Mustangs run past defending champs
Cypress Ranch was tested in the season opener by a state-ranked Tompkins squad.
This time, the Mustangs hosted reigning 5A Division I state champion Paetow. The programs met for the first time.
Blake Baker threw a couple of touchdown passes and the Mustang defense held the Panthers to a single score as Cypress Ranch defeated Paetow 22-7 on a rainy Saturday night at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium.
“It all starts with our kids, believing in what we’re preaching. … I got really good coaches that come to work every day and put our kids in great situations,” Cypress Ranch head coach Sean McAuliffe said. “They (players) kind of drew a line in the sand saying, ‘I’m a football player and I’m going to go play my butt off for the guy next to me’ and that’s what we did tonight.”
Cypress Ranch (1-1) picked up its first win of the year after dropping the season opener to Tompkins.
Blake Baker went 14-of30 for 233 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 36 yards on nine carries. Kyle McCray rushed for 39 yards on 15 carries and one touchdown and had five receptions for nine yards and another score. Carson Littlefield had four receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown and Tracy James had three catches for 81 yards.
Paetow (1-1) suffered its first loss under new head coach Lonnie Teagle. The Panthers are experiencing their first year in 6A and beat Conroe 14-7 in week one.
Koby Truehill went 9 of 12 for 91 yards and a touchdown, Derrick Johnson rushed for 35 yards on five carries and Justin Stevenson had four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown.
The Panther defense quickly surrendered its first touchdown of the night. Cypress Ranch’s sixplay, 43-yard opening drive was capped by Baker’s 9-yard pass to McCray early in the first quarter. The extra point was no good.
The Panthers got off to a slow start as Christian Brathwaite forced a fumble off Koby Truehill on their first drive, which was recovered by Tristtyn Davis. But the Mustangs were unable to capitalize as Christian Hurd ultimately intercepted Baker at the Paetow 24-yard line.
Paetow shortly turned it over on downs, allowing for Cypress Ranch to score in just over a minute, capped by Baker’s 63-yard pass to Littlefield with 9:27 left in the second quarter.
McCray capped a fourplay, 34-yard drive with an 8-yard run with :28 left in the first half.
Cypress Ranch had 230 yards of total offense in the first half to Paetow’s 58.
But Paetow responded to start the second hal, with Truehill’s 53-yard pass to Stevenson cutting the deficit to 12.
Steven Sinda shortly made it 22-7 via a 29-yard field goal with 5:59 left in the third quarter. The score was set up by James’ 47-yard catch.
The Panthers were moving on their next drive, only to see the Mustangs force another turnover on downs, this time via Ashton Porter’s sack on Truehill.
Porter finished with five tackles and three sacks.
“There’s going to be some bumps and bruises along the way, I honestly think it was just really that,” McAuliffe said. “They decided that ‘you know what, we let one probably get away last week and we’re not going to do that anymore, we’re going to do what it takes to win a football game.’ Which is limit distractions, play with great attitude and effort and extreme focus. I couldn’t be happier for them and these guys that I get to work with every day.”
Cypress Ranch finished with 312 yards of total offense to Paetow’s 144.