Rice brothers shore up the lines
by Caitlin Conner Staff Writer For the Coppell Cowboys, every Friday night is a chance to compete for a playoff spot. For brothers Tanner and Sam Rice, it’s a chance to win bragging rights for the next week. Tanner, a junior defensive end, and Sam, a sophomore offensive guard, are the only brothers on varsity this year. Despite their age differences, there is nothing “little” about Tanner’s younger brother. Tanner weighs in at around 240 pounds compared to Sam at 290 pounds. “The guys always tease me because Sam is bigger than me,” Tanner said. “They correct me when I call him my little brother.” The boys also share an older brother, Nick, who graduated…
Cowboy Gameday: Defensive front faces season’s biggest challenge against Dragons
By Blake Seitz Sports Editor 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…