Although it was Senior Night, the Cowboys effort was not enough to pull of a win, losing to Keller Central, 43-41.

Senior point guard Warren Oishi paced the Cowboys with 15 points, Austin Mankin added 9 points on three three-pointers in the first half, but the Cowboys were held to 14 points over the last two quarters.

After starting the game on a 10-8 run, the Cowboys were held to just 3 more points, as Keller answered with a 6-3 run of their own.

The Cowboy rebounding the entire game was not good, resulting in a slim one-point halftime lead, at 27-26.

Right out of the gate, senior post Jett Raines laid the ball in for two of his eight points on the night. The Keller defense stymied Raines, keeping him nine points under his season average (17.6).

The second half was almost the opposite of the first. Shots did not seem to be dropping for the Cowboys at all, as they were outscored, out-rebounded, and outplayed during the final two frames of the game.

“In the second half there was just kind of a lid on the basket,” Mankin said, “we couldn’t really make plays at the other end when we got stops.”

In the closing seconds of the game, after a defensive rebound by the Cowboys, Coppell inbounded the ball to try to get one final play off before the buzzer. Mankin shot a three that clanged off the rim, but Raines got his hands on it and tried to tip it in, to no avail.

Coppell drops to 22-8 on the season, 8-4 in district play.

Staff Writer

The Cowboy soccer team started off district play with a 3-0 rout of Saginaw to start district play on Tuesday night.

Coppell dominated the game from the beginning playing a possession oriented game with a lot of short passing, in contrast to Saginaw’s play which tried to work the ball up the field as quickly as possible.

Coppell maintained possession for well over the majority of the game within the opposing half of the field, stopping Saginaw offensive attempts almost as soon as they started.

Tanner Lines earned a hat trick, scoring all of the team’s three goals for the game in the first half, including one in the last two minutes of the half.

Coppell has outscored opponents 13-0 in the past three games this season.

“It feels really good to start out district strong,” Lines said, “It was a good team performance and it gives us momentum into the bigger games.”

The Coppell High School soccer program is one that is accustomed to success of the highest level. Both the boys and girls teams have State Championships under their belt and are consisten postseason contenders.

Even for the most successful of teams, however, being ranked first in the entire state of Texas is a prodigious honor. Only a few weeks into the 2012 season, the Cowboys have achieved that honor.

According to ESPN’s Fab 50 rankings, the Cowboys are not only the team to beat in Texas, but are also the second-best high school soccer team in the entire nation.

The Cowboys’ 11-0 start under first-year coach Chad Rakestraw  has been one for the CHS record books, as the Cowboys have pummelled all competition for a total of 38 goals scored across 11 games.

Though the Cowboys are surely proud of this ranking and what they have achieved so far, a daunting district schedule looms ahead of them, including rivals Keller and Southlake, and the ranking has painted a huge target on their back.

The impressive performance early in the season is a sign of great things to come, but the Cowboys have a long way to go if they want to join the volleyball team as 2012 State Champions.

Tomorrow the Cowboys and Cowgirls basketball teams will take on our hated rivals, the Southlake Dragons, in the big gym at Coppell High School.

In their last matchup, the Cowboys killed the Dragons with a score of 59-32. They look to build on their recent success, winning the last 4 of their 6 games. The girls didn’t fare so well in their last matchup with the lady Dragons, losing by a score of 59-24. They are looking to turn their season around, and look to avenge their last loss. The games start tomorrow at 7:30 in the big gym. Come on out and support your Cowboys and Cowgirls!

Staff Writer

Both the girls and boys soccer games were canceled on Tuesday and were unable to be made up for on Wednesday due to the threat of more weather in the area.

It is not believed that the games will be made up for due to UIL rules stating that only two non tournament games can be played in a week and district starting next week.

The girls were due to face off against McKinney Boyd, who has been somewhat of a force in the area in recent years, knocking the Cowgirls out of a possible repeat state title run two years ago and winning state last year.

The Cowboys were supposed to play Mansfield Legacy in a game that was canceled hours before gametime.

Online Copy Editor

Try to go through your daily routines for an entire week, or even a single day, without seeing or hearing anything about sports. Even if you have always been disinterested in sports, it will surprise you how much they are intertwined in everyday American life.

It is no secret that Americans as a whole are fascinated by sports, with football obtaining almost religious levels of devotion from some. This enduring fascination has led to the development of a notorious sports culture in America – one more lucrative and diverse than any other in the world.

