The Cypress Springs Panthers will square off against the Waller Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Cypress Springs' defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They blew past Cypress Park, posting a 52-0 victory. Considering the Panthers have won four games by more than 20 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Cypress Springs' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Myles Hamilton, who threw for 300 yards and four TDs while completing 78.9% of his passes. Paris Melvin Jr was Hamilton's top target, picking up 100 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also rushing for 39 yards and one score.
Cypress Springs didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Cypress Park to a completion percentage of just 31.2%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from two players: K'Hrin Hollerman and Kameron Roberson, who each logged two passes deflected. Cypress Springs hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.46 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Waller, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They walked away with a 31-21 victory over Langham Creek on Friday.
Waller found their leader in sophomore Tristin 'T.K' Gaines, who rushed for 154 yards and three TDs while picking up 8.1 yards per carry, and also threw for 126 yards and one touchdown. Those 154 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for 'T.K' Gaines. Robert Carter helped out on the ground, rushing for 88 yards.
Cypress Springs' win was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 47.8 points over those games. As for Waller, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
Cypress Springs beat Waller 45-38 when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
