By John Loop
Sports Writer
The push for the playoffs was renewed on Tuesday, as the Cowboys notched only their second win in District 5-5A play, after dropping their last four. On Friday, Coppell has the chance to jump on their first win-streak of the district season, as well as sweep the season series with the Raiders of Ryan High.
In their last meeting, these two teams battled to a defensive stalemate, ending in a 33-16 Cowboy victory.
Invoking their ferocious team defense, Coppell held the Raiders tandem of senior guards Montarius Banks and Gilbert Jackson to single digits in scoring, a feat that had not been accomplished until that game was played.
Denton Ryan will be without head coach Bryce Overstreet, after Overstreet was ejected in a contest against McKinney on Jan. 4. Overstreet was thrown out after arguing a call that went against his team but “wasn’t completely sure what the call was.”
The Raiders coach is currently midway through a three-game suspension that will not allow Overstreet to return to the sideline until after Feb. 5.
In Coppell’s first district win, a 51-48 victory over Marcus, junior forward Simi Socks added another game of ten or more to his season. Socks has scored ten or more points now in three straight games, with his 16 on Tuesday. At the beginning of the season, the 6’6″ junior was forcing shots that he had a slight chance of making, but Socks has seemed to find his rhythm over the course of these last two weeks.
Friday’s game would take on extra meaning because it happens to be Senior Night. Seven seniors suit in Coppell Cowboys uniforms every night, and four of them, posts Patrick Barden and Alex Guess plus guards Walter Munnings and Calvin Michaelis that have integral parts in Cowboys positional rotation. Everett Schau leads the cheerleading section of the bench.
What these guys really want is to get one last win in front of the Coppell home crowd. If the Cowboys play like they did on Tuesday, then there is a strong chance that the Class of 2012 can end their careers with a bang,
