Starting and ending with lightning.
What began as Coppell’s first home game of the season against Waxahachie quickly turned into a night of lightning delays and, eventually, an early ending.
Lightning in the area pushed the 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday at Buddy Echols Field back just over an hour as large clouds and lightning as storms rolled through, with UIL rules requiring a 30-minute pause after each lightning strike within a 10 mile radius. After multiple stoppages, the teams made it onto the field for a first half, with Waxahachie leading the Cowboys, 17-16.
The coaches of both teams decided to end the game at halftime due to the worsening weather, and the game was officially declared a no-contest. The game will not be rescheduled.
Although the game was short-lived, the first half was filled with momentum swings. Waxahachie opened the scoring with Indian kicker Ethan Guillen a 45-yard field goal. With six seconds left in the first quarter, Coppell sophomore quarterback Carter Zingelmann threw a short pass to sophomore wide receiver Jacob Anene who was able to slip through three Indian defenders and sprint the ball 25 yards into the end zone to make the score 7-3.
As the clock ticked down, the Indians immediately responded with sophomore running back Jordan Smith snatching the ball from the air and returning the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. As the second quarter began, the Cowboys punted to open, and another Indians special teams play was made by senior wide receiver Kohen Brown who took a 76-yard punt return to the end zone to push the lead to 17-7 in the second quarter.
“We have to focus more on communication,” Coppell assistant coach Antonio Wiley Jr said. “We were struggling with being able to communicate defense leading to mistakes we could have avoided.”
With 5:36 left in the first half, Zingelmann lowered his shoulder and ran through Waxahachie tacklers, bouncing off Waxahachie defenders just before breaking to reach the end zone for a 14–yard run to make the score 17-14.
“We need to be more physical offensively and we have to be smarter when things are going down,” Zigelmann said. “It was my first home game and it was a great one.”
As the end of the second quarter neared, Waxahachie held possession but snapped the ball far out of the back of the end zone for a Coppell safety to pull the Cowboys to within one point as the first half concluded.
“District is starting soon so we are focused on preparation,” Wiley Jr. said. “I’m not just talking about when we’re at practice, but when we’re at home, studying the players, studying the film, what the theatrics are, and things like that.”Coppell hosts Arlington Bowie on Friday at Buddy Echols Field for its homecoming game.
“We are just riding the waves and staying constant,” Wiley Jr. said. “And when adversity strikes, we have got to be able to strike back.”
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