By Marcus Krum
Sports Writer
@marcuskrum
After a tough 49-14 home loss to Euless Trinity (9-0, 5-0 District 7-6A) in which the Cowboys allowed 539 yards rushing and turned the ball over three times, and the close 19-14 win over Colleyville Heritage (4-5, 2-3), some might find reason to worry about the future of this team late in the season and in the playoffs.
However, if you take a deeper look, Coppell could be a sleeper to make a deep playoff run. Here is five reasons why this team could be poised to go further than many expect.
-Fresh legs at running back – Senior running back Brandon Rice is back, and making a huge impact. In his five games back from injury, Rice has eight all-purpose touchdowns, and is averaging 5.45 yards per carry. In addition, junior running back Joe Fex has done a great job carrying the bulk of the load for much of the season, averaging 5.38 yards on 144 carries. With the mix of these two, along with junior Timmy Heard and senior Matt Naranjo, the backfield will be able to stay fresh throughout the whole game, giving them the advantage over tired defenses in the fourth quarter.
-Early season backups stepping up on defense – With senior linebacker Tyler Bell out of the lineup for the second half of the season, junior linebackers Eric Loop and Ryan Finglass have stepped into their roles well, both assisting in pass coverage and playing well against the run. Neither have shown much hesitation in getting to the ball carrier. In addition, a host of defensive backs have stepped into roles in third down situations. While there have been moments when the pass coverage has been shaky, the young defensive backfield, with several seniors coming in on third down, has looked solid for most of the season. The defensive unit as a whole is one that is improving each week. Heading into the playoffs they could be a force.
-DeSoto postseason matchup advantageous for Cowboys – After the final two weeks of the season changed everything up, the Cowboys will be facing DeSoto in the first round. This season, the Warriors have recorded only 10 touchdowns in the air, but racked up 30 in the rushing attack. They rely heavily on their running game, a good matchup for the solid Coppell rush defense. In addition, this DeSoto team allows over 200 rushing yards per game. Again, if the Cowboys get the running game going early, they matchup very well overall against the Eagles.
-The “dark horse” element – At the beginning of this season, The Dallas Morning News predicted the Cowboys to finish fourth in the district with a 5-5 record. Playing with a chip on their shoulder all season long, the team believes they are completely underrated. “We are considered the underdog,” senior defensive lineman AJ Stover-Grant said. “We all believe that this is completely incorrect.” Each week, this team is going out there trying to prove people wrong. They have almost done so twice, coming very close to beating Southlake Carroll and Cedar Hill. This drive could push this team to become giant killers in the playoffs.
-This team is built for the postseason – In the postseason, in neutral sites and big crowds, run defense is key. If you can shut down the run, it forces teams to air it out, and with the pressure on, that is when high school quarterbacks tend to make mistakes. Last year, the state champion Allen Eagles allowed less than five yards per carry in five of their six playoff wins. Aside from the sloppy game against Euless Trinity, the Cowboys have been very successful in limiting opposing running backs. If they can find a way to stuff the run without needing to put more than seven men in the box, then Coppell could have a chance against some of the area’s top teams.
