Chase Porter
Staff Writer

Rivalries; they run throughout the sports world from little league to the pros.  Here in Coppell we have our own football rivals, but one sticks out in particular: the Southlake Carroll Dragons.

For years we, the Coppell Cowboys, have battled the Southlake Carroll Dragons in varsity football and we had our chance to win this Friday night, which we did 35- 17 Cowboys. Both teams went  into the game undefeated, and with their win, the Cowboys remain as the only unbeaten team in District 7-5A. This game, to some, may just sound like an important football game but to truly understand our rivalry with these Dragons you have to rewind a couple of years.

Our rivalry had been brewing for many years but our meeting in 1998 sealed the deal and made Southlake our permanent football rivals. Days before the game Southlake students were talking the usual smack talk and one comment changed Coppell traditions forever. The comment was made about the people of Coppell being a bunch a “trailer trash” and from this, Coppell alum Luke Pierson spawned the tradition that the Plunger Boy. We ended up winning that game making Southlake our permanent rivals.

“I hate Southlake more than Mondays,” Coppell Plunger Boy Cody Cammack joked.

Southlake, since that game, has been in our district off and on, and when we played them in the past it was mostly one sided with Southlake pulling off most of the wins. Three years ago Southlake ended up in our district and the rivalry game was set once again. There was a lot of talk surrounding the game because Southlake was coming into the game undefeated and was the favored team over us, but the game was at our stadium and the Cowboys came prepared.

Throughout the game when one team would score the other would match and eventually the game went into overtime with both teams having a score of 43. During the first overtime both teams scored touchdowns and both crowds were becoming extremely uneasy. Finally, with Southlake scoring a field goal, the Cowboys looked as if there was no way of coming back. During our Cowboys final drive we scored a touchdown and won the game. Of course, being Coppell fans we all stormed the field and celebrated in front of our arch football rivals leaving the stadium.

Obviously, Southlake Carroll students and players were not happy with this lose to a “lesser team” in their eyes, and they came back two years ago and scheduled our rivalry game as their homecoming game. The game was extremely hyped up not just because the long time rivalry but because of what was at stake for the Dragons if they lost their homecoming game against us. Southlake ended up winning the game by a few touchdowns and the Dragons got vengeance against us from the previous year and an embarrassing defeat.

“Our rivalry is purely hate,” sophomore Tommy McClenahan said. “Most of the smack talk is going on before the game on Facebook.”     

This year the game was played here at Buddy Echols Field and the Cowboys pulled off the win 35- 17. Prior to the game, the Cowboys,  were picked to win because the Dragons lost a lot of starters to graduation last year and they also lost their starting quarter back to UIL residency regulations rendering him ineligible to play. From the start of the game, it was evident that we would be able to pull off a win and declare our dominance atop our district.

“I feel our rivalry is kind of a love, hate relationship,” Principal Brad Hunt said. “I think the reason we are such good rivals is because our communities our extremely similar and we just want to compete against each other because we are both good teams.”

District play is continuing and as we get closer and closer to playoffs, it will become clear if we will be able to defeat the Dragons once again in the postseason this year. Next season will bring another Cowboy vs. Dragons game because we will stay in this district at least for next year due to UIL district rules. Even though they do pose a threat to our team now, Coppell fans are ready for another rivalry game either in the playoffs or next season, and no matter how you view the rivalry Coppell vs. Southlake is always a fun game to attend.