By John Loop
Staff Writer
The lights at SMU’s Ford Field will shine brightly on Saturday night as the Coppell Cowboys take the field against a highly ranked opponent, the Longview Lobos.
With Longview ranked sixth in the state and 48th in the nation, the Cowboy defense will have their hands full keeping Lobos senior quarterback Bivins Caraway and the Lobo offense from reaching the pylon.
Head coach Joe McBride will lead a team onto the field that last year graduated its starting quarterback and four of five starters in the offensive line.
But those losses were quickly overcome with the hiring of former Barbers Hill (Houston area) offensive coordinator Michael Odle and the transfer of senior quarterback Colby Mahon from Bridgeport.
Mahon has worked incredibly hard to win the starting job in the few weeks he has practiced with the team.
“Colby is like a lot of kids we have had,” McBride said in an interview with KCBY’s Courtney Echerd on Thursday. “He’s a hardworking kid that’s very invested in being a good quarterback.”
Mahon passed for 3,004 yards and 34 touchdowns last season while at Bridgeport High School.
The Cowboys have changed their offensive system to include a little of everything. The shift to the I-formation will put more pressure on the young offensive line to perform as well as they can.
Though Longview’s defensive unit is stacked with talent, the Cowboy offense is sure to be competitive on Saturday night.
The buzz around the game has mainly centered on senior wide receiver and defensive back Jacob Logan. Logan was a dual-threat monster on offense last year, rushing 54 yards on 18 carries, and catching 36 passes for 545 yards. Logan reached the end zone seven times last season as well.
“It is always a great thing when one of your best players is one of your hardest workers,” McBride said. “I ‘ve told many colleges and other people I’ve talked to, he [Jacob]’s just the definition of a football player.”
Longview’s Caraway will need to avoid the pressure of a Coppell defense with eight returning starters, led by junior defensive end Solomon Thomas, who has already fielded offers from high profile Division-I schools such as Texas, West Virginia, Stanford, UCLA and Notre Dame.
For Longview, Caraway will hand the ball off frequently to junior running back Tory White, who was the Lobos’ leading rusher last year. These two are the lone returning offensive starters on the roster. There is no clear cut receiving threat after 2011 top receiver Eric Hawkins furthered his career by enrolling at the University of Arkansas.
Win or lose, the Lobos will serve as a good test for the Cowboys in their first game of the season.
“Getting them [the team] to gel at varsity tempo against a really good football team is something you don’t just instill and be able to learn on the field,” McBride said. “It takes playing and getting in that atmosphere like we are going to be Saturday.”
