Know Your Enemy: Cypress Creek Cougars

Week 6: Cypress Woods Wildcats @ Cypress Creek Cougars
6:00 PM, Saturday, October 3, 2015
Pridgeon Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats were unable to overcome a 28-6 halftime deficit and ultimately fell 44-25 to their hated rivals, Cy Ranch. R.J. Harmon had 142 total yards and 2 scores.

The Enemy: Cypress Creek Cougars

2014: 4-6, 4-5 (6th) in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

Creek season-to-date

L 38-28 @ Klein Oak
L 14-7 vs. Cy-Fair
W 46-14 @ Cy Lakes
W 34-31 @ Langham Creek

(A Few) Players to Watch on the Other Side

QB Luke Allen, OL Grayson Reed, OL Bryon Forte, ATH Kaleb O'Bryant, WR Miles Battle, RB Tre Earls, DL Jowelle Aponte, DL Jacari Tatum, DB J.P. Hite, DB Antoine Small, DB Chance Steverson, DB Trevien Thomas, K Gabe Sequeira

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 5-2.

Previous Meetings


October 3, 2014: Woods 35, Creek 21
November 1, 2013: Woods 21, Creek 14
November 2, 2012: Creek 39, Woods 14
October 21, 2011: Woods 49, Creek 31 (Homecoming IV)
October 22, 2010: Woods 61, Creek 35
October 9, 2009: Woods 21, Creek 20
October 10, 2008: Creek 54, Woods 25

2¢ on Creek

The Cougars have a solid collection of talent returning as they attempt to break into the top 4 for the first time since 2010.

Luke Allen emerged as the victor of the quarterback battle that was being waged for much of the 2014 season. In his first full season at the helm of the Creek offense, he has become one of the district's top performers. Tre Earls, their top returning rusher, will accompany him in the backfield. Miles Battle, a sophomore receiver, was a starter for them as a freshman during basketball season. He enters his first season of varsity football with high expectations.

The glut of the Cougars' talent lies in its juniors. Grayson Reed performed well on the offseason camp circuit and has garnered significant attention from Division I programs. Reed will team up with Bryon Forte to anchor the Cougars' offensive line. Kaleb O'Bryant is an emerging talent at running back who can also line up as a receiver, which gives him a similar skill set to C.J. Jones. There's a lot of speed among their offensive skill players.

Although the Cougars allowed more than 300 points in the regular season for the first time since 2007, they have always trotted out some solid defenses. Jowelle Aponte and Jacari Tatum both started as sophomores on the defensive line in 2014. The Cougars also boast a veteran secondary with Steverson, Thomas, Hite, and Small leading the way. Steverson is a three-year starter.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Wildcats seemed to be reeling from the aftereffects of their loss to Cy Ranch, and their malaise carried over to the first half of this game. An ineffective Nick Hooper was pulled from the game, and Reece Clark was able to engineer a scoring drive. However, the Cougars led 14-6 at halftime as the offense was suddenly punchless.

The adjustments made by the coaching staff and the break in action appeared to rejuvenate the team as Nick Hooper pulled himself together and the Wildcats wound up finishing the game on a 29-7 run. The defense was excellent in the 2nd half as they kept the Cougars out of the endzone... until the final play of the game, when the Cougars scored a cosmetic touchdown as time expired, turning the final score into 35-21 instead of 35-14.

C.J. Jones ran for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 10 carries. He also had an 11-yard touchdown reception. R.J. Harmon sliced and diced his way to a 162 yards on 20 carries.

For Freshman Games: Location of Cypress Creek High School

Cy Ranch 44, Cy Woods 25: In Which I Cannot Believe That They Still Want to Defer

2015 Record: 1-3, 1-2 in District 17-6A

You want to know an incredibly depressing statistic? Cy Woods has deferred to the 2nd half in all 3 of their losses. They've been outscored 105-19 in the 1st half. In the one game where they took the ball to start, they beat Ridge. Now granted, they lost a fumble on the first play of that game, but they still won. In this latest loss, a 28-6 halftime deficit proved to be too much for the Cats to overcome, and so... for the first time ever, the Cypress Ranch Mustangs have a winning streak over Woods, as they took this one by a final score of 44-25.

