Cy Ranch QB Braden Baker Eyes Deep Playoff Run in New District 23-6A

Few quarterbacks in the Houston area enter a season carrying the kind of résumé Braden Baker has built at Cypress Ranch. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound senior is heading into his third year as the Mustangs' starter, and the numbers he has put up along the way have made him one of the most closely watched signal-callers in Class 6A.

Last season, Baker threw for over 2,800 yards and 32 touchdowns against just one interception, adding 235 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. He capped the year by earning District 16-6A Most Valuable Player honors and helped guide Cy Ranch to the third round of the UIL playoffs. In the final stretch of that postseason run, he threw for 900 yards and seven more touchdown passes.

Head coach William Blaylock, who has been at Cypress Ranch for a number of years, has not been shy about where Baker ranks among the quarterbacks he has coached — calling him the best he has ever had. Blaylock has drawn comparisons between Baker and Andrew Luck, the former standout who played at nearby Stratford High School before going on to a celebrated NFL career. Luck's father, Oliver, played for the Houston Oilers, giving that comparison a distinctly local flavor.

The quarterback position runs in Baker's family as well. His brother played at Louisiana Tech University, and that background appears to have shaped the poise and pocket presence that coaches and analysts point to as his defining traits.

Cypress Ranch moves into the newly configured District 23-6A this fall, and with Baker returning alongside experienced contributors at key positions, the Mustangs are considered one of the favorites in the district. For a program with playoff expectations built into its culture, Baker's return gives Cy Ranch a credible path toward another deep postseason run.