2018 Schedule, 7-on-7 Tournament Information

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

State Bound!

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

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

— CyWoodsBooster (@CyWood_Boosters) June 9, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

Location of Veterans Park, College Station

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

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

Wildcats Through the Years: 2017

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

Summary

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

Team Records Set or Tied

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

Statistical Leaders

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

Schedule and Results

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

The Rundown

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

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

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

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

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

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

Season

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

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

Week 3: L 27-9 vs. Cy Springs

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Kyle Ransleben, The Crimson Connection

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

Week 4: W 35-34 @ Cy Ridge

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

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

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

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

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

Week 5: W 42-35 vs. Jersey Village

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

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

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

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

Week 6: L 31-24 @ Langham Creek

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

Week 7: L 24-21 @ Cy Falls

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

No further comment.

Week 8: W 31-20 vs. Cy Lakes

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

Week 9: L 49-21 @ Cy-Fair

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

Week 10: W 59-29 vs. Cy Creek

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

Week 11: L 21-17 @ Cy Ranch

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

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

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

Looking Ahead to 2018

The Cypress Woods Wildcats finished 4-5 in 2017, which marks the first time in program history that the Wildcats have posted losing records in consecutive seasons. In addition, their playoff drought has now been extended to three years.

Cy Woods football wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination in 2017, but they managed to rebound from the worst season in school history and found themselves on the periphery of the District 17-6A playoff picture until the final week of the season. Aside from getting demolished by Cy-Fair, the Cats were in virtually every game this past season. Who knows... had a few bounces gone their way, they would have been entering 2018 fresh off a playoff berth.

Once again, the Cats just couldn't overcome injuries at key spots, most notably Jacob Kainer, who injured his foot before the season opener against Cy Springs. I couldn't help but feel for him... he didn't have the greatest season in his first shot as the starting quarterback in 2016. Heading into 2017, there was a much more optimistic outlook surrounding Jacob; the catastrophic injury he suffered as a sophomore was well behind him, he was excited to helm a brand-new offense, and most of all, he was getting a fair chance to finish off his high school career on a positive note. Unfortunately, he ended up missing the first month of the season and was largely limited until the final three games.

In Jacob's absence, however, the Wildcats found their quarterback of the present and the future in Jackson Jones, who earned an Honorable Mention All-District selection. Despite a few sophomore moments, Jackson acquitted himself well despite getting thrown into the fire that is Cy-Fair ISD football. Now that he has a full season of starts under his belt, the expectations will be raised significantly. Helping this team end this playoff drought would certainly qualify as an expectation...

Tory Spears hurt himself during the Springs game and ended up missing six weeks if I remember correctly. His absence was a big blow to the Wildcat defense because Jack Barrientez ended up playing both ways and the vast majority of his playing time came on defense. Mac Bird was having an excellent season until his serious health scare as well. Despite this, the defense fought with an intensity that I have not seen in quite some time.

Who's coming back in 2018?

Not all of these players may return. I'm just listing the kids who were underclassmen in 2017.

Italics - player will be a junior

ATH Jake Tesch
QB Jackson Jones
LB Jackson Hosemann
WR Cam Sowell
DB JoJo Guillory
WR Connor Faulk
LB Caleb Rutherford (did not play in 2017)
LB Jackson Turnbow
LB Zach Harris
RB Darion Morgan
DB Tevis Adams
LB Mac Bird
RB Christian Scott
OL Yousef Alzibdeh
OL Ethan Agnew
OL Cody Sanker
OL Chris Sturghill
DL Tyron Lewis
OL Brock Gunderson
WR Tanner Sherrill
WR Cullen Sherrill
DL Tyler Hopmann (did not play in 2017)
DL Trevor Reed

The Cats now have one year under the triple-option attack under their belts. Though Christian Jones graduates, Ethan Agnew, Brock Gunderson, and Chris Sturghill coming back will surely help. Also, they have two more years of Jackson Jones under center, so there's definitely continuity coming for the offense. While Darion Morgan is a returning letterman and should get a fair shot to nail down the starting B-back spot, he'll have some serious competition in Christian Scott and Trayse Holmes.

On the other side of the line, however, Cy Woods will have a completely new rotation on the defensive line and the secondary; Tyron Lewis is the only holdover on the defensive line, while Chase Richter, Cam Sowell, JoJo Guillory, and Tevis Adams will look to nail down prominent roles in the secondary. Mac Bird's recovery appears to be going well and hopefully he'll be back at full strength following his life-threatening ordeal.

Realignment

2017 marked the final season for the all-CFISD district. Heading into the UIL's biennial realignment, Cy-Fair ISD was well aware that they would have to be split with Bridgeland and Cy Park beginning varsity football; UIL rules only permit a maximum of ten teams in one district for athletics.

Well, we can always count on the University Interscholastic League to throw some serious curveballs, and boy, the curve they threw for this realignment was a thing of beauty. Everyone was wondering how the UIL would split up the school district with the most 6A-sized high schools in Texas and it turns out that they'd split them up east-west between Regions II and III, presumably using Queenston Boulevard as the dividing line.

The seven schools west of Queenston were placed in District 14-6A. Yes, you heard that right: 14-6A. Cy Woods, along with Cy Springs, Cy Lakes, Langham Creek, Cy Ranch, Cy Park, and Bridgeland will all compete in Region II with Bryan and Tomball Memorial as their district mates. The five schools east of Queenston (Cy-Fair, Cy Creek, Cy Falls, Jersey Village, and Cy Ridge) remained in District 17-6A and Region III, which they will share with Spring Branch ISD.

Cy Woods turned in 3,547 on Snapshot Day, making them the largest high school in Cy-Fair ISD and the largest in 14-6A. Should they make the playoffs in the next two seasons, they will be locked into the Division I bracket.

The new district seems to have a nice balance at first glance. Langham and Ranch are probably the top two teams at the moment. After them, however, the other two playoff spots look like toss-ups. Springs and Tomball Memorial look like they might be Cy Woods' primary competition for those two spots.

Though the Bryan Vikings are coming off a 3-7 season (and a next-to-last place finish in District 18-5A) as they move back into the state's largest classification, they probably won't miss having to share a district with the likes of A&M Consolidated, Temple, and College Station. Memorial fared slightly better, but they also missed out on the playoffs after having to tussle with the Magnolia schools and Brenham, among others.

Lakes took a step back with their third winless season in eight years as they continue to try to finally get their football program off the ground. Maybe this move will symbolize a fresh start for the Spartans.

A season without seniors could be a harbinger of rough debuts for Park and Bridgeland, but nevertheless, the excitement in these communities as they enter their inaugural seasons is palpable; after all, they are finally getting their opportunity to join the grand stage that is Texas high school football.

With a new district and a return to Region II comes new potential playoff opponents. District 14 will take on District 13 in the first round, which comprises of Round Rock ISD, Leander ISD's three 6A schools (Vandegrift, Vista Ridge, and Leander), and Pflugerville Hendrickson.

Personally, I like this new district alignment. The seven CFISD schools in District 14-6A now have the opportunity to get out of Houston for a little bit to take on schools from other parts of Texas in the most diverse region in Class 6A.

