“Who let the ‘dawgs’ out?”

The varsity Cougar football team advanced to playoffs for the first time in five years, but fell short in Round Two to Strake Jesuit, 44-28. Senior running back Trevon Earls said making it to the playoffs as a team felt amazing.

“We did the best we [could], went to the second round and came up short, but we did great,” he said. “Hopefully next year the team can take care of business and go to State.”

Throughout the season the boys played with the motto, ‘in dawgs we trust,’ which carried through with them in the playoff season. Senior defensive back Antoine Small said the motto came after trying to think of a saying that would motivate the school.

“We knew we would be pretty good because we had a lot of returners,” he said. “We started doing the [hands symbol], because it’s like a dog house and we are some dogs. On the field you have to play like a dog, and have mindset to do what you need to do. It was like you trust a dog, so trust your ‘dawgs’ to do the job.”

This new motto was not the only thing to motivate the team this year. Senior quarterback Luke Allen said leadership on the team made a big difference in the team’s performance.

“We’ve worked really hard this year,” he said. “A lot of people like me and the seniors have stepped up and really helped out.“

With a new motto and a change in leadership, this year marked the first playoff appearance since 2010. Junior running back Kaleb O’Bryant said it felt great to have the team’s hard work pay off. O’Bryant placed second in regards to reception yardage, with 995 yards.

“It was amazing, we set out a goal and we accomplished that goal,” O’Bryant said. “We pretty much made history for Cy Creek by putting them back on the map; it was just awesome.”

Junior running back Mason Biggers said the progress the team made this year gives him hope for a better outcome next year.

“I expect us to go farther because everybody has the drive now,” he said. “We know what it feels like to lose, and we don’t want to have that feeling again.”

Through the wins and losses the team faced this year, the team bonded and found a family within one another.

“Cy Creek football means playing for one another, playing for your team and not being selfish,” he said. “You do it for everybody else; you fight for your brothers.”