The Coppell boys basketball team (8-3) faces Mesquite Horn (7-4) tonight at 7:30 p.m. at CHS Arena.
According to Coppell senior forward Antonio Romo, in the nondistrict season, players are focusing on uniting more as a team and adjusting to the same game plan rather than changing their strategy opponent to opponent.
“Right now, we aren’t doing the little things right, which is something that [Coppell boys basketball coach Clint Schnell] has really been harping on,” Romo said. “Most of our games in district are going to come down to two, three, maybe four points so it will come down to which team makes a hustle play at the end or takes that charge.”
However, Romo said the Cowboys have started out stronger, an improvement from last season.
“Last year, we would come out with slow starts, we would look lazy out there and not really give our best effort,” Romo said. “It would take us falling behind by five or 10 points to really wake up.”
According to Romo, senior forward Arhan Lapsiwala has emerged as the team’s leader so far this season.
“A lot of the younger guys on the team who want to play basketball in college look up to him and realize that he is the standard,” Romo said. “So he’s really stepped up in a leadership role for the younger guys and for me.”
In tonight’s game against the Jaguars, the Cowboys seek to solidify their reputation prior to entering district play.
“So far we haven’t really made a statement as a team,” Romo said. “We haven’t really had that game where we hit a team so hard that it tells other teams that we’re here to play. So we’re looking to hit Horn as hard as we can to set our reputation.”
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