Cinco Ranch starting strong
Spikers earns high marks, finishes well in season-opening tourney
Cinco Ranch led the Katy ISD contingent at the Katy/Cy-Fair ISD Nike Classic last weekend, placing third in the gold bracket.
The Cougars fell to The Woodlands in the semis before finishing with a win over Oak Ridge. “We were the only Katy ISD school in the finals, so I was happy about that,” coach Danielle Wells said. “We definitely improved on little things here and there, and we talked about The Woodlands and the things we did and didn’t do.
“I thought we could have competed a little better against them, but it’s still early.”
Cinco Ranch went 3-0 in Day 1 pool play, beating Jersey Village, Lamar and Elkins while dropping only one set.
That setback was in the 18-25, 25-21, 25-17 win against the Falcons.
“The first game we started out a little slow but we picked it up and finished it in three, so we did well enough,” Wells said.
Day 2 saw Cinco land in a tougher pool with Seven Lakes, Cypress Woods and Tomball Memorial. Cinco again won all three matches, edging the District 196A rival Spartans 19-25, 25-18, 25-14.
Wells said that win came down to key adjustments and her players’ tenacity.
“Every team, whenever you play a team in your district, gets up for it, so the girls played well,” Wells said.
The Woodlands was a tougher matchup.
The Cougars rallied for a 25-14 win in Game 2 after dropping the opening set 25-18 but fell 25-22 in Games 3 and 4.
The Highlanders went on to beat Cy-Fair in the gold championship.
“Whenever you play a strong team that has a good history, you can’t make those little mistakes you make on your side, like missing serves and tipping the ball out when tips have to go over and in,” Wells said.
“So, just keying in on our own mistakes against them, if we get more consistent on that part, we’ll improve greatly.”
Cinco Ranch rebounded with a five-set win over Oak Ridge to take third place.
Outside hitter Corin Evans made the all-tournament team, and Wells said OH Nicole Lennon and libero Juliana Ansley also stood out.
“We played well, obviously, the first two games, and then Oak Ridge came back and battled the next two, and then we finished it in that fifth game,” Well said.
“I just had to remind them that you have to fight
son or the playoffs, and once you get that, then the mindset and the mentality of the kids will change,” Wilson said.
To improve on last year’s 8-3 record and win in the playoffs, the Spartans focused on mental toughness in the offseason.
“It’s just the kids being dedicated and motivated to going out and doing it right every time, not coasting through, making sure that you’re playing for four quarters, making sure you’re in shape when you return for fall camp, things like that,” Wilson said.
“Those little small things will add up to a big thing.”
Returning running back/wide receiver Bryan Moore is poised for a big season.
He was productive last year, and with RB Braeden West gone, freeing up another 200 touches, he’ll have plenty more opportunities.
“He can do anything you want him to do,” Wilson said.
“I think he can be a 1,000-1,000 guy. I think he can rush for 1,000 and catch for a 1,000 in 10 games. Last year, in 11 games, he had 1,700 yards on less than 100 touches, so he’s pretty explosive.”
Seven Lakes also will lean on quarterback Cameron Thomas, sophomore RB Brock Sturges, fullback Andy Garcia and seasoned linemen Brody Williams, Kenneth Pleasant and Cooper Campbell.
Sturges, 5-10, 195, has the difficult task of replacing West in the backfield.
“He’s a bigger back than we’ve had since I’ve been at Seven Lakes,” Wilson said. “He’s a little bigger version of Quizz (Jaquizz Rodgers), and when I say Quizz people always think about what he did, but (Sturgis) can control the game like that. He’s always been the best back on the field whenever he’s played, so I think after a few games he’ll find his niche and start being that on the varsity level.”
Thomas (6-1, 190) is the starting QB entering the season, but 6-4, 210-pound sophomore Dalton Wood is close on his heels. Thomas, a senior, played receiver and backup QB the last two seasons.
He started two games in place of an injured Tristian Hibbeler last year.
“He’s more of a dualthreat guy,” Wilson said. “He throws the ball well and he’s a pitcher in baseball, so he has a really good arm.”
Safety Bryan Sturges, a TCU pledge in baseball, headlines the defense.
The returning all-state pick led District 19-6A with six interceptions last season through great technique and field awareness.
“He’s the true leader of the football team,” Wilson said. “He’s the one who makes sure everybody’s lined up.”
Elliott Lege is a threeyear starter at defensive back, Williams and Jett Birchum pace the defensive line, and the Spartans will relay on young linebackers in sophomore Cameron Valentine and junior Keith Simpson.
Williams plays on both sides of the ball but will see more time on the D-line this season.
“He’s athletic,” Wilson said. “(D-line) is his natural position. When we moved him to offensive line as a sophomore he’d never played offensive line before. He was a defensive lineman. But we needed linemen then. So now we’re getting some other guys on the offensive line, which frees him up a little bit to play defense.”
Seven Lakes scrimmages Friday at Friendswood.
“I just want to see kids playing hard, hustling, trying to get to the ball, making the right moves and doing the right things in their assignments.”