defense.

Broughton may be the star attraction but he's got an excellent supporting cast on the line in Ja'Nyus Morgan and Centarus Smith, who were both All-District selections in 2018. Meanwhile, in the secondary, Je'vaun Dabon and Kade Barnes are a couple of impact players. Dabon, one of the best safeties in Houston, recently committed to Texas Tech. He's coming off a junior season in which he picked off five passes and is also their leading returning tackler. Barnes is a Yale pledge who was a second-team All-District selection last year; he forced a couple of fumbles and also picked off a pass. The linebackers need a little rebuilding, but Daniel Zarate has some experience in a reserve role; he'll be counted on to lead what might be an inexperienced unit.

Noah Smith's departure leaves the Rams needing to replace their primary offensive playmaker. Smith did a little bit of everything; he was a dual-threat quarterback and also played a little wide receiver. Le'juene Patterson and Jaelon Madden both saw time at quarterback in 2018; Patterson spent most of last year as a receiver. Whoever wins the battle will have John Moten as a primary target; Patterson might turn out to be the top receiving option himself. The Rams have an experienced tandem at running back with Leslie Wellington and Tristian Fletcher; Wellington is a three-year letterman while Fletcher has been on the varsity since his freshman year. They'll get plenty of protection from Raymundo Martinez and Clint Freeman.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

In the 2018 season opener for both teams, the Rams scored 19 points in the final 45 seconds of the first half to seize control of the game. The Wildcats never really threatened and the Rams wound up running away with a 47-21 victory. Jackson Jones scored on a one-yard run but the Cats were stifled on offense as they were held to just 220 yards on the night. To add insult to injury, Jackson also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown... and also got hurt. Chase Richter had seven tackles, recovered a fumble, and intercepted a pass.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Cy Ridge only has one JV and one freshman team. As a result, the Gold (B) teams will be playing different opponents. The freshmen are on the road for their first high school football game; the B-team will travel to Westfield while the A-team will head to Cy Ridge. On the other hand, the JV Gold team will play Klein Cain.

Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday.

CORRECTION:
▶️ 4:30 pm - Klein Cane @ JV Gold (Home) https://t.co/Ib5OUNvP9j

— CyWoodsBooster (@CyWood_Boosters) August 25, 2019

Location of Westfield High School



Location of Cypress Ridge High School

2019 Texas 7-on-7 State Tournament

Last weekend, the Cypress Woods Wildcats traveled to College Station to take part in the 2019 Texas 7-on-7 State Tournament. The Cats made their fifth appearance in College Station and this marked the second straight year which they qualified, which is the first time that they've made the tournament in consecutive years.

Overall, the Wildcats finished with a 3-2 record and advanced to the Round of 16 in the Championship bracket. Advancing to the Championship bracket was also a first for Cy Woods 7-on-7; in their previous four appearances at the state tournament, the Wildcats ended up in the consolation bracket and lost the first game all four times. In fact, just winning one game in bracket play set yet another new team record because they had lost the first bracket game every time before this past Saturday.

I also had to go back and fact-check myself because they qualified in 2012 but missed the playoffs in real football that year. That year is the outlier; they've made the playoffs in the fall in every other season in which they qualified for this tournament.

In pool play, the Cats were placed in Pool O with Temple, Hebron, and Sharyland Pioneer and there was plenty of drama on Friday.

Pool O Game 1: Cy Woods 28, Hebron 21

The Cats opened the tournament with a victory but they had to stave off two hail mary attempts from the Hawks at the end. They batted down the first one, which should have been intercepted. The second try, however, was caught. Fortunately, they managed to tag the receiver at the one-yard line just as time expired.

Pool O Game 2: Pioneer 34, Cy Woods 29

Uh... I think I will refrain from commenting on the officiating here. I'll just say that some of their decisions baffled me. Refs aside, a dropped pass in the endzone on a second and goal about midway through the first half ended up haunting the Cats. The Wildcats came up empty-handed on that possession and the D-Backs, who were leading at the time, scored on their next series to extend their lead to two scores. The Cats won a back-and-forth second half but they couldn't quite get over the hump; their comeback bid was squashed following an interception with less than a minute to go. They competed well in this one despite the poor officiating, but they also made quite a few plays that lose games.

Pool O Game 3: Cy Woods 40, Temple 38

I wasn't sure if either team was intent on stopping the other in this game. Well, that looked to be the case in the first half as both Wildcats exchanged scores in a fast and furious first 20 minutes. When the dust settled, Cy Woods held a 27-26 lead. Both teams scored twice in the second half and at that point, the final-game malaise seemed to set in. In the end, however, Cy Woods took the lead within the final 30 seconds and time ran out on Temple, sending Cy Woods to the Championship bracket for the first time.

Meanwhile, on the other side of field 7, Pioneer defeated Hebron 34-26... and then the Royal Rumble broke out. When the dust settled, Pioneer, who had won the pool, and Hebron were both disqualified from the tournament. Apparently, a Hebron player who had been ejected earlier somehow found his way back into the post-game handshake line where he proceeded to continue with his idiocy and it all went downhill from there.

As a result, Cy Woods ended up with the #1 seed in Pool O, which meant that they won their pool for the first time at the 7-on-7 state tournament, although a disqualification technically gave them the top spot.

On to day two...

Championship Bracket Game 1: Cy Woods 34, Parkland 27

The Cats' first game on Saturday pitted them against the Matadors of Parkland, who traveled 684 miles from the northeast side of El Paso to take part in the tournament. Woods scored 34 and won, but they really should have won in blowout fashion. The Cats managed to get three defensive stops but were only able to score on one of their ensuing offensive series. A bit frustrating, but a win is a win.

Championship Bracket Round of 16: DeSoto 32, Cy Woods 28

This one stung. A tipped ball on third down very late in the game just eluded Chase Richter's grasp, otherwise, they would have had at least one more game. Instead, the Cats had less than thirty seconds to work with and they were only able to get one play off before time expired.

Cy Woods' three victories in this tournament might have equaled or even surpassed the number of wins they had in their previous four trips combined because I remember that they went 0-4 in 2014 and 0-4 again in 2018. When you look at how the Cats fared in College Station in the past, this tournament was a rousing success. They snapped what had been at least a nine-game losing streak (I couldn't find pool play information for 2010 and 2012). As I said, they advanced to the championship bracket for the first time and finished as the top seed in a pool for the first time.

State championships aren't won in the summer in t-shirts and shorts, but 7-on-7 is definitely a part of the process of trying to win one in December. I was extremely pleased to watch their progress; they might have qualified for the state tournament on their first attempt but they kept competing and kept striving to get better and they wound up finishing 9-1 in the qualification phase. Winning nine out of ten in anything isn't easy, especially when you've achieved the objective you set out to complete early in the process. Mr. Jones and Mr. Richter deserve a ton of credit for keeping the kids focused during the build-up to the tournament. 

The connection between Jackson Jones and Cameron Sowell will be lethal this season. Cam is a true home run threat... he's a #1 receiver in any offense. I would've really liked to see him in the old spread; he definitely could have been a 1,000-yard receiver. I was also impressed with Amari McDonald throughout this phase. The story on him is that he originally began high school at Woods before moving to Cy Ranch and then moving back. This kid has some springs and hauled in some acrobatic catches. He'll form a potent 1-2 punch with Cam in the fall.

Defensively, the Cats played with some legitimate intensity throughout this phase. They shut out Langham Creek in their first qualifying tournament and in their final tune-up tournament in Spring, they held Pearland Dawson to just six points. In a game that's skewed heavily towards offense, holding an opponent to single digits is impressive. During the tournament, they bent but didn't break and they came up with timely stops to secure wins against Hebron, Temple, and Parkland. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what this group can do when they put the pads on.

Now, I will never personally attack any kid who plays for Cy Woods. With that being said, I did notice a few instances in College Station where the defensive kids got a bit flustered with calls that didn't go their way. Some of those decisions absolutely were terrible. Just got to find a way to put it behind them and keep playing.

