MaxPreps 2013 Preseason Xcellent 25 Football preview: No. 13 Coppell

When the Cowboys of Coppell (Texas) were good last year, they were really good.

Coppell opened the season with a 41-8 drubbing of East Texas power Longview and four weeks later handed eventual Class 5A-I state champion Allen its only loss of the season.

Eventually, Coppell was bounced from the playoffs by DeSoto. In 2013, the team returns a very balanced group that should again be among the nation's best.

A half-dozen starters return on each side of the ball. The most high-profile Cowboy is Solomon Thomas, a defensive end with numerous Division 1 offers, including from Texas, Stanford and Notre Dame. He'll be supported by linebacker John Herubin, an athletic, 6-foot-4 linebacker who was a first team all-region selection.



The team's offense should click from day one. With the exception of the team's center, the entire offensive line is returning from last year. However, the unit was plagued by injuries last year, something that could derail Coppell's title hopes in 2013.

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The team's top two running backs also return, as Gavin McDaniel and Charles West will come back for more success.

Quarterback Colby Mahon needs to be replaced. He leaves behind rather large shoes to fill, though McBride likes what he has seen from junior Skyler Bonneau and sophomore Myles Paschal.

Local look: "Thomas has so many suitors that even when he narrows the list, he's got a baker's dozen."
- Matt Wixon, Dallas Morning News, on the hectic recruitment of Solomon Thomas
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Size: Class 5A

Enrollment: 2,700 (approx.)



2012 finish: 11-1

Head coach: Joe McBride

Years at school: 4

Career record: 46-13

Notable players coached:

DB Lewis Baker (Oklahoma)

DL Stansly Maponga (TCU, NFL)

OL Ian Cunningham (Virginia, NFL)



RB Cam McDaniel (Notre Dame)

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No. of returning starters: 7 (offense), 6 (defense)

Key losses:

WR Cameron Smith

DL William Udeh

QB Colby Mahon




Key returners:

DL Solomon Thomas

LB John Herubin

RB Gavin McDaniel

RB Charles West


Key newcomers:



QB Skyler Bonneau

LB Bo Anderson

DL Franklin Rosales Mareno
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Toughest game: The Cowboys' Sept. 27 road game against Allen will be one of the biggest games in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex this season.

Question mark: For as outstanding as Coppell looked in the regular season, it was defeated handily in the playoffs by DeSoto in the second round of the Class 5A-I playoffs. If the two meet again in the Region I bracket, can Coppell return the favor?

Local look: There are many teams in the DFW area that have the potential to be very good. Which ones realize that potential remains to be seen. In addition to Allen, Coppell and DeSoto, Southlake Carroll, Arlington Bowie, Cedar Hill and Skyline could all figure into the national rankings this fall.

Overall outlook: Coppell returns its offensive line, two important playmakers and most of its defense, including its best overall player in Thomas. In McBride's fifth season at the helm, it seems as if pieces are coming together for a state title run, a run that will feature several major hurdles along the way.



Coach quote: "I feel like we've got some good kids coming back. We've got great leadership."
 - Head coach Joe McBride
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