I'm still very high on this offense. Although the point output was rather pedestrian, they were able to carve through an outstanding Ranch defense. Unfortunately, they were left to wallow over a couple of massive opportunities in the 2nd quarter: Two solid drives in that quarter yielded a grand total of zero points. Maybe the offense should be the group that leads off the game? I'm not paid to make these decisions, but I feel that when a team defers, they're confident that their defense can set the tone for them. On the other hand, it's a double-edged sword: they're also giving their opponent the first opportunity to set the tone for this game. Considering how it has been an absolute struggle for the Wildcats on the defensive side of the ball to begin this season, they are basically letting their opponents get the jump on them when they defer to the 2nd half.

If you know me, I am always the optimist when it comes to sports, almost to the point where you could say that I am being totally irrational with optimism. Nothing's been decided yet. That doesn't take the sting away from losing a rivalry game, but this season is far from over.

There was a bit of a health scare post-game as Jordan Johnson required medical attention and had to be stretchered off. It looks like he'll be fine, though.

Thank God🙏 pic.twitter.com/DPpQiQsSc9

— Jared Taylor (@JaredTaylor05) September 27, 2015

So, What Happened Was...

Ranch just had an answer for everything Woods threw at them.

The Mustangs opened up the scoring with a 2-yard run from Dylan Proske to cap off the first drive of the game. R.J. Harmon responded with a 37-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was blocked. Collin Rock added a 1-yard touchdown run for Ranch.

End 1st: Ranch 14, Woods 6

The 2nd quarter was where it all got away for the Wildcats. Midway through the frame, they had a nice drive going, but the end result was Bryson Powers getting stuffed on 4th & 1 inside the Ranch 30. On the ensuing Ranch possession, Proske's path to the goal line was completely clogged, but all of a sudden, he saw a completely vacated right side of the Woods defense and managed to bounce outside, enabling him to score his 2nd touchdown of the evening. R.J. Sneed returned a punt for a touchdown with 4 minutes left in the half. Following Sneed's touchdown, the Wildcats drove to close out the half and made it inside the 10, but they fooled around and Luis Reyes ended up missing a 41-yard field goal. I absolutely did not get the halfback pass call. They tried to get cute and it blew up in their faces. 2 good drives, 0 points.

Half: Ranch 28, Woods 6

R.J. caught a 15-yard touchdown pass, which accounted for the only scoring in the 3rd quarter. C.J. Jones had a 75-yard punt return touchdown negated by a holding penalty. Didn't care too much for that call.

End 3rd: Ranch 28, Woods 13

Following a turnover on downs, the Wildcats took over and made their way down the field, culminating in a 10-yard touchdown reception for Jared Taylor. It looked as though the momentum was on the verge of shifting to Woods, right? Well... Ranch ran a fumble back for 2 points on the ensuing PAT, which put everything back in their corner. E.J. Thompson and Terrence Shaw effectively put this game out of reach with scoring runs of 12 and 71 yards, respectively. Jacob Kainer, a sophomore quarterback/wide receiver, threw his first touchdown pass at the varsity level when he connected with Tre' Hart from 32 yards out with 4:34 left in the game.

Final: Ranch 44, Woods 25

Ground

Bryson Powers managed to grind out 115 yards on 25 carries. I'd like to see that number of carries decrease a little, though. R.J. Harmon broke out for a 37-yard touchdown run in the 1st, which represents his longest run of the year. I think he's due for a monster game.

