BullDawg Football: Welcome
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Who Let The Dawgs Out!
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By John Eubanks
Sports writer
Copperas Cove’s annual soap, shampoo and towel football scrimmage on the new artificial turf at Bulldawg Stadium Saturday morning wasn’t as clean as it sounds.There were at least four penalties and fumbles apiece and seven plays for lost yardage by the two offenses during the approximately hour-and-a-quarter intrasquad scrimmage that featured about 15 possessions, starting from the 30, and 85 plays.There were also several highlights, including a couple of rewind-worthy touchdown plays, that made it worth the price of the scrimmage’s suggested donations to the football program.“Overall, a pretty good day,” coach Jack Welch said. His biggest complaint had to do with the officials not showing up, forcing him and some of his staff to coach and officiate at the same time. Welch wasn’t sure that morning why the refs failed to show – he said he would find out later, but he said it was maybe the first time in his 16 years as head coach here that it happened.“We had two holding calls, and maybe more if we’d had officials,” Welch said, assessing the offense, which he said “spit and sputtered” before getting untracked as the scrimmage progressed.“The defense overall played well (but) gave up some big plays,” he said. “The offense spit and sputtered. But as the scrimmage wore on, the defense solidified and the offense moved the ball (on sustained drives).”He was pleased with the kicking game, noting that Chris Barrick and Chris Espinosa are “a good 1-2 kicking combo.” The highlight of a field goal exhibition that capped the scrimmage was Barrick’s 57-yarder.Barrick had plenty of distance on a 51-yard attempt during the scrimmage, but it bounced off the right upright. Later in the scrimmage Espinosa made good on a 30-yarder.But the scoring highlights were the two aforementioned TD plays. The first one, capping the second possession, was Brelan Chancellor’s 49-yard run that would have made former Dawgs all-state running back Vontez Duff proud.The second one, some 10 possessions later, was a short sideline pass, perfectly threaded by Cody Vaughn that the receiver turned into a 76-yard catch-and-run. The receiver, who wore No. 1 (Orlando Thomas, according to an apparently incomplete roster), made a nice move in traffic and then outran the secondary.The=2 0next two drives ended with scores, Brandin Byrd’s determined 8-yard run and Vaughn’s 58-yard pass to a receiver (Will Randolph, according to the P.A. announcer, and not the player listed on one roster, Brandon Hamilton) who beat the secondary upfield between the hashmarks.Vaughn was one of three who lined up at quarterback, Chancellor and Nik Greene being the others. Greene also played receiver, defensive back and punt returner.They were at the mercy at times of an inexperienced offensive line that Welch said still needs a lot of work. He believes it will be tested in Cove’s only intersquad scrimmage Friday at home against Abilene before the season opener against San Angelo Central Aug. 28, also at home.“Abilene will be a great wake-up call before San Angelo,” Welch said. “They’re predicted to win their district. Their players hit.”The JV is slated to start at 3, with the varsity to follow around 5.
Friday, October 10
By Evan Mohl
The Cove Herald
When the Bryan Vikings (3-1, 1-1) come to town to face the No. 9 Bulldawgs (5-0, 2-0) on Friday at 7:30 p.m., it’ll be a bit like David versus Goliath.
At least in terms of numbers and size.
Bryan, with an enrollment of more than 3,700 students, is the biggest school in District 12-5A. By comparison, Cove is easily
the smallest with 2,035 at last count.
Besides having a much larger talent pool to draw from, the Vikings also are significantly bigger than the Bulldawgs. Their offensive line averages 285 pounds across the board whereas the Cove front five is around 255. The big Bryan line will go up against a Bulldawg defensive front that, albeit fast, weighs an average of around 230 pounds.
That big difference concerns Cove coach Jack Welch, and is a major reason he calls this game the toughest challenge for his team so far.
“They are the best football team I’ve seen,” Welch said on Tuesday. “I think they’re going to give us the biggest challenge yet. They are big and powerful across the board, especially the offensive and defensive lines. Football games are won in the trenches, and getting overpowered is a concern.”
But make no mistake, Bryan will not be treating the ninth-ranked team in the state like a David. The Vikings know and are concerned with just how good the undefeated Dawgs have been.
“They’re an outstanding team, very deserving of their ranking,” Bryan coach Bob Bellard said. “All you have to do is look at their margin of victory.”
