Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #5: Isaiah Battle

Halfway home. The next player to be featured in the countdown of the ten best players from the first decade of Cy Woods football is a game-breaking wideout and probably one of the most clutch players in program history.

#5: Isaiah Battle, WR, 2008-09

Colleges: Blinn, Texas State

Cy Woods accomplishments

- Unanimous 1st-Team All-District 15-5A, 2009
- District 15-5A Offensive Player of the Year, 2009

- Texas Sports Writers Association Third-Team All-State, 2009
- Houston Chronicle Second-Team All-Greater Houston, 2009
- School's all-time leader in receiving yards (1,224)
- Most receiving yards in a season (1,109, 2009)
- Most receptions in a season (66, 2009)
- 2nd all-time in receptions (73)
- Most receptions in a game (10, 2009)

Notable Games

2009 vs. Klein Oak - 6 catches, 147 yards, 2 TD
2009 vs. Cy Creek - 8 catches, 153 yards, TD
2009 vs. Langham Creek - 6 catches, 168 yards, 2 TD
2009 vs. Cy Falls - 10 catches, 163 yards, TD
2009 vs. Dallas Skyline - Game-winning 44-yard TD reception with 0:31 left in game

When the Cypress Woods Wildcats needed a big play through the air, they turned to Isaiah Battle. We called him Predator, and for good reason. Isaiah was cold-blooded and he had evil intentions every time he caught a pass. Without a doubt, he was the most dominant wide receiver in Cy Woods football history.

Not only was Isaiah dominant, we knew that he would show up during the biggest games. He helped lead the Wildcats down the field during the game-winning drive against Cy Creek. He tore Klein Oak apart and that was a game in which Oak was favored by 40 points. But his shining moment in a Cy Woods uniform came in the third round of the playoffs against Skyline. With the game tied with less than a minute remaining in regulation, he cemented his status as a great when he caught a Colton Huntsman pass and dashed into the end zone with what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown, giving the Wildcats their payback over the Raiders.

Isaiah was a unanimous first-team All-District 15-5A selection in 2009 and was named Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned third-team All-State honors and also received an invitation to play in the Bayou Bowl, a post-season All-Star game featuring high school players from Texas and Louisiana.

Isaiah Battle is the only Cy Woods player to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. He might be the only person to accomplish this feat for a while. That's alright, though. Among Cy Woods wide receivers, Isaiah Battle has no peers. He is the greatest wide receiver in Cy Woods football history.

Cy Woods 61, Cy Park 7: A Stroll Through the Park

2018 record: 5-2, 4-1 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

Photos for this week's games

The Cypress Woods Wildcats started off Week 7 in District 14-6A by trouncing the Cypress Park Tigers 61-7 in the first-ever meeting between both schools in varsity football.

To be honest, I don't really have anything insightful to say about this game. This was a game that the Wildcats were expected to win convincingly and they did just that. They've taken care of business this month and now they find themselves entrenched in the top four in District 14-6A.

This was the Wildcats' fourth consecutive victory, giving them their longest winning streak since 2011. Cy Woods won eight straight that season. The 54-point margin of victory is the Cats' second-biggest margin of victory in a single game and also ties their largest win in a district game. The other game in which they won by 54 points? The 54-0 demolition of Cy Ranch in 2013.

Game Summarized By an Image I Found on the Internet

"Cy Woods won?"

What Happened

This was a game that the Wildcats were expected to win convincingly and they did just that.

After forcing a three-and-out on the first series of the evening, the Cats wasted little time in opening the scoring as Jake Tesch caught a Carson Danner pass and took it 42 yards to the end zone. Two minutes later, Christian Scott scored on a 19-yard run. Danner scored from one yard out to extend the Cy Woods lead to 20-0 and the rout was on.

Well... not quite. Sergio Small busted through the middle and outran everyone for a 52-yard touchdown to get Park on the board. The rout resumed when Tesch returned the ensuing kickoff 61 yards. One play later, he found himself in the end zone again following a 21-yard run.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 27, Park 7

Christian Scott scored on another run midway through the second quarter, this time from 13 yards. Jackson Jones got in from one yard just before halftime.

Halftime: Woods 40, Park 7

With a massive lead, the Cats essentially shifted into "get out of here as quickly as possible" mode in the second half and everyone got a chance to appear in this game. Tre Mejia scored on an 18-yard run in the third quarter. In the fourth, Jones scored on a 13-yard run and Pearson Chesnutt capped off the evening with an 82-yard scoring run with less than five minutes remaining in the game.

Final: Woods 61, Park 7

Ground

About the only thing that went wrong for Cy Woods in this game was losing a couple of fumbles.

Carson Danner was held to just one touchdown in this game. The Cats didn't need to rely on him too much, though. He now has 15 rushing touchdowns on the season and he has three more games remaining (not talking about what comes after just yet) to reach the single-season record of 22, set by Nick Hooper in 2014.

Congratulations to Jeshurun "JJ" Williams on his varsity debut. JJ is a sophomore running back, so look for him to form a potent combo with his classmate, Trayse Holmes, in the coming years.

All statistics, as always, are from Varsity Wires.

JJ Williams: 7 rush, 32 yards
Darion Morgan: 7 rush, 9 yards
Christian Scott: 6 rush, 78 yards, 2 TD
Jackson Jones: 5 rush, 40 yards, 2 TD
Tre Mejia: 4 rush, 49 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 4 rush, 25 yards
Carson Danner: 4 rush, 24 yards, TD
Konner Sabrsula: 2 rush, 13 yards
Pearson Chesnutt: 1 rush, 82 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 1 rush, 21 yards, TD

Air

Danner's arm was not really needed in this game.

Carson Danner: 4-7, 98 yards, TD

Christian Scott: 2 catches, 25 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 42 yards, TD
Konner Sabrsula: 1 catch, 31 yards

Defense

The defense allowed only one big play and it was Sergio Small's touchdown run. Other than that, the Tigers didn't have much going for them, even in the second half.

23 Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and there was a three-way tie for the lead: Trajan Armstrong, Mac Bird, and Caleb Rutherford all finished with eight tackles on the evening. Trajan was playing his first varsity game after getting moved up, so congratulations to him on making his varsity debut.

Nolan Authorlee had an interception and Rutherford also recovered a fumble.

Special Teams

Nolan Authorlee blocked two field goal attempts, making him the first player in Cy Woods history to block more than one field goal in a single game.

Gustavo Olmedo went 7-9 on extra points. I think we can chalk up the first miss to a bad hold. It's the first two extra points he's missed since Spring and he's been a dependable option, so I won't complain.

Jake Tesch: 1 kick returned, 61 yards; 1 punt returned, 7 yards

Men of the Match

The entire team gets the nod for this week.

Special shoutouts go to Trajan Armstong for leading the team in tackles in his first varsity game and Nolan Authorlee for blocking two field goals and intercepting a pass.

Alright, let's move on to next week.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will face the Cypress Springs Panthers at 7:00 on Friday, October 19 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest. Don't forget to wear pink...

Know the Enemy: Cypress Park Tigers

Week 7: Cypress Woods Wildcats (4-2, 3-1) @ Cypress Park Tigers (0-5, 0-3)
6:30 PM Thursday, October 11, 2018
Pridgeon Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

On Homecoming Friday at Pridgeon Stadium, the Cats almost squandered a 30-point lead in the fourth quarter to a Cy Lakes team that had one final kick left in them. Fortunately, Cy Woods was able to stave off the Spartans' upset bid and escaped with a 63-55 victory.

Carson Danner ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 183 and three touchdowns. Darion Morgan had 163 rushing yards, 89 of which came on the longest touchdown run in Cy Woods history. Cameron Sowell caught two passes and they both resulted in touchdowns. On defense, Mac Bird had a dozen tackles to lead the way.

Next up for the Cats is another first: the first matchup with Cy-Fair ISD's other varsity football debutant, the Cypress Park Tigers. Before we take a look at the Tigers, here are the current standings in District 14-6A and the current situation in the district.

District 14-6A

Standings

Current playoff teams in italics.

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

Last Week in District 14-6A

Langham Creek 28, Tomball Memorial 21
Cy Ranch 51, Cy Park 10
Bryan 42, Bridgeland 21
Bye: Cy Springs

Langham Creek knocking off Tomball Memorial gave them another lifeline in the playoff chase.  Ranch is the only team I would consider to be a lock for the playoffs at this point unless some cataclysmic event just tanks them. Tomball Memorial is in a good position but the loss will probably force them to wait a little longer for their gratification. So, that leaves Woods, Lakes, Langham, and possibly Bryan to duke it out for the last two spots. Woods definitely has the upper hand as they own the tiebreakers over Lakes and Langham.

