Down the rabbit hole
Coppell’s season ends with Flower Mound loss
November 6, 2021
FLOWER MOUND- Coming into this week’s game against Flower Mound, all eyes were on a single player – Flower Mound senior quarterback Nick Evers – as well as the matchup between Coppell senior cornerback Braxton Myers and Flower Mound junior wide receiver Walker Mulkey.
Both delivered a viewing spectacle last night.
“[Evers] is going to Florida because he’s that good; we had our moments, we made some stops but, at the end of the day, he’s a really good player and they were just a better team tonight,” Coppell coach Michael DeWitt said. “At the end of the day, the quarterback was the difference, if [Evers] is not playing quarterback, we’d have a chance because we did some good things. Braxton did really well, it’s tough to be in man-coverage for the whole night on a receiver that’s got [1129] yards receiving on the season; Braxton played well.”
Flower Mound used three touchdowns in each half as well as a field goal to defeat Coppell, 45-21, last night at Neil E. Wilson Stadium in a winner-takes-all game for the final playoff spot from District 6-6A.
The first battle of the matchup between Myers, a four-star prospect, and Mulkey, the No. 5 receiver in the area, was early in the first quarter. After Flower Mound (5-5, 4-3 in District 6-6A) was forced to punt on its first drive, Evers targeted Mulkey in the Jaguars’ second drive and Myers intercepted the pass on the goal line, returning it for 26 yards. But the Cowboys (4-6, 3-4) were unable to capitalize on the turnover, punting after a three-and-out.
The first score of the night came with 45 seconds left in the first quarter with Evers, a Florida commitment, hitting Mulkey for a four-yard touchdown run. With 9:26 left in the second quarter, Coppell junior quarterback Jack Fishpaw hit senior wide receiver Charlie Barker for a 23-yard touchdown pass to knot the game at 7-7.
Less than four minutes later, Evers ran in a four-yard touchdown rush to cap off a 74-yard drive. Two minutes and eight seconds later, Evers ran in a 58-yard touchdown through the heart of the Coppell defense to give the Jaguars a 21-7 lead over the Cowboys. Coppell responded however, with Fishpaw hitting junior wide receiver Zack Darkoch for an 17-yard touchdown pass with 39 seconds remaining to cap off a 82-yard drive. Six plays later, Flower Mound senior kicker Reagan Tubbs hit a 52-yard field goal and the Jaguars took a 24-14 lead into half time.
With 6:19 left in the third quarter, Evers ran in a 12-yard rushing touchdown. Forty-eight seconds and five plays later, Fishpaw hit senior wide receiver Dylan Nelson on a 32-yard touchdown pass. With 2:32 left in the third quarter, Evers ran in a one-yard rushing touchdown to increase the Jaguars’ lead to 38-21 to end the third quarter.
Coppell junior kicker Nicolas Radicic had his 54-yard field goal attempt blocked, and a 39-yard return set up Evers’ 18-yard touchdown pass to Mulkey with 9:29 remaining in the game. One minute and 21 seconds later, Fishpaw is picked off by Flower Mound senior defensive back Chase McCall.
Evers finished off his sensational night with 372 total yards, accounting for all six of the Jaguars’ touchdowns (four rushing and two passing). Fishpaw ended the night with 270 yards passing for three touchdowns and one interception. Mulkey had 41 yards and two touchdowns while Barker had 172 total yards (85 rushing, 87 receiving) and one touchdown.
“It’s just sad with four years coming to an end like that,” Barker said. “I’ll never touch that field again, a lot of us [seniors] aren’t playing at the next level. It’s definitely one of the saddest moments of my life so far and I’m never going to forget [this]. It’s sad coming to an end but everything’s got to come to an end at some point. Us going to other sports, we just have to keep our head high, know that you worked your hardest and grind at your next sport.”
Many of the integral pieces to the Cowboys’ team will return to the field next season and will use this game – and season as a whole – to motivate them for their following year.
“[This loss] tells me to turn up this off season,” Coppell junior offensive lineman Chimdia Nwaiwu said. “[All my underclassmen boys and I] are about to go crazy this off season; we are going to come back next year and take it to them.”
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