Long-Time Football Players Exit Their Final Season
January 3, 2019
Photo courtesy of CPHS Football SmugMug
Sophomore Kiyon King and seniors Hutson Mcgaughan and Nico Green interlock pinkies during the alma mater song at their final game on Nov. 23 against Shadow Creek.
Football has been one of the more glorified sports in the school. This senior class is the winningest class in school history, with the varsity team compiling a total 47-7 record since their freshman year. With head coach Carl Abseck taking over the team in 2015, the program under him won State in his first year and made history as the school’s only undefeated season. The senior class has gone through many highs, such as senior quarterback Ryan Fiala leading a comeback against Georgetown in 2017, to the lows of falling short in the playoffs after the 16-0 season. With back to back losses to Manvel, and the most recent loss to Shadow Creek, the team wasn’t able to get back to having the “Texas Tested” title.
The senior class has been running behind strong players such as wide receiver Carson Neel, offensive line anchor Nico Green and secondary stud Stryder Laster. These are just a few of the powerful seniors on the varsity team.
“I’ve been playing [football] since elementary school,” Neel said. “I come from a family that played football, so I didn’t really have a choice. My favorite memory is probably coming back and beating Georgetown my junior year, or playing at Kyle Field my sophomore year.”
Sometimes, playing time isn’t all that important, especially when players are around teammates that are also their friends. Laster is a part of the secondary, and said what he has enjoyed most has almost had nothing to do with football itself.
Whenever I felt that football was getting to be too much, I would remember all of my teammates going through the same struggles.
— Nico Green (12)
“My favorite memories are when the whole team gets hype and dances in the locker room after a dub,” Laster said.
Green is guard on the offensive line, and has been playing football for most of his life. He said football has been an integral part to the way he lives.
“I started playing football when I was in second grade,” Green said. “Since I grew up around a football family, I wanted to start playing immediately. Whenever I felt that football was getting to be too much, I would remember all of my teammates going through the same struggles.”
The football season has been essentially year-round for all players, with summer workouts starting almost immediately after school releases for the summer. The “off” season consisted of workouts before, during and after school. All of that comes to a close for the seniors now that their last high school game has passed and the real off-season began.