The rebuilding process is over. Expectations for the Cypress Woods Wildcats, both internally and externally, are the highest that it's been since... 2014, probably. Once again, this is a program that is expected to compete for district championships and make deep playoff runs annually.

Cy Fair West 7-on-7

I didn't go to the most recent 7-on-7 tournament at Cy Falls because one of my cousins invited me to the Astros game on Friday. I did check Twitter periodically and saw that Cy Woods went 3-0 in pool play, defeating Clear Lake 18-7, Katy Taylor 41-26, and Langham Creek 20-14.

Well, that was nice. Since the Cats have already qualified for the state tournament, there was absolutely no pressure on them to win. As a result, they could just go out and have fun. At the same time, however, they were reminded that this tournament represented another opportunity for them to compete so they couldn't just loaf around.

Woods shut out Langham Creek in pool play last week and then held Clear Lake to a single touchdown in this tournament. 7-on-7 is not geared towards defense, so to hold a team to one touchdown or even shutting them out is an impressive feat. As I wasn't there, I can't offer any opinions on the offense.

Only one more week until the Cats head up to College Station. They'll have one more warm-up tournament this Friday at the Houston Athlete & Training State Qualifying Tournament. This is a tournament that features 32 teams but only two qualifiers as they have the split the field between Grand Oaks High School and the Farm League Park in Spring. The pool winners will advance to a semi-final round and then the winners of those games will play each other for the qualifying spots.

The Wildcats will be playing at the Farm League Park and they've been drawn into Pool A with Channelview, Pearland Dawson, and Magnolia West. Please keep in mind that there will be a $5 entry fee for this tournament. This tournament benefits the Greater Houston Football Coaches' Association and the entry fee will be donated to their scholarship fund.

Wildcat 7-on-7: State Bound!

On Friday, the Cypress Woods Wildcats qualified for the Texas State 7-on-7 Football Tournament in College Station in their first attempt at qualification. They earned the spot at the Cy Fair East State Qualifying Tournament hosted by Cy Creek, although the pools were scattered across the district thanks to the rain earlier in the week. This is the second consecutive year that the Wildcats have qualified for the state tournament following a four-year drought.

Cy Woods finished 2-1 in Pool D, knocking off Pearland Dawson 34-33 and shutting out Langham Creek 27-0. They did lose their final game in pool play to Klein Cain by a final score of 31-20, but since the Hurricanes have already qualified, that result didn't affect the Wildcats, who essentially won a three-team pool.

The Cats traveled to Cy-Fair FCU Stadium for the qualifying game, where they would face Cy Ranch, who won Pool C. It was a wild, back-and-forth affair between these two rivals until the Cats got an interception near the end of the first half. They managed to convert the turnover into points to take a 26-20 lead into halftime and then scored on their first possession of the second half to go up 33-20. Getting the two-score lead to start off the second half proved to be the difference as they got the cushion they needed to keep the Mustangs at bay. Ranch scored late to make it a five-point game, but with less than a minute to go, the Cats were able to run out the clock and secure the berth with a 46-41 victory.

It might not be "real" football, but I do enjoy watching 7-on-7. It's the official beginning to the preseason, a chance for the kids to enter that competition mode, and a way for them to get familiar with some potential opponents. It's also translated to success when the real season starts as well. If I'm not mistaken, every time that Cy Woods has qualified for state in 7-on-7, they've ended up making the playoffs in actual football each time. Also, it's nice to beat Cy Ranch. Wouldn't you agree?

Cy Woods qualifies for @Texas7on7 State.#txhsfb #tx7on7 @CyWoodsFB212 pic.twitter.com/Ddt0zs9xyN

— txhsfb(Tony Blalock) (@TXHSFB) June 8, 2019

Boom, congrats to @CyWoodsFB212 for qualifying at the Cy Creek SQT! Loved how our guys competed tonight! 212!! pic.twitter.com/BVwQ75DPVe

— Curtis Neill (@CoachNeill) June 8, 2019 

State Tournament Information

As always, the Texas State 7-on-7 Football Tournament will take place at Veterans Park in College Station. This year's Division I tournament will begin on Friday, June 28 with pool play. Bracket play begins Saturday morning, June 29.

I'm sure the Cats are looking for a better showing this time around after they lost all four games last year.

On Art Briles

Former University of Houston and Baylor head coach Art Briles, for some reason, has been allowed to return to coaching. On Friday, he was hired as the head football coach at Mount Vernon, a 3A school in East Texas. Mount Vernon is located on I-30 between Texarkana and Dallas.

By making this hire official on the Friday before a holiday weekend, Mount Vernon ISD thought that they could let this little piece of news slip by. They were sorely mistaken.

Confirmed Mount Vernon has hired Art Briles as their next HFC #txhsfb @dctf https://t.co/OVBCPtOJ8I

— Matt Stepp (@Matt_Stepp817) May 24, 2019

From Mount Vernon ISD superintendent Dr. Jason McCullough to me on hiring Art Briles as their new AD/Head Football Coach as they begin graduation ceremonies for the high school seniors. I hope to have additional answers sometime later tonight. #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/3YrzasKtCX

— David Smoak (@DavidSmoak) May 25, 2019 

Full release from @MtVernonISD about hiring former Baylor football coach Art Briles as their head football coach pic.twitter.com/OjwURAOFsA

— Micah Fleet (@MicahFleet) May 24, 2019 

This... this does not shock me in the least. Given the near-myth status of high school football in the state of Texas, it's just business as usual.

Trying to mold young men into upstanding citizens of the future is one of the go-to statements for football coaches when they discuss why they entered the profession. It is a noble pursuit, but ultimately, winning, especially in Texas, takes precedence over all. Nobody truly cares if these "good kids" aren't winning. Mount Vernon's decision to hire Art Briles shows that all they care about is winning. Forget about the welfare of the community and his baggage. Forget about the potential damage to how our community is perceived... none of it will matter if we make deep playoff runs and win state.

You know, maybe we as a society are so obsessed with handing out second chances and never stop to think whether the person has done anything that warrants him/her getting that second chance. No one should be deprived of an opportunity to work and earn an income, but then again, not everyone deserves a second chance. To me, Art Briles has not done a thing that warrants him earning a second chance at coaching at any level of football. No contrition, no accountability. And now... he gets a completely undeserved "second chance" to coach boys in high school. Way to gloss over everything that occurred under his watch at Baylor. All that was mentioned in the press release that pertained to Baylor was that he didn't commit any recruiting violations. Let's give him a cookie for that!

https://t.co/14rrkd0Yn7

— Jessica Luther (@jessicawluther) May 24, 2019

The vast majority of the guys I played with at Cy Woods have all turned into upstanding men and none of the people I know have had allegations of sexual assault levied against them, as far as I know. I haven't heard of anyone who came after me facing allegations of this nature, either. I sure hope that none of the kids in this program, now and in the future, are moronic enough or awful enough to land himself or themselves in this predicament.

I understand that false accusations can be made. And yes, the stigma of being accused of a sex crime will always be attached to the accused, regardless of its truthfulness. However, not believing an accusation that turns out to be true is just as worse as one that isn't. It is absolute hell for all parties involved, regardless of the outcome. All I can say is that you should listen to victims, even if you have your doubts at first. Let them tell their side of the story before making any kind of judgments.

And most importantly, have some respect for people. It really isn't that hard. "No means no" is literally one of the first lessons that we learn when we ask for something and we can't have it. If a girl or anyone who is suddenly the object of your affection doesn't want your attention... leave them alone. See someone getting harassed? Put a stop to it. Maybe assess the people you hang out with if you find out that they make horrible remarks on a regular basis.

I'm sure I'll get a hostile response for this, but I don't care. The hostility speaks more about you than it does me, to be honest.

Looking Ahead to 2019

What will 2019 have in store for the Wildcats?

Starting this year, there will be no spring football at Cy Woods. The Wildcats have elected to take the extra scrimmage and the early start during the summer. The first day of practice is August 5.

