On Nov. 18 and 20, the Coppell Swim Team continued their outstanding season by setting four school records at the two-day TISCA (Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) Competition at the Alfred J Loos Sports Complex.

Junior Hayden Henry, son of Coach Patrick Henry, inked his name in the CHS record books once again by setting multiple school records at this competition over Thanksgiving Break.

Tomorrow, this record-breaking Cowboys swim team will travel to Southlake for a District meet against their rivals, the Dragons. While Coppell did well at the TISCA meet last week, the Southlake Carroll Swim Team dominated the competition, winning 1st place in both Boys and Girls competitions.

This will be one of Coppell’s toughest meets of the season. If you want to support the team as they slay the Dragons, it will take place from 6-8 p.m. at the Southlake Aquatic Center.

Photo by Ivy Hess

In one of Texas high school

football’s biggest match-ups of the season, Coppell couldn’t stop Southlake from running away with a victory in the final ten minutes of the fourth quarter.  The first three and a half quarters were a defensive stalemate for both teams. The Cowboys were

outscored in the second half, 14-7

, on the way to a 27-10 defeat.

The first half of the game was a competitive battle. Coppell’s defense held Southlake’s offense, led by junior quarterback Kenny Hill, to 13 points in the first two periods of play. But the Dragons’ tenacious front seven wreaked havoc on the Coppell offensive line all night long.

Hill was held without a touchdown pass for the 2nd game all season, finishing with 23 of 29 passes completed for 190 yards. But he showed that he could be a dual threat in the running game by rushing for 75 yards on 15 carries, and two touchdowns in the second half.

Coppell’s offense started slow and continued with the same tempo for the majority of the game. It wasn’t  until early in the fourth quarter, after the Cowboys forced and recovered a fumble, that the offense proceeded to march down the field in a short series of three running plays, two for junior running back Luke Jenner, who finished the night with 162 yards on 31 carries and a 5-yard TD run.. The score pulled Coppell within three points at 13-10.

Junior quarterback Tyler Zabojnik seemed to have shored up the mistakes from last week in the passing game, turning it around to complete 55.6% of his passes for 94 yards. Esteban Acala and Jason Lister shared the team lead in receptions with three each. Lister made an acrobatic grab on the last target, catching a tipped ball for a gain of 21 yards late in the fourth quarter.

“We ran the ball hard, we threw the ball when we had to, and next week we’ve got to build on that. We gotta be able to do different things to create better opportunities for the team,” Zabojnik said after the game.

In the final ten minutes, Southlake scored twice when they shouldn’t have. On the first touchdown, Carroll’s Steven Bergmark slipped away from at least two tackles and rambled into the end zone. When the Dragons scored the second time, Hill avoided would-be tacklers flying at him from all angles and ran in, untouched, from 19 yards out. The defense played deflated over the last half a quarter, which led to a final score that did not reflect the game accurately.

Coppell drops to 5-2 on the season, and 2-2 in district play.

Rivalries; they run throughout the sports world from little league to the pros.  Here in Coppell we have our own football rivals, but one sticks out in particular: the Southlake Carroll Dragons.

For years we, the Coppell Cowboys, have battled the Southlake Carroll Dragons in varsity football and we had our chance to win this Friday night, which we did 35- 17 Cowboys. Both teams went  into the game undefeated, and with their win, the Cowboys remain as the only unbeaten team in District 7-5A. This game, to some, may just sound like an important football game but to truly understand our rivalry with these Dragons you have to rewind a couple of years.

Our rivalry had been brewing for many years but our meeting in 1998 sealed the deal and made Southlake our permanent football rivals. Days before the game Southlake students were talking the usual smack talk and one comment changed Coppell traditions forever. The comment was made about the people of Coppell being a bunch a “trailer trash” and from this, Coppell alum Luke Pierson spawned the tradition that the Plunger Boy. We ended up winning that game making Southlake our permanent rivals.

“I hate Southlake more than Mondays,” Coppell Plunger Boy Cody Cammack joked.

Southlake, since that game, has been in our district off and on, and when we played them in the past it was mostly one sided with Southlake pulling off most of the wins. Three years ago Southlake ended up in our district and the rivalry game was set once again. There was a lot of talk surrounding the game because Southlake was coming into the game undefeated and was the favored team over us, but the game was at our stadium and the Cowboys came prepared.

Throughout the game when one team would score the other would match and eventually the game went into overtime with both teams having a score of 43. During the first overtime both teams scored touchdowns and both crowds were becoming extremely uneasy. Finally, with Southlake scoring a field goal, the Cowboys looked as if there was no way of coming back. During our Cowboys final drive we scored a touchdown and won the game. Of course, being Coppell fans we all stormed the field and celebrated in front of our arch football rivals leaving the stadium.