I also enjoy driving, so I certainly wouldn't mind heading to Baylor for a potential playoff game with, say, Rockwall, for example.

In addition to being the 10th anniversary of the inaugural season, 2018 will be a season of firsts for Cy Woods football:

- First meetings with Bridgeland, Cy Park, Bryan, and Tomball Memorial.
- First district games against schools outside Cy-Fair ISD, and with that, the first real road game in district play.
- Cy Woods will even play a non-district game against a Cy-Fair ISD school!

On Cy-Fair winning a state championship

Congratulations to Cy-Fair on winning the first football state championship for Cy-Fair ISD. Truthfully, it's been a long time coming and it just seems fitting that the district's first school would end up winning its first state title in the most popular spectator sport in the state of Texas.

Wildcats... if watching Cy-Fair win it all doesn't motivate you to want to elevate Cy Woods football to that level, then why are you in the program in the first place?

What's in store for the blog for 2018

Now that I am... sort of a productive member of society, I have literally had zero time to update the blog. Plus, it's the offseason. Until spring rolls around, there isn't really anything compelling going on with the Wildcat football program other than realignment. I might head out to a few track meets.

2018 marks the tenth anniversary of the inaugural varsity football season for the Cypress Woods Wildcats. So... "10 Best" lists it is! Then again, the only two off the top of my head are top players and games.

Cy Ranch 21, Cy Woods 17: The end. Unfortunately, the Mustangs won on Saturday.

Final 2017 Record: 4-5

Photo by Tom Dendy

Jack Barrientez scampers his way into Cy Woods' record books.

Click here for photos from this week's games. The JV and freshman A teams were featured in this week's collection.

Cy Falls trounced Cy Creek 51-27 on Friday to clinch the fourth and final playoff berth in District 17-6A. The Cy Woods Wildcats would probably have been content to accept their fate and possibly a 55-0 beatdown from their most hated rivals, the Cy Ranch Mustangs.

No one told the Cats they should've done that, however. They fought the Mustangs tooth and nail for all 48 minutes before ultimately succumbing 21-17 to close out the 2017 season.

The Cats outperformed the Mustangs on offense, but the difference here was two interceptions that Ranch converted into touchdowns. In what was unfortunately a running theme for the Wildcats this season, they dropped a game that was theirs for the taking. It didn't look like the Mustangs wanted to nail the coffin shut either, but they did just enough to win.

Well, with the loss, Cy Woods has posted back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in program history. They also scored the fewest points in a season in team history with 259, although by allowing 270 points, they gave up fewer than 400 points for the first time since 2013.

On the other hand, they were also in the playoff picture up until the final two days of the regular season, so they have certainly shown progress as they try to return to prominence. With that being said, it should not be unreasonable to expect the 2018 Cypress Woods Wildcats to seriously contend for a playoff spot.

Scoring Summary

Dallas Caldwell committed a massive blunder on the opening kickoff when he took a knee and was ruled down at the 1-yard line. That didn't seem to bother the Cats because on the first play of the day, Jacob Kainer took a reverse and fired a pass to Jack Barrientez, who took it 99 yards to open the scoring. The Wildcats had a 12-play drive going on their next possession, but on the 13th play, Jackson Jones got picked off. Ranch converted that turnover into a 1-yard touchdown run by Fred Brooks.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 7, Ranch 7

Jared Swonke hit a 25-yard field goal for the only points of the second quarter. He also had a 32-yard attempt that was blocked. The Mustangs managed to get a little drive going after the blocked kick, but Chase Richter put a stop to that by intercepting Brooks just before halftime.

Halftime: Woods 10, Ranch 7

Brooks got the hook and in stepped Logan McDougald, who threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Hardy for the only points of the third quarter. Derrick Brooks could have made a play... had he turned around to look for the ball.

End of 3rd Quarter: Ranch 14, Woods 10

Jack scored on a 6-yard run to put Woods back in front, but the deciding score was a 19-yard touchdown pass from McDougald to Drew Glenn. The Mustangs had a chance to make it a one-touchdown game with 1:17 left, but Mateo Pritzklau's 42-yard field goal clanged off the left upright. Unfortunately, the Cats couldn't convert a fourth down.

Final: Ranch 21, Woods 17

Ground

The Wildcats put up 240 yards on the ground but needed 58 rushing attempts to reach that number. Jacob Kainer's 34-yard run on a reverse was the longest of the day.

Jackson Jones: 29 carries, 100 yards
Jack Barrientez: 12 carries, 72 yards, TD
Jacob Kainer: 1 carry, 34 yards
Bobby Dodson: 10 carries, 30 yards
Jake Tesch: 5 carries, 8 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 1 carry, -4 yards

Air

Jackson looked like a sophomore in the passing game. His two picks were forced throws that really did not need to be made. It's fine. Fortunately, he didn't have too many of these moments, but with a year of varsity football under his belt, the expectations for him will be magnified significantly from here on out.

Jacob's 99-yard pass to Jack is now the longest play in Cy Woods football history. Only fitting that those two would connect on a pass one last time.

Jackson Jones: 3-10, 41 yards, 2 INT
Jacob Kainer: 1-1, 99 yards, TD

Jack Barrientez: 2 catches, 105 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 25 yards
Bobby Dodson: 1 catch, 10 yards

Defense

The good news is that a once-vaunted Mustang rushing attack was completely stifled by the Cats. The bad news is that they let a backup quarterback throw two touchdown passes on plays that they could have made. The 252 yards allowed was a season-low.

Mac Bird will somehow finish the season as the Wildcats' leading tackler despite playing only four games.

Tackles

Tyler Redgrave and Chase Richter - 6 each
Austin Kennedy - 5
Matt Roberts, Zach Harris, and Jackson Hosemann - 4 each
Ryan Gilcrease - 3
Collin Fewox, Tobi Orundami, and Derrick Brooks - 2 each
Christian Jones and Clancey Hall - 1 each

Zach Harris had a sack for 6 yards, while Chase Richter had an interception in the second quarter.

Special Teams

Jared Swonke made a 25-yard field goal and had a 32-yard attempt get blocked... it wasn't the best snap. Greg Blaser had a really ugly punt but got a really nice roll and had it downed at Ranch's 13-yard line.

Men of the Match

Class of 2018, thank you. All the best for everything you do in the future.

Looking Ahead

It's the offseason.

Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the inaugural season of the Cypress Woods High School football program. I'll have a couple of series during the offseason highlighting the ten best players and the ten most significant games in the first decade of Cy Woods football.

Cy Woods 59, Cy Creek 29: A Pulse!

2017 Record: 4-4

Photo by Tom Dendy

Ryan Gilcrease and Tobi Orundami bring down Cy Creek QB Mateo Renteria

Preface: There was this sporting event called the World Series going on. You might have heard of it, and you might have heard that the Houston Astros won in seven games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I did not attend this game because the Astros' parade route got extended, which put my mom's restaurant right in the path and I was needed there to prevent absolute chaos.

How am I functioning?

As always, Tom Dendy has photographs. This week, the freshmen were featured. Click here to view all of his galleries from this week's action.

Right when I write the epitaph on the 2017 Cypress Woods Wildcats, they jolt back to life.

