The game started slow for both Coppell (4-1 District 9-6A, 6-2 overall) and Richardson Berkner (4-4, 2-3), the Cowboys would find their rhythm but the Rams would not.

With a final score of 42-7 in Coppell’s second to last district game, Cowboys junior quarterback Brady McBride passed for five touchdowns (17-19, 160 yards) and rushed (six attempts for 52 yards) for one.

McBride scored the first points of the game with a 40 yard run down the middle of the field, a drive  from which the Coppell offense would not look back. After two touchdown passes to junior Coppell tight end Pierce McFarlane and one to sophomore wide receiver and safety Jonathan McGill, the Cowboys headed into halftime up 28-0.

Berkner’s first first down of the game came in the opening drive of the second half. The Cowboys defense had its best performance of the season holding the No. 3 rusher in the area in Berkner senior Terrance Hargest to under 60 yards on the night and the whole Rams offense to only 164 yards. The push that this defense unit lacked on the line during the beginning of the season is now showing up and seems to be a strong suit of the team.

Although the scoring output was a major positive, Coppell was penalized eight times for 61 yards. The majority of the penalties came early in the game which prevented the Cowboys from putting up 14 additional points in the first half.

“Football is really fun when you’re doing a good job,” McFarlane said. “I wouldn’t say we maintained great focus to start the second half, but we rebuilt it once we saw what had to be improved and at the end of the it’s all about taking your mistakes and getting better.”

McFarlane caught two seven yard touchdown catches, his first of the season. he could become a key target in this spread offense as the playoffs approach.

McGill is a player that ends up being talked about every week as someone who is simply making plays all over the field the whole game, coming up with a receiving touchdown and an interception that opened the floodgates for Coppell. He is coming off a freshman season in which he earned all-district honors, and it appears he will be bestowed more at the end of this season.

For McGill to be the two way starter that he is, McBride has to be stellar, and that he was with his highest scoring night of his career, responsible for all six touchdowns scored by Coppell. His pocket presence has grown throughout the year, as well as his scrambling ability.

“Each game our offensive line has gotten a lot better,” Coppell coach Mike DeWitt said. “That has really helped Brady and our entire offense.”

Coppell clinched a playoff berth for the fifth consecutive year with the victory, McBride will look to carry this momentum over to next week as the Cowboys look ahead to the playoffs.
Next week, Coppell takes on a 4-4 Skyline team that has gone 3-1 in district. Its run heavy style of offense will put Coppell’s front seven to the test. The game is at Coppell next Friday at 7:30 p.m.