On the season, Cove has outscored its opponents 240-38, giving up less than 10 points per game and averaging 48 points a contest. Bryan, on the other hand, has outscored its opponents 134-129.
The Vikings are coming off their first loss of the season, 44-33, against cross-town rival A&M Consolidated. However, they have beaten some very good teams, including perennial powers Cypress Falls and Leander. The victory against the Lions snapped the District 13-5A/12-5A’s 20-game losing streak against teams from 14-5A/16-5A.
“They have some great victories,” Welch said. “That game against Consolidated was a cross-town rivalry where anything could happen and Bryan just suffered from some turnovers. But they are a really good football team.”
Tale of the tape: 3 things to watch for
Monterrell Washington vs. Brandin Byrd: Byrd leads District 12-5A in rushing yards with 718, but Washington, a senior and 1,000-yard rusher a year ago, isn’t too far behind the junior with 629 (in one less game played). The Vikings’ back also is first in the district in scoring with 12 touchdowns, or three per game. Byrd has nine.
Bryan really relies heavily on the run with almost 78 percent of its offense coming from the ground — and Washington carries the load.
“They really live and die by the run,” Welch said. “And Washington, he’s the real deal. He’s a hoss. We have to stop him and get their offense off the field so they can’t overpower us.”
Both teams, though, have great defenses. The Dawgs are giving up just 255 yards a contest while the Vikings are second in the league at 306. It’ll be interesting to see which running back breaks through.
Strength vs. Speed: The Vikings are big and powerful, while the Dawgs are athletic and quick. Friday will be a question of which style of play will prevail.
Bryan is bigger at almost every position, especially in the trenches. Cove will have to use its speed to disrupt the Vikings’ power. If they don’t it could be a long day for the Dawgs.
“In order to handle their size, we’ve got to use our speed to get by them,” Welch said. “When these guys get on you, they’re powerful.”
Second quarter explosiveness: In four of Cove’s five games, the score has been close until the Dawgs pulled away at some point in the second quarter with a scoring spurt.
The spark is usually a defensive or special teams play. The Vikings know that, and will be looking to limit Cove’s explosiveness so the Dawgs don’t pull away.
“They can score points in a hiccup,” Bellard said. “The use big plays on defense and special teams and instead of being down seven, all of the sudden you’re down 21. We can’t let that happen on Friday.”
Contact Evan Mohl at emohl@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
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Friday, October 10
The Copperas Cove football team took another step forward this week, moving up to No. 9 in the Associated Press state rankings for Class 5A.
The Bulldawgs (5-0) finished with 47 points, a single point behind the No. 8 team in the poll, Allen (4-1).
Cove jumped a spot after crushing District 12-5A opponents Temple 56-14 last week.
— Cove Herald staff reports
Friday, October 3
Posted on: Wednesday, October 01, 2008, 11:22 PM By Evan MohlThe Cove Herald
They were supposed to be fighting for the top spot in District 12-5A. Now, they’re two teams going in completely different directions.
When the No. 10 Bulldawgs meet the Temple Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium, it will certainly be a big game. But for different reasons than originally thought.
Temple (0-4, 0-1) is still looking for its first win of the season. Picked by many experts to win the district, the Wildcats need to get back on track in a hurry.
They’ll have their work cut out for them in what could be considered a do-or-die game.
“You have to play every week,” Dawgs coach Jack Welch said. “Everybody’s goal is to get to the playoffs and peak at the end of the year.”
State-ranked Copperas Cove, which cracked the Associated Press poll this week after rolling through their first four games, want to continue their success and put separation between themselves and the rest of District 12-5A. If the Dawgs can get through Temple, they’ll be in good shape.
Cove (4-0, 1-0) has demolished their opponents by an average of 37.5 points. The offense has been clicking on all cylinders putting up 46 points a game. The defense has been just as stout, limiting opponents to 8.5 points a contest.
Temple has not beaten Cove since 2003, the last time the Dawgs didn’t make the playoffs.
Here are three keys to Friday’s game.
Don’t overlook Wildcats: Temple may be 0-4, but the record shouldn’t fool anybody. The Wildcats have played four strong opponents, including No. 2 Plano. In week one, they fell to Cedar Park by just eight points and lost a heartbreaker to Leander 13-10 in double overtime.
In their first district game last Friday, Temple fell behind to A&M Consolidated 21-7 at halftime. The Wildcats rallied only to fall short 24-21. Take out the Plano defeat, and Temple has lost to its opponents by less than five points a game.
Remember, Temple was 1-3 last year heading into district play, before running the table and going undefeated.
“If you just compare them to last year, they’re about the same,” Welch said. “To me, they’re about where they were last year. Just watching on film, they’re a good football team.”
Temple has been close, really close. Give the Wildcats an extra break or two and they could be 3-1. Plus, they’re a team hungry for a victory in a must-win situation, and it could be a dangerous combination for the Dawgs.
Wing-T: The Wildcats run the old-style Wing-T formation that tries to confuse a defense with misdirections, counters and pulls. The Dawgs may have an advantage since they faced a Wing-T offense last week against Ellison.
However, Temple’s version of the system is more complex with more frills. They’re also willing to pass a lot more.
“Facing Ellison last week helps to get ready for this week,” Welch said. “But the thing is Temple has got a very potent passing game.”
The key to stopping the Wing-T is penetration, as the Dawgs proved last week. The defensive line must get low and upfield while the linebackers glide to the ball and make the play. It sounds easy, but it’s harder than it looks.
“It’s a hard offense to stop,” linebacker Tanner Brock said last week. “Penetration kills the Wing-T and you have to do that if you want success.”
It took the Dawgs about three possessions last week to really get a handle on Ellison’s offense. The Bulldawgs are hoping last week’s experience will help them on Friday to avoid the trial and error part.
Cove’s speed and athleticism should help them get in the Wildcat backfield.
Stop Seastrunk: The Wildcats running back, who’s drawing interest from several major Division I colleges, is deadly when he gets in the open field. Lache Seastrunk can run a 4.3 forty, so once he gets by the defense, he’s gone.
Teams, however, have proved that he can be contained. Last week, the Tigers held Seastrunk to just 63 yards on 16 carries. Consolidated did not allow Seastrunk to get to the edges, forcing him back into the heart of the defense.
But look for the Wildcats to get Seastrunk involved in other ways, especially the passing game. Seastrunk was a big part of the passing game in the second half last Friday. He caught a 64-yard pass for a touchdown. Expect the Dawgs to have someone shadow the talented back.
“He’s the real deal,” Welch said. “He has very good speed and good body balance. He’s a good one.”
Friday, October 3
Posted on: Wednesday, October 01, 2008, 11:35 PM
The Bulldawgs — at 4-0 after a 45-0 thumping of Ellison in their district opener — moved from No. 11 with 17 points to No. 10, earning 25 points this week.
Euless Trinity, at 4-0, earned 19 of 20 possible first-place votes and remained at No. 1 this week. In fact, the top nine spots in the polls remained intact, with Cove’s jump up one spot the only change.
Saturday, September 27
By Evan Mohl
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – The Bulldawg lightning-quick defense made the powerful Ellison Eagle Wing-T offense look pedestrian, at best.
The Copperas Cove front four penetrated and the linebackers glided to the ball as the Dawgs shut out the Eagles 45-0 in both teams' district opener.
It was the Dawgs (4-0, 1-0) second clean sheet of the season, and the first Ellison (2-2, 0-1) suffered.
"I was really impressed with our defense," Bulldawgs head coach Jack Welch said. "We had to get penetration and I think we did that tonight. Our line got upfield and our linebackers scraped and flowed well."
With Ellison facing a fourth-and-1 at the Cove 30 in the second quarter, linebacker Tanner Brock not only preserved the Dawgs' 10-point lead, but also turned the game around from tightly contested to blowout. Quarterback Kyle Skinner handed the ball off to Daniel Cobb heading to the Eagle sideline. Brock, following his defensive tackle Ken Hughes, got upfield and stuffed Cobb for a 1-yard loss.
Cove then took the ball over on downs, and drove 70 yards on nine plays. Brandin Byrd did most of the work with 38 yards on the ground, including the 1-yard score, while Brelan Chancellor got 28 yards on a nifty reverse.
Ellison would not get closer than the Cove 30-yard line until the waning seconds of the game, with the contest already decided.
"They're a tough team to play defensively," Brock said. "They do a lot of things and move a lot of people around and you can lose the ball in there sometimes if you're not prepared," Brock said. "Penetration destroys the Wing-T, with all those guys pulling and moving around, and our guys inside, like Hughes and (Josh) Schmidt, were able to get upfield for us and allow the linebackers to make plays."
