The Cypress Falls 2016 season started with five losses and ended with three. A 2-1 stretch midway through the season provided the lone bright spot in a season where the Eagles went 2-8.
Cy Falls posted 42 points in its four-point win over Jersey Village and 27 in a convincing win over Cy Woods. Other than a 41-24 loss to Cy Springs, the Eagles never scored more than 17 points a game in any of their other seven games.
A senior-laden defense was able to hold opponents to 28.7 points a game, but that wasn’t enough for an offense that was young and somewhat inexperienced on the varsity level.
The Eagles made the playoffs in 2015, going three rounds deep before a loss to North Shore. It’s the only playoff appearance since the end of the 2012 season. This is a program that made it to the 5A state championship game in 2006.
Key Losses
LB Blake Thompson, DL Kory Toliver, FB Christian Anderson
Thompson and Toliver were named first-team all-district for a defense that held opponents to fewer than 29 points a game. Thompson led the team with 75 tackles, including 53 of them solo, and had three sacks on the season. Toliver (6-0, 250) was a big plug on the line.
Anderson was a second-team all district player who led the team in carries (136), yards (698) and rushing touchdowns (4).
Key Returners
DB Starrland Baldwin, QB T.J. Goodwin, RB/DB Davon Hayward
Baldwin was a first-team all-district selection who was tied for a team-high three interceptions. He’s also a threat on the offense both as a runner and a receiver and he received accolades for his prowess in the kick return game.
Last year as a sophomore, Goodwin completed 55 percent of his passes for an average of 132 yards a game, despite throwing an average of 18 passes a game.
The Verdict
Cy Falls gets Alief Taylor right out of the chute, hoping at home to avenge a 25-0 road loss last year.
The Eagles will need solid production from junior quarterback T.J. Goodwin and even more dazzle from Starrland Baldwin while the defense fills roles vacated by a plethora of seniors.
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