Bryson Powers: 25 carries, 115 yards

R.J. Harmon: 9 carries, 84 yards, TD

C.J. Jones: 5 carries, 8 yards

Jared Taylor: 3 carries, 21 yards

Jack Barrientez: 2 carries, 14 yards

Jacob Kainer: 1 carry, 7 yards

Jordan Johnson: 1 carry, 3 yards

Air

Bryson had a good night of passing, other than a 4th-quarter interception. On that play, he walked off the field in some pain. This kid is tough, though. Jacob Kainer tossed his first touchdown pass late in the 4th. Unlike last year's game against Ranch, the passing game was actually functional.

Bryson Powers: 15-25, 163 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Jacob Kainer: 1-2, 32 yards, TD

C.J. Jones: 8 catches, 46 yards

R.J. Harmon: 5 catches, 58 yards, TD

Jared Taylor: 3 catches, 37 yards, TD

Tre' Hart: 2 catches, 46 yards, TD

Jordan Johnson: 1 catch, 13 yards

Jack Barrientez: 1 catch, 8 yards

Defense

This group has shown that they can hit..... however, hitting is merely a component of tackling. Finishing tackles has proven to be quite the challenge for the Wildcat defense. More often than not, a Ranch ballcarrier was able to wiggle away for a few more yards. I've seen 8 years of Cy Woods football games and I cannot recall seeing a Wildcat defense having so much difficulty (1) with tackling and (2) in getting off the field. They allowed a 23-yard pass play on a 4th & 8 situation in the 2nd quarter, and the Mustangs managed to finish that drive off with a touchdown. Man.

The Wildcats even had to summon Jared, C.J., and Jordan to play cornerback, mostly in passing situations. They haven't really had true shutdown corners since Josh Holley and Deonte Davis way back in 2011. 

Tackles: Kason Franklin 10 (6 assisted), Neil Chambers 7 (5 assisted, 1 for loss), Austin Greaves 5 (3 assisted, 1 for loss), Keith Watson 5 (3 assisted), Caleb Smith 5 (2 assisted), James Fontenot 4 (3 assisted), Brandon DePrato 4 (2 assisted), Stace Ivie 3 (2 assisted, 1 for loss), Adrian Garcia 3 (all assisted), C.J. Jones 3 (1 assisted), Collin Fewox 3 (2 assisted), Terrell Brown 2, Elijah Strang 2, Jared Taylor 2, Trent Bird 2 (1 assisted), Brandon Love 2 (1 assisted), Chase Taulton 1, Luis Reyes 1, Jordan Frazier 1 (assisted, for loss)

Special Teams

It was a rare off night kicking-wise for Luis Reyes. One of his two extra points was blocked, and he missed a 41-yard field goal. He also handled the punting duties in this game.

Luis Reyes: 0-1 FG (missed 41), 1-2 XP (1 blocked); 3 punts, 108 yards, 36 yards per punt

No one is going to kick deep to the Wildcats. I guess they're getting used to that.

Man of the Match

R.J. Harmon put up his best game of the young season as he posted 142 total yards (84 rushing, 58 receiving) and 2 total touchdowns. He's been bothered by various minor injuries dating back to the start of two-a-days, so it's good to see him get back in form. R.J. almost got wiped out on a kickoff return that ended up getting flagged for being a late hit out of bounds, and he was a bit slow getting off the field.

Looking Ahead

A 1-2 district record certainly isn't a sign of impending doom, but the margin of error has shrunk significantly. Oh, the perils of playing in a district where that is essentially the season... but then again, anything and everything will happen in Cy-Fair ISD football.

As the calendar turns to October, the Wildcats will be back at Pridgeon as they'll face the Cy Creek Cougars on Saturday, October 3. Woods will be the away team. Kickoff is at 6:00.

This Is an Apology, I Guess (HELP WANTED)

Before I begin, I would like to say that no, I am not abandoning this blog. Also, buckle up, because I tend to be very long-winded before I actually get to my point.