The Cove defense and special teams provided most of the spark in the first half. On the opening kickoff, Will Wright leveled Jaron Turner, forcing a fumble that Chris Miller picked up. Michael Roell added a 28-yard field goal for the first score of the game.
After both teams exchanged turnovers, the Dawg defense again stymied Ellison. Cove got two sacks in a row – a combined effort by Brock and Robert Sutton and one by Schmidt – to force a punt. Three plays later, on a third-and-21, Cody Vaughn found Josh Boyce on a screen pass. With great downfield blocking, Boyce weaved the ball through the Ellison defense for 61 yards.
Boyce added another touchdown when Vaughn found him on a play-action bootleg. Boyce ran a 12-yard out, and shook his man for a 24-yard score.
Ellison was so concentrated on the Dawgs' running back duo of William Wright and Byrd, that Cove often took advantage of the upfield pursuit with little misdirections like screen passes, play actions and shovel passes.
"Ellison really had us in check offensively for awhile," Welch said. "So we had to make adjustments, and our offensive line picked it up and we were able to keep the ball moving."
The Eagles actually held Byrd to 94 yards and Wright to 23. For both backs, it was their lowest output of the season.
But Ellison could never get anything going offensively, averaging just over 3 yards a carry. The passing game was arguably worse with 24 passing yards on 3-of-15 throwing. It didn't help matters that the Eagles committed five turnovers – two came courtesy of Miller picks, giving him four in four games.
The Cove offense took advantage of great field position provided by the defense. The offense never had to go more than 43 yards on their last three scoring drives.
Byrd added another TD late, along with Wright. Chancellor got the last score on a 17-yard scamper.
"I think we're really starting to come together as a team," Welch said. "This game was a lot closer than the scoreboard indicated, Ellison is a very talented team. But we kept making adjustments on offense and we were able to hold them on defense. Our defense really set up our offense."
Contact Evan Mohl at emohl@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Thursday, September 18
Catch a Jr. High football game! Click the hyperlink to find the schedules for Cove Jr. High and S.C. Lee.
Saturday, September 13
Friday, September 12, 2008
Posted by Steve Kirk at 10:35 PM
Veteran Copperas Cove football coach Jack Welch has developed quite a program.
Despite losing the majority of his offense from a team that defeated McKinney Boyd by 22 points in the regional semifinals of the 4A playoff last season, he simply reloaded with a hard-nosed, fast, well-coached group of players that came to Ron Poe Stadium on Friday night and did it again.
Cove lined up in the I-formation with a strong, athletic group of linemen and running backs and proceeded to hand Boyd a 42-14 defeat, the Broncos’ first of the 2008 season after two wins.
Cove also gave Boyd a reality check.
Both programs have moved up to 5A this season. Boyd’s entry into the brutal district portion of its schedule won’t begin for another two weeks. But as the visiting Bulldawgs plowed through the middle of Boyd’s defense for 377 rushing yards it became apparent that the Broncos need to improve their defensive front in order to stay competitive with some of the bigger, stronger teams that they’ll face on this level.
"They’re a class 5A football team," Boyd coach Don Drake said after the game. "And by class, I mean they’re really good."
Boyd defensive coordiantor Gary Smith said before the game that Copperas Cove had one of the best offensive lines he’s seen on the high school level, and darned if Cove didn’t go out and show everyone.
In some respects, the game was closer than the score indicated. Boyd turned the ball over twice deep in Cove territory, and Broncos QB Daryn Alves accounted for 310 yards (208 of them passing). However, unlike against most teams Boyd plays, Alves couldn’t escape the pass rush nearly every time like usual. Cove grabbed him and pulled him to the ground, unlike most teams’ wailing arms that grasp for Alves.
Drake told his players on the field after the game that they had to punch the ball in the end zone, improve their red-zone efficiency, in order to beat good teams like they’ll see on their schedule.
Not that there weren’t some bright spots. Defensive back Parker Boleneus forced and grabbed a couple of Copperas Cove fumbles. Tight end Cameron Maser racked up 114 receiving yards. And someone in the press box commented that right tackle Jeremy Raine had a couple of incredible blocks on some athletic Cove linebackers.
But in the end, it was what it was: an early season reality check. A game to build on. A game that will be long forgotten if taken and used the right way, to learn from.