Obviously, Southlake Carroll students and players were not happy with this lose to a “lesser team” in their eyes, and they came back two years ago and scheduled our rivalry game as their homecoming game. The game was extremely hyped up not just because the long time rivalry but because of what was at stake for the Dragons if they lost their homecoming game against us. Southlake ended up winning the game by a few touchdowns and the Dragons got vengeance against us from the previous year and an embarrassing defeat.

“Our rivalry is purely hate,” sophomore Tommy McClenahan said. “Most of the smack talk is going on before the game on Facebook.”     

This year the game was played here at Buddy Echols Field and the Cowboys pulled off the win 35- 17. Prior to the game, the Cowboys,  were picked to win because the Dragons lost a lot of starters to graduation last year and they also lost their starting quarter back to UIL residency regulations rendering him ineligible to play. From the start of the game, it was evident that we would be able to pull off a win and declare our dominance atop our district.

“I feel our rivalry is kind of a love, hate relationship,” Principal Brad Hunt said. “I think the reason we are such good rivals is because our communities our extremely similar and we just want to compete against each other because we are both good teams.”

District play is continuing and as we get closer and closer to playoffs, it will become clear if we will be able to defeat the Dragons once again in the postseason this year. Next season will bring another Cowboy vs. Dragons game because we will stay in this district at least for next year due to UIL district rules. Even though they do pose a threat to our team now, Coppell fans are ready for another rivalry game either in the playoffs or next season, and no matter how you view the rivalry Coppell vs. Southlake is always a fun game to attend.

The Coppell basketball team looks to defend the school as they go to play Southlake Carroll in basketball tonight. The Dragons may have a better record but the Cowboys should find a way to win.

With many football players, the Coppell team will use the football loss as motivation to play up to their best.  With senior Nic Johnston playing on all cylinders and senior Andrew Bourg on his game, the Cowboys should beat a tough Dragon defense who are holding opponents to low point totals.

If the Cowboys win then they will bring the season total against Southlake to 2-2 with losses in volleyball and football.  Basketball needs momentum and a pounding of a rival would be a great building block towards the playoffs.

No one who watched the first five minutes of last night’s game at Dragon Stadium could’ve been able to predict the end result, a 24-6 Cowboy loss.

The Carroll Dragons and Coppell Cowboys faced off last Friday to a disappointing defeat, 24-6. (Photo by Katie Quill)

The excitement in the stands was already electric with an hour to go before kickoff, as both teams prepared for the first game of district play—a grudge match at that.

“We tried not to get too wrapped up in revenge,” senior defensive end Jackson Richards recalled after the game. “It was the big game because it was the next game.”

Rivalry-fueled or otherwise, play in the first half reflected all of what’s great about Texas high school football.

Coppell took the kick and, on the second play from scrimmage, connected on a 40-yard senior to senior wide receiver Jeff Johnson.

Three plays later, the ball popped loose deep in Dragon country and was recovered by Southlake. The roar of the crowd rung out from the emerald side of the stadium.

Then, not 30 seconds later, senior linebacker Patrick Hogan dove, cutting off a pass from Southlake quarterback Robert Piland and taking it with him—Cowboys ball.

Senior quarterback Hayden Hawk got maybe two more plays from scrimmage before Dragon linebacker Cade Foster made it three, picking off a misfired pass and scooting 40 yards to the Coppell 40.

Now it was Piland’s turn for redemption and—you guessed it—junior cornerback Bennett Okotcha foiled all with an easy pick near midfield.

The ball had just changed hands five times in so many minutes—both crowds cheered themselves hoarse, and the press box, staffed by prolix professional reporters, seemed almost stunned to silence.

Southlake managed to pull itself together after a fourth-and-inches stop of Coppell, though, and notched up a 45 yard field goal.

The teams ended the half 17-6 after two short Dragon touchdowns by Piland and one nineteen yard display of athleticism from junior running back Cam McDaniel.

The momentum was clearly with Southlake as both teams went to the locker room, however, because of a muffed punt by McDaniel earlier in the quarter and because the extra point following Coppell’s solitary touchdown was a line drive into the bandstand, wide of the uprights.

Southlake’s defense did the job from there, burying Hawk multiple times and making McDaniel, usually Coppell’s workhorse on the ground, a veritable nonfactor.

After a few despairing drives and one further Southlake touchdown (one yard keeper from Piland), the game ended on a fitting note, as Hawk went down for sack number five.

