Cy Ranch escapes with their 24th consecutive 17-6A district win and first place seeding after outlasting Cy Ridge 27-24 on a last second field goal. Both teams scored on all of their second half possessions. Despite a miraculous 43-yard “hook and ladder” touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game, Cy Ridge left nearly four minutes on the clock for Cy Ranch to mount a winning drive. After 12 straight Cy Ridge runs, Mustangs kicker Dominick White nailed a 22-yard game winning field goal as time expired. Cy Ranch and Cy Ridge have already secured playoff spots, but the Mustangs win over the Rams on Friday night at Pridgeon Stadium avoids a three-way first place tie with Cy Fair.
Cy Ranch was carried by their workhorse running back E.J. Thompson. Thompson ran the ball 22 times for 114 yards while the Mustangs passing attack took a back seat. A miniscule three passes were completed on eight attempts for 28 yards. Cy Ridge took a more balanced approach to their offense. The district’s leading rusher Trelon Smith added another 113 yards and two touchdowns to his already lengthy resume. His quarterback, Tyson Williams, threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Williams’ favorite target was wide receiver Kevin LeDee. The long LeDee had size advantage and he utilized it all night long, hauling in eight receptions for 74 yards and collecting one touchdown reception.
Both teams went into halftime tied at 10. Cy Ranch was limited to only 73 yards of total offense and three first downs in the first two quarters, but were able to strike first on a two-yard touchdown run by running back Tanner Boston. Ranch’s second big play of the half came on the defensive side of the ball. With the Rams driving into Mustangs territory, cornerback Ryan Fields intercepted a Tyson Williams pass and returned it an impressive 53 yards to the Cy Ridge 12-yard line. A holding call would nullify a nine-yard touchdown run by Thompson and the Mustangs would have to settle for a White 27-yard field goal.
Cy Ridge’s Trelon Smith out-paced the opposing Cy Ranch offense single handedly in the first half. Smith’s 77 yards on the ground and 29 yards receiving gave the Rams running back 106 total yards before the break. An Adrian Martinez 33-yard field goal and LeDee’s 15-yard touchdown reception kept the score tied at halftime.
After being contained in the first half, the Cy Ranch offense finally broke loose for 194 yards in the second half. Each team only had the ball once in the third quarter, but both would make it count. Three consecutive offensive penalties on their lone third quarter drive looked like it might stall the Mustangs, but a Cy Ridge personal foul penalty erased some of the negative yardage. Cy Ranch picked up six first downs on that drive after only managing three in the previous two quarters. Running back Holden Gourley capped the 14 play, 68-yard drive with a 12-yard rushing touchdown to put the Mustangs up 17-10.
Cy Ridge was able to counter on their ensuing drive, thanks in part to a roughing the kicker penalty called against Cy Ranch on a crucial 4th & 7. Another fourth down would soon roll around for the Rams, but this time they wouldn’t need any help from the Mustangs defense. On a 4th & goal from the one, Trelon Smith hurdled the mass of humanity piled at the goal line for what would have been the game tying touchdown. Unfortunately for Cy Ridge, their placeholder mishandled the snap on the extra point and the Rams still trailed the Mustangs 17-16.
After failing to convert on the PAT, Cy Ridge would need a big stop from their defense to get back into the game. They wouldn’t get one. Cy Ranch promptly ran the ball 52 yards down field in 10 plays. The supposed final nail in the coffin drive culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Cy Ranch quarterback Blake Nevins. The Mustangs led by eight, 24-16 with six minutes remaining. Barring some sort of miracle, Cy Ranch was going to win this game. But from the way things turned out, Rams prayers were being mulled over.
In one of the most exciting finishes a high school football fan can hope to see, Cy Ridge dialed up and connected on a spectacular 43-yard “hook and ladder” pass for a touchdown in the game’s waning moments. The exchange went from quarterback Tyson Williams to wide receiver Kevin LeDee for the first three yards, and then from LeDee to running back Trelon Smith for the remaining 40-yards to the house. Rams tight end Sloan Selmon caught the two-point conversion to complete the comeback with 3:30 left in the game. Cy Ranch head coach Gene Johnson recognized the skill and preparation required to pull off a play like that one.
“What a great play” Johnson said. “I was hoping they would flag them for cheating, but it wasn’t cheating. They had a great play set up and the kids executed it so well. They made a play when they needed to, and boy, it was big.”
It was huge. If Cy Ridge was going to come from behind and win this game, it would be on something as freakish as a “hook and ladder”. However, the Rams would still have to play defense. Appearing to be in no hurry at all with the game tied at 24, the Mustangs stuck with what got them there and continued to run the ball. 13 plays and 72 yards later, Dominick White kicked the game winning 22-yard field goal as the clock struck zero. The final score: Cy Ranch 27 Cy Ridge 24.
Cy Ranch captures their 24th consecutive 17-6A win and remains unbeaten at 9-0. They will look to keep both winning streaks alive against the 2-7 Cy Woods Wildcats on Friday, November 4th. Cy Ridge falls to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in district. The Rams will take on the 3-6 Cy Springs Panthers on Thursday, November 3rd.
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