As awful as the Wildcats looked in the first half of the pummeling they suffered at the hands of Cy-Fair, they flipped the script and administered a beatdown of their own against Cy Creek in the first 24 minutes on Friday night and kept themselves alive in the playoff hunt with a 59-29 victory. Although this is not the most they've scored in a game against the Cougars, it is the largest margin of victory in the series.

The Bobcats did Cy Woods a favor and dispatched Cy Falls 42-14 on Saturday, which puts the Wildcats, Cougars, and Golden Eagles in a three-way tie at 4-4 in the fourth and final playoff spot heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Cy Woods can advance with a victory over Cy Ranch next Saturday and a Creek win over Falls on Friday. This is the only way in which the Wildcats can clinch a playoff berth.

However, if the Eagles win, the Wildcats will be eliminated regardless of the outcome of their game with Ranch. But again... you can't rely on others to do your work. And had the Cats taken care of *gets hit in face with flying chair*

*regains consciousness*

Oh, right. Where was I.

Scoring Summary

The Wildcats reached into the bag of tricks to begin the game and Jacob Kainer fired a 68-yard pass to Jack Barrientez, setting up a 3-yard touchdown run by Jackson Jones. Jackson scored on another 3-yard run about midway through the first quarter.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 14, Creek 0

Jackson scored his third touchdown of the evening on a one-yard run to start the second quarter, then Jack found the end zone from 25 yards out. Jackson then took to the air in order to deal more damage, finding Jacob Kainer for a 23-yard touchdown and connecting with Connor Faulk for another score, this one from 45 yards. The Cougars spoiled the shutout right at halftime on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Mateo Renteria to Dawson Unruh.

Halftime: Woods 42, Creek 7

Woods opened the scoring in the second half as Jackson hit Jack Barrientez, who dashed 83 yards to the house. Jared Swonke hit a 36-yard field goal for the other Woods scoring play in the third quarter. Renteria connected with Jack Hook for a 70-yard touchdown pass.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 52, Creek 15

Dallas Caldwell scored the Cats' final points of the evening with a 19-yard run. Creek's second-string quarterback, Julian Brown, threw two touchdown passes to Hook and Geonardo Sutton to close out the evening.

Final: Woods 59, Creek 29

Ground

That's what you expect out of the option. The Cats have really put Jake Tesch's elusiveness to good use and he's broken off some really nice runs on the outside. The transition to a new offensive system has been a mixed bag at times, but that's probably expected. The youngsters will definitely be expected to have more success running this offense.

Cy Woods only had four running plays in which they did not gain a yard and two where they lost yardage.

Jackson Jones: 23 carries, 93 yards, 3 TD
Jack Barrientez: 13 carries, 90 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 5 carries, 82 yards
Darion Morgan: 9 carries, 31 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 1 carry, 19 yards, TD
Bobby Dodson: 5 carries, 16 yards
Tylan Foster: 3 carries, 7 yards
Quincy Boone: 1 carry, 2 yards
Christian Scott: 1 carry, -2 yards

Air

The Cats only threw the ball five times, but three of those attempts resulted in touchdowns, which seems efficient.

Jackson Jones: 3-4, 151 yards, 3 TD
Jacob Kainer: 1-1, 68 yards

Jack Barrientez: 2 catches, 151 yards, TD
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 45 yards, TD
Jacob Kainer: 1 catch, 23 yards, TD

Defense

The Cats didn't need to worry about the Cougars' anemic running game, but Creek did what they usually did in the passing game... most of which came in an extended garbage time. I'm fairly sure that the three interceptions is a single-game record.

Tobi Orundami imposed his will in the trenches. Tory Spears is finally healthy. Yeah, they gave up 29 points, but that didn't really matter because they were up 42-7 at halftime.

Tackles

Tobi Orundami and Austin Kennedy - 6 each
Matt Roberts - 5
Jackson Hosemann, Tory Spears, Collin Fewox, and Jake Johnson - 4 each
Zach Harris, Khari Keaton, and Ryan Gilcrease - 3 each
Chase Richter and Cam Sowell - 2 each
10 Wildcats with 1 each

Sacks

Zach Harris - 1, 8 yards lost
Austin Kennedy - 1, 5 yards lost
Tobi Orundami and Ryan Gilcrease - 0.5, 4 yards lost

Interceptions

Tory Spears - 1, returned 17 yards
Matt Roberts and Collin Fewox - 1, no return

Special Teams

Jared Swonke scored 11 points in this game with his 36-yard field goal and 8 extra points. It's the first time that a Wildcat kicker reached double figures in a game since Luis Reyes scored 10 against Cy Lakes in 2015.

Greg Blaser only had one punt for 22 yards. Dallas Caldwell only returned one kickoff for 17 yards.

Men of the Match

As the cliché goes, it was a total team win.

Looking Ahead

The Cypress Woods Wildcats will wrap up the 2017 season against the hated Cypress Ranch Mustangs on Saturday, November 11. Kickoff from Cy-Fair FCU Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 PM and the Wildcats will be the visitors in this contest.

Depending on the result of Friday's Falls/Creek game, this may either be the final football game for the Class of 2018.... or they'll get to make preparations for a bi-district playoff game. Still though, they'll have to beat Ranch.

Cy-Fair 49, Cy Woods 21: Dissected

2017 Record: 3-4

Photo by Tom Dendy

Tanner Sherrill outruns everyone to the end zone

It was not a pretty Saturday for the Cypress Woods Wildcats as they fell behind 42-0 at halftime to the Cy-Fair Bobcats, who administered a 49-21 drubbing at . No, this game was not as close as the final score indicated. The Bobcat defense was their usual stingy, smash-mouth selves, the Bobcat offense buried Cy Woods early, and the Wildcats could only muster up 44 yards of offense at the half. Meanwhile, Cy Woods' offense coughed the ball up twice in the first half and the Bobcats converted both of those blunders into touchdowns.

It's not over until the math says it's over, but Cy Woods' playoff hopes are just about extinguished. Too many results would need to go their way over the last two weeks, in addition to having to win out.

To their credit, they showed up in the second half and made the final score look a little more respectable. Cy Woods did become the first team to put up more than 14 points and 250 yards on the vaunted Cy-Fair defense this season. Now, most of those yards came when the outcome was already decided, but it still counts all the same.

Hey, I'm all about finding things resembling silver linings.

Scoring Summary

On the second play of the game, Christian Richmond took a jet sweep and opened the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown. Trent Kennedy scored twice in a three-minute span from one yard and 35 yards out.

End of 1st Quarter: Fair 21, Woods 0

Kennedy scored his third rushing touchdown of the day from 16 yards, and then Cam Arnold threw a pair of touchdown passes to Christian Richmond (17 yards) and Tevin Boyd (31 yards) to complete the Bobcats' first-half onslaught. The 42-0 scoreline at halftime is now the largest halftime deficit in Cy Woods football history.

Halftime: Fair 42, Woods 0


On fourth and goal, the Wildcats finally got on the board as Jack Barrientez caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Kainer. Kennedy scored on a 12-yard run to give him four on the afternoon.

End of 3rd Quarter: Fair 49, Woods 7

Jacob scored on a 5-yard run and then hit Tanner Sherrill on a slant pattern, after which Tanner outran everyone for an 80-yard touchdown.

