Last night, the Cy Woods Wildcats matched up with the Cy Lakes Spartans in a thrilling game that Cy Woods would eventually win, 36-33. I’ll be breaking down how each positional group did, pointing out where Cy Woods improved and where they need to improve.

Quarterbacks: A-

Jacob Kainer was an absolute monster last night, tearing up the Spartans secondary with no regard for human life. The Wildcats had a lot less designed QB runs, allowing Kainer to instead use his legs to stand tall in the pocket, leading to an impressive 4 passing touchdowns on 16 completions while picking up over 250 yards. What stats don’t tell us, is how clutch Kainer was last night, scrambling for 14 yards on a critical 4th down to eventually set up the game winning touchdown. He had ice in his veins on the final drive, executing nearly flawlessly to close out the game. There were a few minor criticisms that I noticed were prevelent throughout the game when Kainer wasn’t busying dicing the Spartans defense. On passing downs, he often would make one read and force the ball into a window that didn’t exist. Often times receivers would get lit up before they even had the chance to get the ball simply because there wasn’t space to get the ball, or because they were not ready for the ball. For example, on a halfback screen to Nijah Surtain, Kainer threw the ball at Surtain’s back. This led to the ball nearly being picked for 6, as well as Surtain getting blasted in the backfield. Other times Kainer would simply hold onto the ball if his read wasn’t there, often camping in the pocket way longer than a quarterback should. Luckily Kainer is able to use his athleticism to turn what should be a 13 yard loss into a 4 yard gain, but it’s a bad habit that won’t be sustainable. Overall though, Kainer played stellar and showcased just why he is the Wildcats quarterback of the future and let everyone know he must be taken seriously.

Runningbacks: B+

Jack Barrientez and Nijah Surtain put on the best offensive showing I have ever seen out of two half backs. There was only one criticism, and it’s pretty big. Turnovers. Both Surtain and Barrientez had a fumble, along with Barrientez tossing 6 to the Spartans on a trick play. Outside of that, they ran wild on Cy Lakes. Barrientez picked up 123 yards on 7 rushes, highlighted by a 68 yard touchdown run that redeemed his prior mistake. Surtain also did great on the group, picking up 56 yards on 6 rushes. But that is only half the story here. Where they really did work, was in the passing game. They each hauled in 6 receptions, working masterfully out of the backfield. On back to back drives, Kainer rolled out while Barrientez ran the other way into the end zone untouched awaiting a touchdown pass. Kainer shared some of his ice with Surtain on that final drive, where he fought for 32 yards on the game winning touchdown. The Wildcats ran a dual halfback set often this game, a trend I would love to see continue, along with Surtain simply getting the ball more often. This was really his breakout game and I expect him, Barrientez, and Kainer to be a three headed offensive monster into the future. This is the first time I have been excited for the future of Cy Woods football in a while.

Receivers: B

As always, the receivers were not very involved in the offense, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily. Brennan Niles had a pair of good catches, with one going long for 43 yards. Jake Fennis opened the game up with a 66 yard touchdown pass. Matt Ficalora also had an impressive rush for a 2 point conversion. There were a few drops across the board, but nothing devastating that I noticed. What the receivers did do, was force the Spartans to respect the passing game beyond screens to the running backs. This opened up running lanes a little bit more on the outside, allowing Surtain and Barrientez to do work. Not to mention some great blocks, most notably on the 68 yard touchdown run. The receiving group played mostly the same as they have all season, which is playing effectively and efficiently while not having a big role in the offense.

Offensive Line: B

The offensive line was definitely the most improved area this game, working well enough to not be noticed most of the time. Run blocking was iffy still, with Spartans penetrating into the backfield occasionally but not enough to disrupt the offenses’ rhythm. Cy Woods didn’t run between the tackles much, or rush at all really, so the game plan worked towards hiding the offensive lines deficiencies. Pass protection also held up pretty well, giving Kainer time to get his passes out. With how Kainer runs in the backfield, I gained a lot of respect for the linemen here. It isn’t easy to stop the rush when Kainer is doing his best Houdini impersonation in the backfield. So while there was definitely pressure on the pocket, it usually only came after a few seconds. Maybe we should rename the Wildcats to the Cardiac Cats.

Defensive Line: B

On paper, the Cy Woods defensive line didn’t have the best game. They didn’t have any sacks, but they got pressure on Cy Lakes Quarterback Tyrese Miller enough to keep him on his feet. Run defense was better to start the game, but by the end it was apparent the defense was gassed (understandably so). They did a great job eating up blocks so that the linebackers could close in on tackles, which was critical in ensuring the win. There was definitely some weakness on the interior of the line that was exposed more and more as the game went on, as Spartans Running Back Colin King continually gashed them up the middle. But they did come in clutch at the end, pressuring King as he was forced to dump the ball early (into the hands of Colin Fewox). If some of those pressures turned into sacks, and a little more stability in the middle, this grade would have been an A.

Linebackers: A+

The linebackers simply dominated nearly the entire game, putting on a defensive show. Myles Wilson was all over the field, bringing in a total of 13 tackles, with Fewox following in pursuit with 11 tackles (along with a forced fumble and game sealing interception). Elijah Strang was simply a monster on the field,  grabbing 3.5 tackles for a loss and 10 tackles. The defense as a whole grabbed a fantastic 7 tackles for a loss, with the linebackers being the main contributors. There were a few instances of King breaking free right outside of the tackles, but with his longest run being 29 yards, the big play threat was easily nullified. If the linebackers keep this play up, the Wildcats have potential to become a real defensive monster. On a smaller note, I did notice Myles Wilson being overly aggressive after some plays and getting dangerously close to a flag or even a possible ejection. Not a huge deal unless it evolves into something bigger, but something to keep an eye on in the future. A well disciplined team will always become a winning team.

Secondary: B

With the loss of safety Tory Spears, I expected this secondary to crumble, but they did the opposite. Cornerback Michael Young has been up and down this season, but played a stellar game, picking up 4 tackles and a great interception. While the interception wasn’t the pinnacle of athleticism, it was an extremely smart play by Young, reading the quarterbacks eyes and consequently working beneath coverage to snag the ball out of the air.  No long pass plays were allowed, and only 15/23 passes were completed. So while a relatively high percentage of passes were completed, they didn’t turn into long gains which seemed to be the Wildcats gameplan. Force them to throw short and let the linebackers light them up, or punish them if they throw deep. If the secondary can keep this up, Cy Fair should be scared of next week. I would like to see some tighter coverage near the line of scrimmage but it’s hard to complain after this weeks showing.

Special Teams: B+

Luis Reyes did the same thing he does every week. Consistently nail extra points, and punt the ball without being a liability. Return teams were sufficient, not doing anything mind boggling. I noticed some confusion on some plays on who should take the ball out, and more horizontal running than necessary. But none of these things came back to really hurt the Wildcats, so they get a pass this week. Near the end of the game, there was an extremely disappointing play on the punt block team. Low snap, ball on the ground, rushers get penetration, and then just stand there. I can’t recall who, but a Wildcat literally stood in front of the ball while Le’teddrian Soloman picked it up and punted it to the Wildcats 1 yard line (or actually rolled into the end zone, but that is another story).