As you may (or may not) know, I recently started volunteer work as an ESL teacher for Vietnamese people in the Bellaire/Alief area. I will admit that the first week was a horror show, but I have (somehow) managed to pull myself together. It's all good. This is the first time that I have ever taught anything and it is also the first time that I have ever been considered a teacher, so I'm just embracing this challenge and taking it one day at a time. I feel that I am making somewhat of a reconnection with my Vietnamese roots, which have been in disarray ever since my days as a Cy-Fair ISD student. Yes, this is the longest period of time that I have spent among my people (outside of my family). I have to confess to all of you here... I cannot speak Vietnamese. I understand it, I can string a few sentences together, but if you're expecting me to have a conversation in Vietnamese, forget about that. Well, if I'm teaching these people English, then I could learn a little bit of my mother tongue in return. I have also heard quite a bit of Burmese, too, since a couple of my students are from Myanmar, which is another country in Southeast Asia.

The one thing that I truly expect to accomplish during my time as a volunteer teacher is to make a difference in these people's lives, and the way that I'm attempting to make a difference in their lives is by teaching them the English language. I hope that comprehending the basics of English can give them at least a fighting chance to be able to carve out a new life in a new country. You cannot begin to fathom the challenges that these people, who in many cases have not been in the US for very long, are facing. That, however, is me getting completely off topic. For what it's worth, the challenges they face are far beyond my understanding as well, because although I'm Vietnamese, I was born in Phoenix. I have never had to face such challenges, and I can admit that I am extremely fortunate to be born here in America.

With all of that being said (and then some), this commitment has taken a significant amount of time away from my ability to maintain this blog. I had originally intended to include a short post with sub-varsity scores, and some standouts for those games, but since I teach on Thursdays and sub-varsity game night is usually Thursday, this is impossible for me. So, I want to apologize to everyone for the state of neglect in which I have left this blog.

On a personal level, though, I think this hiatus of sorts has been great for me. I deserve this break. I deserve a break from all the nuttery that ensues after every Cy Woods loss. Yes, I know nuttery comes with the territory of having a blog about a sports team, and the Internet is the stage where anyone can have an opinion, no matter how awful it is, but I just simply needed a break. At some random point during this break, I realized that there will be a time where I will no longer be able to hang around to watch this team. That day is inevitable, and I am at peace knowing that.

In the year+ that this blog has been active, I have stayed up until daybreak fishing around for statistics on games that occurred seven years ago and trying to find some random fact about a backup wide receiver that only I know. But... my efforts are somehow working, because people actually read this blog, which actually bewilders me a little. Sometimes I read this blog to myself and think that these are the ramblings of some moron who thinks he knows football but really, he doesn't. I guess as long as people read the blog, I'm doing something right. Right?

Which (finally) leads me to this. I really, seriously, you could say desperately, need some help. I would like to find someone (or some people) who can give me the scores of the sub-varsity games. I'm still holding out hope that I will somehow get 4 players who are currently in the program on board as guest writers. I am looking for one player from each grade to be a contributor to the blog.

Twitter is nice and all, but if you can devote 140 characters to your thoughts, then I believe that you have the ability to elaborate on those thoughts, make them more coherent, and then expound on them even further. This is a possible avenue for you to express yourself. And, as a result, you will learn to become a better writer, and probably a better speaker. Trust me, you are going write A LOT in high school and college. I believe that if you have the ability to put your thoughts on a computer in an effective and coherent manner, you will find putting thoughts on a piece of paper to be significantly easier. In other words, you will know what you want to write about. Writing is a challenge, and I struggle with it every time I try to post something on this blog. There's a lot of aspects to writing that I worry about, like whether the sentence I just typed is grammatically correct, or if it sounds odd when I read it to myself. Other times, I wonder if there is a better word that could be used in place of one of the words in that sentence... like, I'm an adult who has acquired a vast vocabulary... I should be utilizing that vocabulary instead of some noun that I learned in grade school. Writing may very well turn out to be a huge challenge for you, but... the more you practice, the better you'll become at it. In a way, it's sort of like football. You probably don't know it yet, but chances are you're a far better writer than I can ever dream of becoming.