This Week in District 14-6A

Bye: Langham Creek

Thursday
Cy Lakes vs. Bryan, 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU

Friday
Bridgeland vs. Tomball Memorial, 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU

Saturday
Cy Springs vs. Cy Ranch, 7:00 at Cy-Fair FCU

The Enemy: Cypress Park Tigers

First varsity season.

This will be the first meeting between Cy Woods and Cy Park. The Tigers will be the 31st team to face Cy Woods in football.

Cypress Park High School opened in 2016 with only freshmen. Opening with just one grade would, in a sense, ensure that the efforts to build its traditions would be wholly organic. There are also a few people currently on the Cy Park faculty who have Cy Woods connections.

Another Wildcat football alum will be taking on the Wildcats this week: Hayden Dobbs, a 2009 Cy Woods graduate, will be facing his old school for the first time as a Cy Park coach. Hayden was a team captain and a starting linebacker on the very first Cy Woods varsity football team and went on to play college football at McNeese State University in Lake Charles. Hayden is also on the cover page of the blog this year.

Also, Mrs. (Crystal) Romanelli, a former Cy Woods teacher who switched to the administration route and is now an assistant principal at Cy Park, will be pitted against her husband, Coach (Marcus) Romanelli, Cy Woods' strength and conditioning coach. And finally, Mr. (Chris) Hecker, Cy Park's principal, is a former Cy Woods assistant principal; he served in that capacity when Cy Woods first opened.

Oh, one last note. Park is singular. Like, one park.

Cy Park season-to-date

L 29-7 @ Klein Cain
L 47-0 vs. Cy-Fair (game called at halftime - severe weather)
L 54-7 @ Cy Lakes
L 37-30 vs. Cy Springs
L 51-10 @ Cy Ranch

The Tigers went up against the other Goliath of Cy-Fair ISD football, Cy Ranch, and well, they underwent another bloodletting, losing 51-10. At least they got that over with.

Players to Watch

Michael Tolbert - JR QB #2
Blasco Tipps - JR RB/DB #3
Sergio Small - JR RB/LB #24
James LeBlanc - JR RB/DB #23
Raymond Sims - SOPH LB/RB #32
Carl Jenkins - JR DB #25
Jasper Warren - JR DB/WR #20
Bryan Gutierrez - JR OL/DL #55
Elijah Steen - JR OL/DL #63
Mark Preston - JR OL #62

2¢ on Park

In contrast to Bridgeland, Cy Park's introduction to varsity football at the 6A level has been significantly more arduous. Mrs. Romo says that this season is essentially a learning year for the Tigers. They're pretty much using this year to learn what it takes to compete in Class 6A.

I watched their game against Lakes and they might have had 30 kids dressed for that game. And then... they saw a couple of key players go down with injuries during the course of that game. The Tigers will play hard, but they're also playing two games at once: the football game, and the numbers game. The numbers game is significantly more ruthless. Because of the severe lack of depth, everyone plays both ways.

Despite all of that, the kids don't seem discouraged and there is no shortage of excitement... there was a fair amount of students in the Park section when they played Lakes and almost all of them stayed through until the end. Fortunately for Park, it sounds like they have been able to build enough depth to where they can promote a couple of kids from the JV.

Probably the best news for them is that one of the players they lost against Lakes, Sergio Small, is now healthy. Small, who was also a regional qualifier in wrestling, is the heart and soul of this Tiger team. He's their leading rusher and he busted out for 208 yards against Cy Springs. James LeBlanc is Park's leading receiver out of the backfield. He is one of only four players to catch a pass for the Tigers. The Tigers will have to get something going in the passing game with Michael Tolbert. Blasco Tipps has some big-play ability of his own; he had a 60-yard touchdown run against Ranch and also returned a blocked extra point kick against Springs.

Carl Jenkins, one of the few players who plays on one side of the ball for Park, is listed at 5-1 and he embodies the Mark Twain quote "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Jenkins leads the Tigers in tackles from his safety spot. They also have a couple of promising inside linebackers in Raymond Sims and Omega Goodlette. Bryan Gutierrez and Elijah Steen will anchor both lines for the Tigers.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Park, JV at Cy Woods.

Freshman game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday. There will be one JV game at 6:30.

Location of Cypress Park High School

Cy Woods 63, Cy Lakes 55: Happy Homecoming.

2018 Record: 4-2, 3-1 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

Photo gallery for this week's games

For senior football players, the Homecoming game is definitely one of the most important on the schedule, dwarfed in significance only by the rivalry game and (if their team qualifies) the playoffs. For their school, the outcome of the game essentially defines the mood for the weekend. A win and everyone's happy. A loss... well, dampens the mood of the festivities. Cy Woods lost on Homecoming during my senior year and the aftermath was thoroughly unpleasant. We didn't just lose, Ridge gave us a beating. To top it all off, Homecoming was the first district game that year so we were already starting off on the wrong foot.

Fortunately for the Class of 2019 at Cypress Woods High School, they guaranteed themselves a happy Homecoming weekend with a 63-55 victory over Cy Lakes on Friday, extending their winning streak to three games.

This game looked like it was going to be easy... until it stopped being easy when Lakes hit back in the second quarter. The Cats re-established control in the third quarter and thought that they could salt this one away by just getting a few stops and burning some clock in the fourth. Simple, right?

Well... in that final quarter, the Spartans decided that they would not be content to just take their loss and move on to next week. That provided some, shall we say, tense moments to close things out.

Cy Woods lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 63 points and 667 yards of offense. But, Lakes came to play as well, even if their comeback bid ultimately fell short. That definitely was not the Cy Lakes that we were accustomed to seeing during the all-CFISD district years in which they'd routinely lose by 30-40 points. The culture of that program has changed dramatically for the better and they believe that they can be a playoff team. Seeing a 30-point lead nearly vanish is definitely not ideal, but to me, Cy Woods withstood two huge haymakers from Cy Lakes in this game and as a result, they're sitting at 3-1 after the first half of district play.

We are really seeing just how significant that victory over Langham Creek was from an emotional standpoint for the Cats because it absolutely got their season back on track. They have two more games left in this slightly easier mid-season stretch, so they have two more chances to really solidify their chances for a return to the playoffs. Of course, they've got to win those games.

Game Summarized by an Image I Found on the Internet

What Happened

Cy Woods got the ball to start this game but Christian Scott misjudged the flight of the ball on the opening kickoff and as a result, the Cats had to start at their own 11. Ultimately it didn't matter because Darion Morgan scored on an 89-yard run on the first play of the game. After the Spartans turned the ball over on downs, the Cats marched down the field and Carson Danner capped off the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tesch.

Lakes responded by getting on the board with a three-yard touchdown run from Khaliq Mateen. Earlier in that drive, Mateen completed a pass to Quintavien Smith, who somehow slipped out of a couple of tackles along the sideline and dashed into the red zone to set up the score. Cy Woods answered that score with a touchdown of their own as Danner found the end zone from 21 yards out.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 21, Lakes 7

The first play of the second quarter was a Cy Lakes punt. A couple of personal fouls aided the Cats' next drive, which was capped off by a four-yard touchdown run from Tre Mejia. However, Lakes hit back with 45 and 41-yard touchdown runs from Sean Hunter. Hunter's first touchdown run capped off a one-play drive; the second touchdown came after Kyree Anderson picked off a pass from Danner. On the very first play of Woods' next drive, Kyvon Highsmith single-handedly ended it by ripping the ball from Danner as he was getting ready to hand it off to Morgan and then he rode the momentum of the pile to put the Spartans at the door once again. On fourth down, Smith made a diving grab to secure Mateen's pass for a 14-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, so the Cats stayed in front.

Woods responded with a five-yard touchdown run from Trayse Holmes and on the final play of the first half, Danner hit Cameron Sowell for a 41-yard touchdown. It's the second time this season that Danner found Sowell for a touchdown pass right before halftime.