2018 Summary

2018 proved to be another wacky year for football in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District and sheer unpredictability has definitely become the norm. With the openings of Cy Park and Bridgeland, UIL rules required that the district be split and that was executed during the UIL's biennial realignment. The western half of Cy-Fair ISD was placed in Region II in a district with Bryan and Tomball Memorial, while the eastern half remained in place with the Spring Branch schools entering the fray.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats were beneficiaries of the split district as they were able to secure their first playoff berth since 2014 by virtue of finishing third in District 14-6A. Although their playoff run only lasted one game, the Cats continued to make progress on the road to regaining prominence. That season that I shall not mention again looks to be in the rear-view mirror and the immediate future looks bright for Cy Woods football.

Returning Lettermen

Italics - Player will be a junior in 2019

If anyone in this list does not intend to play next year, please let me know.

QB Jackson Jones
QB Dylan Cormier
RB Trayse Holmes
RB Jeshurun "JJ" Williams
SB Christian Scott
SB Pearson Chesnutt
SB Tre Mejía
SB Konner Sabrsula
WR Cam Sowell
WR Ryne Sterns
WR Ryan Faulk
OL Dom Londoño
OL Niko Thompson
OL Garrett Poor
OL Zack Bubenik
OL Braeden Barrett
DL Jason Christenson
DL Jakob Jones
DL Ryan Colwell
DL Austyn Cohrs
LB Tylan Foster
LB Colton Morris
DB Chase Richter
DB Kahlil Robinson
DB Tevis Adams
DB Reagan Simmons
DB Taber Tofte
DB Trajan Armstrong

I believe that this is the most returning lettermen that Cy Woods has had since maybe 2013.

Jackson Jones entered 2018 as the starter looking to build upon what was a promising sophomore season in 2017. However, he never got that chance as he got injured during the season opener against Cy Ridge and then Carson Danner's emergence in his absence relegated him to the backup spot. Fortunately, it's a good thing that he's gotten his first-year starter experience out of the way.

Trayse Holmes showed promise as Darion Morgan's backup during his sophomore season; he now steps into the spotlight and he should form a potent 1-2 punch at running back with J.J. Williams.

Jake Tesch's departure will require the Cats to replace 1,096 yards of total offense and 16 total touchdowns. Christian Scott is a returning starter at A-back and he'll be expected to replace the majority of that production. This brings us to the first position battle: the other A-back spot. Tre Mejía, Pearson Chesnutt, and Konner Sabrsula all received some playing time in backup capacities; will one of them emerge to claim this spot or will they get pushed by a sub-varsity player?

Cam Sowell emerged as a home-run threat in his first season as a starter, averaging 26 yards per reception. Obviously, Woods doesn't throw the ball as much these days, but he's a threat to score in any offensive system. The Cats could stand to add another player who can present that kind of threat in the offense. Scott and Sowell have shown that kind of playmaking ability; who else can step up to compliment them?

Ethan Agnew, a three-year starter at center, is graduating and will leave a leadership void along the offensive line. However, Garrett Poor and Zack Bubenik are both returning starters and Niko Thompson played in a backup role. Braeden Barrett and Dom Londoño also got a taste of varsity football as well, so this unit has a fair amount of experience returning. No spot is ever a lock on the Wildcat offensive line; it's always been an open competition for as long as I can remember.

Now, let's take a look at the defense. The long-maligned unit actually has a wealth of experience returning, as well.

The area of strength on defense surely has to be the secondary. Although Jackson Hosemann and Nolan Authorlee are graduating, the secondary still has proven players returning to the fold, most notably Chase Richter. Chase returns for his third year and his second full season as a starter. Naturally, he's going to be expected to serve as a leader for this team. I've heard great things about his work ethic and his desire to improve and I think he can be even better in his final season.

The Wildcats also return their normal starting front three in Jakob Jones, Jason Christenson, and Chris Agnew; Austyn Cohrs will be counted on to play a backup role. Agnew earned honorable mention All-District honors as a sophomore; can he take the next step forward and break out? Can any underclassmen come up and provide depth as well?

Tylan Foster and Colton Morris are the two returners at linebacker who played significant snaps. They'll be counted on to replace Mac Bird, who picked up right where he left off after a serious health scare cut his junior season short. Foster performed well after being inserted into the starting lineup. This will be a relatively young unit so I'm thinking some underclassmen will be pressed into starting spots here.

2019 Schedule

The schedule is the same opponents, just flip home and away. Again, please note that the Wildcats will have two scrimmages leading up to the regular season.

Scrimmage 1: 8/16 @ A&M Consolidated, 4:00/5:30/7:00
Scrimmage 2: 8/23 @ Foster, 4:00/5:30/7:00
Week 1: 8/29 (Thu) @ Cy Ridge - Pridgeon, 6:30
Week 2: 9/7 (Sat) vs. Spring - Pridgeon, 6:00
Week 3: 9/13 (Fri) vs. Tomball Memorial - Pridgeon, 7:00
Week 4: 9/19 (Thu) @ Langham Creek - CF-FCU
Week 5: 9/27 (Fri) vs. Bridgeland - CF-FCU, 7:00; this is actually Bridgeland's Homecoming game
Week 6: 10/5 (Sat) @ Cy Lakes - CF-FCU, 6:00
Week 7: 10/11 (Fri) vs. Cy Park - Homecoming XII at CF-FCU, 7:00
Week 8: 10/19 (Sat) @ Cy Springs - Pridgeon, 7:00
Week 9: 10/26 (Sat) vs. Cy Ranch - Pridgeon, 1:00
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: 11/8 (Fri) @ Bryan - Merrill Green, 7:00; the drive I've been waiting to make since realignment

See y'all during 7-on-7.

Wildcats Through the Years: 2018

The tenth anniversary season of Cy Woods football...

All photos by Tom Dendy.

Summary

Record: 7-4, 6-2 (t-2nd) in District 14-6A
Playoffs: Lost to Round Rock 56-49 in Class 6A Division I Region II bi-district round
Points scored: 438 (39.8 per game)
Points allowed: 385 (35 per game)
Largest margin of victory: 54 (61-7 vs. Cy Park)
Largest margin of defeat: 34 (55-21 vs. Tomball Memorial)
Most points scored: 63 vs. Cy Lakes
Most points allowed: 56 vs. Round Rock
Fewest points scored: 20 vs. Bryan
Fewest points allowed: 7 twice, vs. Cy Park and Cy Springs

Team Records Set or Tied

Longest touchdown run: Darion Morgan, 89 yards vs. Cy Lakes (new record)

Individual Records Set or Tied

Most rushing yards in a season: Carson Danner, 1,141 (new record)
Rushing touchdowns in a game: Carson Danner, 4 vs. Spring (tied)

Statistical Leaders

All statistics provided by Varsity Wires.

Passing: Carson Danner - 76-141 (53.1%), 1,408 yards, 18 TD, 8 INT
Rushing: Carson Danner - 207 rush, 1,141 yards (5.5 yards per carry), 19 TD
Receiving: Jacob Tesch - 29 catches, 532 yards (18.3 yards per catch), 9 TD
Points scored: Carson Danner - 114
Tackles: Maclaren Bird - 90
Tackles for loss: Bird - 7
Sacks: Bird, Tylan Foster, Jason Christenson - 2 each
Interceptions: Nolan Authorlee - 4
Fumbles recovered: Caleb Rutherford - 3

Schedule and Results

Week 1: L 47-21 vs. Cy Ridge (Pridgeon)
Week 2: W 49-41 @ Spring (Leonard George)
Week 3: L 55-21 @ Tomball Memorial (Tomball ISD Stadium)
Week 4: W 41-39 vs. Langham Creek (Cy-Fair FCU Stadium)
Week 5: W 56-14 @ Bridgeland (CF-FCU)
Week 6: W 63-55 vs. Cy Lakes (Homecoming XI at Pridgeon)
Week 7: W 61-7 @ Cy Park (Pridgeon)
Week 8: W 36-7 vs. Cy Springs (CF-FCU)
Week 9: L 45-21 @ Cy Ranch (CF-FCU)
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: W 20-19 vs. Bryan (Pridgeon)
Bi-District: L 56-49 vs. Round Rock (CF-FCU)

The Rundown

The Cypress Woods Wildcats found themselves on the periphery of the playoff picture in District 17-6A in 2017 despite having the pre-season wiped out by Hurricane Harvey. It was truly a season of learning and they almost managed to snap their playoff drought in the process.