The following is for players only: If you are interested in contributing to the blog, please send me an email. My email address is on the right side of the page, under "Links." Or, send me a message on Twitter. If you plan to send an email (which is the option I prefer), please attach a sample of your writing in your message, preferably something you have done in school.

If you are interested in sending me freshman and JV scores, disregard the above paragraph. I just want the final scores. You can tweet end-of-quarter and halftime scores to me, but all I need are finals. Never mind, I can do this myself.

Thanks a lot for bearing with me, and I have never said this before (shame on me), but I truly appreciate each and every one of you for taking whatever scant time you have during your day to read my nonsense. Thank you for being my audience. An audience is really all I was hoping for when I started this blog over a year ago.

Go Cats. 212 and all that good stuff.

Dustin Nguyen

Kamal: A Talent In My School

Kamal is like any other eleventh grade science student in my school. He is a shy and a timid young boy. Because of his silent and calm nature, he is not an easily noticeable student in the school. He is a member of the school vocational club.

Recently the school conducted 'Club Exhibition'. The school has twenty one clubs. Kamal occupied a small space in the vocational club corner. He sat quietly with some mobile repairing equipment displayed before him. The crowd concentration shifted from one club to another but not many were interested in Kamal. The few that came thought that what was before him was merely a display of disassembled mobile phone. 

All during the program Kamal remained inconspicuous to the audience. It was only towards the end of the program that Kamal came to the limelight. Actually it was my encounter with him that caught the crowd's eye.

Kamal in the vocational club corner

The guests had already left and there was a very thin audience left. I thought we had called it an exhibition and I was walking out of the hall. As I neared the exit door I saw Kamal sitting quietly with two other friends.

"What have you got here?" I asked him.

"Mobile repair sir"

"Can you repair my mobile? Its sound doesn't work" I asked .

I thought he would not dare accept to work on a teacher's mobile. But the response was a confident "Yes sir"

I handed him my mobile and others around me started to laugh taking Kamal for granted. But Kamal started getting busy on the mobile. I told him in jest 'I hope you will not return my mobile in pieces like Mr. Bean returning a solid radio in several pieces to a customer' following which there was a huge laughter from students who thronged around to watch Kamal.

The students who were watching Kamal were anxious over what Kamal was doing. They thought he was on a risky venture of handling a teacher's phone.

Just then a lady teacher walked past and asked me "What's going on here?"

"He is repairing my mobile" I said.

"He will only get your mobile spoiled" she remarked and walked away giving a fleeting glance at Kamal.

Kamal heard the comment and he blushed but his hands never ceased to be confident.

Kamal working on my mobile

At one moment I was skeptical of his ability. I wished I had not given him the mobile. By then he had dismantled the phone completely and I could only watch him.

But his hands were deft and he exuded confidence over what he was doing

Still skeptical, I asked the other two boys sitting next to him who were equally quite. "Do you think he can really repair my mobile?"

"Yes sir. He can. He is really good at it sir." That gave me some reassurance.

Kamal had identified a problem with my phone. He said "sir, there is a disconnection here" He pointed to something very tiny which I couldn't make a thing. He  worked meticulously on it and got it fixed. 

Watching among the crowd was another teacher who also had problem with his mobile phone. He stepped forward and handed Kamal his phone. He had multiple problems - the camera, screen and dial pad. Kamal got all of them fixed just in few minutes. He won the crowd's heart.

Fascinated by his capability, I asked him "Did you do any formal training on repairing mobile phones?" 

"No sir. I learnt by myself at home" he said still looking timid.

"Are all these repair kits yours?" I asked pointing at the kits.

"Yes sir"

"Do you do this at home?"

