Cowboys vanquish Vikings, keep steady lead in 61-35 victory
Coppell sophomore guard Ryan Agarwal shields the ball and attempts to make a play during the Cowboy’s game against Irving Nimitz on Friday in the CHS Arena. The Vikings fell short to the Cowboys, 61-35, in their District 6-6A game. Photo by Sydney Rowe.
January 20, 2020
As the buzzer sounded, frustration and agony loomed over Irving Nimitz as it had scored only three points in the first quarter of the game.
On Friday in the CHS Arena, the Coppell boys basketball team defeated Nimitz, 61-35, in District 6-6A play.
With shots from players such as sophomore guards Ryan Agarwal Anthony Black and senior guard Brandon Taylor, the Cowboys built a 17-3 lead after the first quarter.
“We wanted to pressure the defense to make it really hard for them to score,” Coppell coach Clint Schnell said. “We wanted to get out and push the ball and transition and try to get easy baskets.”
The Cowboys also maintained their strong defense throughout the game. However, the Vikings’ shooters gained some traction in the second quarter and began scoring. Nonetheless, the Cowboys still maintained the upper hand, 31-11, by halftime.
During halftime, a small clip was played to the audience to commemorate Austin Elementary fifth grader Jaxon Campbell, who died over Christmas break, and his love for basketball.
Both teams came back stronger with players such as senior guard Jackson Ashby and Agarwal scoring layups and dunks. The Vikings’ offense got stronger as well, but could not beat the Cowboys, putting the score 49-21 at the end of the third quarter.
“Throughout the game, I think we let it go a little bit, but we just kept the lead still,” Agarwal said.
At the end of the fourth quarter, Ashby, senior center Connor Timmerman and junior forward Obi Odimegwu broke the Vikings’ defense and were able to score even more two-pointers allowing the Cowboys to keep themselves well ahead of the Vikings, finishing with a 61-35 victory.
“We played well,” Coppell junior guard Ben Klement said. “We came together as a team and we were able to come out and beat them at an early point.”
Amid the Cowboy’s victory, Schnell is always looking for ways to improve the team’s performance and keep players on their feet.
“I tell them every game we play, the next one is the biggest game,” Schnell said. “Every team is gonna come and give us their [best].”
The Cowboys play their next game on Tuesday in the CHS Area against Irving McArthur.
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