With district win in pocket Lake Belton heads south for game against East View

By Tony Adams

The Belton Journal

Texas high school football has a funny way of turning on a dime.

Just ask Lake Belton head coach Brian Cope.

With Leander Rouse up by 10 points with 9:22 remaining in the game last Friday night at Tiger Field, the Raiders opted to go for a dagger: a successful onside kick attempt to keep the ball away from the Broncos’ powerful offense.

What they got was a head scratch from the football gods, and then a 50-yard onside kick return for a touchdown by Josh Lighthall.

It started a 21-point swing in which all three facets kicked in great plays in a 49-38 win.

“Josh Lighthall with huge play,” Cope said. “AJ Peters is the 212 player of the game because of his special teams’ effort. Chuong Long (7-of-7 in point after conversions) has done a good job being consistent. We won the big play and starting field position and were one yard away from winning the net punting battle. It was a good job all around.”

With special teams setting the table for the turnaround, it set the offense up to add to their success. Maverik Maddux did an excellent job of controlling the ball, mixing in Zyien Dupree and Arrington on the run, and working passes into Davion Peters, Brock von Rajcs, Zion Harness, Luke Phillips, and Logan Winkler. The offensive line gave him plenty of time to make offense happen, with a 455-yard output overall.

“A great job by our offense,” Cope said. “We scored three out of five times in the first half. In the second half, it takes three scores to win the game, and we ended up scoring four when you count the kick return. Our receiving corps had 11 dominating blocks, so we won the perimeter, and the offensive line did a great job in pass protection. Then, at the end of the game, to run the ball to win and seal it was outstanding to watch. I am proud of that group for them playing a complete game.”

The Broncos gave up a good number of yards on defense but picked off two key passes and had several big third and fourth down stops that gave the offense some short-field opportunities to convert.

“Outstanding job by our defense when it counted,” Cope said. “Gavin Owens and Gavin Stewart played outstanding. We won the turnover battle and the explosive play battle which is always so important in the game.”

Next up for The Lake Show: a trip to Birkelbach Field in Georgetown to take on the East View Patriots. The offense passed for 130 yards per game and rushed for 148 in their 31-17 win over Leander Glenn. It is a very balanced offense, as the Pats average 169.3 yards passing and 162.8 yards per game rushing.

“They are minimal in their formations but very effective in what they do,” Cope explained. “They have two very talented receivers and two good running backs. Their quarterback moved from receiver and can run really well along with running their offense as well. This is another big test for our defense. We must get off the field when we get the chance.”

Defensively, the Broncos have been able to handle both aspects of offenses through the first four games. They were extremely aggressive against the Rouse passing game, and it affected the run game as well.

“They keep stepping up in big moments,” Cope said. “Gavin Stewart and Braxtan Cope in the back end, along with Jy Sherman and Christian Onchweri, have done outstanding. Gavin Owens is leading the linebackers, and Evan Lazott and Caleb Chandler are doing a great job in the front seven. They are leading from the front, and our team is responding to them.”

The Patriots are second overall in 8-5A-I in points allowed per game with 24.3. Defensively, they are aggressive in the front seven and play the pass well.

“They are a 3-4 defense who blitzes two almost every play,” Cope said. “They force you into man-to-man matchups on the offensive line, and we must win those. They are talented across the board with their secondary being outstanding. This will be a battle of strength versus strength. In the little SEC, every week is going to be one that you must bring it.”

The Broncos’ passing game has gotten into the groove as of late, averaging 210 yards per game. The run game is averaging 130 yards per contest through four games.

“We have to execute our plan,” Cope said. “We did that in two of the four games this year. In district, you do not have a chance to miss. We have to win the perimeter and take advantage of their aggressiveness. It is going to be another tough test because they put tons of pressure on you.”

Bouncing back from the program’s first two-game losing streak, Lake rebounded with two huge wins and has another opportunity to go 1-0 again on Friday.

“We have to respond to success,” Cope said. “It is easy when you lose to respond. But when you win two in a row, you have to practice even harder. This is now a six-week battle, and we have to take it one week at a time.”