Unfortunately, almost doing something most likely means that it wasn't actually accomplished. With a full season of a new offense under their belt, the Cats were expected to mount a legitimate challenge for a playoff spot in 2018. Would a new district bolster their chances of mounting that challenge? They, along with the western half of Cy-Fair ISD, were moved to Region II to share a district with Bryan and Tomball Memorial.

With a full season of starts under his belt, Jackson Jones was expected to take a significant step forward in his development. Unfortunately, he ended up getting hurt shortly after the Cy Ridge game and Carson Danner's emergence relegated him to a backup role. All Danner ended up doing was setting the Cy Woods single-season record for rushing yards on his way to being named the Offensive MVP in District 14-6A.

Jacob Tesch, finally healthy, showed how explosive he could be on the ground and in the passing game by averaging just over ten yards each time he touched the ball. He and Christian Scott wreaked havoc when they hit the edges and found space. Darion Morgan devoured chunks of yardage between the tackles. Cam Sowell emerged as a home run threat. Brock Gunderson and Ethan Agnew returned to anchor the Cy Woods offensive line, accompanied by Garrett Poor, Zack Bubenik, and Tyler Hopmann.

Mac Bird led the team in tackles in 2017 despite playing in just four games. He made a full recovery from his health scare, played a full season, and led the Cats in tackles once again in 2018. Jackson Turnbow, Caleb Rutherford, and Tylan Foster also turned in solid seasons from the second level of the defense. Chris Agnew made an impact on the defensive line as a sophomore. Chase Richter emerged as the leader of the Wildcat secondary and provided some physical play from his safety spot.

Could the Wildcats finally snap their playoff drought?

Season

Chapter 11 of Cy Woods Football, the tenth anniversary season, began on September 1, 2018, as the Wildcats faced off against the Cypress Ridge Rams at Pridgeon Stadium.

Week 1: L 47-21 vs. Cy Ridge

Well, that wasn't the way to start off a season in which you are trying to end a playoff drought.

The Cats fell flat on their faces right out of the gate as they were doomed by a disastrous stretch in which the Rams scored 19 points in 38 seconds right before halftime. The offense couldn't get much going, the defense got gashed all day by Noah Smith, and special teams proved to be an adventure as a muffed kickoff allowed Ridge to score one of their three touchdowns in the last minute of the first half.

Chase Richter led the way on defense with seven tackles. In his first varsity game, Trayse Holmes ran for 46 yards on 13 carries. So... yeah. Not too many bright spots to begin 2018.

Would a road trip get the Wildcats' season off the ground?

Week 2: W 49-41 @ Spring

Jackson Jones went down with an injury in the lead-up to this game, so in stepped Carson Danner to make his first start. All he did in this game was run for 127 yards and four touchdowns and he also threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tesch. The Cats trailed by a point entering the fourth quarter, but a couple of touchdown runs from Danner spurred them on to a big road win. Darion Morgan also ran for 100 yards in this game; he had 108 and scored the Cats' first touchdown in this game. Christian Scott also ran for 101 yards as the Cats put up 405 yards on the ground in a huge momentum-building victory.

Nolan Authorlee had eight tackles and a sack. I can't remember the last time a secondary player had a sack for Cy Woods. I don't think Bryce Callahan ever recorded a sack when he was at Woods.

With the victory, Cy Woods split the non-district portion of their schedule. The second leg of their road trip took them to Tomball for a game that officially mattered in the standings. For an anniversary season, the Wildcats celebrated plenty of firsts.

Week 3: L 55-21 @ Tomball Memorial

Well, uh... that first trip to Tomball turned out to be quite the nightmare as Cy Woods had absolutely no answer for Tomball Memorial's tandem of Christian Lovick and Colbie Habermacher. Lovick ran for 203 and two touchdowns while Habermacher had 171 and three scores.

Woods had a chance to score on the second play of the game, but Danner overthrew a wide-open Connor Faulk. On Tomball Memorial's first play... Chandler Galban chucked the ball downfield and Logan Kyle snagged the pass for a 99-yard touchdown. Cy Woods managed to keep pace early on, but unfortunately, the offense came crashing to a halt and they ended up getting buried by a 34-0 run to end the game.

Danner ran for 79 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Richter had 16 tackles and Mac Bird chipped in with 14 tackles of his own.

The Cats only played three games, but they suddenly found themselves staring at a must-win game against Langham Creek, who also needed a win after dropping their first three games. Both teams needed a win to stay in contact with the top four. Something had to give...

Week 4: W 41-39 vs. Langham Creek

...and in the end, Cy Woods managed to get themselves off the canvas as they staved off a one-man comeback attempt from longtime nemesis Chris Herron and stole the game from right under the Lobos' noses thanks to a 47-yard field goal from Gustavo Olmedo. The defense also stopped Herron at the one-yard line on the two-point conversion following a touchdown that put Langham Creek in the lead in the final minute of the game, which I think was probably the biggest stop of the season for that unit.

The Cats forced seven turnovers and all seven of them were charged to Herron; they picked him off four times and he lost three fumbles (out of five). Carson Danner once again had a huge night as he ran for 169 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 183 and two more scores. Chase Richter once again led the way in tackles with seven.

Week 5: W 56-14 @ Bridgeland

The thrilling victory over Langham proved to be the spark that Cy Woods needed as they made quick work of the debuting Bears to close out the first half of the regular season. Aside from gifting Bridgeland a touchdown in the first quarter and forgetting that the second half started, the Cats absolutely tore the Bears apart. They had a little bulletin board material entering this game as a Bridgeland student interning for Vype published an article predicting a Bridgeland victory. And also, there was probably not much love for this crowd considering that it consists of old Ranch people.

Trayse Holmes ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcat defense shackled the top-ranked offense in District 14-6A, holding the Bears to just 162 yards on the evening. Jackson Hosemann had two interceptions and Tylan Foster had two sacks.

Week 6: W 63-55 vs. Cy Lakes


Cy Woods had a happy Homecoming as they topped a vastly improved Cy Lakes squad that made things rather interesting in the fourth quarter as they cut deep into what had been a 63-33 lead. Well, it's probably a good thing that the Cats scored enough to withstand that last-ditch assault. Lakes scored twice within the first minute of the fourth and it made for some nervy times on the Woods side...

On the first play from scrimmage, Darion Morgan set a new Cy Woods record for the longest scoring touchdown run when he took the handoff and burst up the middle untouched from 89 yards. The Cats rolled up 484 yards on the ground in this game. Carson Danner ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 183 and three scores. Mac Bird led the way on defense with a dozen tackles.

Week 7: W 61-7 @ Cy Park


The Wildcats made short work of the district's other debutants, Cy Park, and everyone on the roster got to play. What else is there to say?

Week 8: W 36-7 vs. Cy Springs

Cy Woods also made quick work of a bottom-three team as they held the Panthers to 99 yards of offense, 52 of which came on the only touchdown they allowed on the night. When the rain came, the Cats decided that there was no point in needlessly extending the game so they got out of there as quickly as possible.

Week 9: L 45-21 @ Cy Ranch

No comment.

Week 10: Bye

The best part of losing a game to a team you can't stand is having to stew over it for another week!

Week 11: W 20-19 vs. Bryan

Ooh, this one got unexpectedly tense in the second half as the Vikings managed to tie the game in the third quarter on a pair of touchdown runs from Ja'lijah Tyler. Luckily, they missed one of the extra points. Carson Danner found the end zone to put the Cats back in front, but two minutes later, Bryan scored again and lined up for a go-ahead two-point conversion that Woods ultimately thwarted.

