The Cypress High football team stumbled last week to El Modena and lost its top-10 ranking in the CIF polls. However, it’s unlikely that it will stumble again in Week No. 3, when it hosts Cabrillo (Long Beach) in a non-league game on Friday, Sept. 14.
The Cypress High football team stumbled last week to El Modena and lost its top-10 ranking in the CIF polls. However, it’s unlikely that it will stumble again in Week No. 3, when it hosts Cabrillo (Long Beach) in a non-league game on Friday, Sept. 14.
For starters, Cabrillo (0-3) remains winless this year, with losses to Norwalk, San Clemente and Centennial (Corona), a powerhouse program that delivered an impressive 61-6 victory last week. Though Cypress has not faced any of these teams during the young season, in the past, it has dominated Norwalk, which posted a 58-26 win in the season opener.
The Centurions, on the other hand, will be well rested after enjoying a bye week. They should also be fired up after losing their No. 8 ranking in the CIF Southwest Division poll.
The Centurions are far from perfect, though. Despite two solid defensive efforts, they have struggled and failed to find a rhythm on offense, especially in Week No. 2, when they only managed to score 9 points and did not find the end zone until the fourth quarter – a failed 2-point conversion prevented them from tying. Cypress head coach Bob Burt, known as “Mr. Fix It” for taking over struggling programs and turning them into winners, has implemented a T-formation, which the El Modena defense had no problem stopping by keying in on running back Jake Brito.
Burt also used a platoon system against El Modena, with Jesse Dages and Nick Buras alternating snaps at the quarterback position.
However, Cabrillo’s defense has given up a combined total of 156 points so far, and after a frustrating outing, Brito will likely not be bottled up for a second straight week.
If Cypress should fall in Week No. 3, though, be prepared for a long season.
Prediction: Brito rushes for 220 yards with three touchdowns, helping Cypress earn its second victory by the final score of 42-14.
