By Jason Chlapek
Cove Leader-Press
With the exception of two turnovers, a punt and a safety, the Copperas Cove offense clicked on all cylinders Friday night.
The Bulldawgs accounted for 439 yards of total offense in a 49-27 victory against Ellison in the 2026 season opener at Bulldawg Stadium.
Craig Davis III led the way for Cove (1-0) with 291 yards and three touchdowns passing and 36 yards on five carries.
The Bulldawgs also received a solid night from running backs KJ Zeigler and Keshawn Dooley.
Zeigler ran 12 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns, while Dooley ran eight times for 67 yards and caught four passes for 61 yards and a score.
A bobbled punt snap led to a five-yard punt to the Cove 46 where the Bulldawgs needed just six plays to matriculate 54 yards into the endzone with Dooley catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Davis on a screen pass with 6:47 left in the first quarter. Davis also had a 10-yard run and an 18-yard completion to Ashton Adams on the drive.
Three plays later, Brenton Boyd intercepted a Marlyn Smith pass at the Ellison 30 to give Cove prime field position once again. Davis needed just two plays to connect with Adams for a 36-yard touchdown pass to increase the Bulldawgs’ lead to 14-0 at the 4:32 mark of the opening frame.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard on a 47-yard pass from Smith to Josh Burns to trim Cove’s lead to 14-6 with 2:25 left in the first quarter. Smith also had a 23-yard run on the drive.
The Bulldawgs answered with an eight-play, 82-yard drive that concluded with Davis connecting with Victor Tepezano for a 28-yard score at the 11:42 mark of the second quarter. Davis also connected with Adams and Dooley for gains of 14 and 17 yards, respectively.
Ellison needed just two plays to respond. Smith hit Zay Crable for a 73-yard score to cut Cove’s lead to nine, 21-12, with 10:38 remaining in the second frame.
The Bulldawgs capped the first-half scoring with a 56-yard touchdown run from KJ Zeigler with 1:48 remaining before halftime. The score capped a six-play, 83-yard drive and gave Cove a 28-12 advantage at the break.
After forcing a Bulldawg punt, the Eagles needed three plays to cover 58 yards and trim Cove’s lead to 28-18 at the 9:35 mark of the third quarter. Smith hit Tyler Reed for a 41-yard score.
But the Bulldawgs answered on the ensuing drive. They answered with a six-play, 70-yard drive that was led by Davis hitting Jaylen Boyd for 31 yards and Dooley reeling off a 30-yard run before Zeigler capped the drive with a three-yard score.
Ellison fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Cove 29 and the Bulldawgs added to their lead with a 45-yard scoring strike from Davis to Adams. Davis also hit Tepezano for 14 yards on the five-play, 71-yard drive.
Cove’s final score came with 9:30 left in the fourth quarter. Brenham Taylor hit Kedrian Gee for a 35-yard score to make it 49-18.
The Eagles added a 23-yard touchdown pass from Micah Augustus to Sam Bass with 2:05 left in the game. Ellison capped the scoring by tackling a Cove running back in the endzone for a safety with 1:14 remaining.
The Eagles were led by Smith, who passed for 236 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 89 yards on 13 carries – both team-highs. Reed led Ellison with seven catches for 115 yards.
The Bulldawgs host Round Rock Cedar Ridge at 7 p.m. Friday at Bulldawg Stadium.
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