Boyd’s seen plenty of fast teams. What it hasn’t seen is too many teams with great speed and great size and strength.
See, the Planos, Plano Wests and Allens of the world are coming when the ultra-tough District 8-5A schedule arrives in two weeks, and Boyd got an eye-opening look at what will be required to hang with them.
Saturday, September 13
By Evan Mohl
Killeen Daily Herald
McKINNEY – For the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs, time, place and circumstance just don't seem to matter.
After defeating the McKinney Boyd Broncos 48-26 in the Div. I-4A Region Final in Waco less than nine months ago with more than 350 rushing yards, Cove and the Broncos suited up again in non-district play at McKinney. And it was deja vu all over again.
The Dawgs, powered by their offensive line and the running back tandem of Brandin Byrd and Will Wright, ran right over the Broncos with 373 yards in a 42-14 rout to keep Cove (3-0) undefeated.
Byrd almost caught Troy Vital's school record 327 yards – set last year against the same Broncos (2-1) – with 277 of his own. Will Wright followed with 83 yards on just 10 carries.
"Our offensive line was really dominant, especially in the second half," Cove coach Jack Welch said. "They opened up really nice holes for our backs."
As for the running backs, Welch was also pleased.
"If you're going to find out what a great running back is, look at the yards after contact," Welch continued. "And both our backs had more than 40 yards after contact. That's what I talk to our backs about,and Brandin and Will both do a great job of making things happen after the point of contact."
Despite moving the game up by 1 1/2 hours due to the threat of Hurricane Ike, the Dawgs got off to a fast start when Cody Vaughn found Josh Boyce on a 15-yard curl route. The TCU commit then made a quick cut up the middle to break free from his man and scampered 46 yards untouched into the end zone.
But after the quick strike, there wasn't much to be happy with for Cove. Vaughn threw an interception and his teammates weren't much better as they coughed up four fumbles – two that were lost.
"Offensively we were sluggish and sloppy to start off with, although we were in control," Welch said. "It's good to be in control while your sluggish, but I wasn't pleased."
Added Bird: "It wasn't a good first half."
The only bright spot came on Wright's two touchdowns, both coming off Bronco turnovers. Rashad Hardy picked off Daryn Alves, the 5A Texas Football Player of the Week two weeks ago, at the Dawgs' goal line in the first quarter and returned it 44 yards. One play after Vaughn's interception in the second, Chris Miller returned the favor, setting up Cove at Boyd's 20.
Hardy and Miller now have three and two interceptions on the year, respectively.
"Our defense played well overall tonight," Welch said. "They created some plays for us and did a good job of containing Alves, a really talented player."
Alves, though, made the game interesting for the first time all night when he led the Broncos on an eight-play, 80-yard drive to close out the first half with the score at 21-7.
On the first possession of the second half, Alves again guided the Broncos to a touchdown on both his legs and arm. Alves completed three of four passes for 34 yards before weaving through the Dawg defense on an ankle-breaking 43-yard score.
But that's as close as the Broncos would ever get.
Inspired by a tough halftime speech by Welch, the offense shored up the turnovers and ran the ball right down the Broncos throat. Immediately after Boyd scored, the Dawgs methodically marched down the field with running play after running play. In a time-consuming possession, Cove went nine plays, all rushes, for 64 yards and a score that sucked the mojo out of the Broncos.
Perhaps more importantly, in kept Alves and his dual-threat ability off the field.
"We were a different team in the second half," Welch said. "We took the ball and moved it down the field. We wanted to run the time off the clock, we didn't want to throw a lot of passes. We wanted to keep them off the field – that quarterback can get you back in the game quickly – and have long drives.
"And we did that."
After a thwarted possession and two defensive stops, Cove again slowly took the ball down the field. In a drive that began near the end of the third quarter and didn't end until nearly five minutes had elapsed in the fourth, Vaughn took the ball in from 9 yards out to make the score 35-14.
Byrd would add the exclamation point on the Dawgs' next drive when he ran 79 yards over a depleted and tired Broncos defense for his second touchdown of the game. The junior had 177 of his yards in the second half and averaged more than 10 yards a carry.
"It's a good feeling," Byrd said of his performance. "But we have to make sure we go back to practice and work so we don't come out sloppy again, and play the whole game like we did in the second half."