I changed my mind. This was the biggest stop that the Cy Woods defense got in 2018. The Cats messed around in this game and almost bought themselves a trip to Austin in the process. Fortunately, they pulled themselves together and escaped with the #1 seed in Division I still in their possession. This was the first game that Cy Woods was held to 20 points or fewer and won. Danner ran for 154 yards and his fourth-quarter touchdown run turned out to be the winning score. He also opened the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tesch in the first quarter.

Postseason

The Cypress Woods Wildcats made their first appearance in the Texas high school football playoffs in four years and on top of that, they earned the right to host a bi-district game. They welcomed the Round Rock Dragons to Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on November 17.

These two teams lit up the scoreboard with little effort during the regular season and there was no shortage of fireworks in this matchup.

Unfortunately, special teams turned out to be the difference as the Dragons escaped with a 56-49 victory. Ryan O'Keefe returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and then they returned another kick for a touchdown when the Cats let an onside attempt roll because it hadn't traveled ten yards. Well... they unwittingly opened up a hole for Patrick Layne and he burst through untouched. The Dragons also recovered a muffed kickoff which allowed them to score what was their second touchdown within a 30-second span in the third quarter to take the lead.

The Cats' offense faced very little resistance from the Round Rock defense, but they lost the turnover battle and decisively lost the special teams battle. They didn't do the little things, or if they did, they were done incorrectly. A shame, because this was absolutely a winnable game.

Darion Morgan saved the best game of his Cy Woods career for last as he ran for 217 yards and a touchdown. Morgan ran the ball 25 times and was not stopped for no gain or a loss of yardage on any of his rushing attempts. Carson Danner threw for 184 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 124 yards. Jacob Tesch caught two touchdown passes and ran for two touchdowns. Mac Bird recorded 11 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Superlatives

Seventeen Wildcats earned All-District 14-6A honors; six were named to the first team (Carson Danner was selected twice on the first team as a quarterback and the punter), seven to the second team (Jake Tesch was a first-team receiver and the second-team returner), and five earned honorable mentions.

Carson Danner was named District 14-6A's offensive MVP. The Agnew brothers, Chris and Ethan, are the first brothers in program history to earn all-district honors in the same season.

The press release from the district website had Nolan Authorlee selected to both all-district teams as a defensive back.

Congratulations to these athletes! #allDistrict @CyWood_Boosters @CyWoods212 pic.twitter.com/hufb5ha56M

— Cy Woods Football (@CyWoodsFB212) November 30, 2018

In Conclusion

Jake Tesch, Ethan Agnew, Connor Faulk, and Brock Gunderson were sophomores during that disastrous 2016 season. As the last holdovers from that team, getting the opportunity to take part in a playoff game as seniors truly had to be satisfying for all of them.

Though the Wildcats' playoff journey only lasted one game, the 2018 season marked a significant step forward in Cy Woods football's journey back to prominence after crashing to the bottom of the standings in 2016. It was a testament to the work ethic of the senior class of 2019 as they took ownership of the rebuilding process and helped lead the team back to the playoffs.

Round Rock 56, Cy Woods 49: The End

Final 2018 Record: 7-4, 6-2 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

Link to photos for this game

The buzz surrounding the Cy Woods community as they prepared for their first playoff appearance since 2014 was palpable.

Unfortunately, this year's playoff run lasted one game as the Round Rock Dragons escaped the Berry Center with a 56-49 victory. In a game replete with twists and wild momentum shifts, the Wildcats would ultimately fall short.

A few too many mistakes and the Dragons had a few more plays go their way. As Mrs. McGown always used to say, "it is what it is." The Cats showed great poise coming back from multiple two-score deficits throughout the course of this game and fought valiantly, but in the end, they couldn't get the stops they needed as Dragon quarterback Ryan O'Keefe gashed them all afternoon. There might have been a few jitters coming from playing in a game of this magnitude for the first time in a while.

There's no worse feeling than having someone come into your house, onto your field, and coming away with the victory. Your home field was desecrated by the enemy. That should absolutely feel like a hard slap to your collective faces. Remember this game when you host Spring and Tomball Memorial at whichever Cy-Fair ISD stadium they're slated to visit in 2019. Remember this game when whichever District 13-6A team comes to Cypress for the bi-district game. Know that you must always protect your house.

This still feels like an extremely fresh wound, so I don't think that I can talk about this game in detail. The only thing that anyone needs to know about this game is that Cy Woods lost and their season is over.

Even now, almost ten years later, the mood for me is always somber when another Cy Woods football season comes to a close. Fortunately, I can take solace in the fact that once spring begins, everyone starts from square one. I've also realized that it's better for me to say less, as I know that nothing I say to these seniors will be able to take away the pain of realizing that a chapter of their lives has officially come to a close. I only hope that what I say can mollify this pain.

To the Class of 2019... the amount of work that you put in to restore the culture of this program cannot be understated. You saw firsthand how bad things could get when you were sophomores. As seniors, you led Cy Woods football back to the playoffs and this is how you will be remembered.

Class of 2020... this is your team now. This year, the seniors essentially reset the bar after it completely fell off. What will you do to raise it?

Bowing out of the playoffs in the first round is a feeling that is completely foreign to Cy Woods football. But, every team that has ever made the playoffs in this state has experienced such bitterness at least once in their history. This pain isn't unique. Don't wallow over this, use it as motivation.

Sophomores and freshmen... you've felt the thrill of a playoff run. You've seen your senior brothers put in a tremendous amount of work over these last three years just to get Cy Woods back to this stage. How will you help your brothers in the class of 2020 maintain this momentum and when it is your turn to inherit this team, what will you do to ensure that Cy Woods remains a playoff fixture for years to come?

Statistics

From Varsity Wires.

If there is any solace that Carson Danner can take from this game, it is the fact that he has set a new Cy Woods single-season record for rushing yards with 1,141. The previous record was 1,118, which was set by R.J. Harmon in 2014.

Looking Ahead

It's the offseason. Fortunately, it will be slightly shorter than the last three. I'll be updating the stats and whatnot and maybe I'll be out at other Cy Woods sporting events throughout the winter and spring.

With kids like Chase Richter, Tylan Foster, Cam Sowell, Jackson Jones, Jason Christenson, Buster Cohrs, and Christian Scott all returning, there should be plenty of buzz surrounding the Cypress Woods Wildcats in 2019. But like I said... what will they do to raise the bar that has now been reset?

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #1: Colton Huntsman

Closing out the countdown with a man who pretty much owns the Wildcats' record book on offense.

#1: Colton Huntsman, QB, 2008-10

College: Air Force

Photo by Don Carson

Records Held and Accomplishments at Cy Woods

Two-time 1st-team All-District (15-5A, 2009; 17-5A, 2010)
Two-time team captain
Most passing yards in a season - 2,874, 2009
Most career passing yards - 5,651
Most career passing touchdowns - 51
Most career rushing yards - 2,285
Most career rushing touchdowns - 42

Notable Games

2008 vs. Cy Springs - 14 rush, 127 yards, 3 TD; first varsity game
2009 vs. Klein Oak - 16-23, 442 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT; 16 rush, 71 yards, 4 TD
2010 vs. Cy Creek - 7-11, 287 yards, 2 TD; 17 rush, 104 yards, 2 TD
2010 vs. Cy Ridge - 18-30, 284 yards, 5 TD; 15 rush, 68 yards, TD
2010 vs. Clear Creek - 15-24, 199 yards, INT; 22 rush, 191 yards, 2 TD

Ah, I remember Colton Huntsman's first game at the varsity level. He was moved up when Lucas Devilliers went down with an injury and his very first start came on Homecoming. Colton didn't do much with regards to passing that night; it was his running ability that got him the attention. He was basically the change-of-pace quarterback as a sophomore and he provided Wildcat fans with a preview of what was to come. I saw him during JV games and it looked like he was simply on a different plane talent-wise from everyone else.

