by Blake Seitz
Sports Editor

No one who watched the first five minutes of last night’s game at Dragon Stadium could’ve been able to predict the end result, a 24-6 Cowboy loss.

The excitement in the stands was already electric with an hour to go before kickoff, as both teams prepared for the first game of district play—a grudge match at that.

“We tried not to get too wrapped up in revenge,” senior defensive end Jackson Richards recalled after the game. “It was the big game because it was the next game.”

Rivalry-fueled or otherwise, play in the first half reflected all of what’s great about Texas high school football.

Coppell took the kick and, on the second play from scrimmage, connected on a 40-yard senior to senior wide receiver Jeff Johnson.

Three plays later, the ball popped loose deep in Dragon country and was recovered by Southlake. The roar of the crowd rung out from the emerald side of the stadium.

Then, not 30 seconds later, senior linebacker Patrick Hogan dove, cutting off a pass from Southlake quarterback Robert Piland and taking it with him—Cowboys ball.

Senior quarterback Hayden Hawk got maybe two more plays from scrimmage before Dragon linebacker Cade Foster made it three, picking off a misfired pass and scooting 40 yards to the Coppell 40.

Now it was Piland’s turn for redemption and—you guessed it—junior cornerback Bennett Okotcha foiled all with an easy pick near midfield.

The ball had just changed hands five times in so many minutes—both crowds cheered themselves hoarse, and the press box, staffed by prolix professional reporters, seemed almost stunned to silence.

Southlake managed to pull itself together after a fourth-and-inches stop of Coppell, though, and notched up a 45 yard field goal.

The teams ended the half 17-6 after two short Dragon touchdowns by Piland and one nineteen yard display of athleticism from junior running back Cam McDaniel.

The momentum was clearly with Southlake as both teams went to the locker room, however, because of a muffed punt by McDaniel earlier in the quarter and because the extra point following Coppell’s solitary touchdown was a line drive into the bandstand, wide of the uprights.

Southlake’s defense did the job from there, burying Hawk multiple times and making McDaniel, usually Coppell’s workhorse on the ground, a veritable nonfactor.

After a few despairing drives and one further Southlake touchdown (one yard keeper from Piland), the game ended on a fitting note, as Hawk went down for sack number five.

As bitter as the defeat was, though, both players and coaching staff wanted to reflect on the positive rather than the negative.

“Our D played good,” senior receiver Taylor Goebel said, “and they really came out to play. We’ll practice hard and be ready to win next week.”

Even Southlake players didn’t seem to have a bad word for Coppell’s performance.

“Coppell has a great offense,” Richards said. “They played hard and we played hard.”

Coach McBride, meanwhile, already seemed to be thinking about next week’s matchup against Hebron. His speech to the players after the game was not about missed opportunities but about brushing aside the loss.

“We can’t let one game dictate another four,” McBride said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we aren’t dead.”

Gallery by Tyler Morris

Gallery by Katie Quill