By Stephanie Alexander
entertainment editor
@stephanierose2u
Coppell High School assistant coach Nate Blackwell is a 2006 graduate. He played football and baseball for the Cowboys and now coaches wide receivers at his alma mater.
Blackwell knows the Coppell-Southlake Carroll rivalry well both as a player and coach as he is excited about Friday’s game at Dragon Stadium in Southlake.
Q: Being a former Coppell Cowboy and now being a coach, is there any sentimental value in playing Southlake Carroll this week?
A: Absolutely there is sentimental value playing Southlake. Growing up that was a huge rivalry, I think it started in the late 90s. Even since middle school that was the team we always wanted to beat. On the teams I’ve played on I have never beat them in football, and now being a coach it’ll be huge if we beat them this year.
Q: Is there any advice you are giving the varsity boys for the game?
A: “Just go out and play like it’s a normal game. They are definitely amped and fired up because it is Southlake, but nothing too special. Play a normal game and do what we do.”
Q: How do you think we differ from Southlake Carroll as a team?
A: “It seems from the outside looking in that there are a lot of similarities. The biggest one being that we’re both one horse towns, having one high school in town and everyone is rooting for them and supporting them.”
Q: What advantages do you think we have over Southlake Carroll?
A: “The people we have are not taking anything away from them [Southlake], but we have good coaches, our kids work really hard. They are really bought in to our style of football: our style of defense, running the football on offense. I think that’s how we are different as far as philosophy. Southlake tends to be more a spread offense, spread the field while we’ve tended to ground and pound and run the ball and slow the game down.”
Q: How do you think we are going to do?
A: I think we are going to do well. I think we are poised to perform well in district. I think it is a good match up and we have to come out and play well but i think we are prepared and we will perform well.