Halftime: Woods 42, Lakes 26

Cy Lakes came up empty to start the second half and the Cats opened up the scoring in the final 24 minutes when Jake Tesch scored on an eight-yard run. The defense got another stop and then Danner connected with Sowell for another touchdown pass, this time from 32 yards. Unfortunately, Jarel Lewis had a 50-yard run to start Lakes' next drive and after a facemask penalty, he capped it off with a 13-yard touchdown. Danner had a 50-yard touchdown run wiped out by a penalty, but he still ended up getting his touchdown from five yards.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 63, Lakes 33

On the first play of the final quarter, Thaddrick Johnson was left completely uncovered and he walked into the end zone after catching Mateen's pass. On the Cats' next possession, Lakes scored again when Anderson, who had the interception earlier in the game, scooped up an errant pitch and took it 33 yards for another touchdown. Woods forced a three-and-out and lined up for a field goal after their drive stalled. Unfortunately, the kick was blocked and Eamon Perry picked up the loose ball and ran 70 yards for yet another touchdown. The Spartans got the two-point conversion to cut the Cy Woods lead to eight. The Cats managed to pick themselves up, however, and successfully ran out the clock to escape with the victory.

Final: Woods 63, Lakes 55

Ground

It was yet another monster night on the ground for the offense as they ran for 484 yards. This, however, is still short of the school-record 504 they put up against Jersey Village in that crazy 74-73 game back in 2015. However, Darion Morgan set a new school record for the longest scoring run with his 89-yard run on the first play of the game. The previous record was an 88-yard run by Mason Roberts against Cy Ranch in 2012.

Carson Danner added two more touchdowns on the ground to give him 14 on the year.

Stats from Varsity Wires.

Carson Danner: 26 rush, 181 yards, 2 TD
Darion Morgan: 14 rush, 163 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 8 rush, 42 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 5 rush, 42 yards
Jake Tesch: 4 rush, 21 yards
Tre Mejia: 3 rush, 33 yards, TD
Jackson Jones: 2 rush, 1 yard

Air

Christian Scott had his hands on the ball but got dispossessed of it before he completed the action of making the catch. Kyree Anderson snatched it out of the air and gave the Spartans the ball.

I wonder how Cameron Sowell would have fared in the old offense. He's definitely emerging as a #1 receiver in a run-dominant offense.

Tre Mejia: 3 catches, 31 yards
Cameron Sowell: 2 catches, 73 yards, 2 TD
Connor Faulk: 2 catches, 30 yards
Christian Scott: 1 catch, 23 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 14 yards, TD
Darion Morgan: 1 catch, 12 yards

Defense

For the first time this season, the Wildcats did not force a turnover on defense. They also got put into some tough positions because of offensive miscues and the Spartans turned all three Cy Woods turnovers into 19 points.

But, yeah... gotta find a way to pick up the offense by stopping them.

Eighteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle and Mac Bird led the way with 12. Apparently, he had a little friendly wager going with Lakes linebacker Malik Green for this game. That was what was relayed to me by his dad. Unfortunately for Mac, Malik ended up as the winner as he posted 18 tackles.

Special Teams

Lakes also turned a blocked field goal into eight points. Gustavo Olmedo successfully converted all nine of his extra-point attempts.

Cy Lakes kicker Joseph Staiano has been in that position for three years and he's gotten better each year. His first two kickoffs really messed with the Wildcat return unit and really put the offense in tough positions early.

Carson Danner punted once and it traveled 30 yards.

Christian Scott: 2 kicks returned, 18 yards
Reagan Simmons: 2 kicks returned, 13 yards
Chase Richter: 1 kick returned, 18 yards
Pearson Chesnutt: 1 kick returned, 9 yards

Man of the Match

Darion Morgan for setting a record. He showed no lingering effects of whatever was keeping him out of the Bridgeland game on that run. Even outside of that run, he was still getting good chunks of yardage so he's definitely doing his job on the offense. All 14 of his rushing attempts resulted in gains.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will kick off Week 7 in District 14-6A as they take on the Cypress Park Tigers at Pridgeon Stadium on Thursday, October 11 at 6:30 PM. Cy Woods will be the visitors in this game.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #6: Fred Anderson

The next player in the countdown of the ten best players from the first decade of Cy Woods football is the first 1,000-yard rusher in school history. That record has since been broken but he still has a couple more records in his possession.

#6: Fredrick Anderson, RB, 2009-10

College: Prairie View A&M

- First player in school history to record 1,000 rushing yards in one season.
- Previously held school single-season record for rushing yards (1036) and touchdowns (20).
- Holds school single-season record for most touchdowns (30; 20 rushing, 10 receiving) and points scored (180). All records were set in 2010.

Notable Games

2009 vs. Round Rock Westwood: 15 rush, 163 yards (first game)
2010 vs. Cy Ranch: 15 rush, 175 yards, 2 TD; 4 catches, 55 yards, 2 TD
2010 vs. Langham Creek: 2 catches, 164 yards, 2 TD
2010 vs. Cy Ridge: 5 rush, 47 yards, TD; 5 catches, 92 yards, 3 TD
2010 vs. Clear Creek: 15 rush, 120 yards, 4 TD

When I first met Fredrick Anderson... he was trouble. I got love for him, but I'll be honest... I thought that he was heading down a treacherous path. He definitely fit the "talented athlete with a troubled life" template to a T. This game and being a part of this team saved Fred. That's all I can say about his personal life.

Fred was supposed to make the varsity as Jeremy Conley's backup in 2009, his junior year. Instead, he got into a bit of trouble. (I don't know what happened and I couldn't share those details if I did. Again, not my business.) He was only able to officially join the team for the playoffs, where he stepped into a starting role when Jeremy Conley got hurt. For those four weeks, Fred finally got a chance to show everyone what he was truly capable of on the field.

When Fred finally became the feature back next to Colton Huntsman, he was absolutely special. A true dual-threat weapon at the running back position. No one at Cy Woods made scoring touchdowns more effortless than Fred did. Teams couldn't just focus on Colton Huntsman on offense... they'd have to account for Fredrick Anderson and he could turn short gains into touchdowns just like that. That tandem of Colton and Fred was poetry in motion.

After Cy Woods, Fred played for four seasons at Prairie View A&M as a running back. He led the Panthers in rushing yards in his first two seasons.

Know the Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

Week 6: Cypress Woods Wildcats (3-2, 2-1) vs. Cypress Lakes Spartans (3-2, 2-1)
7:00 PM Friday, October 5, 2018
Homecoming XI at Pridgeon Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats ran wild and dominated the Bridgeland Bears in every facet of the game in a 56-14 victory that felt even more lopsided than the final score suggested. Carson Danner threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 83 yards and three more touchdowns. Trayse Holmes stepped up when Darion Morgan went down with an injury, running for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Tesch ran for 121 yards and a touchdown and also had 73 receiving yards, 36 of which came on a touchdown reception. The Cats had 578 yards of offense, which, according to Varsity Wires, is the most yardage recorded by a Cy-Fair ISD team this season.

On defense, Mac Bird had nine tackles, Jackson Hosemann had two interceptions and Tylan Foster had two sacks.

And now... it's Homecoming! And all the pageantry (and possible distractions) that come with it! For some reason, Woods Homecomings always take place at Pridgeon.

The Enemy: Cypress Lakes Spartans

2017: 0-9, 10th in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

Cy Lakes season-to-date

L 22-20 vs. Morton Ranch
W 31-6 vs. Klein Forest
W 54-7 vs. Cy Park
W 28-7 @ Cy Springs
L 45-14 vs. Cy Ranch

Last week was the Spartans' Homecoming game and they led Cy Ranch 14-10 at halftime before the wheels fell off for them in dramatic fashion. The second half was all Ranch as they ran away with a 45-14 victory, snapping Lakes' three-game winning streak.

This will be the second time that the Spartans will be the Wildcats' opponent on Homecoming. Cy Woods won 70-20 in 2015.

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 8-0.

Previous Meetings

October 21, 2017: Woods 31, Lakes 20
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

Khaliq Abdul-Mateen - JR QB #5
Sean Hunter - SR RB #25
Thaddrick "T.J." Johnson - SR WR #17
Malik Green - SR LB #34
O'Shea Jackson - SR DL #44
Marcus Mattox - SR DL #72
Jevon White - SR ATH #4
Eamon Perry - JR DB #12
Xavier Corbin - JR DB #30
Kyree Anderson - JR DB #11
Jordan Lamotte - SR DB #14
Joseph Staiano - SR K #48

2¢ on Lakes

In 2016, the Spartans won more than one game for the first time in program history and were probably a handful of plays away from winning even more games that year. That season should have set the stage for another big step forward for a program that has struggled mightily from the start. Instead, Cy Lakes went winless for the third time in eight seasons.