"Yes sir"

"Sir, he is well known in Daragaon, (the place where he stays)" said the other two boys near him."People give him different electrical appliances such as, rice cooker, curry cooker, water boiler, microoven, washing machine and fan to repair. Just anything sir-any electrical equipment. He fixes them all for free sir. His room looks like a electronics repair shop" 

The next day I got the following things repaired:

1. Water boiler

2. Two fans 

3. Micro oven 

4. Tubelight

5. Extension cord

6. My wife's watch

I was surprised at Kamal's unique skills. Unique because he didn't learn from any Guru but his skills are self-taught. However, Kamal admitted that he cannot repair computers and digital camera. He has plans to attend computer repair course this winter. 

When asked about his ambition, Kamal said he wants to become an electronic engineer. 

Know Your Enemy: Cypress Ranch Mustangs

Week 5: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-2, 1-1) vs. Cypress Ranch Mustangs (2-1, 2-0)
6:00 PM, Saturday, September 26, 2015
Pridgeon Stadium

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats led of Week 4 with a tilt against Cy Falls. They had absolutely no answer for the Eagles' two-headed monster of Desmond Hite and Shannon Vaughns, who both scored 3 touchdowns on the ground for Falls as they romped to a 57-20 victory.

The Enemy: Cypress Ranch Mustangs

2014: 13-3, 8-1 (2nd) in District 17-6A
Playoffs: 6A Division I runner-up, lost 47-16 to Allen

The Mustangs walked off with a 27-24 loss at the hands of Cinco Ranch to begin the 2015 season. They've stormed out of the gate in district play; they started off by decimating Lakes 52-3. Then, on double Homecoming Friday, Ranch forced 5 turnovers (4 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered) as they suffocated Langham Creek 27-14.

(A Few) Players to Watch on the Other Side

QB Collin Rock, RB Holden Gourley, RB E.J. Thompson, FB Dylan Proske, RB Ty Laurent, ATH R.J. Sneed, WR Keric Wheatfall, DL Harrison Loveless, DL Juan Perez, LB Brayden Stringer, LB Lawson Pyles, LB Amaud Willis-Dalton, DB Mark Bruno, DB Kiantre Meullione, DB Nick Stiff

All-Time Series

Cy Woods leads 3-2.

Previous Meetings

September 27, 2014: Ranch 38, Woods 35
October 19, 2013: Woods 54, Ranch 0
October 20, 2012: Woods 40, Ranch 37 (OT)
September 23, 2011: Woods 68, Ranch 21
September 24, 2010: Ranch 38, Woods 35

2¢ on Ranch

Last November, Ryan Nanni of SB Nation composed a feature on one of the longest-contested rivalries in college football. The two belligerents featured in his story are two Division II schools in South Dakota. In this intriguing and well-written feature, he described football (you could include the other sports, but then again, this is Texas) as "merely a means for a clash of cultures. Whether the clash is real or imagined is irrelevant. It only needs to exist in the minds of the fans, so they can point to the enemy and see him as different." This pretty much describes the dichotomy of Cy Woods vs. Cy Ranch to a T.

In 5 years, Woods-Ranch has become arguably the nastiest rivalry in the city of Houston, and it surely has to be one of the nastiest in the state of Texas, as well. It's not just limited to football, either. Some friendships are definitely going to be put on hold for this week, and possibly for the foreseeable future. But, Matthew 5:44, I guess.

As nasty as this rivalry is, it is just as passionate. When you're in the stands for this game, you can clearly see that these two schools have been blessed with outstanding support from their respective communities.

The Mustangs are fresh off an appearance in the 6A Division I championship game. Despite this, I feel very little animosity because I never played Cy Ranch. Although Ranch's run to the final is a feat that deserves respect, I'm glad they lost. It's nothing personal. I would much rather see Cy Woods win the first state championship in football for Cy-Fair ISD, even if it took 75 years. (I'm only saying 75 because I most likely won't be around to see it if it took 100 years.)

