Upcoming Events
  • On Friday, Andy Brown Park East hosts a Sunset Social: Movie in the Park, airing Moana at 6:30-9 p.m.
  • On Friday, Coppell High School Junior World Affairs Council holds Heritage Night from 7-11 p.m. at CHS Large and Small Commons.
  • On Saturday, Coppell Historical Society holds Hop Into Spring at Coppell Historical Museum from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media

The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media

The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media

Business Spectacle: Lilys Hair Studio (video)
Business Spectacle: Lily's Hair Studio (video)
October 26, 2023

Defense locks down Summit on homecoming

By Blake Seitz
Sports Editor

At halftime, Mansfield Summit’s marching band performed circus music, a show complete with a whip-brandishing colorguard ringmaster. The real circus occurred on the field during the second half, however, as Coppell’s defense paved the way to a 48-point rout of the Jaguars, 62-14.

The clanks and jangles from a thousand cowbells on a thousand mums and garters were drowned out most of the game by cheers from the near-capacity stands. The cheering started early, as Coppell’s offense scored off a 28-yard completion to junior running back Cam McDaniel on its first possession, minutes after kickoff.

It didn’t let off the throttle until the fourth quarter, by which time it had pushed the ball into the end zone a further six times, all off of pass plays.

Senior quarterback and captain Hayden Hawk looked cool in the pocket, benefiting from a meshing offensive line and a half-hearted Mansfield defense. Hawk was pressured only a handful of times, and it showed: he connected on 17 passes to five different receivers for a total of 317 yards and seven touchdowns, one short of the state record for most touchdowns thrown in a single game.

“I feel good,” Hawk said. “The receivers were getting open—I was throwing balls up and they did the rest.”

McDaniel, meanwhile, had a surprisingly quiet game. He managed 43 yards on the ground, an effort that pales in comparison to his previous games, but picked up another 77 yards from the air. Quiet, of course, is a relative term—McDaniel punched in two scores and electrified the crowd when he hurtled an oncoming defender, leaving the player bewildered in his wake.

The defense was the overwhelming star of the performance: the squad held Mansfield scoreless until the beginning of the fourth quarter, by which time the Jaguars were thoroughly demoralized. Mansfield’s two late touchdowns seem almost the result of mercy on the part of the Cowboys rather than any tangible offensive campaign.

Coppell’s defense also had the rare honor of putting points on the board on two separate occasions.

The first was a 69-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior safety Kevin Rutledge, his second of the season.

The second play was also a pick six, but bizarrely executed: a Mansfield receiver leapt to reel in a pass across the middle and, while suspended in midair, received a jarring blow from senior safety Nic Johnston. The ball squirted out of the receivers hands…and into those of senior safety Jake Wohlford. The resulting return was 48 yards.

Johnston said these spectacles of aggressive defense—his hit and Wohlford’s score—are to be expected.

“This is a different defense from last year,” Johnston said. “We think we should help our offense out, so when I can contribute it makes me feel even better.”

The dominant win signals the end of non-district play. The Cowboys next have an bye week, and then travel to face down Southlake Carroll the week after.

McBride was blunt concerning the victory’s implications, especially in light of the difficult road ahead.

“Cowboys win,” he said. “I’m fired up—ready to start district.”

Click Here to view Photos from the Game.

1
View Comments (1)
More to Discover

Comments (1)

All Coppell Student Media Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *