Golden Era
The Wildcats’ football team sits near the top of the district after starting the season off with seven straight wins, the best start in school history.
In the first game of the season, they beat Katy Taylor 37-10; the 27-point margin was the biggest season opening win since the first year of Woods football in 2007.
In his first campaign as offensive coordinator, Coach Scott Wiesmann has completely turned around this offense. With new schemes, complex play calls, and a dynamic game plan, the team has been running up the scoreboard against every team they’ve faced.
Over the next three games, the team scored 171 points. Scoring at least 50 in every game, this stretch was highlighted by a 59-7 win over Cypress Creek in the district opener; it was the fourth-largest victory in school history.
With 191 points in district play, the boys are second in the district in scoring. However, the offense isn’t the only one doing the work.
On the other side of the football, five Wildcats are in the top 22 of district leaders in tackles. Junior Keyan Pickett leads the team with 50 tackles, followed by senior John Jacobs with 47. To add on, Pickett’s three interceptions leads the district in picks.
Perhaps the most impressive feat for Woods is their dominance in sacks. Three of the top five district leaders in sacks all boast the crimson and gold. Seniors Harris Ranney and Jason Hemphill are tied for second with four sacks each, while junior Thomason Strickland is fifth with 3.5 sacks.
Across the field, this team has looked special, earning themselves a ranking of sixth in Houston according to VYPE. As the team sets their eyes on winning district for the first time since the 2019-2020 season (and the first time under Head Coach Cody Simper), this season has the chance to go down as the best in school history.
Renewed Success
Under new head coach Allyson Brown, the volleyball team had its best finish since 2013.
The team went on a 14-game win streak, having 36 serve wins to just 3 serve losses; the Wildcats were winning in dominant fashion.
What initiated the stretch was a first place finish in the Needville Varsity Tournament; the team went 7-0. Later on, the team rode the momentum by kicking off district play with four straight wins.
Multiple Wildcats are now at the top of the district in crucial statistics.
With a hitting percentage of 29.2%, junior Savannah Nelsen is fourth in the district at of press time. Meanwhile, at 375 kills, junior Caroline Walden is third in the district in kills as of publication. The offensive onslaught doesn’t stop there, as senior Katy Oetken has racked up 633 assists, good enough for third in district at the end of October.
Over a decade ago, the Wildcats were a common sight in the playoff picture. Back in 2011, the team made it as far as the state semi-finals.
With an outstanding résumé and record, the Wildcats will be headed back to the playoffs for their fifth consecutive season. However, unlike other seasons where they were not favored to make it very deep, this year’s team is going into the state tournament with their eyes set on the championship.