Collin Rock, an SMU commit, is back at the helm of the Mustang offense, and he is the face of Cy Ranch football. He is a dangerous runner, especially in the open field. Rock showed tremendous poise and skill as he became one of the district's breakout players in 2014, playing a starring role in Ranch's run to state.

R.J. Sneed, who will probably get as many touches as possible, emerged as Rock's top target in the passing game as a sophomore. Sneed just another one of the talented players in the Class of 2017 in Cy-Fair ISD. The Mustangs will have to find a replacement for the outstanding Charlie Booker, who is now at Harvard. Running back isn't a position of weakness for the Mustangs, though. Holden Gourley has emerged as presumably the next in line, and he's had a fine start to the 2015 season. Ty Laurent has also become a weapon in the run game and the return game as well.

Brayden Stringer is a three-year starter at linebacker. He was a unanimous 1st-team All-District selection and is the leader of the Mustang defense. Accompanying him will be Lawson Pyles and Amaud Willis-Dalton, a couple of talented juniors. Willis-Dalton emerged as an impact player during their playoff run and also has a kickoff return TD on his ledger this year. Mark Bruno, another three-year starter, leads their secondary. He had 2 picks in the win over Langham. Bruno will be joined by Stiff and Meullione, who also doubles as a dangerous return man. Harrison Loveless was pressed into duty on the defensive line as a sophomore last season and performed extremely well. He's also an accomplished thrower, placing 2nd in the discus in last year's district track meet.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

I'm sure the vast majority of you would prefer not to remember that night.

Ryan Nanni put it succinctly and deftly: "Rivalry history only matters for 364 days a year. The day of the game is different." Time to write the next chapter in the book.

For JV games: Location of Cypress Ranch High School

You must be new to this area if you are asking. I'm not trying to come off as crabby, I just call it like I see it.

Cy Falls 57, Cy Woods 20: Falling Hard

2015 record: 1-2, 1-1 in District 17-6A

I wasn't at this game. I am taking a step towards hopefully becoming a productive member of society, so one of the steps I've taken towards this goal involves teaching Vietnamese people English down in Alief this fall. I do this on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Like I said after the Klein Collins game, there is no use in sugarcoating a blowout loss. But I'm not fickle. Nothing has been decided. Well, this game has, but I'm talking about the grand scheme of things.

So, What Happened Was...

The Wildcats were buried under the avalanche of a 43-6 deficit. This is the most points that they've ever allowed in the 1st half.

Ground

I don't know, I wasn't there.

Bryson Powers: 13 carries, 80 yards, 2 TD
R.J. Harmon: 16 carries, 40 yards
Jared Taylor: 2 carries, 14 yards
Jack Barrientez: 3 carries, 12 yards
C.J. Jones: 2 carries, 2 yards

Air

I don't know, I wasn't there.

Bryson Powers: 11-26, 169 yards, TD, 2 INT
C.J. Jones: 0-1

R.J. Harmon: 4 rec, 17 yards
Jordan Johnson: 3 rec, 104 yards, TD
C.J. Jones: 2 rec, -6 yards
Tre' Hart: 1 rec, 44 yards
Jared Taylor: 1 rec, 16 yards

Defense

Sheesh.

Special Teams

I don't know, I wasn't there.

Jordan Johnson did have a kickoff return touchdown that was negated by a penalty, which was one of 14 flags against the Wildcats. Sheesh.

Man of the Match

I don't know, I wasn't there.

Looking Ahead

It's rivalry week.

The Wildcats will play at Pridgeon Stadium for the first time in 2015 as they face off against the Cy Ranch Mustangs. Cy Woods will be the home team for this one. Kickoff is at 6:00.

Know Your Enemy: Cypress Falls Golden Eagles

Week 4: Cypress Woods Wildcats (1-1, 1-0) @ Cypress Falls Golden Eagles (2-0, 1-0)
7:00 PM, Thursday, September 17, 2015
Berry Center

Previously on Cy Woods Football...

