DISTRICT 17-6A
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS (Playoff teams in bold)
Cy-Fair Bobcats
Jersey Village Falcons
Stratford Spartans
Memorial Mustangs
Cypress Creek Cougars
Cypress Ridge Rams
Spring Woods Tigers
Northbrook Raiders
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MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Trey Owens, Cy-Fair
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Adam Tran, Jersey Village
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Landon Rink, Cy-Fair
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Foard Polley, Stratford
ON THE CUSP
Cypress Creek Cougars
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Jersey Village Falcons
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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Stratford Spartans
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
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Cy-Fair took the district title in undefeated (7-0) fashion a year ago, before narrowly falling to Cinco Ranch (13-10) in the Class 6A D1 Area Round. Given the fact that the Bobcats retained the majority of their core roster, it stands to reason that a repeat in the district race should be well within their grasp. Texas-commit Trey Owens will once again lead the pack as the signal-caller with plenty of talent to work with on the offensive side of the ball. Said talent includes seniors, WR Owen Carter (Rice-commit), TE Cooper Stevens (Sam Houston) and big-man Nathaniel Salisbury, who will anchor the OL. On defense, expect Landon Rink (Jr.) and EJ Daniels (Sr.) to wreak havoc in the trenches, while senior David Vah holds down the secondary from the safety spot. Expect another big year from coach Jeff Miller’s group and a playoff run.
Jersey Village experienced their fair share of ups and downs in 2022, but still managed to take the district’s fourth spot and making a playoff appearance. Coach David Snokhous should take that as a sign of greater things to come. He will have several returners on his roster on offense, which will be led by a trio of seniors. QB Adam Tran is ready for his third year as a starter and Quinton Jones (RB) and Joshua Nunez (WR) provide an interesting skill set to the offense. The defense will be led by seniors Donovan Holmes (LB) and Malik Slone (DL) in the front seven, and senior safety Kam’ron Young-Russell on the back end.
After finishing third in district (5-2) a year ago, coach Todd Rankin will be given the tall task of remaining competitive now that several of his usual starters have graduated. However, don’t count out Stratford just yet. There is plenty of potential on the roster, particularly from the District’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year junior DE Cullen Devine. Given his 6-foot-3 frame and impressive speed off the edge, Devine should continue to wreak havoc in the backfield. Offensively, senior WR Luke Rives will be one of the leaders of the locker room, while juniors RB Javier Denson, QB Aaron DeLeon and WR Braxton Wakefield should thrive as they take on bigger roles in the program. Others to watch include Parker Johnson (Jr. DB), Johnny Crawford (Sr. LB) and senior RB Derrick McGee.
Last Fall, Memorial took the No. 2 spot (5-2) in the district before advancing to the Class 6A D1 Area Round. The precedence of the organization is well-established, but the Mustangs’ defense only has two starters -- junior LB Mason Riddle and senior DE James Klingberg -- returning this year. Given that fact, the defense will need to prove itself with a young core. However, Memorial should still enjoy its fair share of success with a veteran offense that features the likes of seniors Jackson Salters (QB), Cooper Gindorf (RB) William Fowler (TE) and the 6-foot-5 two-time, first-team OL Max Wang. Contending in a district like this one is easier said than done, but given the experienced coaching and talented returners, the playoffs should be within Memorial’s grasp this year.
Cypress Creek narrowly missed out on the playoffs in 2022and given that several of their mainstays graduated and some transferred elsewhere, the Cougs will have their work cut out for them in 2023. That doesn’t mean there’s a lack of star-power on coach Greg McCaig’s roster. Expect senior DL Nicholas Igwe and DBs Keshawn Lamont and Elijah Mack to be the leaders of the stout Cy Creek defense, while a youthful offense will look to get their footing.
Cypress Ridge experienced some growing pains, placing them in the No. 6 spot (2-6) in last season’s district race. With another year under their belts, coach Andrew Shanle and the Rams should only improve. Senior offensive linemen Braylon Williams and Jeremy Barajas will anchor the front line, while junior Evan Stroman (WR/DB) will look to headline the skill positions.
Spring Woods and Northbrook have both teetered at the low end of the district for quite some time now, but could show flashes of potential this Fall. For the Tigers, senior RB/LB Mantrez McAlister, Jairo Martinez (Sr. DL) and senior DB/WR Michael Davila will be among the leaders of the group. On the Northbrook side, expect seniors N.J. Swinney (WR),Daniel Espinoza (DB) and Julian Cruz (DL) to headline the Raiders.