As bitter as the defeat was, though, both players and coaching staff wanted to reflect on the positive rather than the negative.

“Our D played good,” senior receiver Taylor Goebel said, “and they really came out to play. We’ll practice hard and be ready to win next week.”

Even Southlake players didn’t seem to have a bad word for Coppell’s performance.

“Coppell has a great offense,” Richards said. “They played hard and we played hard.”

Coach McBride, meanwhile, already seemed to be thinking about next week’s matchup against Hebron. His speech to the players after the game was not about missed opportunities but about brushing aside the loss.

“We can’t let one game dictate another four,” McBride said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we aren’t dead.”

Gallery by Tyler Morris

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Gallery by Katie Quill

[View with PicLens]

District 6-5A opener: Coppell (5-0) vs. Southlake Carroll (4-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Dragon Stadium

Defensive linemen are the wild cards on most teams. They’re the hit-and-run artists, the insurgents, slipping behind enemy lines for rib-cracking sacks one moment, then filtering quietly back for run defense the next.

The best line, though, maintains a presence throughout. It is capable of—and executes—big plays, but can also leave its mark when the flow of sacks and turnovers dries up; it digs in against the rush, its message to the opposing offense short and to the point: thou shall not pass.

Coppell’s defense is thriving under first-year head coach Joe McBride, former defensive coordinator for the Hebron Hawks, where he won a state championship.

And it’s the men up front that are paving the way to success.

Last spring after McBride’s hiring, the defense changed its scheme from a mixture of dime, nickel and four-man front formations to 3-4 and dime packages. Senior nose tackle Naveed Amirhermat describes the transition.

“Ever since spring [the line] didn’t have much of an impact because of the new scheme,” Amirhermat said. “Since then we’ve been in great shape, with the addition of Jared Parham and a rock solid Tanner Rice on the other end.”

The change in defensive scheme seems to have had a positive impact if anything.

Five games into the season, the defensive line has held two of its opponents, Jesuit (2-3) and Highland Park (4-1), to negative rushing yards. They’ve given up 278 total rushing yards through the six games, an average of 55.6 yards per game.

These strong statistics can be attributed to a strong defensive line, comprised of seniors Amirhermat and Parham at nose tackle and right end and junior Rice at left end.

Parham, who switched positions from linebacker to end just this season, is confident in his fellow linemen.

“We’re thug—top defense in the area,” Parham said. “We stop the run well, get a lot of turnovers and make all the big stops.”

Like the change in defensive scheme, Parham’s transition hasn’t seemed to affect his play—the end, who recently committed to play at Missouri, has a pair of sacks on the season.

The three linemen are looking forward to Friday’s game against Southlake Carroll, whose offensive line might be the best Coppell will face all season.

“Southlake’s offensive line is nasty, physical and bigger than us,” Rice said.

He expects Coppell to be ready for what will face them at Dragon Stadium.

“We’ve been watching film all week,” Rice said. “We know where they’re slow and how their center doesn’t come off the ball quick enough.”

Amirhermat agrees.

“Our mindset is to be the best, get some sacks and stop the run,” Amirhermat said. “We’re looking forward to Friday.”

If you can’t make it to the game, tune into KKGM 1630 AM and also join the live discussion on this site with The Sidekick sports staff.

http://kkgmam.com/dragonfootball.html for more information.

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Assistant Sports Editor

After beating Southlake last season in what turned out to be the game of the year Coppell will be looking to repeat, while Southlake will be looking for revenge. Southlake has even gone as far as to schedule us for their homecoming adding extra significance to an already important game.

With both teams having a bye week to prepare for the game and the added hype this should be a very exciting game.

Having the increased hype added to the already tense rivalry between the two schools should make for another competitive game. One major difference though should be the fact that Coppell under first year coach Joe McBride has vastly improved upon a defense that struggled to stop Southlake in last season’s shootout.

The game is tomorrow night at 7:30 pm at Dragon Stadium. Coppell has sold out of tickets, but more are still being sold at Carroll ISD schools. This being said the stands are going to be packed so get there early and help the Cowboys to make it two in a row against the dragons.

For directions to the stadium:

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=dragon stadium southlake carroll&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Even though Carroll is one of Coppell’s biggest rivals in about every other sport, they don’t quite match up against Coppell’s hockey team. The Cowboys have defeated the Dragons the past three years, so, unlike the football game this week, the hockey game is not quite as highly anticipated.

Although Carroll is not one of Coppell’s tougher opponents, it is still the beginning of the season and they want to start off on a good note. They are continuing their weekly practices and are preparing for the rest of their season.