Photo by Madison Crownover, Cy-Fair HSNews
Cy-Fair High School baseball team dedicates season to late coach
On Tuesday, March 17, the Cy-Fair High School baseball team’s dugout had an empty chair with a familiar jersey draped over it. The jersey belonged to the late Woody Champagne, who served as Cy-Fair High School’s head baseball coach for 34 years.
“When you think of Cy-Fair baseball, it’s Coach Champagne,” said Billy Hardin, Cy-Fair’s current head baseball coach. “In the last ten to twelve years that I have been a coach here, he became a good friend of mine and always came up and supported us at games and practices.”
Hardin dedicated the 2026 season to Champagne’s memory after he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in late September, honoring his legacy by leaving an empty seat in the dugout with his jersey at each game.
“He earned the honor to be celebrated, and as long as I’m here, he’ll always be,” Hardin said.
Champagne’s wife, daughter, son and other family members were all brought onto the field ahead of Cy-Fair’s game against Jersey Village to celebrate his impact on the Cy-Fair community.
“It was important for us as a family to come back out here and pay tribute to him,” said Andrea Wilson, Champagne’s daughter. “He never liked a whole lot of attention on him, but he loved being on the field. It’s like his home away from home, so I feel like he would have loved this.”
Champagne’s time at Cy-Fair High School didn’t just end when he retired. He remained a familiar face for every set of players even after he left the program. He constantly supported the Bobcats, whether it be by coming to games, supporting them at practice or even mentoring the players.
“Coach Champagne was a great motivator, and would always come and talk to us,” Cy-Fair senior pitcher Cy Garcia said. “He created a great culture among the athletes and really helped set us up for success. His impact is still felt even now.”
From 1980 until he retired in 2014, Champagne led the Bobcats to seven district titles and over 600 wins, including a 2007 state championship, Cy-Fair’s first in school history. Champagne also won ten Coach of the Year awards, was named The Houston Chronicle and All-Metro’s Coach of the Year in 2007, won the Ray Knoblauch award and was inducted into the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He finished his baseball coaching career with 627 wins.
“Our school has such a history, which is what makes it so special,” Cy-Fair Principal Dirk Heath said. “I grew up as an athlete here, so I was around him plenty. That man’s legacy is strong.”
When Champagne retired in 2014, Paul Orlando took over the program with assistant coach Billy Hardin until he left in 2017 to become Bridgeland’s first head baseball coach. Hardin was then promoted to head coach and has since led the team to five district championships.
“Dad would have been proud of Coach Hardin, his program and how far he’s come because of how hard he worked to precursor all this,” Champagne’s son Nick Champagne said. “Cy-Fair is a special place. If my dad could say one last thing, it’d be BFND!”
Source: CFISD