Although they got smacked by Ranch, the new district seems to be the spark that has enabled Lakes to finally get their program off the ground. They are no longer the doormat that they were during the all-CFISD district years and that is a testament to the job that Coach Patton has done with this program.

The Spartans return a wealth of talent and experience on defense and they always seem to have one player in the secondary who appears at or near the top of the district leaderboard in interceptions. It all started with Drake Moore back in 2013. Brenden Lemon followed, and then it was Julian Hall's turn. The next man up, Jordan Lamotte, shined as a junior as he led the team in tackles (86) and interceptions (3). Eamon Perry and Kyree Anderson are a couple of promising juniors; Perry had two interceptions against Morton Ranch, while Anderson is in his second year as a starter.

Unfortunately for the Spartans, Lamotte and Perry have both been sidelined with injuries. Xavier Corbin, a hard-hitting junior, has stepped in to fill the void left by Lamotte and has acquitted himself well, acquiring a penchant for selling out for the big hit. Malik Green also enjoyed a breakout junior season and he'll lead the linebackers. Green has a nose for the football and seems to get himself involved in every play. He's got a solid supporting cast with Augustine Padilla, Zabion Davis, and Erik Garza, who also punts. Marcus Mattox and O'Shea Jackson are both three-year starters on the Spartans' defensive line. Along with Kyvon Highsmith, they'll look to disrupt the Cats' rushing attack.

After getting thrust into the starting job midway through his sophomore season, Khaliq Abdul-Mateen enters his first full year as the Spartans' starting quarterback and he'll be accompanied by a trio of senior tailbacks in Jarel Lewis, Sean Hunter, and Taven Canty. Mateen has done some damage with his legs but he'll need to make some progress as a passer. Jevon White, who also plays cornerback, and T.J. Johnson will be Mateen's primary targets in the passing game. White will also be a major factor in the return game; he's already returned a punt for a touchdown this season.

Joseph Staiano has been the Spartans' kicker for three seasons and he's improved every year. Most of his kickoffs are pooches for some reason but don't be fooled, he's got plenty of leg strength and he has turned himself into a real asset for Lakes.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Wildcats climbed back to .500 with a 31-20 victory. Jackson Hosemann had ten tackles and sealed the victory with an interception late in the fourth quarter. Jack Barrientez returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown, and Jake Tesch scored on a 21-yard run and a 53-yard reception.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Cy Woods, JV at Lakes. Game times, as always, are 4:30 and 6:30. The JV Gold team will take on Cy Creek at 4:30.

Location of Cypress Lakes High School

Cy Woods 56, Bridgeland 14: EASY MONEY

2018 Record: 3-2, 2-1 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

The first-ever meeting between Cy Woods and Bridgeland turned out to be no contest. If the Cats hadn't committed a couple of pretty bad turnovers in the first quarter, one of which gifted the Bears a touchdown, it's possible that the final score could have been more lopsided than 56-14. They did what was expected of them and they dominated a team playing its first varsity football season without seniors.

After winning a thriller against Langham Creek last week, the big question surrounding Cy Woods was whether they would suffer a letdown following the high of such an emotional victory. After scoring on their opening drive in just under two minutes, it would be clear that the there would be no such thing. Pretty much only two things went wrong in this game: the gift touchdown near the end of the first quarter and the opening drive of the second half, in which the defense forgot that the game resumed.

There was a preview on the Vype website of this game that was written by a kid from Bridgeland and he had predicted a Bridgeland victory, but I'll let that go. I'm too old to bicker with kids about high school football anyway. The Bears have some legit talent, but it's not their time yet. We'll be hearing plenty about them in the coming years.

Congratulations to Dylan Cormier on his varsity debut. Dylan is a sophomore quarterback and he's wearing #34. I don't know why he didn't get to wear 16, 18, or 19, but that's not my decision. I'm just wondering...

And with that, the first half of the season draws to a close. The season literally started on the first day of this month and five games are already in the books. 3-2 in the first half is... fine. The Cats have more wins than losses and with a 2-1 record against district foes, they are most definitely in a favorable position as the playoff race begins to take shape in the district.

Game Summarized by an Image I Found on the Internet

What Happened

Cy Woods made quick work of Bridgeland.

A couple of big runs from Jake Tesch were the key plays in the opening drive, which was completed when Carson Danner scored from six yards out. After the Bears went three-and-out and then committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that gave Woods outstanding field position, Tesch had another big run that would have had the Cats in the red zone... but he lost the ball. Fortunately, the Bears went three-and-out on their ensuing offensive possession following the turnover. Danner found Tesch on fourth down to keep Cy Woods' next drive alive, which he capped off with an eight-yard touchdown run.

The Bears had an interesting strategy for their next series: they decided to call a Finn Nicholson arm punt on the very first play and Jackson Hosemann ended up getting his first interception of the night. A couple of big pass plays from Danner put the Cats in the red zone and he finished it off with a two-yard run. Another Bears punt gave the Cats the ball back inside the 20. But on the first play of that series a high snap rolled into the end zone and Danner was forced to scramble for it. Instead of just taking a safety (or even kicking it away!), he scrambled for the ball, put it on the ground in the end zone again, and Connor Motsinger pounced on the loose ball to put Bridgeland on the board. Giving up two... way better than giving up six.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 21, Bridgeland 7

The Cats decided to end this one early and they did so with four touchdowns in the second quarter. After Hosemann picked Nicholson off for the second time, the Cats marched right back down the field and Jake Tesch finished it off with a 34-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff, Trayse Holmes delivered a massive hit that jarred the ball loose. Tylan Foster recovered the ball and should have had a touchdown, but the officials apparently heard a whistle and as a result, they blew the play dead after much conferring. It ultimately didn't matter because Danner found Connor Faulk for a 24-yard touchdown pass on the very next play. After yet another three-and-out for the Bears, the Cats drove once again and Holmes finished it by scoring from eight yards out. Tesch inexplicably decided to try and catch a punt with one hand but fortunately, Hosemann was there to bail him out by recovering the loose ball. Tesch atoned for that mistake by catching a pass from Danner and slashing his way into the end zone from 36 yards out just before halftime.

Halftime: Woods 49, Bridgeland 7

Bridgeland opened the scoring in the second half when Nicholson connected with Atrevion Hunter for a 23-yard touchdown pass on their first drive. This was the only scoring play in the third quarter. The Cats really wanted to get out of this game as quickly as possible.

The Bears recovered a fumble to thwart a Cy Woods threat but could only get one first down on their next possession before they had to punt. The Cats got the ball with 6:21 left in the 3rd and they used up all of that clock. Holmes scored on a four-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to finish that drive and the scoring.

Final: Woods 56, Bridgeland 14

Ground

Carson Danner added three more touchdowns on the ground, giving him 12 on the season. He is now just ten touchdowns away from matching the Cy Woods single-season record for rushing touchdowns, which was set by Nick Hooper in 2014. He has at least five more games to get to 22.

The second half was Trayse Holmes' time to shine. Darion Morgan looked to have been banged up, so if he ends up missing some time, Holmes will be getting a more prominent role in the offense.

Stats from Varsity Wires, which tracked stats on behalf of the Texas Sports Network.

Trayse Holmes: 24 rush, 123 yards, 2 TD
Carson Danner: 14 rush, 83 yards, 3 TD
Jake Tesch: 8 rush, 121 yards, TD
Dylan Cormier: 6 rush, 29 yards
Christian Scott: 5 rush, 55 yards
Tre Mejia: 3 rush, 4 yards

There were also two attempts credited to "TEAM" and the Cats lost 16 yards. 15 of those came on the bad snap that resulted in free points for the Bears and the other yard that was lost came when Dylan Cormier took a knee to end the game.

Air

Danner had his best game in terms of accuracy. His receivers were in position to make plays and he helped them out with some really good throws.

Carson Danner: 8-11, 172 yards, 2 TD

Jake Tesch: 3 catches, 73 yards, TD
Christian Scott: 2 catches, 33 yards
Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 29 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 24 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 1 catch, 13 yards

Defense

The Cats held the top offense in District 14-6A to 162 yards and seven points (the other seven, as I mentioned earlier, came when Carson Danner decided not to take a safety for some reason).