Colton Huntsman was someone who not only was the best player on the field, he elevated the level of play from his teammates week in and week out. No situation was too daunting for him. He wasn't the fastest, but the way he made his cuts upfield were absolutely effortless. It was as if he was gliding across the field. He also had an amusing tendency to get caught from behind once he reached the end zone. He made his fair share of mistakes on the field, but they'd almost always get negated because he would respond with multiple huge plays in succession. Whether it's breaking off a 30-yard run or connecting with Isaiah Battle or Johnathan Cross through the air, watching Colton Huntsman play football was poetry in motion.

I've seen hundreds of players pass through this program and without a doubt, the two best players to ever come through are Bryce Callahan and Colton Huntsman. If Cypress Woods High School had a Johnny Manziel-like figure, it would be Colton, without a doubt.

After Cy Woods, Colton played at the Air Force Academy and after a lengthy training process, is now licensed to fly the F-22 Raptor. 

Know the Enemy: Round Rock Dragons

6A Division I, Region II Bi-District: Cypress Woods Wildcats (7-3) vs. Round Rock Dragons (6-4)
3:00 PM Saturday, November 17, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats concluded the regular season with a 20-19 victory over Bryan. Carson Danner threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tesch and also ran for 154 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Mac Bird led the way with eight tackles and Caleb Rutherford forced a fumble and recovered another.

And now, for the first time since 2014, the Cypress Woods Wildcats will participate in the Texas High School Football playoffs. It's been entirely too long since the last time this team and this community had an opportunity to take part in these festivities.

The Road to Arlington begins now!

6A Division I, Region II

Allen vs. Rowlett
Rockwall vs. Belton
Cedar Ridge vs. Langham Creek
The Woodlands vs. Aldine Davis
Sachse vs. Plano East
Hewitt Midway vs. Mesquite
Cy Woods vs. Round Rock
Klein Oak vs. Spring

The Enemy: Round Rock Dragons

2018 record: 6-4, 5-3 (4th) in District 13-6A

This will be the first meeting between the Wildcats and the Dragons. Round Rock will be the 33rd different opponent that Cy Woods has played.

Round Rock season-to-date

W 36-7 @ Harker Heights
L 45-24 vs. Belton
W 67-41 vs. McNeil
W 51-42 @ Westwood
L 27-24 vs. Vandegrift
W 49-30 @ Leander
W 43-7 vs. Stony Point
L 70-56 @ Cedar Ridge
L 56-35 vs. Hendrickson
W 73-21 @ Vista Ridge

Players to Watch

Ryan O'Keefe - SR QB #4
Seth Ford - SOPH QB #10
Marquis Brown - SR RB #36
Colin Sullivan - JR WR #9
Garrett Miller - SR ATH #33
Ashton Millers - SR LB #19
Isaiah Hernandez - SR DL #96
Julian Jones - SR DL #48
Haydan Frisbie - SR DB #26
Jordan Smart - JR DB #14

2¢ on Round Rock

While the Wildcats had to fight their way to a victory against Bryan, the Dragons set a school record for points scored in their season finale against Vista Ridge. Yes, they did it against a 1-9 team, but they have demonstrated that they are extremely capable of scoring points in a hurry. They have also demonstrated that they are extremely capable of giving up points in a hurry; only Vista Ridge and Leander, the bottom two teams in District 13-6A, allowed more points than the Dragons did during the regular season.

Sounds a lot like... Cy Woods. Only the bottom three teams in District 14-6A allowed more points than the Wildcats. The Wildcats know how to score points in rapid-fire fashion and they've also had moments where they've given up points in rapid-fire fashion. Which defense will show up?

The Dragons have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in their backfield with Ryan O'Keefe, who is averaging over ten yards per run, and Marquis Brown. Oh, and they've both scored 20 touchdowns apiece. O'Keefe is a solid passer, but when the Dragons really want to throw, they'll turn to Seth Ford, a sophomore who has completed nearly 69% of his passes. Ford is also averaging nearly 20 yards per attempt. Colin Sullivan leads the Dragons in receiving and has started since his freshman year. 

The big name on the roster is Garrett Miller, a Purdue commit who plays both ways. Standing at 6-6, 230, Miller has the blend of size and speed to cause nightmares for opposing defenses. He also has a couple of sacks on defense as well, so he's definitely going to be on the field as much as possible. 

The Round Rock defense has a blend of experience and youth across the board, but it's predominantly a young defense. Ashton Millers and Matt Bentley lead a solid group of linebackers, Haydan Frisbie is the senior leader of a young secondary, and Isaiah Hernandez is an imposing presence in the trenches; he leads the Dragons in sacks. Neil McCarty, Kyler Kirkpatrick, and Carson Otworth are three of the youngsters who have emerged as playmakers for the Dragon defense.

Location of Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

By now, I hope that you all know where it is located.

Cy Woods 20, Bryan 19: Nothing Easy

2018 Record: 7-3, 6-2 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

Photos for this week's games

In their final tune-up before the playoffs, the Cypress Woods Wildcats suddenly found themselves in a fight in the second half. Fortunately, they emerged with a 20-19 victory over the Bryan Vikings in the first meeting between the two teams. The result of this game meant that Cy Woods clinched the #1 seed for District 14-6A in the Class 6A Division 1 bracket of the Texas high school football playoffs.

The Viking defense was as good as advertised; they kept the Cats in check for much of the second half and they held out long enough for their offense to suddenly awaken in the third quarter. Woods saw a 13-0 halftime lead vanish and that spawned some tension in the stands. The Vikings weren't necessarily putting together five-minute drives, either; instead, they took advantage of some good field position that set up their touchdowns. In fact, Bryan converted both of the turnovers they forced into touchdowns.

In a game as tight as this, one miscue can definitely decide the game. I think it's definitely reasonable to say that the Cats had luck on their side on Thursday because had the Vikes executed on a couple of plays where they had Woods dead to rights, they could have won this game. Maybe they were looking ahead to next week.

Well, they made just enough plays to survive this game, so now they can start thinking about the playoffs.

Connor Faulk, Jake Tesch, Brock Gunderson, and Ethan Agnew were all sophomores in 2016 and they are the last holdovers from a Cy Woods team that crashed to the bottom with a program-worst 2-8 record. For them, the thought of finally getting the opportunity to participate in the playoffs in their senior seasons has to be tremendously satisfying.

A couple of notes from this game...

- This was the first time that Cy Woods has ever won a game in which they scored 20 points or fewer; previously, they were 0-20 in such games.

- Coach Faith is now tied with Coach Jones with 38 wins.

Game Summed Up in an Image I Found on the Internet

What Happened

The Wildcats got a victory to get some momentum heading into the playoffs, but the Vikings had a chance to radically alter their route.

Cy Woods dodged a huge bullet on the game's first drive when Jonathan Sparkman left Reagan Simmons in the dust on a go route on a third down... only to drop the pass from Nico Bulhof. Sparkman would have scored easily had he made the catch. The Cats and Vikings traded punts to start things off; Bulhof had a nice kick that was fair caught by Jake Tesch at the 7. That ended up being irrelevant as the Cats covered 93 yards in just four plays, capped off by Tesch's 39-yard touchdown catch that opened the scoring.

End of 1st Quarter: Cy Woods 7, Bryan 0

Gustavo Olmedo hit a couple of 38-yard field goals that accounted for the only scoring in the second quarter.

Halftime: Cy Woods 13, Bryan 0

Woods failed to convert a fourth down in their own territory on the first drive of the second half, so that set Bryan up with great field position. However, the defense managed to quash the threat when Buster Cohrs recovered a fumble in the red zone. The Cats couldn't capitalize, however, and a nice punt return put the Vikes in Cy Woods territory again. Ja'lijah Tyler busted loose for 39 yards to put them in business, and one play later, he put Bryan on the board with a seven-yard touchdown run in which he had to navigate through a slew of bodies strewn all over the field.

Carson Danner then threw an interception that set up the Vikings' next scoring drive. On 3rd and 17, Bulhof chucked up a prayer that was received by Matt Moreno, giving them first and goal. Two plays later, Tyler punched it in and Bulhof, who missed the extra point on the Vikings' first touchdown, hit on his second chance to tie the game at 13, setting the stage for a nerve-wracking final 12 minutes.