Contact Evan Mohl at emohl@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Saturday, September 6
Herald/DAVID MORRISCopperas Cove quarterback Cody Vaughn runs for daylight past Waco High defender Brandon Hardaway during the second quarter Friday night in Copperas Cove.
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs finally got that elusive blowout victory over rival Waco High.
It took Cove almost the entire first half to get going, but in the teams' 23rd consecutive meeting on Friday – the first time in nondistrict play – the Bulldawgs ran all over the
Class 4A Lions with 28 consecutive points after the 8:46 mark in the second quarter.
Will Wright punished the Waco defense with five touchdowns as Cove routed its Central Texas rival, 41-20.
The victory gave the Dawgs their first double-digit win over the Lions since the teams begin playing in 1986, and moved Cove to 5-18 against their former district rival.
"I don't know if I ever thought I would get five touchdowns," Wright said, shaking his head in a bit of shock. But I always say, 'the tougher the game, the better.'"
The junior's five TDs tied the school record for scores by a running back. Wright now shares a place in the Dawg history book with Vontez Duff and Jerrard Millsap.
Four of the five touchdown runs by Wright came from the 1-yard line or closer. His other came from 14 yards out in the fourth quarter as he finished with a hard-earned 106.
"I love getting those tough inside runs," added Wright. "I don't ever want to go down."
The Bulldawgs, however, looked as though they might go down after a rough first quarter. On Cove's first drive, Andrew Weaver grabbed a Brandin Byrd fumble and returned it 36 yards for a score. The Dawgs turned it right back over to the Lions on the next possession when a bad exchange between quarterback Cody Vaughn and Byrd led to a Lions field goal and a 10-0 deficit.
But Cove's defense bailed its offensive buddies out. Rashad Hardy picked off a Kohlin Kahler pass that gave Cove possession on the Waco 28-yard line. Wright did the rest of the work with 28 all-purpose yards and the touchdown to get Cove within three points.
The two teams exchanged scores and Waco added a field goal before Cody Vaughn led the Dawgs on a long scoring drive highlighted by Josh Kasten's 37-yard reception.
The Lions, though, came roaring right back and got down to the 1-yard line on the legs of their dynamite backfield duo. But senior Tanner Brock, perhaps making the play of the night, ripped Kahler on the QB sneak and Phillip Tedder recovered the fumble at the goal line to let Cove escape with a 21-20 half-time lead.
"It wasn't pretty," Welch said of his team's first half. "But I always tell the kids adversity makes you better or bitter. Tonight we got better."
The Dawgs dominated the second half in just about every facet. Byrd made amends for his fumble with 91 yards in the second half after garnering just 15 in the first. The perfomance gave him back-to-back 100-yard rushing games.
Vaughn was efficient as he made just one mistake – an interception. The first-year starter completed 11 of 16 passes for 154 yards on the night.
"Having two running backs like Will and Brandin is a great thing," Welch said. "It really lets Cody stay within himself and be able to make some plays with his arm."
The defense was superb after being put in precarious situations throughout the first half. It didn't allow any more points after the break, and controlled Waco's two-thronged backfield that amassed 235 yards rushing. Several guys had big nights including Hardy (interception, five tackles), Brock (1 fumble forced, 13 tackles), Matthew Garrett (five tackles) and Phillip Tedder (three fumble recoveries).
"We can't start games like that, especially against talented teams," Welch said. "But I think sometimes that happens with a younger, inexperienced team. So you have to like that we showed backbone and stamina – the good things is now that we've been in a game like this, we know we have those qualities."
And that makes the contest worth it, even if was a nondistrict game for the first time in 23 years.
Contact Evan Mohl at emohl@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Next game
Matchup: Copperas Cove at McKinney Boyd
Where: Ron Poe Stadium (McKinney)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 30
Killeen Daily Herald
SAN ANGELO – Before their season opener against Copperas Cove, Bobcats coach Steve Heryford said San Angelo Central had to eliminate the Bulldawgs' explosiveness.
That didn't happen.
Senior Chris Miller took the opening kickoff 80 yards and Brandin Byrd scored four plays later on fourth-and-1 as the Bulldawgs used big play after big play to rout the Bobcats, 56-0, in both teams' first game in 2008.
Friday night's victory was Cove's third straight against Central in season openers, topping the 33-0 thrashing in 2007.
