The night is electric. The stands are packed, the students are cheering and the homecoming decorations are vibrant. You can feel the school spirit pulsing through the crowd all throughout the cool, crisp October evening.
On Friday night, the Coppell football team handed Plano East a 35-7 loss at Buddy Echols Field. The win was not without its challenges, though. Coppell junior quarterback Edward Griffin took a hit to the face and had his helmet shoved off late in the first half. With 3:26 left to go, Coppell senior quarterback Alex Holder took the remaining snaps for the game.
“I was ready,” Holder said. “I have been preparing myself each year sitting behind [2023 graduate Jack Fishpaw] and Edward. Those are great guys in front of me, I have learned a lot from them and the coaches. I had to be ready for my moment and step up tonight and do my job.”
After the injury to Griffin, there was a clear energy shift but Coppell senior offensive lineman Alex Jackson did his best to motivate the team.
“This is on us,” Jackson said. “For the team, for Edward, let’s go.”
The second half started with a penalty overturning a pick six made by Coppell junior linebacker Weston Polk and a slow drive for Coppell who simply could not convert.
“It was a rocky start and took me a minute to get in there but I felt good after a while, I felt confident,” Holder said.
And improve they did. In the next drive, Holder scrambled for 23 yards and later in the quarter, Coppell senior wide receiver Luca Grosoli would take the ball in for a touchdown improving the score to 35-0. The crowd was reinvigorated after the play and the touchdown was met with boisterous cheers from the student section.
Coppell walked away victorious on Friday night but the future of the quarterback position remains uncertain.
“I don’t really know what’s happening with all that but I am praying for [Griffin] to get better and get back soon, he deserves that,” Holder said.
Coppell improves to 7-0 with three games remaining in the season. The Cowboys face Hebron on Friday at Hawk Stadium.
Follow Nyah (@nyah_rama) and @CHSCampusNews on X.