End of 3rd Quarter: Cy Woods 13, Bryan 13

On third down, Danner kept the Cats' first drive of the fourth quarter alive by busting loose for 22 yards. Two plays later, he put Cy Woods back in front with a nine-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing Bryan drive, Tyler got loose again with a 37-yard run to put them at the Cy Woods 30. However, Nolan Authorlee got an interception to end that Bryan threat.

Unfortunately, one play later, Darion Morgan was stripped and the Vikings recovered the fumble at the Cy Woods' six-yard line. Bulhof backed into the end zone from three yards out and they decided to go for two and the lead. The Cats were ready for the trickery as Reagan Simmons picked off Matt Moreno, who was looking to throw after getting the ball on a reverse. Simmons returned the ball for two points, but a block in the back wiped the points off the board. Bryan got another big punt return, but Jakob Jones jarred the ball loose from Jalen Davis, and Caleb Rutherford, who forced a fumble earlier in the game, recovered the fumble that allowed Cy Woods to escape with the victory.

Final: Cy Woods 20, Bryan 19

Ground

Carson Danner became the first Wildcat since R.J. Harmon in 2014 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. With 1,017 yards, he is now 102 yards away from setting a new single-season record; R.J. finished with 1,118 yards.

The touchdown run in the fourth gives Danner 19 on the season; he's four away from setting another single-season record that currently belongs to Nick Hooper, who ran for 22 touchdowns in 2014.

Bryan seemingly went all-in on outside containment; they were not going to let Jake Tesch or Christian Scott beat them, which is why Danner finished with over three times as many rushing attempts as the next person.

Carson Danner: 29 rush, 154 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 7 rush, 46 yards
Darion Morgan: 8 rush, 42 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 16 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 rush, 2 yards
Team: 2 rush, -2 yards; Danner kneeled twice to end the game

Air

Jake Tesch almost had a completion off a halfback pass, but a big hit jarred the ball free from Connor Faulk's grasp.

Carson Danner: 4-9, 80 yards, TD, INT
Jake Tesch: 0-1

Jake Tesch: 2 catches, 68 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 9 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 catch, 3 yards

Defense

The Cats held Bryan to just 37 yards of offense in the first half. They suddenly had some issues with the big play when the Vikings made their comeback bid, however.

Ja'lijah Tyler proved to be a thorn in Cy Woods' side all night, but fortunately, he was really the only Viking who could get anything going on offense.

Nolan Authorlee's interception in the third quarter was his fourth of the season. That was nice to see considering that the Vikings hung a couple of big plays on him earlier in the quarter. He could have had another interception in the fourth quarter but he dropped the ball; he would've scored had he hung on. Mac Bird also dropped what would have been a pick-six early in the game. Caleb Rutherford forced a fumble and recovered another that was forced by Jakob Jones; Buster Cohrs recovered the fumble that Caleb forced.

Twenty Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Mac Bird led the way with eight.

Special Teams

Danner smacked his longest punt of the season, a 64-yarder that resulted in a touchback. Gustavo Olmedo hit on all four of his kicks: two field goals and two extra points.

Jake Tesch: 3 punts returned, 18 yards; 1 kickoff returned, 10 yards
Tre Mejia: 1 kick returned, 0 yards; he caught the kick inbounds and his momentum took him out of bounds afterward.

Man of the Match

I'll go with Caleb Rutherford as he came up huge by having a hand in forcing two of Bryan's three turnovers in this game.

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will begin their road to Arlington at 3 PM on Saturday, November 17 when they take on the Round Rock Dragons at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium in a Class 6A Division 1, Region 2 Bi-district playoff game.

Know the Enemy: Bryan Vikings

Week 11: Cypress Woods Wildcats (6-3, 5-2) vs. Bryan Vikings (4-5, 3-4)
7:00 PM Thursday, November 8, 2018
Pridgeon Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats were off, so that forced them to stew over their loss to Cy Ranch a little longer than usual. However, they were not required to do anything in order to clinch a playoff berth as Ranch defeated Bryan 27-0 on Friday. That result means that the four playoff representatives in District 14-6A have now been determined.

Congratulations to Cy Ranch, Tomball Memorial, and Langham Creek! The Mustangs and TMHS will play in Division II, while Woods and Langham will head off to Division I.

It's the season finale. Here's the situation in District 14-6A and District 13-6A heading into the final week of the regular season.

District 14-6A

Bold - clinched playoff berth
Italics - in a playoff spot but has not clinched the playoff berth
Strike - eliminated

1. Cy Ranch (9-0, 7-0)
2. Tomball Memorial (8-1, 6-1)
3. Cy Woods (6-3, 5-2)
4. Langham Creek (5-4, 5-2)
5. Cy Lakes (5-5, 4-4)
6. Bryan (4-5, 3-4)
7. Bridgeland (2-7, 1-6)
8. Cy Springs (1-8, 1-6)
9. Cy Park (0-9, 0-7)

Last Week in District 14-6A

Bye: Cy Woods

Langham Creek 59, Cy Park 2
Tomball Memorial 65, Cy Springs 17
Cy Ranch 27, Bryan 0
Cy Lakes 35, Bridgeland 23

This Week in District 14-6A

Bye: Cy Lakes

The playoff picture is almost complete. We know who's advancing and we know which bracket they'll be playing in. All that's left to determine is the seeding.

If Cy Woods were to lose this game, the tiebreaker advantage that they have over Langham Creek will probably be rendered irrelevant. The Lobos will likely be heavy favorites against Cy Springs.

So yes... this week's game carries some significance. Of course, a win means that the #1 seed in Division I is theirs.

Thursday
Cy Ranch vs. Tomball Memorial, 6:30 at CF-FCU
Cy Woods vs. Bryan, 7:00 at Pridgeon

Friday
Cy Park vs. Bridgeland, 7:00 at CF-FCU

Saturday
Cy Springs vs. Langham Creek, 1:00 at CF-FCU

District 13-6A

1. Vandegrift (9-0, 7-0)
2. Cedar Ridge (7-2, 6-1)
3. Hendrickson (6-2, 5-2)
4. Round Rock (5-4, 4-3)
5. Stony Point (6-3, 4-3)
6. McNeil (4-5, 3-4)
7. Westwood (4-5, 2-5)
8. Vista Ridge (1-8, 1-6)
9. Leander (1-9, 0-8)

Two games to watch... Round Rock-Vista Ridge and Stony Point-Vandegrift.

Yeah... unless Vandegrift decides to rest their starters and Vista Ridge has the game of their lives, I think the top four in District 13-6A is set. Should the standings hold, Cy Woods will take on the Round Rock Dragons in the bi-district round.

The Enemy: Bryan Vikings

2017 Record: 3-7, 1-5 (6th) in District 18-5A
Did not qualify for playoffs

This will be the first meeting between Cy Woods and Bryan. The Vikings will be the 32nd different team that Cy Woods has played.

According to the Bryan High School website, Bryan High School's namesake, Travis B. Bryan, was a descendant of the family that founded the city of Bryan. William Joel Bryan, who I assume was an ancestor of his, was a nephew of Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas. The most notable person to graduate from Bryan High by far is Ty Warren, a defensive lineman who went on to play at Texas A&M and then played a starring role on two Super Bowl-winning teams with the New England Patriots.

Bryan season-to-date

W 20-10 vs. Waller
L 20-0 @ A&M Consolidated
L 21-14 vs. Tomball Memorial
L 28-14 @ Langham Creek
W 42-21 vs. Bridgeland
L 3-0 @ Cy Lakes
W 42-7 vs. Cy Park
W 36-0 @ Cy Springs
L 27-0 vs. Cy Ranch

The Vikings were shut out for the third time this season as Cy Ranch did their damage and got out with a 27-0 victory. As I mentioned earlier, this loss eliminated Bryan from playoff contention and allowed Cy Woods and Langham Creek to clinch the final two playoff spots in District 14-6A.

