NOTE: This is a recap of the entire season, so this review will be looking at overall issues and triumphs of the team and will be longer than the game recaps.

With the conclusion of the game against Cy Ranch, the Cy Woods football season officially ended at 4-5 just short of a playoff spot at fifth in the district. The Wildcats started off the season with a hard loss of 27-9 against Cy Springs in the season opener, but they came back in week two to surpass Cy Ridge, 35-34. Over the next few weeks, Cy Woods wrestled their way up the standings and between a winning and losing record as they faced off with significant opponents like Langham Creek. After the loss against Cy Falls in week five, the Wildcats’ playoff chances were nearly impossible, but with their vital win against Cy Creek in week eight, Cy Woods was back in again. Despite this, they still placed outside of the top four with the 21-17 loss against Cy Ranch. Even though this year’s season is over, preparation for next year is already underway with some important spots that need to be focused on more for the 2018 season.

Throughout the season, one of the biggest problems facing the Wildcats was consistency. This was especially true in the middle of the season where Cy Woods would excel one week in a certain part but would stumble the next week and make simple mistakes that were previously not there. For example, the defense really upped their coverage of wide receivers against Langham Creek and Jersey Village in week three and four, but they suddenly struggled with it in week five against Cy Falls. This definitely had a hand in their loss to the Falcons, but it begs the questions of why this problem just popped up out of nowhere. This kind of deviation makes it very difficult for the team to find a good groove for the season and can be deleterious to the team’s success. While some inconsistency is good to surprise their opponent, there is a big difference between just right and too much, and the Wildcats were too discrepant to be effective. If they want to see even more success next year, Cy Woods needs to establish more consistency from game to game with only a few disparities.

Another issue Cy Woods had was their difficulty in driving a win home. Of the five losses the Wildcats experienced, three of them were relatively close games with no more than an eight-point difference between a win or a loss. In a season where every game counts, any win is extremely helpful in pushing for playoffs. Many times, Cy Woods was staging quite a comeback after lagging behind for most of the game, but they would fail in the last minutes to drive in those last precious points for the win. With a team that is so dependent on the second half, the Wildcats sometimes failed to use the last two quarters to their full advantage leaving them just out of reach of another win. These losses where Cy Woods unsuccessfully tried to stage a comeback became missed opportunities for the Wildcats to bolster their standing in the district, especially against tough opponents like Langham Creek who Cy Woods lost to by a touchdown. If the Wildcats had won even one of these close losses, the season might have turned out very differently for them. Thus, Cy Woods needs to work on getting those last points on the board to secure a win because a few points can make all the difference.

Despite all of this, the Wildcats must be commended for their persistence. Starting off with such a rough game against Cy Springs did not bode well for the rest of the season, but Cy Woods pushed past that to end the season in the upper half. No matter how bad the loss was the previous week, the Wildcats always showed up to the field to play and to win. They stepped up to the plate in a whole new way and persevered through the challenges of this season on and off the field. Cy Woods refused to let their previous failure undo them and learned from them instead. From week to week, the Wildcats were always improving in several notable ways. To illustrate, their passing game drastically improved throughout the season along with defending against one too. The defense also got better in handling third and fourth down conversions and prevented their opponent from making a first down no matter how short the distance. After a loss, a team can become decreasingly united; however, the Wildcats defied this pattern and bounced back from failure week after week. This became vital in their case for playoffs late in the season by allowing them to keep up with the opposition during games and in the standings. If the Wildcats can harness this like they did this year, they will continue their climb back to the top.

For many, this season did not go as they wished, but there is a silver lining. Compared to the past two seasons, the Wildcats have taken major steps to enhance their playing abilities and performed much better. This season was a rebuilding year for Cy Woods with emerging players that can lead the team to victory in the future. With so much young talent in the team, the Wildcats show great promise for next year and beyond. The 2017 football season will not go down as Cy Woods’ best season ever, but it can go down as a critical stepping stone toward a brighter future.