Football Game Preview: Copperas Cove Bulldawgs vs. Shoemaker Wolves

The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs will take on the Shoemaker Wolves at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Copperas Cove has given up an average of 27.1 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Copperas Cove is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Harker Heights just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They lost 36-16 to the Knights. The matchup marked the Bulldawgs' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, Shoemaker got the win against Bryan on Thursday by a conclusive 42-19. Considering the Wolves have won four games by more than 22 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Shoemaker had a senior duo take command as Brandon Brown Jr rushed for 129 yards and three TDs on only 11 carries and Willie Thomas rushed for 168 yards and one score on only 13 carries. Those 168 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Thomas.

Shoemaker was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 377 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 177 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Shoemaker's victory bumped their record up to 7-1. As for Copperas Cove, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-2.

Things could have been worse for Copperas Cove, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 30-12 loss to Shoemaker in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Brown Jr, who rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown on only 13 carries, and also picked up 62 receiving yards and one TD. Now that the Bulldawgs know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.