Katy Cypress Lakes High senior quarterback Sofian Massoud is no stranger to playing in front of people, yet this season will be the first time he experiences the game in stadiums big enough to accommodate a small town.
Massoud comes to the Spartans from Cardinal Hayes High in the Bronx borough of New York City. Cypress Lakes head coach Ronald Patton told Texas Scorecard that the Massoud family lived in the Houston area before and moved back after many years in the Big Apple sometime last spring.
According to the coach, the transition from the nonstop hustle and bustle of the country’s largest city to the tranquility of unincorporated Harris County has been smooth for the transfer signal-caller.
“He’s loving it,” Patton said. “He’s not having to take the train; he makes that joke often … he lives across the street from the school so he can walk across the street and throw on the field whenever he wants.”
Massoud is intrigued by how “the sun is up longer here,” he added.
While at Cardinal Hayes some 1,600 miles away to the east, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Massoud earned MaxPreps All-American and All-NYC honors. He gives his new team a dual-threat weapon to go with an offense returning plenty of lettermen.
“He’s a true leader from all facets,” Patton said. “From a production standpoint, he can throw the ball with the best of them. He commands the offense. He knows the offense very well in a short period of time. He runs it very well.”
The coach added that Massoud is a “film rat” who can be found on campus as early as 6 a.m. and even late into the night.
“He’s earned the respect of all the players because of his work ethic,” Patton said. “He doesn’t mind staying late. He doesn’t mind working with the best players … he’s definitely earned their respect from that standpoint.”
As of this writing, Massoud was preparing for a scrimmage, his first taste of Lone Star State high school football. He told Alex Broggi of 247Sports.com that unlike on the East Coast, football is a class in Texas.
Originally a Rutgers University commit, Massoud decommitted from the Scarlet Knights following his move to Texas and is now committed to the University of Houston.
Cypress Lakes, which went 5-5 in 2018, plays Katy Morton Ranch High in a road game to kick off the season on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
