2016 Record: 1-3, 1-2 in District 17-6A
Photo credit: Billy Schuerman, The Crimson Connection
No team had ever defeated the Cypress Woods Wildcats in football in four consecutive years. That changed on Saturday, though, as Jersey Village came away with a 58-46 victory to extend their winning streak over the Wildcats to... four.
Well... the Cats are not in dire straits yet, but this was surely another game that they felt they let get away, especially considering that they led 31-17 at halftime. The Falcons turned the tables in the second half by outscoring the Wildcats 41-15.
After a dud against Cy Ridge, the Wildcat offense reverted to its usual, explosive self. Jacob Kainer had an excellent night as he was responsible for five touchdowns, and Jack Barrientez continues to be an impact player, but someone has to emerge to take some of the burden off of Jacob and Jack while C.J. Jones continues to be on the mend. Nijah Surtain and Jake Tesch have shown promise in their sophomore campaigns, but it's apparent that they are both trying to adapt to the varsity level. Brennan Niles had a solid night catching the ball; he could become a reliable option in the passing game if he gets the targets, and that would take a huge amount of pressure off of Jack, who has really been the Wildcats' one consistent receiving threat this season.
One loss? Fine. Two losses, however, makes things more dicey. Heading towards the second half of the season, each game begins to take on more significance in terms of the playoff picture, and at the same time, the margin for error has virtually vanished. In Cy-Fair ISD, every game counts, and this next game against Langham Creek is the game that the Wildcats must win if they want to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot.
So, What Happened Was...
Emerson Garcia opened the scoring in Jersey Village's favor with a 27-yard field goal. Woods responded with an eight-yard touchdown run from Jacob Kainer and a 28-yard field goal from Luis Reyes.
End 1st: Woods 10, JV 3
Alec Wechsler connected with Jordan Jones for a 36-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, but the Wildcats responded with 21 unanswered points. Jacob punched it in from a yard out, and Jack Barrientez found Brennan Niles on the patented halfback pass for a 28-yard touchdown. Jacob then found Cullen Sherrill for a 61-yard touchdown pass. The Falcons got a three-yard touchdown run from Jireh Thompson just before the half.
Halftime: Woods 31, JV 17
That score before halftime sparked a 28-0 Jersey Village run, and Thompson scored all four of those touchdowns. In the third, he scored on runs of seven, 71, and 12 yards; the 12-yard run gave JV their first lead of the evening. Jacob scored on a two-yard run, his third rushing touchdown of the game, for the Wildcats' only points of the 3rd.
End 3rd: Woods 38, JV 38
Thompson took over in the third quarter, but in the final stanza, he turned it over to his quarterback, Wechsler, who proceeded to torch the Wildcats for three touchdown passes. His second touchdown pass to Jones put the Falcons back in front. Jack caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Jacob for a score, and then Myles Wilson fought his way into the endzone for the go-ahead two-point conversion, putting Cy Woods up 46-45. Wechsler would have the final say in this one, though, as he hit John Gilbert for a 69-yard touchdown to give Jersey Village the lead for good, and he sealed the deal with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Thompson.
Final: JV 58, Woods 46
Ground
C.J. has been missed, and that really puts the burden of the running game on Jacob, who already has more than enough on his plate. Nijah is still trying to adjust, so the Cats' options at running back are pretty limited. Jack has basically been thrust into a utility role, sort of like the role Jared Taylor played at times last year.
Jacob left the game due to an injury in the fourth quarter, but it doesn't seem to be too serious.
Jacob Kainer: 29 carries, 123 yards, 3 TD
Jack Barrientez: 7 carries, 25 yards
Nijah Surtain: 6 carries, 37 yards
Matt Ficalora: 1 carry, 3 yards
Air
Jacob had a new career-high in passing yards, and this was the best that the passing game has looked all season, because more receivers are getting looks in the passing game. On the other hand, a cynic may say that that may be a product of trying to see who will step up.
We already know that Jacob and Jack have already established a solid rapport together, but as the other receivers are getting more acclimated, we're seeing more of them getting involved.
Judging by their numbers, Jake and Brennan were both targeted quite a bit in this game, and I think that's a good sign for this offense moving forward; as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, Jack is clearly the primary option, so one of these guys must emerge as a #2 receiver in the passing game. It could be Jake, whose exciting skill set is reminiscent of Mason Roberts. It could be Brennan, who has steadily improved each year and is getting his shot to shine. It could be one, or even both, of the Sherrills. With their size, they are instant mismatches on the outside.
Jacob Kainer: 22-31, 333 yards, 2 TD
Jack Barrientez: 1-1, 28 yards, TD
Brighton Gullickson: 1-3, 8 yards, INT
Jack Barrientez: 7 catches, 116 yards, TD
Jake Tesch: 6 catches, 68 yards
Brennan Niles: 4 catches, 82 yards, TD
Tanner Sherrill: 2 catches, 38 yards
Sam Landingham: 2 catches, 0 yards
Cullen Sherrill: 1 catch, 61 yards, TD
Connor Faulk: 1 catch, 12 yards
Nijah Surtain: 1 catch, 2 yards
Defense
Unfortunately, the defense was gashed by the opposing team's running back for the second straight week, and the Wildcats could not find an answer for the Falcons' offensive assault in the second half. JV running back Jireh Thompson ran for 242 yards on 23 carries and scored four touchdowns. In addition, Alec Wechsler threw for 368 yards and four more scores, and John Gilbert and Jordan Jones both exceeded 100 receiving yards.
Tackles
Trent Bird: 7 (1 for loss)
Christian Jones, Myles Wilson and Kason Franklin: 5 (all solo)
Cody Eggleston: 5 (1 assisted, 1 for loss [sack])
Elijah Strang and Micheal Young: 4
Tory Spears, Semaj Trahan, and Collin Fewox: 2 (all solo; Fewox had 1 tackle for a loss)
Deon Jones, Eron Vanduren, Chris Statom: 1 (all solo)
Evan Alexander, Matt Ficalora, Collin Joyce: 1 (assisted)
Takeaways
Fumbles forced: Trent Bird, Tory Spears, Christian Jones: 1
Fumbles recovered: Myles Wilson 2
Special Teams
Luis Reyes converted on his first field goal attempt of the season and also hit on all five of his extra point attempts.
1-1 FG (made 28); 5-5 XP; 4 punts, 133 yards (33.3 yards per punt)
Return opportunities have been scarce in recent weeks, but Nijah Surtain got plenty of work with five kickoff returns.
Nijah Surtain: 5 kicks returned, 102 yards
Matt Ficalora: 1 kick returned, 10 yards
Jake Tesch: 1 punt returned, 5 yards
Man of the Match
Before the season, I felt that Jack Barrientez was primed for a breakout season, and his versatility would be a huge asset for the offense. C.J. Jones' absence has thrust Jack into a starring role, and he has responded by putting up All-District caliber numbers in the early going.
Looking Ahead
The Wildcats will alternate between Thursday and Friday games from here on out. They'll kick off Week 6 in District 17-6A with a tilt against the Langham Creek Lobos at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium this Thursday at 7:00. Cy Woods will be the home team in this contest.
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