Four and a half minutes are left in the first half. As the ball is snapped, it bounces off of Coppell senior quarterback Edward Griffin’s hands. Griffin recovers and slings it to senior wide receiver Harry Hassman for a 50-yard touchdown pass, putting the Coppell football team comfortably ahead by six scores late in the second quarter.
This play, the cherry on top of a nearly perfect half, proved emblematic of Coppell’s performance on Friday night. No matter what happened, it would find a way to score.
“I’m so proud of our guys,” Coppell coach Antonio Wiley said. “They showed up, they executed. It didn’t matter who we were playing. It was all about keeping the intensity level up and making sure the standard remained to be the standard.”
Coppell defeated Little Elm 59-14 at Buddy Echols Field. Coppell remains unbeaten at 6-0 and 3-0 in District 5-6A.
“Each game is a new game,” Griffin said. “Everybody just focuses on every week being 1-0 and an opportunity to win.”
Even with incompletions, fumbled punts and snap miscues, the Cowboys had built up a 49-0 lead over the Lobos by halftime thanks, in part, to its high-powered defense. A sack by senior defensive lineman Blake Isbell, fumble recovery by senior linebacker Weston Polk, interception by senior safety Matthew Neitzel and interception returned for a touchdown by senior safety Alex Kraus led the scoreless first half.
“Coming off from last week we were the same way,” Kraus said. “We were all hyped up about the game and wanted to carry on and be the best possible.”
Wiley rested Griffin with Coppell ahead 49-0. Junior quarterback Kenneth Gibbs played the second half.
“It was a new experience being able to learn,” Gibbs said. “[Wiley] told me that I would start in the second half after about a minute into the second quarter.”
As Gibbs adjusted to taking charge of the offense, each drive improved, culminating in his 54-yard scramble for a touchdown with 2:07 left in the game.
The Cowboys play Lewisville on Friday at Max Goldsmith Stadium.
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