Cy Woods became extremely well-acquainted with Finn Nicholson by the end of the evening and they held Dylan Goffney, who entered this game as the leading receiver in District 14-6A, to just four catches for 26 yards. Nicholson, the leading passer in the district, finished 10-25 for just 97 yards and Jackson Hosemann intercepted him twice. Gavan Kaspar led the district in all-purpose yards entering the game; he only had 46 rushing yards and returned a kickoff 15 yards.

Nicholson trying to force the issue early with long balls to Goffney ended up working in the Cats' favor because they all ended up being incomplete and as a result, the Bears couldn't really work anyone else into the passing game to take the attention off Goffney.

I'm kind of sure that Bryce Callahan had a game in 2008 or 2009 where he had two interceptions, so Jackson Hosemann may or may not be the first player in Cy Woods history to record two interceptions in one game.

Twenty Wildcats recorded at least one tackle. Mac Bird led the way with nine. For the first time this season, Chase Richter did not finish a game as Cy Woods' leader in this statistic. Tylan Foster had six tackles, two sacks, and what should have been a scoop and score if it hadn't been for the refs hearing things that actually didn't make a noise.

Interceptions: Jackson Hosemann 2
Fumbles recovered: Tylan Foster

Hosemann now has three interceptions on the year.

Sacks: Tylan Foster 2

These were Foster's first sacks of the season and he's jumped into a tie at the top with Mac Bird, who also has two sacks.

Special Teams

Fair catches on kickoffs... work the same way as touchbacks now?

Christian Scott returned two kickoffs for a total of 28 yards. Jake Tesch returned three punts but only netted four yards. Jackson Hosemann was credited with a return for one yard after he recovered a punt that Tesch muffed.

Gustavo Olmedo hit all eight of his extra-point attempts. The Wildcats only punted twice in this game; Danner had a 31-yard punt and Cole Gerletti had a 28-yard punt that hit a Bridgeland player but bounced out of bounds afterward. That was probably a confidence booster for Gerletti; the last time he appeared, he shanked a punt and it only went for nine yards.

Men of the Match

The defense gets this one. This was by far their most complete effort of the season. They've been the target of ire throughout the first half of the year so I'm extremely happy that they responded with this performance.

They'll have to bring it like they did in this game for the rest of the year.

Looking Ahead

It's Homecoming Week at the Woods! It is also the start of the second half of the season.

The 11th Annual Cypress Woods High School Homecoming Football Game and the accompanying pageantry will take place at Pridgeon Stadium on Friday, October 5. The Wildcats will take on the Cypress Lakes Spartans at 7:00 PM.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #7: Alfred "Bama" Pullom

Next in the countdown of the ten best players from the first decade of Cy Woods football... a true game-changing defensive back.

#7: Alfred "Bama" Pullom, DB, 2010-12

Alfred Pullom moved to Cy Woods from Alabama, which is how he got his nickname. Sometimes the origin story of a nickname is quite simple. Bama made the varsity as a sophomore in 2010 and eventually became a two-year starter at safety for the Cats and one of the top safeties in Texas. Together with Jamaul Tompkins, Bama was a part of the most feared secondary in Cy Woods history... they were the safeties, while Josh Holley and Deonte Davis locked opposing receivers down at cornerback.

After Cy Woods, Bama played three seasons at Baylor and played in two bowl games. He had an interception in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State in 2014.

Know the Enemy: Bridgeland Bears

Week 5: Cypress Woods Wildcats (2-2, 1-1) @ Bridgeland Bears (2-2, 1-1)
6:00 PM Saturday, September 29, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cats survived a one-man comeback attempt from Chris Herron and snatched a victory right out of Langham Creek's grasp as Gustavo Olmedo hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired to earn a 41-39 victory. Carson Danner ran for 173 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 183 yards and two more touchdowns in the winning effort. Cy Woods forced a team-record seven turnovers; they intercepted Herron four times and also recovered three fumbles, all of which were on Herron.

Next up for the Cats is the new kids on the Cy-Fair ISD block, the Bridgeland Bears. Let's take a look at Bridgeland!

The Enemy: Bridgeland Bears

First varsity season.

This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Bridgeland. The Bears are the 30th team to take on Cy Woods.

These two schools have never played against each other at any level of football so this week's slate of games represents the first time that they will face each other in football, period.

Bridgeland season-to-date

W 48-19 vs. Waltrip
L 41-28 @ Stratford
W 40-32 vs. Cy Springs
L 52-10 @ Cy Ranch

The Bears got the real "welcome to 6A" treatment from Cy Ranch last Friday as they got walloped 52-10 in the Mustangs' Homecoming game. From the descriptions of this game, it sounded like big brother wanted to show little brother his place at the table.

Despite getting smacked for the first time as a program, Bridgeland still feels like it will have something to say when the playoff race truly gets going.

Players to Watch

Finn Nicholson - SOPH QB #8
Gavan Kaspar - SOPH RB #11
Dylan Goffney - SOPH WR #5
Connor Motsinger - SOPH LB #33
Charlie Moore - SOPH LB #41
Jack Grier - SOPH DB #24
Bryce McMorris - SOPH DB #4
Cameron Ball - JR DL #99
Oghenemine Imarah - SOPH DL #50
Brayden Amacker - SOPH DL #58

2¢ on Bridgeland

Cy-Fair ISD's newest high school embarks on its first season of varsity football under David Raffield. Coach Raffield led Cy Falls to a state championship game before a successful stint at A&M Consolidated, so he has certainly earned his status as one of the best coaches in Texas. In his return to the district, Coach Raffield is looking to build something really special at Bridgeland and he has some legitimate impact talent at the skill positions and almost all of them are sophomores.

Finn Nicholson and Gavan Kaspar form the Bears' backfield. Nicholson leads all quarterbacks in Cy-Fair ISD in passing yards and touchdowns. He has dual-threat capability but hasn't run much, most likely out of a need to keep him as fresh as possible for the next two seasons. Gavan Kaspar is the workhorse running back who's cooled off somewhat after an outstanding debut in which he scored four touchdowns on the ground. As that first game shows, however, he's a legitimate threat to score from anywhere.

Dylan Goffney is the Bears' #1 receiver and he has a great chance to emerge as their first high-profile recruit. He is also leading Cy-Fair ISD in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, so what this offense has been able to do in year one has been remarkable. The attention that Goffney will be commanding will open up chances for Tyler Stott on the opposite side and Atrevion Hunter in the slot. Kaspar has also turned into another option for Nicholson in the passing game.

Connor Motsinger has emerged as a leader for the Bridgeland defense. He reminds me a bit of Brayden Stringer, the star linebacker from Ranch who's now at Texas Tech. Jack Grier's two older brothers were receivers at Ranch, but he's forging his own path as a Bear. He and Weston Cadena will take charge in the secondary. Cameron Ball will anchor the defensive line and he's the one junior who will lead of a pack of sophomores such as Oghenemine Imarah, Brayden Amacker, and Garrett Hurley. Imarah and Amacker have quickly become disruptors in the trenches.

These Bears may just be cubs at the moment, but again, they haven't assumed their final form just yet. We'll be hearing plenty from this group over the next few years.


Sub-Varsity Game Information

Freshmen at Bridgeland, JV at Cy Woods. As always, game times are 4:30 and 6:30.

Special Note from the Booster Club

The Cy Woods Athletic Booster Club will be holding an event called the Fifth Quarter at Creekwood Grill following Saturday's game. Creekwood Grill is the building that used to be P.O.'s Burgers on Telge.

Location of Bridgeland High School

Cy Woods 41, Langham Creek 39: Never. A. Doubt.

2018 record: 2-2, 1-1 in District 14-6A

Photo by Tom Dendy

View more photos from this game here.

Hello. Are you still breathing? Alright, cool.

A sudden tropical storm got in the way on Thursday but the Cypress Woods Wildcats' game against the Langham Creek Lobos at the Berry Center went off without incident. The Cats went into halftime with a 28-14 lead and then saw a 35-14 lead vanish as Chris Herron took over in the second half to set up a heart-stopping finish that saw Langham take the lead with 1:13 left in the game In the end, though, Gustavo Olmedo was the hero as his 47-yard field goal sailed through the night and through the uprights at the buzzer, giving the Wildcats a dramatic 41-39 victory and a fine segue into the weekend.

Now, blowing a 35-14 lead is... definitely not ideal. But as the old adage goes, a win is a win. It wouldn't be that easy; after all, Chris Herron is arguably the best football player in Cy-Fair ISD and he almost willed his team to the victory by himself. He played an incredible game and all of my respect goes to him and the Lobos for a such a fine game. But, it's good to see the Cats coming out on top in the end.