"I think the big thing for us tonight was that our guys came out to prove themselves," said Bulldawgs coach Jack Welch, who has guided Cove to consecutive 4A state championship games. "We came out with a focus and intensity from the opening kickoff. That return by Chris Miller really set the whole tone."
Miller wasn't done, either. He picked off Tyler Jones in the second quarter and somehow managed to find the end zone. Sitting back in a zone, Miller grabbed the pass at the 38-yard line, and he started to run toward the Cove sideline. Not seeing any running lanes, Miller circled back, waiting for his blocks. He then found the tiniest of lanes back on the same far sideline and zoomed to the goal line for a 28-0 Bulldawg lead.
"As a senior leader, I was coming out and trying to send a message, start the season off right with a little bang," Miller said. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates, but my coaches always tell me playmakers make plays, and I want to be a playmaker."
Cove had plenty of those guys to start the season.
Not to be outdone, Byrd certainly lived up to the praise he received from offensive coordinator Tracy Welch. During the offseason, Welch called Byrd the back with the best vision since Vontez Duff, the ex-Dawg who attended Notre Dame and saw time in the NFL.
Byrd weaved in and out holes all night and showed the ability to run in the open field or between the tackles. He had just as many hard-earned 4-yard runs, like his TD-blast from 4 yards out, as ankle-breaking runs – such as when he burned the Bobcats for a 20-yard touchdown.
Byrd finished the night with 109 yards on 15 carries to go with his three touchdowns. His partner, fellow junior running back Will Wright was also dynamite. He banged out 80 yards, dragging Bobcat defenders on his back all night, on eight carries.
The 1-2 backfield duo combined for 199 yards.
"I expect that from those running backs," Welch said. "Brandin is really slippery and Will is such a horse, man he runs with power. We got a good backfield tandem, maybe the best 1-2 punch we've ever had."
In his first varsity start, junior Cody Vaughn was solid. His 9-of-19 passing wasn't spectacular, but he had two touchdown passes, including a 50-yard strike to Tommy McLeain. Josh Boyce caught the other on a 15-yard curl route, and then slithered through the defense for an extra four yards and the touchdown.
Perhaps Vaughn's best play of the night came on a high snap that went over his head. The QB, doing his best Tony Romo impression, ran down the ball and threw an incomplete pass to avoid the sack and a 20-yard loss.
With the Dawgs up by 49, Nick Greene entered with 1:26 remaining in the thirrd quarter. Vaughn retired with 119 passing yards and two touchdowns. Vaughn, along with Greene, guided the Dawgs to 317 total yards on the evening.
"For his varsity game, I thought Cody was good and really poised," Welch said. "He came out and threw some crisp passes and he was hesitant on others. Overall, I thought he had a good night and he'll continue to get better."
The defense was just as good as the offense on a night that had few, if any black marks. The Dawgs stymied Central all night as they limited the Bobcats to just 146 total yards. Whenever there appeared to be a hole, Cove defenders would quickly close it, using their tremendous speed.
Besides the Miller pick, Rashad Hardy also intercepted a pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown while the Dawg front seven penetrated the backfield on virtually every play.
Phillip Tedder got two sacks and Ken Hughes had two tackles for a loss, making the departed front four of last year seem like a distant memory.
"Our defense is pretty fast, as fast as about last year's (state finalists)," Tedder said. "We grew up as a team tonight, and we're going to try to do the same thing against Waco. We may be in 5A, but we're fighting for another state championship run."
Contact Evan Mohl at emohl@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Tuesday, August 19
L-R Shawna Cassell, (Secretary) Gerald Tong, (Vice-Chairperson)
Mke Wilburn, (Chairperson) Curtis Wells, (Treasurer)
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Sunday, August 17
Bagley, Byrd and Rimes expected to breakout
Copperas Cove running back Brandin Byrd and Giddings running back Eric Rimes have been listed by Texas Football Magazine as possible breakout candidates for the 2008 season.
As a sophomore, Byrd rushed for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Byrd didn’t get a lot of carries but had a signature performance in Copperas Cove’s 15-9 win over Aledo in the Class 4A, Division I semifinals. With star running back Troy Vital on the sideline tending to an injury, Byrd rushed for 88 yards on 12 carries.
As a freshman, Rimes got minimal varsity playing time but his touches are expected to increase in 2008.
San Marcos junior linebacker Blake Bagley was also listed as a possible breakout player.
Thursday, May 8
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