Final: Fair 49, Woods 21

Ground

Aside from Jake Tesch breaking a couple for nice gains, the Wildcats were absolutely suffocated by the Bobcats' imposing front eight. Jacob Kainer and Jackson Jones were also under siege all day every time they dropped back to pass, which also cratered the Wildcats' rushing numbers in this game.

Jake Tesch: 9 carries, 69 yards
Darion Morgan: 7 carries, 19 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 3 carries, 13 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 carry, 12 yards
Jackson Jones: 9 carries, 8 yards
Jack Barrientez: 2 carries, 7 yards
Jacob Kainer: 10 carries, -19 yards, TD

Air

The 11 passing attempts represent a season high for Cy Woods, as are the 142 passing yards. Jacob Kainer took over in the second quarter as the deficit mounted.

Jacob Kainer: 4-9, 112 yards, 2 TD
Jackson Jones: 2-3, 30 yards

Tanner Sherrill finally got on the board with an 80-yard touchdown pass. Cullen caught more passes, but Tanner scored, so.

Sherrill Twins Touchdown Reception Tracker

Cullen 6
Tanner 1

Cullen Sherrill: 3 catches, 41 yards
Tanner Sherrill: 1 catch, 80 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 15 yards
Jack Barrientez: 1 catch, 6 yards, TD

Defense

Well, the offense didn't exactly do them any favors with the putrid showing in the first half.

Tackles

Austin Kennedy - 8
Collin Fewox - 7
Matt Roberts - 4
Tobi Orundami and Ryan Gilcrease - 3
10 players with 2
Greg Blaser, Brock Gunderson, and Ty Lewis -1

Special Teams

Jared Swonke hit all three of his extra points. Tevis Adams and Jake Tesch had some decent kickoff returns.

Tevis Adams: 3 kickoffs returned, 54 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 kickoff returned, 19 yards

Men of the Match

Fire this game into the sun, to be honest.

Fine. Tanner Sherrill and Austin Kennedy get the honors.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will head to Pridgeon Stadium to face the Cy Creek Cougars on Friday, November 3 at 7:00. Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.

Know Your Enemy: Cy-Fair Bobcats

Week 7: Cypress Woods Wildcats (3-3) @ Cy-Fair Bobcats (6-0)
1:00 PM, Saturday, October 28, 2017
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Don Carson

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

It didn't look pretty at times, but the Wildcats topped Cy Lakes 31-20 to get back to .500 on the season. Jake Tesch scored on a 21-yard run and a 53-yard catch, which was Cy Woods' only completed pass of the game. Jack Barrientez scored on offense with an 8-yard run, on defense with a 69-yard interception return, and chipped in with six tackles.

Now, the Cats will have to run a gauntlet, emerge unscathed from it somehow, and have a few results from other games within the district go their way over the next three weeks, all to clinch a playoff berth. Safe to say that they're going to have to go all-in now...

The Enemy: Cy-Fair Bobcats

2016 Record: 8-3, 8-1 (2nd) in District 17-6A
Lost 15-14 to Lamar in 6A Division I, Region III Bi-district round

Cy-Fair season-to-date

W 42-7 vs. Cy Lakes
W 21-14 @ Cy Springs
W 21-3 vs. Cy Ranch
W 42-13 @ Jersey Village
W 30-0 vs. Cy Ridge
W 26-14 @ Cy Creek

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 5-4.

Previous Meetings


October 21, 2016: Fair 35, Woods 17 (Homecoming IX)

October 22, 2015: Woods 44, Fair 7

October 25, 2014: Woods 38, Fair 31 (OT)
October 12, 2013: Fair 30, Woods 23
October 13, 2012: Fair 49, Woods 20
September 17, 2011: Fair 14, Woods 0
September 18, 2010: Woods 28, Fair 14
October 23, 2009: Woods 21, Fair 7
October 24, 2008: Woods 42, Fair 20

Players to Watch

Cam Arnold - SR QB #12
Trenton Kennedy - SR RB #43
Christian Richmond - JR WR #20
Erick Hallett - SR DB #8
Jace Bobo - SR LB #11
Patrick Atkinson - SR LB #30
Peyton Lewis - SR DL #9
Josh Smith - SR DL #42
Tanner Cormier - SOPH DL #62

2¢ on Cy-Fair

Well... what's left to say about Cy-Fair. Unglamorous, yet devastatingly effective on offense, smashmouth defense... kids have come and gone, but all of the kids who have played in this system have executed it efficiently.

The Bobcats enter this game with arguably the top defense in the state of Texas in any classification. They've yet to allow more than 14 points and they haven't allowed anyone to accrue 250 yards of total offense in a game this season. Erick Hallett and Jace Bobo are both three-year starters on the Bobcat defense. Hallett, who is committed to Mike Leach's Washington State program, has a couple of picks this season and is the unquestioned leader of their secondary. He's also a threat in the return game. Patrick Atkinson and Jace Bobo pace the Bobcats in tackles; Atkinson is the strongest player in their program. Peyton Lewis and Josh Smith come in 1-2 in the district in sacks and tackles for loss. Together, they have combined for 11.5 of the 18 sacks that Cy-Fair has recorded this season, which tops the district by a healthy margin. Tanner Cormier has broken out as a sophomore and he'll be their anchor in the trenches for the next couple of seasons.

Cy-Fair possesses a wealth of experience in their offensive backfield; Cam Arnold and Trenton Kennedy are both three-year lettermen. Kennedy ranks third in the district in rushing yards and like he's been for the last two seasons, he is the Bobcats' workhorse. Arnold is the currently the district's most accurate quarterback. He's probably the best pure passer out of all the quarterbacks they've trotted out in recent memory. Christian Richmond does a little bit of everything, and he's the guy the Bobcats turn to whenever they need something explosive on offense. Richmond has touched the ball 27 times on offense (14 carries, 13 catches) and has gained 436 yards, which is good for 16 yards per offensive play.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Bobcats ruined Cy Woods' Homecoming by dropping them 35-17. Woods trailed 21-17 entering the fourth quarter, but Cy-Fair managed to pull away.

This loss condemned the Wildcats to the second losing season in school history. An especially notable moment in this game saw the Wildcats going for it on 4th and 19... from their own 1-yard line. They were not successful.

Jack Barrientez ran for 96 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Cy-Fair, JV at Cy Woods. As always, game times are 5:00 and 7:00.

Location of Cy-Fair High School

Ha, that's funny.

Cy Woods 31, Cy Lakes 20: Recovery

2017 Record: 3-3

Photo by Tom Dendy

Jake Tesch shakes Cy Lakes' Adayvion Tutson on his way to the end zone

Here is the link to the photo galleries from this week's game, including the freshman games on Thursday.

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats snapped their two-game losing streak with a 31-20 victory over the winless Cy Lakes Spartans on Saturday evening at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. If I can be honest for a second here, I was only there to make sure I wasn't breaking anything at home during Game 7 of the ALCS.

This is the 50th win for Cy Woods in a district game in their 82nd such game; in an NBA season's worth of district games, the Wildcats are 50-32.