Going 2-2 in a pretty tough opening stretch is alright and starting 1-1 in district is infinitely better than going 0-2. For some reason, Cy Woods will always start 1-1 in district every year so I've learned to not really care too much if/when they lose one of the first two district games. Even better news for the Cats is that the schedule now softens up a bit. Their next real test will probably be the penultimate game against Cy Ranch. With that being said, Bridgeland and a vastly-improved Cy Lakes will not be easy outs. Enjoy the thrill of this victory but come Monday, get locked in again because there's still plenty of football to be played.

Classic? Eh... it'd be real hard to top the ten best games of the first decade, but this one will surely go a long way towards determining whether Cy Woods will break its playoff drought this year. After that debacle in Tomball, the Cats have gotten themselves out of an early bind and put the Lobos firmly in that bind.

The Game, Summed Up in an Image I Found on the Internet

Eh, let's mix things up a bit.


I imagine that if you are reading this, you probably don't know Korean, so here are the lyrics:


What Happened

The Wildcats survived the Chris Herron Show in the second half. Do I sense a shift in offensive philosophy?

The Wildcats went three-and-out to begin the game but on the first defensive play, Jackson Hosemann intercepted a pass from Herron to give Cy Woods the ball once again. The offense turned the turnover into points as Carson Danner hit Christian Scott for a seven-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. After yet another Lobo turnover (this time a fumble), Danner scored on a seven-yard run. The Cats forced three turnovers on their first three defensive possession, but the third time was not a charm. A botched pitch gave the Lobos the ball at Cy Woods' 30 and Corien Azema put Langham on the board with a two-yard touchdown run.

End of 1st Quarter: Woods 14, Langham 14

Herron tied the game with a five-yard touchdown run in the second, but the Cats hit back for two touchdowns. Danner scored from two yards out and on the final play of the first half, Cameron Sowell won a jump ball in the end zone to reestablish the Wildcats' two-score advantage.

Halftime: Woods 28, Langham 14

Mr. Bird told me that if he were the Lobos, he would've given Chris Herron free rein to do what he wanted. That's what we saw in the second half...

Danner scored yet again on a quarterback sneak from less than a yard to open the second-half scoring. And then the Lobos struck back. Azema fielded a punt and should have been brought down immediately for no gain... instead, he scored from 50 yards. Herron got Langham back in the game with a 30-yard touchdown run. The extra point snap was botched, fortunately.

End of 3rd Quarter: Woods 35, Langham 27

Gustavo Olmedo hit a 25-yard field goal to slow down the Lobos' momentum somewhat, but Herron would not be denied. He scored from 19 yards and also got tagged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Woods took the penalty and repelled the subsequent 18-yard two-point conversion attempt. Reagan Simmons picked Herron off in the end zone with less than two minutes to go. That should have sealed a 38-33 Cy Woods victory, right?

Nope.

The Cats went three-and-out on their next drive and Danner's punt failed to make it out of Cy Woods territory. On the very next play, Ronald Rowan caught Herron's heave inside the Cy Woods five-yard line. Herron put the Lobos in front with his fourth rushing touchdown of the night. The kickoff went for a touchback, so that left the Cy Woods offense with 73 seconds and one timeout to go 75 yards for a touchdown.

Well, it turns out that they didn't need all 75 yards. Danner executed the final drive to perfection and the offense was aided by an unnecessary roughness call following a catch from Jake Tesch that got them closer. Following the penalty, Danner looked to pass but had to scramble and was taken down inbounds, so the clock continued to run under ten seconds. Danner spiked the ball with four seconds left and Gustavo Olmedo came on for his moment of truth: a 47-yard field goal. Make it, and the Wildcats win. Miss it, and they'd really be up against it with a 0-2 district record.

The ball took flight off Olmedo's leg and cleared the uprights as the clock struck zero. Both officials raised their arms in the air to signify that the field goal attempt was good, and that's how Cy Woods won this football game.

Final: Cy Woods 41, Langham 39

Ground

The Wildcats still ran the ball more than they passed, but the vast majority of their run plays didn't come out of the Wing-T formation. I don't think they lined up in that formation at all after the first quarter. Carson Danner had to earn all 173 of his yards as he needed 37 rushing attempts to get there and none of his runs went more than 17 yards.

Guess the spread is gradually making its way back to Cy Woods. Stats from MaxPreps.

Carson Danner: 37 rush, 173 yards, 3 TD
Jacob Tesch: 12 rush, 121 yards
Darion Morgan: 5 rush, 3 yards
Trayse Holmes: 1 rush, 0 yards
Jackson Jones: 1 rush, -4 yards

Air

Danner looked a lot more comfortable throwing the ball in this game although he's still working to throw better balls to give his receivers a chance. Most of his incompletions were on balls that were thrown behind his intended receivers and the one interception he threw came on a ball that he threw behind Cameron Sowell, who reached back and tipped the ball right into a Langham defender's hands.

Carson Danner: 14-26, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT

Christian Scott: 6 catches, 60 yards, TD
Cameron Sowell: 2 catches, 31 yards, TD
Jacob Tesch: 3 catches, 35 yards
Connor Faulk: 2 catches, 46 yards
Darion Morgan: 1 catch, 11 yards

Defense

I'm going to have to scrounge through all of the old box scores, but I am fairly confident that the seven turnovers they forced in this game is most likely a record. The Cats picked Herron off four times and recovered three more fumbles.

Herron terrorized the Cats with his legs once again by scoring four times on the ground, but the Wildcat defense intercepted him four times and all seven of Langham's turnovers were on him, so I think it all evens out.

Interceptions: Nolan Authorlee, Reagan Simmons, Jackson Hosemann, Caleb Rutherford

All four players recorded their first interceptions of the season.

Fumbles recovered: Caleb Rutherford, Chris Agnew, Jason Christenson

Nineteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle in this game and Chase Richter led the way with seven. Mac Bird had six tackles and also sacked Herron for a loss of 12 yards.

Special Teams

Gustavo Olmedo hit all of his kicks... including the one that he most definitely had to make. I'll have to scrounge through all of the old box scores but I am fairly sure that he is the first Cy Woods kicker to have more than one successful field goal in a game.

Olmedo scored eleven points, which is the second-highest scoring output for a Cy Woods kicker in a single game. The 47-yarder that won the game is not a school record (Luis Reyes hit from 48 yards against Lakes in 2014) but that's not important; the important thing is that Olmedo's kick won the game.

Gustavo Olmedo: 2-2 FG (made 25, 47), 5-5 XP; game-winning 47-yard FG as time expired

Carson Danner punted the ball four times for a total of 134 yards for an average of 33.5 yards per punt.

Christian Scott returned the opening kickoff 12 yards. That was the only chance that the Wildcats had to return a kick or a punt.

Man of the Match

Hmm... pretty tough choice this week.

47-yard field goal with the game on the line? No problem when you have ice water in your veins like Cy Woods' Gustavo Olmedo (@olmedo669). Check out his kick that beat Langham Creek 41-39 tonight. (Video by @Texan_Live) #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/D88k3puFEu

— Chron HS Sports (@HoustonChronHS) September 21, 2018

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats will face the Bridgeland Bears for the first time ever. Kickoff is Saturday, September 29 at 6:00 at the Berry Center. Cy Woods will be the visitors for this contest.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #8: Dominique Robertson

Continuing the countdown of the ten best players in the first decade of Cy Woods Football is one of the most feared linebackers in Wildcat history.

#8: Dominique Robertson, LB, 2008-09

1st-team All-District 15-5A
Team captain
Holds school record in high jump (6-6)
College: Tulane
What's he doing now: Coach at Cy Falls

Notable Games

2009 vs. Cy Falls: Forced fumble that was recovered for a touchdown, 2 sacks
2009 vs. Cy-Fair: Returned interception 60 yards
2009 vs. Round Rock Westwood:



The other guy came at him first. He didn't take too kindly to getting tossed aside, so Dominique had no choice but to defend himself there. Dominique wasn't looking for a fight... he just stood his ground and hit back when the other guy got in his face.

Bryce Callahan might have been the most talented player on the 2009 Cypress Woods Wildcats defense, but in my opinion, Dominique Robertson was not only in the same tier as Bryce athletically, he was the heart and soul of that unit. He was probably the most athletically gifted linebacker to ever come through the program; it was clear that he had the heart and the talent to match. Dominique was one of the most passionate competitors that I have ever seen on the football field and a man who I would want to have on my side in a battle.

