Senior night rout of Haltom provide momentum for playoffs

By Marcus Krum
Sports Editor
@marcuskrum

As 36 Coppell football seniors stepped off Buddy Echols field for the final time on Friday night with a 44-6 victory over Haltom (1-9, 0-7 District 7-6A), the mood was bittersweet.

However, with the big win, the Cowboys gain confidence on both sides of the ball for next week, a Bi-district matchup against DeSoto for the third consecutive year.

Before Friday night’s game, Coppell High School seniors Josh Fink (left) and Aj Johnson (right) wait and applaud their senior teammates for being recognized on senior night at Buddy Echols Field. The game ended with a final score of 44-6, the Coppell Cowboys defeating the Haltom Buffalos. Photo by Amanda Hair.

The Cowboys started off lightning fast, only taking two plays and 50 seconds go go 55 yards for a touchdown. Senior running back Brandon Rice, who finished with 88 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, finished off the possession with an 11 yard run for a score.

After Haltom was forced to a three and out, the Cowboys came back on offense with great field position right around midfield. Sophomore quarterback Wiley Green threw a 24 yard pass to junior running back Joe Fex, then only two plays later threw another 25 yard pass to Fex over the middle, giving the Cowboys an early 13-0 lead after the extra point was missed. Green had 93 passing yards on three completions in the first two drives on offense.

“We’re excited that Wiley was able to step in last week, and then he played the whole game this week,” coach Mike DeWitt said. “Any time you can get varsity experience, that’s good.”

Haltom was again forced to punt, but the Cowboys then made their first blunder on offense. On a screen pass to Fex, the ball was dropped. Thinking it was an incomplete pass, no Coppell players thought to fall on it, but an alert Haltom defender recovered the ball, and the referees ruled it a fumble, turning the ball over to the Buffalos on the Coppell 45 yard line.

Haltom took advantage of this opportunity, and on 4th and 7 at the 22 yard line, threw a touchdown pass into the corner of the end zone to put them on the board. After a two-point conversion was failed, the Buffalos trailed 13-6.

However, from this point onward, the game was all Coppell. The ensuing kickoff was returned 79 yards for a touchdown by senior wide receiver Josh Fink, who threw to senior tight end Drew Smith for the two point conversion. Then in the second quarter, Green connected with senior wide receiver Jarel McGill for a 49 yard touchdown, and after a Haltom punt, hit Fink in stride for a 43 yard score, extending the Cowboys’ lead to 35-6.

Coppell High School junior running back Joe Fex runs the ball on offense across Buddy Echols Field. Coppell defeated Haltom Friday night 44-6. Photo by Megan Winkle

After several punts were traded, Coppell made a field goal as the buzzer sounded to end the first half, giving them a 38-6 lead going into the locker room.

“I think I did okay,” Fink said. He finished with 4 catches for 102 yards and two all-purpose touchdowns. “I had the kick return and the receiving touchdown, and I threw for the two point conversion which was really cool. I’ve never done that before. Our offense played well.”

After the Cowboys started the second half with Rice running for his second touchdown of the game, many of the backups and seniors were put into the game to simply give them some playing time. While the offense failed to score again for the rest of the game, the defense continued to shut down the Buffalo offense, allowing only five first downs and no points for the entire second half of play.

“This is amazing. Being out here with all my family, all my brothers, for one last go around on this field” senior defensive lineman AJ Stover-Grant said. “A lot’s happened, both good and bad. I thank the Lord for both the good and the bad.”

Coppell High School senior running back Brandon Rice runs the ball into the endzone scoring a touchdown for the Cowboys. Coppell High beat Haltom 44-6 Friday night at Buddy Echols Field. Photo by Megan Winkle

For a team that has outperformed expectations for much of the season, ending the regular season in a fashion like this is important for success in the postseason.

“We had a lot of doubts,” Grant said. “A lot of odds were against us. Honestly, we weren’t supposed to make the playoffs, considering that’s what everyone else was saying. We stuck together as a team, and we grinded it out. That’s all that matters. We’re in the playoffs.”

In the playoffs, the Cowboys will go up against a Desoto team (5-5, 4-2 District 8-6A) that has defeated Coppell in the first round each of the last two years.

“I told the guys ‘enjoy the win until you get into the locker room’,” DeWitt said. “We have to start getting ready for DeSoto.”