We can wallow over the previous two games, but that won't change their results. The Cats came back and took care of business against a team that they were probably expected to defeat and as a result, they've regained some momentum. The Cats only had 241 yards of offense on the evening, but they managed to string together consecutive scoring drives and followed those up with a defensive touchdown, courtesy of Jack Barrientez's pick-six.

Once again, the Wildcats will have the toughest closing schedule with Cy-Fair, Cy Creek, and Cy Ranch. Winning out will be a monumental order, but if they're even seriously thinking about the playoffs, then it will have to be done... which goes back to how they let the games against Langham Creek and Cy Falls slip away. If they had handled their business in either of those two games, they wouldn't be in this position to begin with.

Scoring Summary

Woods went three-and-out on the first drive of the game, but on the ensuing punt, Jordan Lamotte had a moment of utter insanity as he decided to field the ball off a high bounce... while being surrounded by about six Wildcats. If you were wondering... he didn't get the ball.

The Cats turned that blunder into a 34-yard field goal from Jared Swonke. Lakes responded with an 8-yard touchdown run from Ted Solomon, who also got the two-point conversion. Woods went back in front thanks to an 8-yard touchdown run from Jack Barrientez.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 10, Lakes 8

The Spartans went on a little drive to end the first quarter and it took up the first couple of minutes of the second quarter... and then Jack jumped in front of a pass from Khaliq Abdul-Mateen and returned it 69 yards for a score. The pick-six was the only scoring play of the second quarter.

Halftime: Woods 17, Lakes 8

The lone scoring play of the third quarter belonged to Jake Tesch, who scored on a 21-yard run.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 24, Lakes 8

Solomon scored his second touchdown of the evening on a 1-yard run on fourth and goal. Cy Woods' one pass completion was a 53-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Jones to Jake Tesch. Spartans running back Courtney Mitchell had the final scoring play; he scored on a 50-yard run with a little under three minutes to go.

Final: Woods 31, Lakes 20

Ground

With the exception of Jake Tesch and a 22-yard run from Arkievrick Vitatoe (which does not rhyme with "potato," by the way), it felt as though the Cats were slogging through a 100-yard mud pit. Excluding three knees to end the game, they had 191 yards on the ground but also needed 46 rushing attempts to attain this number. That's a little over 4 yards per carry. Ideally, that figure should be around 5.

Jake Tesch: 4 carries, 69 yards, TD
Darion Morgan: 14 carries, 47 yards
Jackson Jones: 13 carries, 34 yards
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 5 carries, 22 yards
Jack Barrientez: 2 carries, 11 yards, TD
Quincy Boone: 3 carries, 10 yards
Jacob Kainer: 3 carries, 0 yards
Christian Scott: 1 carry, -3 yards
Team: 3 carries, -3 yards; Jackson kneeled three times to end the game

Air

It took a little over 43 minutes for the Wildcats to complete a pass in this game and Jake Tesch took it 53 yards to the house.

I don't think Yao Ming would have been able to catch Jackson Jones' first pass attempt of the night; that one sailed over Connor Faulk's head by at least 10 feet. I probably won't be feeling very well if the Wildcats are forced to pass more often, which is an odd thing to say considering the damage they've done through the air in the past.

Jackson Jones: 1-4, 53 yards, TD
Jacob Kainer: 0-1

Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 53 yards, TD

Defense

The defense gave up a couple of big plays from Courtney Mitchell and Robert Milam caught a pass and rumbled 30 yards to convert a third down. On the other hand, they picked off Abdul-Mateen twice and returned one of those picks for a touchdown. Mitchell's 50-yard touchdown run was the play that pushed the Spartans over the 300-yard mark for the game.

Jack nearly had a second interception in the fourth quarter, but it bounced in and out of his hands. Overall, the Wildcat defense turned in a solid evening on the defensive side of the ball.

Tackles

Jackson Hosemann - 10
Jack Barrientez, Colin Paterson, Jackson Turnbow, and Collin Fewox - 6
Austin Kennedy, Matt Roberts, and Jozef Taylor - 5
Tobi Orundami - 4
Max Sweet and Derrick Brooks - 3
Clancey Hall and Ty Lewis - 2

Interceptions

Jack Barrientez - 1, returned 69 yards for touchdown
Jackson Hosemann - 1, returned 2 yards

Fumbles recovered

Austin Kennedy - 1

Special Teams

Jared Swonke went 1-2 on his field goal attempts; the miss came from 50 yards; he had more than enough distance on that kick, but it ended up going just wide to the left. It would have been a school record and the first 50-yard field goal in Cy Woods' history. He hit all four of his extra points.

Jared Swonke: 1-2 FG (made 34, missed 50), 4-4 XP

Greg Blaser: 3 punts, 111 yards (37 yards per punt), long of 43, 1 punt inside 20
Quincy Boone: 1 punt, 44 yards

The Wildcats also recovered an onside kick near the end of the third quarter.

Jake Tesch: 2 punts returned, -2 yards
Jacob Kainer: 2 kicks returned, 20 yards

Men of the Match

Jack Barrientez is the first Wildcat to score on offense and defense in the same game. I don't think Bryce Callahan ever did this. I've seen many guys pass through this program and Jack might be one of the five toughest players to come through.

Jake Tesch is known to be one of the fastest players in the program and he showed off some impressive moves on his touchdown plays.

Jackson Hosemann put up double-digit tackles and sealed the game with an interception in his first start at the varsity level.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will take on the Cy-Fair Bobcats at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on Saturday, October 28 at 1:00. Cy Woods will be the away team in this contest.

Know Your Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

Week 6: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-3) vs. Cypress Lakes Spartans (0-5)
7:00 PM Saturday, October 21, 2017
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Billy Schuerman

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

Jacob Kitterman's 22-yard field goal with 34 seconds remaining broke a 21-21 tie in Cy Falls' favor and gave them a 24-21 victory. It was a horror show of a fourth quarter for the Cats as they had two 15-yard penalties, one of which was an unsportsmanlike conduct that resulted in Tim Dendy's ejection. Oh, and the Eagles outscored them 17-7 in the final period.

Collin Fewox posted 14 tackles and delivered some punishing hits. Arkievrick Vitatoe ran for 57 yards on 6 carries, which included an 18-yard touchdown.

The Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2016 record: 2-8, 1-8 (10th) in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

Cy Lakes season-to-date

L 42-7 @ Cy-Fair
L 44-8 vs. Cy Creek
L 40-26 @ Cy Falls
L 14-0 vs. Cy Ridge
L 28-7 vs. Langham Creek

With their loss to Langham Creek last Friday, Cy Lakes is the first team eliminated from playoff contention in District 17-6A this season.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 7-0.

Previous Meetings

October 13, 2016: Woods 36, Lakes 33
October 9, 2015: Woods 70, Lakes 20 (Homecoming VIII)
October 10, 2014: Woods 52, Lakes 10 (Cy Lakes Homecoming)
September 28, 2013: Woods 34, Lakes 14
September 29, 2012: Woods 63, Lakes 13
October 6, 2011: Woods 63, Lakes 14
October 7, 2010: Woods 34, Lakes 0

Players to Watch

Le'Teddrian "Ted" Solomon - SR WR/P #1
Khaliq Mateen - SOPH QB #5
O'Shea Jackson - JR DL #44
Tyler Dudley - SR LB #33
Archie Bijou - SR LB #6
Malik Green - JR LB #34
Jordan Lamotte - JR DB #14
Julian Hall - SR DB #16

2¢ on Lakes


Normally, a 2-8 record is a harbinger of sweeping changes. At Cy Lakes, however, 2-8 represented a step forward towards respectability. The 2016 season marked the first time that the Spartans won more than one game and they were competitive in a majority of their outings. It could be argued that they were a handful of plays away from finishing 4-6, 5-5, or... dare I say it, 6-4. They couldn't quite close the deal against Creek and Woods and hung tough against Ridge and Springs before the Rams and Panthers wound up pulling away late.