On occasion, he'd line up as a defensive end in pass-rush situations and it just wasn't fair. Opposing linemen had absolutely no chance of containing him. Case in point: Westwood's left tackle in the clip above.

Dominique Robertson was a unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection in 2009. After Cy Woods, he played college football at Tulane, where he battled Bryce and the Rice Owls in Conference USA.

Know the Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

Week 4: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-2, 0-1) vs. Langham Creek Lobos (0-3, 0-1)
6:30 PM Thursday, September 13, 2018
Cy-Fair FCU Stadium

Photo by Tom Dendy

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

In a battle of the Wildcats, Cy Woods did not win. After tying the game at 21, Cy Woods surrendered 34 unanswered points to Tomball Memorial, who seized all control and strutted their way to a 55-21 victory in the first meeting between the two schools. Carson Danner threw for 109 yards and also ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Chase Richter led the way on defense with 16 tackles.

Cy Woods suddenly finds itself having a must-win game early in the season. Interestingly enough, so do their opponents! Let's take a look at Langham Creek.

The Enemy: Langham Creek Lobos

2017 Record: 8-1, 2nd in District 17-6A
Lost 31-14 to Cy-Fair in Class 6A Division II, Region III Final

In the first District 14-6A game of 2018, the Lobos scored with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 24-17 lead on Cy Ranch. However, the Mustangs released their devil magic by scoring two touchdowns in 22 seconds to steal a 31-24 victory. Langham Creek also dropped both of their non-district games to Klein Oak (35-27) and Fort Bend Bush (23-20).

All-Time Series

Series tied 5-5.

Previous Meetings

October 5, 2017: Langham 31, Woods 24
September 29, 2016: Langham 62, Woods 35
October 16, 2015: Woods 48, Langham 33
October 17, 2014: Langham 55, Woods 31 (Homecoming VII)
September 13, 2013: Langham 48, Woods 20
September 14, 2012: Langham 32, Woods 31 (Homecoming V)
October 14, 2011: Woods 50, Langham 44
October 15, 2010: Woods 55, Langham 27 (Homecoming III)
October 31, 2009: Woods 42, Langham 7
November 1, 2008: Woods 58, Langham 20

Players to Watch

Chris Herron - SR QB #8
Brendan Valentine - SR WR #5
Gerald Arline - SR WR/QB #3
Brayden Staggs - JR OL #72
D.J. Harris - SR LB #18
Chase Hanks - SR LB #20
Jordan Shields - JR LB #17
Corien Azema - SR DB #27
Ernest Thomas - JR DL #60

2¢ on Langham

The Lobos entered the season as a favorite to win District 14-6A. However, they have gotten off on the wrong foot by dropping three games that they felt they should have won. Nevertheless, they should still be in the hunt for a playoff spot.

On offense, it all starts with Chris Herron, one of the most dynamic players in Cy-Fair ISD. He's committed to Kansas State and he has absolutely terrorized the Cats over the last two seasons, especially with his legs. Herron's very first start at quarterback came against Cy Woods as a sophomore and he threw three touchdowns and added another on the ground. Last year, he ran for 130 and a touchdown. So, it's probably safe to say that he enjoys playing Cy Woods. He'll also line up as a receiver in certain situations with Gerald Arline lining up as the quarterback. Herron has had to do it all for the Lobos in the early part of the season as there's been uncertainty with regards to the offensive skill positions, especially at running back, where Rashaun Hammonds will platoon with Kash McCray, a sophomore. Herron is the leading rusher by a significant margin. Langham Creek has produced some quality offensive linemen through the years and Brayden Staggs will continue that trend.

There is significantly less uncertainty on the defensive side of the ball for Langham and they have no shortage of star power. D.J. Harris, Chase Hanks, and Corien Azema are the undisputed leaders of the Lobo defense. Azema has also seen time as a running back. Jordan Shields has emerged as another playmaker at linebacker. Ernest Thomas is in his second year as a starter on the defensive line and he'll be joined by Ralph Carter and Alex Rodriguez.

Having specialists who are multi-year lettermen is also an asset as Everett Ornstein and Kevin Marks are both back to handle kicking and punting duties for the Lobos.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Cats trailed 31-9 in the third quarter before attempting a comeback that ultimately fell short, condemning them to a 31-24 defeat. Jackson Jones ran for 100 yards and a touchdown and also threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jack Barrientez. Mac Bird had 16 tackles in what turned out to be his final appearance of 2017 before a serious health scare ended his season.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The freshmen will play at Cy Woods and the JV games will take place at Langham Creek. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Wednesday.

Location of Langham Creek High School

Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21: It All Went Horribly Wrong

2018 Record: 1-2, 0-1 in District 14-6A

Photo: Tom Dendy

Darion Morgan powers his way into the end zone.

Well, that degenerated rather quickly.

In their first district game outside of the Cy-Fair ISD stadiums, the Cypress Woods Wildcats saw the wheels fall out from under them in a catastrophic third quarter as the Tomball Memorial Wildcats finished this game on a 34-0 run after Darion Morgan's touchdown run tied the game at 21 midway through the second quarter. As a result, the other Wildcats cruised to a 55-21 victory in the District 14-6A opener for both squads.

As this game progressed, there was this feeling of inevitability that steadily crept in. Cy Woods was able to keep up with Tomball Memorial for much of the first half on offense, but the defense got ravaged in the process. Once the offense stopped scoring, the floodgates opened and Tomball Memorial absolutely devoured Woods. Leaving what could have been 14 points on the table in the first half didn't exactly help, either!

I'm always Mr. Optimism when it comes to Cy Woods football... but this was a poor showing from this team. As horrid as it was in Tomball... it is only the first district game. By no means am I trying to justify anything. It was simply an awful game and every team is bound to have one of those nights. Nothing more, nothing less. 0-1 isn't the end of the world but it makes next week's game with Langham Creek even more crucial. If this team truly has legitimate playoff ambitions, they'd better top Langham. Every game is a must-win in district play... but some games have more significant ramifications than others and this upcoming game certainly has more significant ramifications for Cy Woods than some of the other games they'll be playing.

And finally... Scott Wiesmann got the last laugh. Scott's a longtime friend, so I'm legitimately happy for him. Obviously, I am not thrilled about the result, but I'm happy for him and Caroline. And only for them. Now that this game is over with, I can resume with wishing Scott and his team good luck for the rest of their season.

The Game, Described In an Image I Found on the Internet

What Happened

When the points stopped coming, bad things started to happen. It really was only a matter of time because aside from a couple of instances, Cy Woods did not show that they could stop, much less slow down, Tomball Memorial's offense.

After Carson Danner overthrew a wide-open Connor Faulk on second down, Cy Woods went three-and-out. Danner had his punt downed at the one-yard line, but it didn't matter because Tomball Memorial opened the scoring on their first offensive play as Chandler Galban chucked it downfield to Logan Kyle, who ran 99 yards untouched. Later in the first, Galban found Jordan Grice for a 24-yard score. On Cy Woods' ensuing drive, Carson Danner outran everyone to the end zone from 61 yards out.

End of 1st Quarter: Tomball Memorial 14, Cy Woods 7

Christian Lovick opened the second quarter with a 58-yard touchdown run. Danner scored again from four yards and Darion Morgan tied the game with a six-yard touchdown run with a nice second effort. Gustavo Olmedo's extra point tied the game at 21. Unfortunately, that was Cy Woods' last scoring play of the evening as it was all TMHS afterwards.

Lovick struck again from 46 yards and shortly before halftime, Colbie Habermacher survived first contact (which occurred behind the line of scrimmage) and found a way to get into the end zone from three yards out.

Halftime: Tomball Memorial 35, Cy Woods 21

The collapse was complete in the third quarter as TMHS outscored Cy Woods 20-0. The defense aggravated Habermacher in the first half and he decided that he had enough. He opened the scoring in the second half with a 19-yard run and added a 28-yard run later in the frame. In between, Galban connected with Grice again for a 33-yard touchdown pass. There was no scoring in the fourth quarter.

Final: Tomball Memorial 55, Cy Woods 21

Ground

Carson Danner busted loose for a 61-yard scoring run in the first quarter and added another touchdown on a four-yard run in the second period. However, outside of those two scoring runs, Danner was held to 22 yards on his eight other rushing attempts. Darion Morgan also found the end zone for the second time this year. It looked as if they went away from the outside runs that worked extremely well against Spring. Christian Scott touched the ball twice on offense. Jake Tesch got three touches. Why did the A-backs get shut out of the offense in this game?