I have been an avid sports fan since infancy. I relish being able to watch football, basketball, baseball and all other popular American sports at any time. I relish being able to discuss these sports with equally enthusiastic fans at school.

Lately, I have taken a keen interest in a different sport, one not popular in America and not easily followed here, soccer or as it’s known just about everywhere else in the world, “football”.

Soccer is easily the most played, most watched and most popular sport in the world, with only one exception: the United States.

Fulham Football Club, crest featured above, is difficult to follow in America as one of the lesser known Premier League Teams. Photo by Thomas Hair.

I have made quite an effort over the course of the past year to follow the English Premier League (the world’s most popular soccer league) and my favorite team in the league, Fulham FC.

I was captivated by the EPL’s intensity and excitement from the moment I watched my first match. I was captivated by the chanting crowds, the revered traditions and the multi-tiered system of promotion and relegation – something completely new and intriguing to me.

However, being a professional soccer fan in a place like Coppell is anything but easy. In fact, it is probably among the worst places to be for someone just beginning to delve into “The Beautiful Game”.

Without purchasing expensive television channel packages, it is nearly impossible to watch professional soccer consistently here.  With no way to view matches on television or online, I have spent many a late night hovering over my computer screen watching the ESPN live updates for the entire duration of Fulham games.

However, my enthusiasm for professional soccer isn’t shared by others, to put it lightly. Family members deride it as “so boring” and friends give me puzzled looks when I tell them “that thing on my shirt” is the Fulham FC crest.

People all over the world go crazy for soccer. Yet in the United States, where there is a seemingly endless capacity for sports, soccer simply cannot gain any traction. Why is this? Why don’t Americans share the rest of the world’s passion?

After asking several sports fans at CHS why they do not care for soccer, the overwhelming majority simply claim that the sport is “too boring”. To me, this response indicates a lack of understanding of how the sport works.

To one who does not pay attention to the intricate nuances of the game, at first glance a soccer match may seem like it consists of nothing but endless kicking of the ball in random directions. Often, this first glance is all an American gives the game.

However, soccer is a thinking man’s game. There is always a purpose to what’s happening; teams spend a lot of time testing for weaknesses and gradually shifting players into position to set up a goal. Accordingly, when a team’s painstaking efforts finally do result in a goal, it makes the moment that much more glorious.

Young boys play soccer near the St. Rose de Lima church site in Leogane, Haiti, January 4, 2012. Two years after Haiti's most horrifying 35 seconds, seeds of progress are evident across this battered nation where a devastating earthquake left 300,000 dead and some 1.5 million homeless in its capital and surrounding cities. (Patrick Farrell/Miami Herald/MCT)

Therefore, when people attempt to inform me that soccer is unpopular in America because it’s tedious or dull, I find it very hard to believe. America’s distaste for soccer is as old as the nation itself.

In the years leading up to the American Revolution, folks on this side of the Atlantic Ocean sought to distance themselves from their hated rulers in Europe.

In the 19^th century, this mentality is what prompted Americans to reject soccer (European Football) as it was becoming a global phenomenon. Instead, Americans severely altered the rules to form “American Football” which remains our nation’s preferred spectator sport to this day.

Americans are a proud people that prefer their own handiwork and inventions, and habitually resist foreign ideas. This verity even comes into play in the realm of athletic competition.

The three most popular sports in America (football, baseball and basketball) were all invented in America, by Americans. In contrast, the two most popular sports in the rest of the world, soccer and cricket, are virtually unrepresented here.

As much as I have come to appreciate soccer as a magnificent sport, I know it will likely never grasp a sizable foothold in the United States. The nation’s capacity for sports is filled to the brim and dominated by various incarnations of football, baseball and basketball.

Learning to appreciate soccer has been a demanding but rewarding experience that has required a great deal of dedication. I wish my fellow American sports fans could see soccer for the beautiful sport it is. I wish my fellow Americans could see the rabid excitement that makes leagues like the EPL so fascinating.

However, the way things stand now, I’ll have to continue my struggle to keep up with professional soccer and my Fulham Cottagers without the comforts of American media coverage.

Seniors Jett Raines, Warren Oishi, and Austin Mankin are expected to lead the Coppell Cowboys basketball team to a winning season and hopefully into the playoffs. Photos by Trevor Stiff.

With an impressive lineup consisting of raw talent, colossal size, and experience, the Coppell Cowboys basketball team is in for a successful season. However, somewhat overlooked, is the chemistry and leadership between three senior players.