There was probably a justifiable sense of optimism surrounding the Spartans heading into 2017. They probably expected to continue building upon that 2-8 record and possibly put themselves in position to challenge for a playoff spot, or at least spoil someone else's hopes.

Unfortunately, this season has been eerily reminiscent of the six seasons prior to 2016, in which they won a grand total of four games. Has it undone the progress they made last year? It's certainly a step back, but the kids in this program cannot lose faith.

The Lakes defense has had some talented defensive backs come through in their short history. Drake Moore led the district in interceptions in 2013. Julian Hall had four last season, which was good for a five-way tie for 2nd place. Brenden Lemon had three last year and four in 2015. Jordan Lamotte is the next in line; he currently leads the district with three interceptions, while Hall picked off Chris Herron twice last week. Tyler Dudley leads a solid linebacking corps that also features Archie Bijou and a rising junior in Malik Green. O'Shea Jackson has had a solid season in the trenches.

Lakes lost their incumbent starting quarterback, Tyrese Miller, to an injury. As a result, they've had to throw Khaliq Mateen, who was playing freshman B-team football last season, into the fire. He's performed admirably, especially as a passer, but the Spartans have been held to single digits in four of their first five games. Ted Solomon is a three-year starter at various positions; he's been a quarterback, defensive back, wide receiver, and the punter. Solomon has been one of the district's best punters, which, unfortunately, he's done too much of over his career. As an offensive player, he's been their main threat in the passing game. Solomon will bring it every game. Against Falls, he won a jump ball in the end zone and scored another touchdown while dragging a Falls defender for five yards as he crossed the goal line.

Don't be fooled by the record... Lakes has a few players that can cause problems for the Cats.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

It took a 99-yard drive in the closing minutes for the Wildcats to snatch a 36-33 victory from the jaws of defeat. Yes, 2016 was that kind of year for Cy Woods football.

Nijah Surtain's 32-yard catch-and-run with 23 seconds left was the game-winner. Jacob Kainer threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns, while Jack Barrientez ran for 123 yards and a touchdown and added two more scores via the passing game. Myles Wilson had 13 tackles, while Collin Fewox put up 11 and also had an interception.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The JV will travel to Cy Lakes, while the freshmen play at Cy Woods. Game times are at 5:00 and 7:00 on Thursday.

Location of Cypress Lakes High School

Cy Falls 24, Cy Woods 21: On the Wrong Foot

2017 Record: 2-3

Photo by Kyle Ransleben

Cy Falls QB T.J. Goodwin gets devoured

Photo galleries from this week's games from Tom Dendy; the JV played at home this past week.

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats entered the midway point of the 2017 season in a three-way tie at 2-2 with Cy Falls and Cy Creek for the fourth and final playoff spot. Unfortunately, the Cats will be starting their playoff push on the wrong foot as Jacob Kitterman's 22-yard field goal with 34 seconds remaining in the game lifted the Eagles to a 24-21 victory on Thursday at the Berry Center. Meanwhile, the Cougars topped Jersey Village 55-45 at Pridgeon Stadium. As a result, Falls and Creek have kicked Woods out of the playoff picture for the time being.

For... reasons, the Cats decided to use all three of their timeouts... on defense... in a tie ballgame... and two of those occurred while the Eagles had goal to go. That allowed Falls to burn some clock until they sent Kitterman out for his field goal try and left the Wildcat offense with 30 seconds to cover 86 yards.

Catch-22. Obviously, conceding points just to keep the timeouts is incredibly dumb. On the other hand, burning them in the situation I just mentioned seems rather mystifying.

Well, the Cats are up against it now. After Lakes, they will have to run that gauntlet of Cy-Fair, Cy Creek, and Cy Ranch to close out the season.

As Jacob Kainer and Jake Tesch make their returns.... Jack Barrientez went down with a leg injury. He left the stadium on crutches.

Scoring Summary

After Andre Barnes caught a pass from T.J. Goodwin and busted loose for 34 yards to set up first-and-goal for the Eagles from the 5, Goodwin finished off the Eagles' first drive of the evening with a 3-yard touchdown run for the only points of the first 12 minutes.

End of 1st Quarter: Falls 7, Woods 0

Darion Morgan tied the game with a 6-yard run. On Woods' next series,Jake Tesch had a 34-yard touchdown run wiped out on a holding call, but Arkievrick Vitatoe was able to cap off the drive with an 8-yard scoring run. There was no scoring in the third quarter; Jared Swonke missed a 35-yard field goal with five minutes remaining after Trevor Reed had recovered a fumble to put the Cats in the red zone.

Halftime/End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 14, Falls 7

It all unraveled in the fourth quarter and all it took was one play. Dallas Caldwell was stripped of the ball, the Eagles pounced on it, and in the ensuing fracas, Tim Dendy was ejected from the game. One play later, Goodwin hit Jonathan Patrick for a 22-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. The Cats went three-and-out on their next series. Tobi Orundami delivered an NFL Blitz-style horse-collar tackle to Goodwin, which drew another flag. One play later, Koby Leavatts burst through the middle for a 33-yard touchdown to put Falls in front. Jackson Jones tied the game at 21 with a one-yard quarterback sneak. Kitterman put Falls back in the lead with his kick, and Jackson Jones' last-ditch heave was picked off by Mekhi Davis.

Final: Falls 24, Woods 21

Ground

Arkievrick Vitatoe had some good runs out in space, but the Eagles defensive front made the Cats earn all 199 yards they gained on the ground. Of their 45 attempts, their longest run went for 19 yards, which occurred twice. Jake Tesch had a 34-yard touchdown run erased by a holding call.

All statistics are from Varsity Wires and should be considered unofficial.

Jackson Jones: 13 carries, 58 yards, TD
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 6 carries, 57 yards, TD
Darion Morgan: 13 carries, 44 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 4 carries, 24 yards
Chase Richter: 3 carries, 10 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 carry, 7 yards
Jack Barrientez: 3 carries, 3 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 2 carries, -4 yards; lost fumble

Air

While Jackson Jones has competently helmed the offense in Jacob Kainer's absence, he... looked like a sophomore in this game. The Cats' two longest plays were his two pass completions, but he also came up short on his incompletions... except for the last one, which was the arm-punt to end the game.

Jacob Kainer saw his first action of the season, lining up as a receiver for all of his plays. Although Jackson has done well filling in, Jacob is the incumbent and he'll likely take the reins for the rest of the way. He was up-and-down last season, and he'll probably be the first to admit that. He looked forward to running this offense but the injury sidetracked him to start the year. Now, he'll get a proper chance to make amends for last season.