Jackson Jones is trying to get himself going again following an injury and he had a couple of really nice runs on busted plays.

Well, they gained 256 yards on the ground and got seven yards per carry, but the offense completely fell off the breakneck pace that Tomball Memorial was setting.

Stats from MaxPreps.

Carson Danner: 10 rush, 87 yards, 2 TD
Jackson Jones: 8 rush, 80 yards
Darion Morgan: 7 rush, 23 yards, TD
Trayse Holmes: 4 rush, 11 yards
Christian Scott: 2 rush, 20 yards
Jake Tesch: 2 rush, 5 yards
Tre Mejia: 1 rush, 21 yards
Konner Sabrsula: 1 rush, 9 yards

Air

Cy Woods tried to incorporate some more pass plays into the offense to no avail. Not the best showing from Danner as he threw a couple of balls behind receivers and couldn't complete the throws he had to make. His receivers were positioned to make plays... he just couldn't get the ball to them. On the second play of the game, Connor Faulk emerged from a collision with literally NO ONE within fifteen yards of him and Danner overthrew him by about four yards.

Jake Tesch had a really nice gain after making a one-handed catch on a slightly overthrown ball, and that was probably the only way that he was going to come up with that ball.

Carson Danner: 3-11, 109 yards
Jackson Jones: 0-2

Cameron Sowell: 1 catch, 43 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 catch, 34 yards
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 32 yards

Defense

So Tomball Memorial recorded 616 yards of offense and scored 55 points. I don't think anything else needs to be said but I will continue anyway.

In what appears to be a running theme for the last four years, Cy Woods' defense couldn't get the opposing offense off the field on third down. I think TMHS failed to convert three, maybe four, third downs all night?

Seeing this team give up first downs in third-down situations time and time again is just tiring. What bothers me most is that it doesn't even matter whether it's 3rd and 1 or 3rd and 21, the other team somehow ends up with a first down.

Jakob Jones strip-sacked Chandler Galban and came up with the loose ball at Tomball Memorial's 11-yard line. UNFORTUNATELY... Cy Woods came away with zero points on their ensuing offensive possession. That's just aggravating. Really felt like they were playing for eight downs and then the points instead of just going for the points.

Cy Woods managed to get some pressure on Chandler Galban, so they did much better with regards to quarterback pressure compared to what they did during non-district play. It wasn't consistent, but they had a few of those moments, which was nice to see, and the results showed as Galban got a bit careless with the ball as the game went on. Mac Bird got a sack that forced a turnover on downs and Jones had the strip-sack and fumble recovery.

Sixteen Wildcats recorded at least one tackle; leading the way was Chase Richter, who had 16. Mac Bird had 14, ten of which were solo. Jakob Jones and Jackson Hosemann both finished with seven, and Reagan Simmons and Colton Morris had six each.

Oh, did I mention that they gave up 616 yards and 55 points?

Special Teams

Jackson Hosemann tried to flop to draw a flag after he fair caught a kickoff. It wasn't a very convincing effort, but at least he tried. He probably should've been slightly more dramatic about it and he was also probably lucky that he didn't get penalized for his, um... theatrics. Jake Tesch had a 30-yard kickoff return that resulted in Tomball Memorial reverting to pooch kicking for the rest of the evening.

Gustavo Olmedo hit all three of his extra points. He needs to get a few touchbacks on kickoffs, though.

Danner boomed a couple of punts, one of which was downed at the one-yard line.

Carson Danner: 3 punts, 143 yards (47.7 yards per punt), long of 60; one punt inside 20
Cole Gerletti: 1 punt, 9 yards

Gustavo Olmedo: 3-3 XP

Jake Tesch: 3 kicks returned, 65 yards
Chase Richter: 2 kicks returned, 25 yards
Christian Scott: 1 kick returned, 16 yards

Man of the Match

Pass.

Alright, fine. I guess it would have to be Chase Richter, who put up 16 tackles. Carson Danner also scored two of the three Cy Woods touchdowns, so he's basically here by default.

Ugh, let's just move on.

Looking Ahead

The Cats will kick off Week 4 in District 14-6A against the Langham Creek Lobos on Thursday, September 20, at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30; Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.

Ten Years, Ten Best Players - #9: Justin Washington

One of the most dominating defensive linemen in Cy Woods history.

#9: Justin Washington, DL, 2008

Unanimous 1st-team All-District 15-5A selection, 2008

Justin Washington formed probably the best defensive line in Cy Woods history in year one with Josh Theut, Anthony Villamagna, and Glenn Etienne. All four of them received opportunities to play college football, but Justin had the most successful football career after Cy Woods. He went on to play at the University of Arizona, where he earned Freshman All-American honors in 2010 after recording six sacks and also blocking a kick.

The last time I saw him, I know that he was working in Cy-Fair ISD. I'm not sure in what capacity, however.

Know the Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats

Week 3: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-1) @ Tomball Memorial Wildcats (2-0)
7:00 PM Friday, September 14, 2018
Tomball ISD Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Cypress Woods Wildcats took down Spring 49-41 to wrap-up the non-district portion of their schedule. Carson Danner ran for 122 yards and four touchdowns and threw for another, while Darion Morgan and Christian Scott both gained over 100 yards on the ground as well.

Now, the real season begins and Cy Woods will open District 14-6A play with their first district game against a school from outside the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. It is also their first true road game in district play. That means that they will be entering a legitimately hostile environment. This tenth anniversary season has featured quite a few firsts (and still plenty more to go) for Cy Woods football.

The Enemy: Tomball Memorial Wildcats

School district: Tomball ISD
2017: 5-4, 3-4 (6th) in District 20-5A
Did not qualify for playoffs
First season in Class 6A

This is the first meeting between Cy Woods and Tomball Memorial. This will also be the first time that 2010 Cy Woods graduate Scott Wiesmann will take on his alma mater. Scott is the offensive line coach for Tomball Memorial.

Tomball Memorial emerged from their non-district games undefeated. They topped Tomball 41-18 in their first game and escaped with a 57-56 victory over Klein thanks to a field goal with 25 seconds left in that game. TMHS had over 600 yards of offense in both of these games but they had some issues trying to stop Klein running back D'Anthony Simms, who ran for 273 yards and five touchdowns against them.

Players to Watch

Chandler Galban - JR QB #7
Jordan Gidrey - SR WR #2
Chris Lovick - SR ATH #3
Logan Kyle - JR WR #21
Jordan Grice - SR WR #11
Colbie Habermacher - SR RB #5
Trenton Moore - JR LB #9
Tre Jordan - SOPH DB #1
Braedon Nutter - JR DL #52
Matt Yearwood - SR DL #90

2¢ on Tomball Memorial

For the first time in school history, Tomball ISD's newest high school is playing in Texas' highest classification for high school athletics. I'm sure they are excited to leave a district that featured Huntsville, the Magnolia schools, and Tomball High School behind.

TMHS boasts a talented, experienced group of skill players and the offensive battery has been bolstered significantly by a couple of transfers. The spread attack will be led by Chandler Galban, a transfer from Burnet. He played well at the 4A level as a sophomore and in his first season at 6A, he's at the helm of what's been one of the state's most impressive offensive. Small sample size caveat applies, but this looks like an offense that will remind long-time Cy Woods fans of the early Cy Woods squads.

At 6-4, Logan Kyle is a huge target with a huge wingspan who will create matchup problems out wide. Chris Lovick is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. Colbie Habermacher has stepped into the starting running back spot and has made an immediate impact; he and his brother, Clay, a sophomore safety, both transferred in from Klein Oak. Lovick and Habermacher are both averaging over seven yards per carry.

The defense is young, but there's some intriguing young talent, especially in the secondary. Nutter, Yearwood, and Elijah Champaigne are a load in the trenches. Trenton Moore will lead the TMHS linebacking corps. Preston Downey will serve as the senior leader of a secondary that features five sophomores; the two names to know from that group are Tre Jordan and D.J. Streat.

Sub-Varsity Game Information

The freshmen will travel to Tomball Memorial and the JV plays at Cy Woods. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 on Thursday.

Location of Tomball Memorial High School




Location of Tomball ISD Stadium

On the campus of Tomball High School. The box office is cash only.