Rankings are high.
Expectations are higher.
Ranked 13 in the state, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas High School Football rankings, Coppell’s nondistrict action begins on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Sachse Mustangs will come to Buddy Echols Field to face off against the Cowboys.
“We have been waiting a long time to play some football,” Coppell coach Antonio Wiley said. “The guys are excited, the coaches are excited, and heck even I’m excited.”
Repeating last season’s first nondistrict matchup, Sachse gave Coppell a hard time in the rain before Coppell narrowly edged out the Mustangs, 44-41.
“First game of the season is obviously not going to be our best football,” Wiley said. “We gave up some big plays and had some mistakes.”
This time around, Coppell hopes for no rain and no mistakes.
“Our game plan going in is to limit big plays and to make the least mistakes possible,” Wiley said. “We also need to find our stride after losing some big-time players last year.”
With the loss of many talented players, Wiley’s only concern is the new season.
“We lost some immensely talented players like Baron Tipton and Luca Grosoli,” Wiley said. “However, we have 10-12 players with big time D1 offers and my goal is to make sure that we have a shot to play in December.”
Going 10-0 in the regular season last year, beating notable opponents such Lewisville on its way to the district championship, Coppell has gone from high expectations to even higher.
“Obviously there is pressure, expectations and an overall feeling of proving that we belong in the conversation,” Wiley said. “However, we don’t think about the pressure. We think about one game at a time. A new season and a new team.”
With its impressive playoff run last season defeating Denton Guyer and Dallas Jesuit, Coppell had its toughest challenge against Byron Nelson where they fell by a touchdown in an offensive onslaught.
“That loss stings and our starters who were playing last year gain some motivation because of it,” Wiley said. “However, last year wasn’t a disappointment at all. We have a new team this year and our focus is to go 1-0 every game.”
This year, it is a new team and a new schedule, but the same coach and the same goal.
1-0 every week.
Follow @namir_awan and @SidekickSports on X