We had a glimpse of what Jackson is capable of. Consider it a preview of things to come.

Jackson Jones: 2-7, 69 yards, INT

Christian Scott: 1 catch, 38 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 1 catch, 31 yards

Defense

The Cats had no answer for Koby Leavatts, who ran for 212 yards on 28 carries.

The Eagles went 5-13 on third down, which is an improvement from Langham going 9-11 the previous week. That mark could have been even better, had Ryan Gilcrease's hit-stick attempt on Jonathan Patrick been successful. Patrick was knocked back about 6-7 yards, but he kept his feet and wound up getting the first down. Jack Barrientez also missed Andre Barnes on a third down; Barnes ended up scampering all the way down to the Wildcats' 5 to set up the first score.

Ryan also missed a chance for an interception for the second straight game. Barnes got smacked by Collin Fewox and Gilcrease couldn't quite corral the loose ball that was literally his for the taking. Trevor Reed recovered a loose ball that Leavatts coughed up, but Jared Swonke ended up missing a field goal after the offense went backward.

Tackles

Collin Fewox - 14
Ryan Gilcrease - 8
Colin Paterson and Austin Kennedy - 7
Jackson Turnbow - 6
Tobi Orundami and Max Sweet - 5
Clancey Hall - 4
Jack Barrientez - 2
Six Wildcats with 1 tackle

Max Sweet sacked Goodwin for an 8-yard loss on the first drive of the game.

Special Teams

Jared Swonke missed a 35-yard field goal that everyone on the Woods side thought he made. He did convert all three of his extra points.

But, failing to score following a fumble recovery in the red zone... not ideal.

Greg Blaser: 4 punts, 171 yards (42.8 average), long of 45, one punt inside 20

Tevis Adams: 2 kicks returned, 34 yards
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 2 kicks returned, 32 yards
Chase Richter: 1 kick returned, 11 yards

Men of the Match

Collin Fewox was throwing all night. He put his reputation as one of the district's hardest hitters on full display.

Arkievrick Vitatoe has really been quite the pickup. He's a move-in from Louisiana and has really provided a nice spark for the Wildcat offense.

Looking Ahead

In their first Saturday game of the season, Cy Woods will take on Cy Lakes at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on October 21. Kickoff is at 6:00 and the Wildcats will be the home team in this contest.

Know Your Enemy: Cypress Falls Golden Eagles

Week 5: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-2) @ Cypress Falls Golden Eagles (2-2)
6:30 PM Thursday, October 12, 2017
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Matt Ramos

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats couldn't quite complete a comeback from a 31-9 deficit against Langham Creek, falling 31-24 despite holding the ball for 30 minutes and outgaining the Lobos on offense. Jackson Jones went 7-10 for 77 yards through the air and threw a touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez in the fourth quarter. Jackson also ran for 100 yards and a touchdown. Mac Bird managed to register 16 tackles despite having to come off with an injury.

The Wildcats enter the midway point of the 2017 campaign with a .500 mark. As the playoff picture in District 17-6A begins to form, Cy Woods finds itself in a three-way tie with Cy Creek... and Cy Falls for the fourth and final playoff spot.

The Cougars play Jersey Village on Friday. One or two of these three teams will move to 3-2. Get ready... the playoff push is underway.

The Enemy: Cypress Falls Golden Eagles

2016 record: 2-8, 2-7 (t-7th) in District 17-6A

Did not qualify for playoffs

Cy Falls season-to-date

L 23-10 vs. Cy Ranch

L 38-12 @ Langham Creek

W 40-26 vs. Cy Lakes

W 14-10 @ Cy Springs

All-Time Series

Cy Falls leads 6-3.

Previous Meetings

October 7, 2016: Falls 27, Woods 10

September 17, 2015: Falls 57, Woods 20
September 20, 2014: Woods 48, Falls 47
October 25, 2013: Woods 37, Falls 15
October 26, 2012: Falls 35, Woods 10
September 10, 2011: Falls 28, Woods 12
September 11, 2010: Falls 28, Woods 20
November 7, 2009: Falls 46, Woods 43
November 8, 2008: Woods 70, Falls 20

Players to Watch

T.J. Goodwin - JR QB #10
Koby Leavatts - JR RB #22
Andre Barnes - SR WR #11
Jyrese Hanchett - JR WR #86
Trent Thompson - SR DL #44
Nick Avila - SR DL #69
DeAndre Collins - SR LB #35
Jordan Ramos - SR LB #21
Jonathan Patrick - SR WR/DB #15
Aaron Durham - JR DB #25

2¢ on Falls

It's been a rather interesting decade for Cy Falls football. The Eagles entered the 2010s as a solid, if unspectacular squad towards the end of David Raffield's tenure. Coach Raffield, who led Falls to the Division II championship game in 2006, moved on to A&M Consolidated following the 2010 season, and Kirk Eaton took over. Coach Eaton guided Falls to the playoffs in his first two seasons, but they crashed to the bottom of the standings in 2013. The Eagles rebounded in 2015 to make the deepest playoff run of any CFISD team, but that was followed by another 2-8 season in 2016.

Coach Eaton was promoted to an assistant athletic director for Cy-Fair ISD last offseason, and the next man up for the Cy Falls head coaching job is Chris Brister. Coach Brister previously served as the defensive coordinator and he takes over a squad that has some interesting pieces.

T.J. Goodwin toiled in his sophomore season, but he's starting to come into his own a junior as the Eagles have re-incorporated elements of the spread offense. His top targets will be Andre Barnes, Jonathan Patrick, and Jyrese Hanchett. Barnes and Patrick, who also plays cornerback, are both burners in the open field. Hanchett, on the other hand, is a wiry athlete, which gives him an advantage in jump-ball situations. No one in District 17-6A has run the ball more than Koby Leavatts; he is the first player in the district to run the ball 100 times this season. Leavatts is also 2nd to Langham Creek's Chris Herron in rushing yards.

The Eagles no longer have the services of Starrland Baldwin, who suffered a season-ending injury in their season opener against Cy Ranch. Baldwin, an Oklahoma pledge, was their top athlete; he is mainly a defensive back, but has also lined up as a receiver and is also a threat in the return game. Nevertheless, the Eagle defense is still one of the most physical units in the district, allowing a mere 255 yards per game through the first four contests. This figure ranks second only to Cy-Fair.

Trent Thompson, Gary Hudson, and Nick Avila form an imposing front line. Avila is a two-year starter at nose tackle. Thompson has become an absolute force in the trenches and his style of play is reminiscent of former Eagles standout Du'Vonta Lampkin. Thompson, like his brother Blake, is also one of the district's top throwers during track and field season. Hudson has also seen playing time on the offensive line due to injuries. The three of them have combined for 70 tackles (14 for loss) and four sacks this season; with the exception of the season opener against Cy Ranch, the Eagles have been led in tackles by either Avila or Thompson. The Wildcat offensive line better be ready for an all-out war.

Jordan Ramos is a converted running back who has made the transition to linebacker and has emerged as another leader for the Cy Falls defense. Baldwin's absence created a significant void in the secondary, but Patrick, Aaron Durham, and Mekhi Davis have all performed capably. Even without Baldwin, the Eagle defense has really stepped up their game.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

Falls came out on top 27-10 in a rather nondescript affair. It was the second time the Wildcats lost to a previously winless team in 2016.

