Copperas Cove is 0-4 against Bryan since November of 2020 but things could change on Friday. The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs will square off against the Bryan Vikings at 7:30 p.m. Both might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 1,421 yards in their previous games.
Copperas Cove is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They came out on top against Killeen by a score of 62-53 on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldawgs.
Copperas Cove found their leader in underclassman Kj (Lejuandro) Zeigler, who rushed for 275 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 13.1 yards per carry. Those 275 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Zeigler. Arthur Miller was in the mix too, providing Copperas Cove with two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Copperas Cove was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 365 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Copperas Cove wouldn't let Killeen keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Xavier Taclibon, Jaciari Edwards, and Cameron Tuiasosopo picked up one apiece. Taclibon is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last five games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Bryan posted their biggest win since September 22, 2023 two weeks ago. They blew past George Ranch 62-37. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 294th, while the Longhorns are ranked 622nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Bryan to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jevalen Wade, who rushed for 285 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.0 yards per carry. Wade really tore up the turf during one magnificent 70-yard run. Titus Runnels also helped out as he racked up 160 rushing yards.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Bryan's defensive line and their three sacks. Chester Gooden was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up twohimself. Troy Odle was another major factor on D, making eight total tackles and defending three passes in addition to snagging an interception.
Copperas Cove now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Bryan, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Copperas Cove has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 229.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bryan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 315.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Copperas Cove couldn't quite finish off Bryan in their previous matchup back in September of 2023 and fell 49-46. Can Copperas Cove avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