The Wildcats rebounded from their drubbing at the hands of Klein Collins by opening District 17-6A play with a 59-31 victory over Cy Ridge. Bryson Powers shook off a poor start with one of his best games to date as a Wildcat, finishing 14/18 for 223 yards and 5 touchdowns. 3 of those touchdown passes went to C.J. Jones, who racked up 109 yards on 4 catches.

The defense got in on the act as well as Kason Franklin returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown and Brandon DePrato fell on an errant snap in the endzone.

The Enemy: Cypress Falls Golden Eagles

2014: 4-6, 3-6 (7th) in District 17-6A
Did not qualify for playoffs

The Eagles opened 2015 with a 45-21 victory over Klein. In their District 17-6A opener, they kept up step-for-step with an explosive Langham Creek offense, and ultimately, they were able to keep the Lobos at bay and emerged with a 33-30 victory.

(A Few) Players to Watch on the Other Side

QB Casey Rosellini, RB Desmond Hite, RB Shannon Vaughns, WR Corey Henkhaus, WR/DB Jorren Pollard, TE Brent Hertel, OL Nathan Mikulski, DL Ozie Wilhite, LB Trey Baldwin, DB Davion Morris

All-Time Series

Cy Falls leads 4-3.

Previous Meetings

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

2¢ on Falls

The Eagles will rely on an experienced offense led by three-year starter Casey Rosellini under center.

As a junior, Rosellini emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the district. Pollard, who is also a starting defensive back, also tied for the team lead in interceptions last season. Corey Henkhaus is their top returning receiver. The emergence of Shannon Vaughns at the running back spot last season following an injury to Desmond Hite gives Cy Falls a solid tandem at that position. Apparently the Eagles have made a shift in their offensive philosophy, and it has paid dividends in the early going. They racked up 387 yards on the ground against Langham Creek, with Hite accounting for 173 of them and Vaughns chipping in with 126 of his own.

Speaking of Hite, he had over 500 yards on the ground and scored 5 touchdowns in an abbreviated season for him. Despite missing a significant portion of the season, he was still the Eagles' leading rusher.

Trey Baldwin, a Missouri pledge, is a transfer from 4A power West Orange-Stark; he starred in their run to the title game last season, where they fell to Gilmer. He's the next impact defender for the Eagles, following Du'Vonta Lampkin and Otaro Alaka. Baldwin made a huge impact in their win over Langham, which saw him absolutely demolish Toneil Carter, the Lobos' star tailback. Wilhite will fill the role of defensive line anchor after Lampkin's departure. In the secondary, Pollard will be joined by Davion Morris, who had a promising sophomore campaign.

Last Time These Two Teams Met

The Eagles got on the board first, but the Cats responded by going on a 27-0 run that was capped off by Michael Wirt, who returned an interception for a touchdown that put them up 27-7. However, two late scores in the first half for Falls cut the Wildcats' lead to 27-20 at halftime and set the stage for an uneasy 2nd half that saw the Eagles hot on the Wildcats' tails.

In the end, 2 missed extra points and some clutch defense turned out to be the difference as the Wildcats escaped with a 48-47 victory. This game wasn't pretty as the Wildcats had to beat themselves as well: they committed 19 penalties, turned the ball over 5 times, and had to overcome a lackluster 4th quarter on offense.

Bryson Powers, who had an interception in this one, recovered a fumble with 5 minutes to go in the game, and Randall Medlin and Wade Carson stopped a screen pass on 4th down with 2:12 remaining in the ballgame.

Tre' Hart (124) and Jared Taylor (101) both had over 100 receiving yards and they both caught a touchdown pass from Nick Hooper, who threw for 311 yards. Nick also ran for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns.

For JV games: Location of Cypress Falls High School

Because the varsity plays on Thursday, the sub-varsity teams will play on Wednesday night.