Seniors Austin Mankin, Warren Oishi, and Jett Raines are all third year letterman seniors on the Coppell High School basketball team. In addition to their talents in the sport, the three have been close friends for almost eight years. This close knit relationship is their main source of strength when it comes to dominating on the court.

For the trio, basketball has always been a favorite past time and hobby. Each of these towering giants started in YMCA leagues and the rest has been history.

Forward Austin Mankin made the tough decision of choosing basketball over soccer in middle school.

“I started playing in second grade and just continually picked the game up until I noticed I actually could take my enjoyment in the sport somewhere,” Mankin said.

The boys all recognized their talent around sixth grade when they joined the Texas Express basketball team. Texas Express is a competitive travel team that allowed the three to prepare for high school level basketball.

“I have been playing ball all my life, but once I started playing on Texas Express I really got to form my own playing style which helped me become the player I am today,” Oishi said.

Oishi, a guard, has been using his skills in passing to help lead the team to victory this year.

In order to compete at the high school level, the boys would need adequate training experience necessary to win in the big leagues.

“Texas Express helped us get a feel for what basketball would be like at CHS. It helped me mentally and growing up in the system prepared me for competition,” Mankin said.

After playing on the team, the boy’s talents in the sport urged them to pursue the game further.

Raines, a power forward and the tallest of the three at a whopping 6-feet, 8-inches, always envisioned himself as a basketball player.

“I always found that basketball was my favorite sport. I like to score the most and have had other interests, but basketball always stuck through,” Raines said.

Besides being on the court together for a countless number of hours a day, the three enjoy spending time outside of the hardwood. In their spare time, the group likes to play video games, make videos and play the usual game of pick up basketball.

Being friends and together for so long, the three have developed a keen bond in which they transfer to the court and their playing abilities.

“Playing with Warren and Jett so much I know where they are on the floor during a fast break type situation.,” Mankin said. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and I think that is what allows us to play so well together.”

Head basketball coach Brad Chasteen, describes the triple threat as skilled and experienced and has high prospects for their future in the sport.

“Austin, Warren, and Jett are so dominate on the court because they know eachother so well. They hang out and are good friends. The chemistry between them is pretty special,” Chasteen said.

With a good start to the season, the Cowboys hope to continue their impressive start and 18-4 record. When the losses come however, Mankin, Oishi, and Raines try to go into depth with the mistakes made when a game doesn’t turn in their favor.

“We always try to talk to each other and the team about what we did wrong and what we need to do better. Highlighting our mistakes allows us to work on our weaknesses,” Mankin said.

Along with the pep talks, the three seniors try to give the underclassmen players the support they need to developed into experienced players.

“I have been trying to be a leader for the underclassmen. Being older you have to teach them things like how to play, how to take control and how to play with each other,” Oishi said.

With the season ahead of them, the triple threat hopes that their skill, chemistry, and hard work is enough to put them in position as contenders of a state title.

The Dallas Cowboys are experiencing the NFL Playoffs from their sofas once again, but that has not prevented infectious postseason excitement from spreading throughout Coppell. The Wild Card round was full of excitement, highlighted by Tebow’s overtime magic lifting Denver over heavy favorites Pittsburgh. With four matchups pitting the league’s best teams and everything on the line, the second round is sure to have more thrilling performances in store. Below I will give my take on the two NFC Divisional Round games and briefly predict who advances, and who goes home.

New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers

Despite not being one of the top two teams in the NFC, the New Orleans Saints and their record-breaking offense have been touted as a Super Bowl favorite. The Saints looked convincing in their 45-28 disposal of Detroit last week and are riding a nine game winning streak, with 40+ points in each of the last four games. On the other side of the field will be a team that is almost the polar opposite: the San Francisco 49ers. San Fransisco’s trump card is its defense – one that had not allowed a single touchdown run until the very last game of the season. This Divisional Round matchup is the most intriguing one of the season thus far because it pits the NFL’s most explosive offense against its most stringent defense. Although I was not impressed with the Niners when I watched my Dallas Cowboys defeat them in week 2, they dominated thereafter. The Saints posted inexcusable losses to the lowly Rams and Bucs and have one of the worst defenses in the league.  My Prediction: “Defense Wins Championships”. 49ers advance after a gritty 23-21 contest

