By Gaby Moran
Staff Writer

After the final buzzer of the Division II state championship, fans were cheering excitedly as the Coppell boys lacrosse team dog piled onto each other for their achievement of not just winning of their 21st consecutive game, but their back-to-back State title.

“Throughout the whole season, all players played outstanding for each game,” head coach Jared Venia said. “Having a team with so many skilled athletes on the team has improved the level of all the players and it paid off in the end.”

On May 8-9, the Cowboys, No. 1 in the state playoffs and Division II, played the semifinals and finals at Highland Park High School in Dallas.
Coppell faced Houston Christian High School in the championship finals.

The Cowboys defeated the Mustangs in an upset of 12-2 to claim their back-to-back title. Before getting the chance to reclaim their title, Coppell had to go through San Antonio Reagan High School in the semi finals but easily won 17-3.

“Winning state for the second year in a row is a great achievement and all of our hard work during the season has finally paid off,” junior Brandon Mullins said.

In 2009, when Coppell won the Division II tournament, the Cowboys were finally able to prove themselves to the state that they are a threat to be reckoned with; even though they are technically not a high school sanctioned sport.

“Winning a state championship is a great accomplishment in any division,” senior captain Payton Porter said. “It’s an honor to be able to win two in a row as captain of a great team.”

Because lacrosse is not a UIL sanctioned sport, things are done differently when it involves moving up to tougher divisions. In order for the team to move up to Division I, the process involves the team having to petition the Texas High School Lacrosse League.

“[Division I] has the best teams in the state of Texas and it would be great to get a chance to play better competition,” junior Tyler Landis said. “We are losing two important players, Payton Porter and Hayden Hawk, that will affect the team and it will be hard for anyone to live up to those standards but someone will be able to do it.”

With a change in head coaches for the team at the end of last year, Coppell was not able to petition to move up to Division I and had to remain in Division II.

Staying in Division II for another year gave Coppell a chance for a perfect season as they went undefeated beating all of their opponents by a gap of six or more points, and proving to the lacrosse community that the Cowboys deserve a chance to play the best teams in the state.

After winning another state championship easily, beating four Division I high school teams in the non-district season, and having six juniors committing to Division I colleges in the fall 2011, Coppell is now in the process of petitioning the League to move up next season. There is a 98 percent chance Coppell will move up to Division I, but the decision will not be made until later this month.

“With the change from Divison II to Division I it will be a much more difficult road for us,” Venia said. “Every game will not just be tougher competition but more important in the aspect of who will go to playoffs at the end of the season.”

By moving up, this will give Coppell the opportunity to play schools like Highland Park, who has won the Division I State title each of the last three years, and St. Marks.

“We have as good of a chance as anyone to get another go at a state championship,” Venia said. “The road could be tougher but with a lot of hard work anything’s possible.”

When asked if the team will make a three-peat, Mullins responds with confidence.

“Of course,” said Mullins, with a grin.