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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

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October 26, 2023

Offensive line carries heavy burden

By Nathan Reck

Assistant Sports Editor

The running back, quarterback and even the wide receivers get credit when an offense is clicking, but when an offense stumbles it always seems to fall on the offensive line’s shoulders.

Cowboys line up waiting for the play from the coaches in the game vs South Garland. Photo by Tyler Morris
Cowboys line up waiting for the play from the coaches in the game against South Garland. (Photo by Tyler Morris)

Whether it is fair or not for them to take the fall for a sputtering offense is up for debate, but for an offense to be clicking on all cylinders it needs a solid line all the way across from center to guard to tackle they all need to play as one opening holes and giving the quarterback time.

When a running back makes a big cut and breaks into the open there are a group of linemen doing the dirty work and opening up holes. When a quarterback is able to step into his throw and connect for a touchdown it is the linemen who have given him the time and protection.

At all levels of football and high school in particular the success of an offensive line often can be contributed to the experience of the linemen and the time they have spent playing together as much as the talent level of each of the linemen.

“Experience is the key,” Coppell head coach Joe McBride said. “Kids that return and have played at the varsity speed gain a huge mental edge on kids who have not.”

Coppell’s varsity team has faced major setbacks on the offensive line already this season, as three of their returning senior linemen are dealing with injuries that will keep them out for an unknown number of games. Both Tyler Rohde and Taylor Townley are dealing with injures and Brandon Norton hobbled off of the field during the Jesuit game.

“In order to remain competitive and on track for district we are going to need everyone else on the offense to pick up the slack,” McBride said. “There is going to be a learning curve with sophomore offensive linemen as they make the jump from freshman competition to the varsity level.”

With Jake Williams, Emilio Primera and Sam Rice all seeing playing time already this year as sophomores and Oni Omoile and Sterling Luckey also seeing the field this year as juniors the offensive line has faced a steep learning curve in terms of adjusting to the speed and size of the varsity players.

“As an offense we have to adjust to having a couple less seconds to operate with,” senior quarterback Hayden Hawk said. “So the receivers have to be ready a little quicker and I have to get the ball off a little faster.”

Junior running back Cam McDaniel agrees.

“The lack of experience just means that I have to find the hole a second or two earlier or that Hayden has to find the open receiver that much faster,” McDaniel said.

With a young offensive line that is still adjusting to speed of varsity defenses, the Cowboys have put up 83 points through the first two weeks of play. Behind this inexperienced line Hawk has accumulated 484 passing yards and McDaniel has rushed for 193 yards.

As the team prepares for district play, though, they know that the line and team as a whole need to continue to improve. Through two weeks of the season District 6-5A has an 11-1 record (including Coppell’s two wins) with Lewisville picking up the lone loss for the district.

The Cowboys are hoping to have their seniors back on the offensive line by district, which would be a welcome improvement.

“Right now they are all just being treated as day to day,” McBride said. “We are expecting to have them back by district, but as of now our young players are gaining some valuable experience for the next couple of years.”

So as the Cowboys prepare for their upcoming games both in and out of district they are relying heavily on a couple of sophomores who are making major contributions, but as district grows nearer so does the return of the experience of the senior linemen.

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