Cougars double its ground game with a 319 yard, five touchdown outburst led by Aldridge and Masters
Cy-Fair – Cy-Creek knew in order to keep it’s playoff hopes alive, it would have to put to rest any thoughts the Wildcats had of extending its playoff run since the school opened in 2006.
The two headed rushing attack of Terrell Aldridge and Davion Masters made sure the Cougars would stay in contention while serving Cy-Woods its first season without a post season game, by a score of 39-14 Friday night at Pridgeon Stadium.
The win moves the Wildcats one step closer to a post season berth. A win in the season final next week against rival Cy-Fair would solidify that.
Aldridge and Masters combined for 319 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Both running backs rotated Cy-Creek’s line up all evening.
“I just ran off blocks, ran with nothing to lose, facing the playoffs. There was no reason to hold back. I broke free and saw light as i headed to it,” says Cy-Creek’s running back Davion Masters.
For Cy-Woods, turnovers, a sputtering offense and unable to sustain drives was part of a disappointing evening, as the Wildcats fail to make post season for the first time in school history.
CY-Creek (6-3, 5-3) took charge early to gain a 14-0 lead. The Cougars opened the scoring with an eight-play, 83-yard drive which used only 2:11 of the clock. Aldridge’s 45 yard touchdown blast up the middle gave Cy-Creek a 7-0 lead.
“The first touchdown got me really pumped. I give it all to our offensive line,” says Cy-Creek’s running back Terrell Aldridge.
“At halftime, the coaches were telling me, too many shoestring tackles. They said, I need to stay on my feet. So every time I went through the hole, I thought about staying on my feet. I’m really shocked how we played today. But we came out and got the job done,” Aldridge said.
Cy-Woods (3-6, 3-5) first drive was cut short when DB Henry Hite intercepted quarterback Mason Roberts at the Cougars’ 45 yard line and returned it inside Cy-Woods territory at the 46. That allowed running back Davion Masters, who carried five times on the drive, score from four yards out to give Creek a 14-0 lead, after Kevin Patterson’s extra point kick.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats put together an impressive 76-yard drive which was highlighted by Roberts’ third down,13-yard pass to receiver David Burrell at the 23 yard line of Cy-Creek. Four plays later, Roberts’ play action fake, left sophomore receiver Nick Hooper wide open in the end zone for the 12-yard touchdown strike, closing the gap, 14-7 after Chase McLaughlin’s extra point kick.
Creek’s defense held Cy-Woods to 166 total yards while piling up over 400 with 23 first downs. Cougars’ defensive end Isaac Johnson had much to do with it, stopping the offense behind the line of scrimmage five times.
“I just exploded off the ball and found the ball and hit somebody,” Cy-Creek’s defensive end Isaac Johnson said. Coming into the game, I knew what I had to do and I knew I was going to get it done.”
In the second quarter, the Cougars took advantage of a short field, after a short punt, to regain a 14-point lead. Again, Masters proved to be a workhorse, accounting for all 56 yards on three carries. His 46 yard run up the middle gave Cy-Creek a 21-7 lead following Patterson’s kick.
“We’ve had to evolve because of injuries to quarterbacks. So we made a conscience decision as a staff to take some of the pressure off Zack and put it back on our offensive line and they responded beautifully,” Cy-Creek’s coach Greg McCaig said. Those five guys, six with Chris Ayers have done a great job and now those running backs are starting to feed off of it. On the defensive side, we thought all alone that our defensive line would be the strength and our linebackers, of our defense. I can’t be more proud of them.”
Patterson’s 34 yard field goal would help the Cougars waltz into halftime up 24-7.
Trailing 24-7, things worsen in the third quarter for Cy-Woods before finding momentum. A high snap that sail over the head of McLaughlin, while in punt formation, went into the end zone. McLaughlin kicked the ball out of the end zone for the safety. However, a big play shifted the momentum in favor of the Wildcats when junior defensive back Nick Csatlos picked a Zachary William’s pass and returned it 75 yards for the score, to move Cy-Woods within 12 points, 26-14.
The turning point came on the ensuing kickoff which watched the Wildcats nearly execute the perfect onside kick. McLaughlin’s kick bounced off one of Cy-Creeks players into the hands of a Wildcat defender who was unable to coral the ball, as Creek’s Shawn Andrew came away with the lose ball at the 49 yard line of Cy-Woods.
This time, Aldridge who finished with 187 yards, two touchdowns on 23 carries, capped a 49-yard touchdown drive on two carries, highlighted on a 43-yard scamper to ice any hopes the Wildcats had.
“I know those guys pretty well (speaking of Cy-Creek). I knew what we were facing. Most of those guys I coached last year. I knew they would be tough and they’ve all progressed a year and gotten bigger and stronger and faster,” says Cy-Woods Coach Trent Faith who admitted, how good Creek is. They physically got after us pretty good. They were winning the line of scrimmage. They did some things defensively to confuse us. They got some pressure on us. That makes it tough on a quarterback.”