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers

As a Cowboys fan, I am very familiar with the New York Giants. And as an avid NFL fan, I am also very familiar with the Packers‘ near-perfect 15-1 season. At first glance, this game seems like an obvious choice. The Packers have the best record in the league, while the Giants barely snuck into the playoffs at 9-7. But in the playoffs it’s all about who has momentum – who’s hot. And just like in 2007 when they toppled 16-0 New England in the Super Bowl, the G-Men are getting hot at the right time. As a Cowboy fan, I loathe the Giants, but I am well aware of how dangerous of a team they can be when all on the same page. Osi Umenyiora is finally healthy again and adds a whole other dimension to New York’s pass rush, not to mention Jason Pierre-Paul. Despite struggling in the run game for most of the season, in the past few weeks (especially in their 24-2 throttling of Atlanta in the Wild Card round) the Giants’ duo of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs has been hitting a groove. In short, it’s all coming together at the right time for the Giants and they rolling an all cylinders. But no matter how well the Giants play, it may not be enough. Green Bay is led by the best quarterback in the NFL in Aaron Rodgers, and they will do anything it takes to defend their title. My Prediction: The Giants lost to the Packers 38-35 in the regular season. This time they get the job done, 31-27.

Though their demaning fall season ended months ago, the Coppell Tennis Team has continued practicing hard every day. Why? Unlike most sports programs at Coppell, tennis has two seasons, one in the fall and one in the spring. In the 2011 fall season, the Coppell tennis team had one of its most successful years of late, including domianting performances in district and a trip to Abilene for the State Playoffs.

While the fall season is oriented more towards team success, the spring season focuses on individual achievements.  Months have passed since the Cowboys’ exit from the state playoffs in late October, and these months of preparation will come to fruition starting on January 24. This week, the tennis team released their official 2012 spring season schedule - and the first competition of the season is set for January 27 in Keller.

Coach Jane Jackson’s squad will compete in numerous tournaments through February and March, with the District Tournament in April and (if necessary) State Playoffs in May – capping Coppell Tennis’ long and arduous, yet rewarding, spring season.

The Coppell Cowboys (white) have been impressive in their first matches of the season. Photo by Brian Hwu.

The soccer program at Coppell High School has quietly been one of the school’s strongest traditions in recent decades. Both the Cowboys and Cowgirls squads are locally renowned as consistent playoff contenders, and even have a few State Championships under their belt. Now, the first semester is drawing to a close – which means soccer season is just now underway!

For Coach Stricker and his 2012 Cowgirls team, the ultimate goal is to return to State and reclaim the title of State Champions, which they won in 2009. Though the season is young, the Cowgirls appear to be taking steps in the right direction early on. Their 2012 season kicked off with three scrimmage matches this weekend versus three quality opponents. The team burst out of the gate furiously with a 4-0 victory over Lake Highlands in the first scrimmage match. The Cowgirls followed up on this dynamic start with a 3-0 throttling of Highland Park, although they stumbled in their third scrimmage match, falling to Plano West.

After their first regular season match versus Flower Mound tonight, the Cowgirls will face some fellow area front-runners in the Nike Nolan Varsity Showcase Tournament, continuing their quest to be the best girls soccer team in Texas once again.

For the boys team, it is a slightly different situation. Coach Chad Rakestraw, formerly of Denton Guyer, is beginning his first season as the Cowboys’ head coach. With a coaching change comes an entire reshaping of the team’s system, culture and methodology. The returning members of squads of years past will have to adapt to any changes and focus on the central tenet of Coppell soccer – winning. The Cowboys had a splendid regular season last year, but underachieved in the playoffs, losing in the first round. The build upon these shortcomings and have the season that they desire, Coach Rakestraw and the senior Cowboys understand that it is imperative to get a hot start to the season. And last week, they did just that.

The Cowboys soccer team gathers together after a tough practice. Photo by Brian Hwu.

Though the Cowboys have yet to play a match that officially counts, pre-season scrimmages are often an accurate indicator of a team’s potential. But if scrimmages are anything to go by, the Cowboys should be very optimistic about the 2012 season. The debuted in a January 3 scrimmage in which they gave Flower Mound an absolute lashing, winning 5-0.  On January 6, the Cowboys proved it was no fluke with a 1-0 victory over a strong Plano team. The Cowboys’ regular season debut will be a home game against rivals Plano East on Thursday, January 12

Both the Cowboys and Cowgirls soccer teams have started their seasons on a strong foot, and if early performances are anything to go by, this could be another great year for the Coppell soccer program.