Under the Friday night lights in the fall, one thing is guaranteed: the home stands of Max Goldsmith Stadium will be crowded with thousands of fans waiting to cheer on the Fighting Farmers.
“It’s always good to play at home,” senior running back Viron Ellison said. “We’ve always got packed stands when we’re at home, so you never lose that feeling.”
Senior night amplified the turnout as the varsity football team (3-1, 1-0 district) played hard in front of their first home crowd since late August, beating the Flower Mound Jaguars (2-2, 0-1 district) by a score of 34-7.
“They’re a good team, so we were looking forward to playing against them,” senior offensive lineman Devin Love said. “We’ve had some history with them since I was a freshman. That’s always been a game that we’ve kind of circled, but [the win] wasn’t a surprise at all.”
The celebrations continued after the game around senior quarterback Ethan Terrell. As a three-year starter, Terrell recorded his 26th win, surpassing 1993 state champion Chad Nelson as the winningest quarterback in team history. Head football coach Michael Odle, who led the 1996 state championship team, is fourth on the list with 17 wins.
“It’s 126 years of football,” assistant coach and offensive coordinator Ross Hasten said. “A lot of quarterbacks have gone through here and a lot of winning has happened here. It says a lot not just about Ethan, but this whole 2024 class that has helped pave the way. I think [Ethan’s] not satisfied, and I look forward to more wins.”
Terrell’s milestone win also proved the balance and versatility of the Farmers’ offense; the team attempted 31 passes, outpacing a pass-heavy Flower Mound team. Terrell completed 18 passes for 249 yards and threw four touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career.
“In my opinion, we’re a run team,” Love said. “We run the ball, no matter the front, no matter who you are, we move people. It’s easier now, knowing that we can trust a little more on passing and sit back in pass protection. It’s a great thing for us [because] it allows [the offense] to be unpredictable.”
Now, the team is locking back in with the opportunity to take an early lead in District 6-6A. Like last year, the Coppell Cowboys (4-0, 1-0 district) are undefeated heading into the game tonight at 7 p.m.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that have been battle-tested,” Hasten said. “They know what’s at stake and that every game is a test. We’re going to be tested and have everybody’s best shot. On Friday night, the team that plays the most physical and turns the ball over the least is going to come out victorious.”
The Cowboys’ offense has been explosive through four games, leading the district in scoring averaging 41 points per game. Junior quarterback Edward Griffin has a receiving group of varsity experienced starters complemented by senior running back Xavier Mosley and junior running back O’Marion Mbakwe.
“They’re going to try and spread the ball around,” Hasten said. “I think they’re going to have to do things on offense that they’ll do all year. Defensively they’ll have to match our physicality and stop the run. Last week Ethan showed we can really throw the ball.”
A polar opposite to the Cowboys, a stifling Farmers’ defense with a knack for forcing turnovers has allowed 8.75 points per game, the least by any district team. Against Flower Mound, the team forced four turnovers and junior defensive end Sean Oliver sacked Jaguars quarterback Jake Watson three times, ending several productive drives to keep Flower Mound off the scoreboard.
“We’re just ready to play them, to shut that undefeated thing down and move on to the next challenge,” senior linebacker Ke’Shawn Ford said. “We know our defensive line is going to get to the backfield and cause that pressure. They’re really fast, so we just wait for them to get back there because we know that ball has to come out quickly.”
Last year the Farmers’ defense limited a dynamic Cowboys offense to a field goal, winning the homecoming game 38-3. It also ended up being the offense’s best performance as the team finished with 456 total yards and five rushing touchdowns.
“We know how to move people on the offensive line, and the defensive line knows how to displace people and get in the backfield,” Love said. “They’re disruptive. We [practice] against one of the best D-lines in the state and they go against the best O-line in my opinion. Up front, nobody can beat us so far.”
Since joining District 6-6A in 2018, Coppell has been unable to win against the Farmers. With the team advancing further into the playoffs each season, the Cowboys will have to find a way to produce offensively and compete at the line of scrimmage or the trend is set to continue.
“They don’t know what it’s like to win against us,” Love said. “If we can win up front, we can win the battle. They run the same defense they ran for years, and I feel like we’ll come out and play like we did last year.”