Brighton Gullickson threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Matt Ficalora in the fourth quarter, but he also threw a pick-six to Devon Hayward that sealed the game for the Eagles. The only other Wildcat scoring play was a 21-yard field goal from Luis Reyes in the first quarter. Myles Wilson had 14 tackles. Neil Chambers recorded 9; three of his tackles, which includes a sack, resulted in a loss of yards.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

JV plays at Woods, freshmen at Falls. Game times are 5:00 and 7:00 on Wednesday.

Location of Cypress Falls High School

Can't miss the water tower with the Cy Falls logo off 290...

Langham Creek 31, Cy Woods 24: Welp

2017 Record: 2-2

Photo by Tom Dendy

Jackson Jones prepares for impact as Langham Creek linebacker Chase Hanks closes in

Photo gallery for this week's game; no sub-varsity photos this week, unfortunately.

Please take a little time to donate to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Beltran have set up separate relief funds to aid the rebuilding efforts. These are just two of the many funds set up by Puerto Rican professional athletes that you can donate to. In addition, Carlos Correa has teamed up with the Salvation Army for hurricane relief.

The Cypress Woods Wildcats hung tough with the undefeated Langham Creek Lobos for 48 minutes and mounted a nice response after it looked as though the Lobos were on the verge of running them out of the Berry Center. But alas, the rally came up short and Langham Creek prevailed 31-24 to remain unbeaten on the year. The Cats, meanwhile, fall back to .500 as we have now reached the midway point of the season.

Cy Woods came out on top in most of the stats; they outgained Langham Creek 337-269 and held the ball for nearly 30 minutes. However, the Lobos ultimately came out on top in the statistic that matters most: points.

I'm still bothered by that fake punt deep in their own territory, which the Lobos converted into a touchdown. Believe me, I'm just as perplexed as you are. Two key moments stand out in this game, and they all went the Lobos' way: the botched fake punt, and when Darion Morgan got stripped and the Lobos got a scoop and score out of it.

Let's be real here, this is a pretty annoying way to lose. Now, this loss is not a death knell with regard to playoff hopes, but the Cats' margin for error has shrunk significantly.

Scoring Summary

Chris Mehn opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run, which was the only scoring play in the first 12 minutes.

End of 1st quarter: Langham 7, Woods 0

Jared Swonke put Cy Woods on the board with a 27-yard field goal. The Cats forced a three-and-out on their next defensive series, but as they were looking to drive, Darion Morgan was stripped of the ball. Corien Azema scooped it up and raced 59 yards the other way for a Lobo touchdown. Morgan atoned for that mistake by scoring from a yard out and Kevin Marks kicked a 29-yard field goal to give Langham three more points heading into the half.

Halftime: Langham 17, Woods 9

The Cats did not have a very good start to the second half as Langham wasted little time in getting down the field. Chris Herron capped off the opening drive of the third quarter with a 23-yard touchdown run. The aforementioned ill-advised fake punt was an invitation for the Lobos to score again and Mehn obliged by scoring on a 2-yard run. Jackson Jones reclaimed some momentum for the Cats with a one-yard touchdown run.

End of 3rd Quarter: Langham 31, Woods 15

Jackson connected with Jack Barrientez for a 6-yard touchdown pass and the Cats recovered the ensuing onside kick. Unfortunately, they squandered that opportunity by turning the ball over on downs. Fortunately, on the next Langham Creek drive, Herron botched a handoff to Mehn and Tobi Orundami bulldozed his way through to recover the loose ball. Unfortunately, the Cats had to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Swonke on their next drive. On the ensuing onside kick, the Lobos came out with the ball after a mad scramble.

Final: Langham 31, Woods 24

Ground

Jackson was solid again, but there were a few plays where he was probably better off pitching the ball. He's got plenty of time to learn, though. Bobby Dodson went down with an injury early, so Darion Morgan took over as the primary running back the rest of the way.

The Cats racked up a bunch of yards on the ground, but they also needed a bunch of rushing attempts to do so, as well.

As always, all statistics are from Varsity Wires and are unofficial.

Jackson Jones: 24 carries, 100 yards, TD
Darion Morgan: 18 carries, 80 yards, TD; fumble lost
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 5 carries, 29 yards
Christian Scott: 4 carries, 18 yards
Dallas Caldwell: 3 carries, 14 yards
Jack Barrientez: 4 carries, 14 yards
Bobby Dodson: 2 carries, 9 yards
Greg Blaser: 1 carry, -4 yards

Air

Not much to say here; Jackson continues to make the throws he's supposed to make. His 24-yard completion to Christian Scott was the Wildcats' longest offensive play of the game.

Jackson Jones: 7-10, 77 yards, TD

Christian Scott: 4 catches, 46 yards
Jack Barrientez: 2 catches, 21 yards, TD
Arkievrick Vitatoe: 1 catch, 10 yards

Defense

Mac Bird is halfway to 100 tackles through the first four games.

Once again, however, the Cats simply couldn't find a way to get the opposing offense off the field on third down. Langham Creek went 9-13 on third down and converted their only fourth-down situation. Both defenses did well in limiting the big plays; the longest offensive play in this game was a 26-yard pass from Chris Herron to Devin Lawrence. Chris Mehn, who entered the game averaging almost 9 yards per carry, had an off night by his standards; the Cats held him to 77 yards on 16 carries.

Tobi Orundami left the Cats after one game last season and then made the decision to rejoin the team for his senior year in the offseason. He's been working his way back into the fold behind the scenes and successfully fulfilled the conditions that were set for him in order to play again.

Tobi only had one tackle in his first game back, but he had a crucial fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. He's not quite in shape, but he infused some energy into the defensive line and got some pressure on Chris Herron.

Tackles

Mac Bird - 16  (1 for loss)
Ryan Gilcrease - 8
Matt Roberts, Clancey Hall, and Jackson Turnbow - 4 each
Derrick Brooks - 3 (1 for loss)
Collin Fewox, Jack Barrientez, Colin Paterson, and Max Sweet - 2 each
Trevor Reed, Austin Kennedy, Tyler Redgrave, and Tobi Orundami - 1 each

As mentioned above, Tobi recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter.

Special Teams

Jared Swonke hit both of his field goals. I think this is the first time that a Wildcat kicker has made more than one field goal since Chase McLaughlin did so against Cy Ranch back in 2012.

Greg Blaser's one punt of the night went 35 yards.

Christian Scott: 2 kicks returned, 26 yards
Tevis Adams: 2 kicks returned, 13 yards

Man of the Match

Mac Bird put up 16 tackles despite having to miss part of the second quarter due to a.... nail in his leg? I probably didn't hear this correctly. When he was being attended to, it definitely looked like he was in real distress, which led me to believe that he suffered a more serious injury.

Mac shook it off and wound up posting double-digit tackles yet again, so I suppose he's alright.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will tussle with the Cy Falls Golden Eagles to kick off Week 5 in District 17-6A at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium on Thursday, October 12. Kickoff is at 6:30 and Cy Woods will be the visitors once again.