By David Morris
Cove Leader-Press
DeSoto – It has been 2,554 days since the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs football team last competed in a Texas High School playoff game. Their reward for finishing fourth in District 12-6A and making the playoffs, the top 25 ranked DeSoto Eagles out of District 11-6A.
The Eagles hit the gas running on the opening drive and put on a scoring clinic, scoring on 8 of 11 drives on the night and emptying the bag of plays to include an onside kick in the first quarter of action.
The Eagles scored on seven of eight attempts in the first half, with the final drive ending short of the endzone with the end of the half. In the second half, DeSoto would be one of three on their second half drives, racking up a final score of 63-6.
Leading the offense for Copperas Cove was Craig Davis III who was 15 of 31 passing for 151 yards and one touchdown pass. Carrying the ball were KJ Zeigler and Keshawn Dooley.
Zeigler recorded 7 touches for six yards, while Dooley tallied 17 carries.
Sending the opening kickoff to the Eagles was 32 that was returned out to the 35. The Eagles needed just six plays to travel the 65 yards for a touchdown on the carry by SaRod Baker for his first score of the night.
Fair catching the offering, Treyton Callum hauled the ball at the Dawgs’ 24-yard line. The Dawgs advanced the ball six yards on Dooley’s legs before facing fourth and four and punting the ball, flipping field possession back to the Eagles’ 31-yard line.
Needing just two plays, the Eagles found the endzone on a 69-yard catch out of the backfield for Baker. Foster added the point after kick to make the early score 14-0 with eight minutes left in the first quarter.
DeSoto sent the next kick as the onside variety and recovered the attempt at the Dawgs’ 42-yard line. One pass later from Howel, the Eagles posted their third touchdown on as many drives.
Starting their second drive of the night, the Dawgs called the kick fair at the 27-yard line by Callum again. Unable to pick up a yard on the drive, Braiden Meloon sent his second punt of the night to the Eagle’s 37-yard line. A block in the back negated a return to the endzone and set DeSoto back at the 27-yard line. Six plays and 69 yards, Ja’Quaylon Silas made the game a four-score game as DeSoto led 28-0 with the point after kick made by Jacob Flores with five and a half minutes left in the first quarter.
Callum was able to move his next kick reception five yards, moving from the 25 to the 30 where the offense would begin for Copperas Cove.
The Dawgs would again be short on the third down attempt, punting the ball to the Eagles’ 30 where Damarion Ross would return for a 65-yard touchdown making the score 35-0.
DeSoto’s kick would end at the Dawgs’ 26-yard line where they would begin the next drive.
Davis III picked up the Dawgs’ first, first down on the drive scrambling for 12 yards on a busted pass play. Finding some confidence, Davis found Hocutt for a gain, and a rush by Dooley made it third and less than one yard. Hocutt on the third down carry picked up the first down and crossed midfield for the first time.
Switching sides of the midfield stripe, the Dawgs continued the possession into the second quarter of action at Desoto’s 49 on second and 10 to gain. A quick pass to Victor Tepezano picked up a first down and Davis scrambled for another 10 yards on the drive.
This would be as close to the goal line as Davis pass was intercepted at the 10-yard line and brought back to the 49-yard line. Two plays and 51 yards on two passing plays made the score 42-0 following the extra point kick.
Davis and the Dawgs began the next drive at their own 30-yard line. Three plays later, the Dawgs picked up just two yards on the legs of Dooley before punting the ball back to the Eagles at their own 35-yard line who set up for a first and 10 to gain.
Moving the ball 65 yards on six lays, the Eagles found another touchdown off a pass from Howell to Ross for 22 yards to make the score 49-0 following the point after attempt.
The Dawgs’ next attempt began at their own 32-yard line. Faced with a third and 12, Davis found Tepezano for 16 yads and a first down.
On the next play, the Dawgs would fumble the ball that was collected by DeSoto at midfield and returned inside the Dawgs’ 10-yard line. One run up the middle netted another score for Baker making the scoreboard 56-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Taking possession at the 35-yard line, the Dawgs found a first down on a screen pass from Davis to Dooey for 17 yards for a new set of downs. On first, Zeigler picked up a couple yards to make it second and eight at the two-minute timeout of the first half.
Hocutt and Davis connected for a pass to the Eagles’ 40-yard line out of the break. Hocutt added another five-yard catch on the new set of downs with just over a minute left to play, the second down attempt for a 40-yard touchdown strike fell incomplete to bring up third and five where Davis would be sacked for a 10-yard loss back to the 45-yard line with fourth and 15 to gain with 60 seconds remaining in the first half. The fourth down attempt down the sideline resulted in a turnover on downs with the Eagles taking possession at their own 44-yard line.
A holding call on first down negated a long pass and score moving the Eagles back to their own 33-yard line.
Rushing to the line, the Eagles attempted to score before the end of the half with just 17 seconds left. Howell picked up 10 yards to midfield before DeSoto’s timeout with three seconds in the half. Howell’s attempt to air the ball out for a score in the winding second would fall incomplete sending both teams to the locker room.
The first half saw the Dawgs pick up seven first downs. They were able to rush for 40 yards on 19 carries and haul in 6 passes from Davis for 77 yards. They were six of 14 on third down and failed to convert the one fourth down attempt of the half.
Returning from the half, the Dawgs received the kick at their own 26-yard line. Copperas Cove continued the first half woes on the opening drive of the second half. Losing three yards on the drive, they punted the ball out to the Eagle’s 45-yard line.
Starting the replacements in the second half, the Eagles needed just four plays to cover 55 yards before Court’lyon Jackson found LaDainian Wall for a 16-yard pitch and catch, making the score 63-0.
Copperas Cove would begin the next possession at their own 42-yard line after a 20-yard kickoff return that would end in the bench of the Eagles with extracurriculars coming from both teams.
Facing a fourth and two from the 30-yard line, Davis and the Dawgs turned the ball over on downs following a sack for a 10-yard loss.
DeSoto retuned to the field at the 40 and needed one play to cross midfield. Three plays later, a running clock marked the end of the third quarter of action with the Eagles in control 63-0.
Facing a fourth and 17 at the 45-yard line, DeSoto was stacked up behind the line of scrimmage turning the ball over for their lone non scoring drive of the half.
Starting first and 10 at midfield, Copperas Cove moved into the redzone on seven plays before taking a time out with 4:28 left in the contest with first and 10 from the 11-yard line thanks to catches from Hocutt and Nate Jones.
With a fresh set of downs, Davis was sacked for a five-yard loss on first down only to find Tepezano on the next play, for the Dawgs’ lone score of the night to make the scoreboard 63-6.
For the second time on the night, Meloon lined up to boot the ball, sending it to the Eagles’ 30-yard line with three and a half minutes left to play. DeSoto used the remainder of the clock to run four three plays and line up on fourth and three with 17.9 seconds remaining in the game.
The Dawgs finished the season with six wins, five losses and the first trip to the post season since 2018.
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