PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Stratford Spartans
Cy-Fair Bobcats
Cypress Falls Golden Eagles
Memorial Mustangs
Jersey Village Falcons
Cypress Creek Cougars
Cypress Ridge Rams
Northbrook Raiders
(Bold Denotes Playoffs)
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VYPE's PRESEASON AWARDS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Aaron DeLeon, Stratford
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chase Ferrell, Cypress Falls
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Landon Rink, Cy-Fair
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Garland Wilburn, Cypress Creek
ON THE CUSP: Cypress Creek Cougars
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Cy-Fair Bobcats
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Cy Falls Eagles
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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The Stratford Spartans rumbled to the Regional Quarterfinals a year ago before falling to eventual Class 6A Division II State Runner-Up Summer Creek. Seventh-year coach Todd Rankin (41-25) brings back plenty of talent with 11 starters back in the huddle. Seven starters are back on the offensive side, including quarterback Aaron DeLeon (3,300 yards, 42 TDs). Javi Denson returns to the starting running back spot after an injury held him out last year. Denson is a tough runner with great hands and will be an explosive weapon. Other players to watch on offense include Hunter Biehl (WR - 393 yards, 5 TDs), Foard Polley (OL) and Clayton Nonhof (OL). Defensively, Newcomer of the Year Tiergan Burl (LB) is back after recording 71 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4 TFL. Defensive end Blake Barry (51 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and defensive back Parker Johnson (79 tackles, 2 INT) also return. A new addition is Jonathan Joseph, who is the son of former Houston Texan Jonathan Joseph.
The Cy-Fair Bobcats are coming off one of its better seasons in recent years. The Bobcats are a perennial playoff team, making it the last 14 seasons. But last season, Cy-Fair went 11-2 and for the first time since 2018 reached the Regional Quarterfinals. Head coach Jeff Miller does say goodbye to District MVP Trey Owens at quarterback, who signed with Texas. That will be a big hole to fill. He does bring back three-star prospects in Texas A&M-commit Landon Rink on the defensive line and Houston-commit Wyatt Herbel at tight end. Rink was the District 17-6A Defensive MVP a year ago with a team-leading 71 tackles and 13 sacks. Herbel was second on the team with 483 receiving yards and 11 scores. Cornerback Jaden Vaughn is a rising 2026 prospect for Cy-Fair with an offer from Washington State on the books to lock in the secondary, while John Provost will help with the push up front and LB Colin Nott will patrol the middle of the field. Another player to watch includes first-team, all-district offensive lineman Koy Faecher, while Andrae Williams will stretch the defenses at WR. The Bobcats are a tradition-rich program. That doesn’t change in 2024 as they seek a third-straight district title and the fifth in the last six seasons.
The Cypress Falls Golden Eagles are coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2023 and reached the Bi-District round of the playoffs. Chris Brister enters his eighth year of leading Cypress Falls. Five starters return for Brister, including Air Force-commit Chase Ferrell (WR) and Defensive Player of the Year Kaleb Burns (Baylor-commit). Other key returners include first-team, all-district tight end/defensive lineman Drake Bright and defensive back Ashton Wilson, who was honorable mention, all-district. Sterling Bright is a versatile athlete (TE/LB) and Morgan Henriquez anchors the OL. Keys to success for the Golden Eagles, according to Brister include staying healthy, stopping the run and developing the offensive line.
Gary Koch enters his 32nd season leading Memorial and sits just six wins away from career coaching victory No. 200. The Mustangs have made the playoffs in each of the last five years and did it again last year, going 5-6 overall. Up front, second-team, all-district picks Harrison Rabel and Evan Paul will anchor the offensive line. Carson Wall (first-team, all-district, 389 yards) and William Van Wie (second-team, all-district, 510 yards) will be the top targets at receiver. Defensively, Memorial has talent coming back, especially at the linebacker spot. Isaac Richardson (51 tackles, 4 sacks), John Kafka (37 tackles), Mason Riddle and Edward Gray are all set to return at the position and were all second-team, all-district picks. Jacob Wilburn (DB) will hold it down on the back end, while Coston Terramigi (DL) will bully the opposing offensive linemen in the trenches.
After leading the Jersey Village program since 1997, longtime coach David Snokhaus called it a career in 2023. But the Falcons have a familiar face to replace him as assistant coach Levelle Norris was promoted to interim head coach. Norris knows what he has coming back off a team that went 5-6 a year ago and reached the Bi-District round of the playoffs. Jersey Village will have to find a new top QB, RB and WR as their top players at each position are gone to graduation. The Falcons bring back 11 starters, including first-team, all-district picks Dinh Huynh (WR/P) and DeMarcus Griffin (DL) and second-team, all-district picks Easton Critchfield (OL), Colby Hall (TE) and Taylor Williams (DL). Keys to success include being able to control the line of scrimmage, getting their skill kids the ball in space and limiting the explosive plays on defense, according to Norris.
For the first time in over two decades, Cypress Creek will have a new head coach roaming the sidelines. Greg McCaig retired this offseason and finished with 148 career victories. Cy-Fair ISD went out and grabbed a coach from a power program on the other side of town to fill the void as North Shore offensive line coach Deveon McKinney takes over the program. Cy Creek hasn’t been to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and went 3-7 a year ago. McKinney will lean on returners such as unanimous District 17-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year Garland Wilburn at running back to turn the tide. Other key returners include first-team, all-district pick Nixon Porter (DB) and second-teamers Malik Tenisi (OL), Ethan Wright (WR), Marlon Cook (DL) and Wilburn (RB).
The Cypress Ridge Rams enter the sixth year of the Andrew Shanle-era and look to bounce back from a 2-8 campaign in 2023. Fifteen starters return for Shanle as he is excited to see a balanced offensive attack under new OC Scott Holloway and an improved run defense under returning DC Burl Jordan. Key returners for the Rams include first-team, all-district linebacker Kyle Provost and second-team, all-district defensive back Rennie Grismore. Others to watch, who are picking up steam in the recruiting world, are sophomore and junior defensive linemen Kaden McCarty and Isaiah Broughton.
Northbrook will have a new coach in 2024 as Pasadena Dobie head coach Demond Stafford moves in to take over the program. Stafford started on staff at Pasadena Memorial and in 2019 got his first head coaching job at Pasadena Sam Rayburn, where he stayed for three seasons. The last two were at Dobie, including going 8-3 last year with the Longhorns. Stafford takes over a team that hasn’t won more than one game in a season since 2015 when they went 3-7. The Raiders are coming off an 0-10 campaign and will look to build a new culture under Stafford.