Players to Watch

Kerry Brooks - JR QB #8
Matt Moreno - SR ATH #6
Jeremiah Manley - SR WR #3
Jose Gandara - JR WR #25
Troy Chumchal - SR OL #57
Ja'Various Sullivan - SR DL #90
Dylan Carroll - JR DL #91
Deterious Bryant - SR LB #26
David Parks - SR LB #31
Jonathan Sparkman - SR DB #24
Darius Peterson - SOPH DB #21
Xavier Johnson - JR DB #17

2¢ on Bryan

The Vikings are playing in the highest classification for high school athletics in the state of Texas for the first time since 2013 and the first time since the top class became 6A. They've been aligned with Cy-Fair ISD schools at various points during the 20th century and the last time they shared a district with Cy-Fair ISD schools was 2001.

Jonathan Sparkman leads the Viking secondary and he'll be accompanied by Xavier Johnson and a couple of promising sophomores in Kenny Collins and Darius Peterson. Deterious Bryant, David Parks, and Nick McDaniel are all solid linebackers. Ja'Various Sullivan, Dylan Carroll, and Alex Young are all imposing presences on the line of scrimmage. Bryan's defense has yet to allow more than 30 points in a game... and yet they find themselves out of the playoff picture. What gives?

Well, the Viking offense has been its own worst enemy, especially in the early part of the season and the only times that they've scored more than 30 points in a game this season came against the bottom three teams in the district.

Kerry Brooks leads the Bryan offense and stylistically, his game is pretty reminiscent of Chris Herron. Brooks has the upside but has made his fair share of miscues. Matt Moreno does a little bit of everything for the Vikings; he's their leading receiver, leads them in rushing touchdowns, and also serves as the backup quarterback. Troy Chumchal is the anchor of the Viking offensive line, which has had serious issues all season. Sparkman has recently stepped in at wideout because of injuries to Gary Lynch and Moreno, who has since returned. Sparkman is not the only person who's switched sides for the Vikings; Elyja Harper, who had been a linebacker for most of the year, is now a receiver as well.


Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Bryan, JV at Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday. Bryan will play some freshman-level games at Rudder High School. The Vikings have two freshman teams but only one JV team.

Location of Merrill Green Stadium



Location of James Earl Rudder High School

An Evening with the Tivy Antlers

With Cy Woods having last week off, I decided to go out for a drive on Friday. After all, it was an absolutely beautiful day and I hadn't gone out for a long drive since the summer. This would be the first time that I'd go on a drive starting in the late afternoon, though.

My destination? Lockhart, the Barbecue Capital of Texas. I went out that way to watch some 5A football and to catch up with a few gentlemen from my past. Sadly, there was no time for me to get food though.

Aside from having to endure one long work zone on I-10 in Waller County, the drive was refreshing and incident-free. And yes, there were two trips to Buc-ee's shoehorned into the itinerary.

My photos.

Top: Bleachers of wood, seats of metal

Bottom: Tivy's run-through sign 

Sorry, those are the only two I took all night

As for the game, the Tivy Antlers made the journey from one end of the Hill Country in Kerrville to the other as they took on the Lockhart Lions. The Antlers traveled well and had a solid contingent in the stands. The Lions were on the periphery of the playoff race but they also had a nice turnout for their final home game of 2018.

The first quarter literally lasted an eternity. Daequan Ellison opened the scoring in Lockhart's favor when he scored from 75 yards on the first play of the game. He ended up running for 245 yards in the first quarter and in a little over 13 minutes of game time, Ellison had 366 yards and five touchdowns on just nine carries. 

Somehow, Tivy emerged from the first 12 minutes with a 35-28 lead as they managed to keep pace with their dynamic duo of Trapper Pannell and Karson Valverde. Unfortunately, Ellison and his brother, Daetron, emerged as serious problems for the Antler defense as the Lions regained the momentum in the second quarter. Again, though, Tivy managed to stay in contact even as they missed a field goal at the halftime buzzer that would have cut the Lockhart lead to 45-41. They would completely turn the tables on the Lions in the second half. Lockhart could only muster up a field goal in the final 24 minutes and the Antlers were finally able to take control and came away with a 62-48 victory.

Daequan Ellison finished with 444 yards and five touchdowns. In addition, Daetron Ellison chipped in with 190 yards of his own and scored twice. I can't say I've seen or heard it all because that statement simply isn't true. This was definitely the first time that I saw a team allow almost 700 rushing yards and still win a football game. You are guaranteed to see (or hear about) some weird things every week in Texas high school football... 

After the game, I got to catch up with Coach Jones, Coach Hickman, and Coach Kubacak. As many of you remember, Coach Jones was Cy Woods' first head coach. Coach Hickman, who is the defensive coordinator at Tivy, coached the cornerbacks and then the linebackers at Cy Woods. And finally, Coach K is Tivy's offensive coordinator; he was the running backs coach at Woods. 

I met Coach Jones' family for the first time since they left Houston. I remember his twin sons, Cade and Carson, running around with the limitless energy typically found in toddlers; now, they're in middle school serving as ball boys for the team while they wait for their opportunity to become Antlers. Ryan Kate, his daughter, just started high school and she was about midway through elementary school when they were still in Cypress.

Coach Hickman told me that Lockhart was a team that they had little trouble with over the last seven years but they surely made a few tweaks to the Slot-T attack and that caused them so much trouble early on. The Lions wanted in on the Tivy track meet and they caused a legitimate nuisance in the first half. Whatever Coach Hickman said at halftime to fire up his kids definitely worked in the end.

I left with the impression that these Tivy boys can play. They've got the talent to make some serious noise in 5A Division II. If they were at Woods, they'd definitely play.

I mentioned Karson Valverde and Trapper Pannell earlier. Valverde finished with 260 total yards and six touchdowns. He's been their home-run threat all season and they needed every single yard and every single touchdown out of him on Friday. Pannell, meanwhile, threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns, added another touchdown on the ground, and also intercepted a pass near the end of the first half. He even chipped in with three tackles on the night as a safety. That's classic Texas tough. You have to expect that from a kid named Trapper...

Cole Mixon, Tyler Jenschke, and James Huff also came up big from their linebacker spots. The three of them combined for 46 tackles; Mixon had 17, Huff 16, and Jenschke 13. They all played with the fire that Coach Hickman instills in every kid that he's coached. It felt like a Lockhart runner was surrounded by seven or eight guys in gold helmets because that's what happened all night outside of Daequan Ellison's long scoring runs. 

Also, Jared Zirkel, their kicker, is going to be the next Braden Mann. I heard that he made a 59-yard field goal in an actual game and wanted to see him for myself and that kid is legit. All but one of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks and... well, he did miss a 41-yard field goal right before halftime, but that leg of his is a real weapon. The top specialists in Texas are usually kids at 6A or the big private schools... but for a high school football team in a town that's modestly sized like Kerrville, kickers like Jared Zirkel don't come around very often.

I still have tremendous respect for Coach Jones, Coach Hickman, and Coach Kubacak and I'm glad that they took some time to catch up. I will always be grateful that they gave me a chance to become a part of something truly special at Cy Woods and I am extremely glad that they are continuing to have success as they try to build something special of their own in Kerrville. The cardinal and gold of Cy Woods may run through my veins, but I've also become somewhat of a Tivy Antler fan.

I didn't understand the sacred nature of Texas high school football until I entered high school. I feel like those years were the catalysts for me: Cy Falls making it to state, hearing about Sam McGuffie's exploits at Cy-Fair, helping build a tradition at Cy Woods... by far, my four years at Cy Woods provided the most critical events towards fostering my love for this game, first as a player, and now as a fan. Before this year, I promised myself that I'd go out and see more teams besides the ones that play Cy Woods, especially now that the Cats are in a new district and back in Region II. I think I did alright in that regard, but maybe when work is a little more stable, I'll have more time to do that.

Maybe I'll go see a Tivy game in Kerrville next time, and also when the weather is a little bit warmer.