Coppage sees better days ahead for Eagles

Eisenhower had to go against the state’s No. 1-ranked Class 5A football last week and when all was said and done the Titans had earned a 59-8 victory.

“I sure didn’t see any weaknesses on that night,” Ike wide receiver Jordan Coppage said Wednesday afternoon. “They just work had and kept taking the fight to us all night.”

Tonight, the Eagles will host another District 5A-2 opponent in McGuinness and this is a game the Eagles sorely want to win since losing to the Irish has cost them playoff berths during 2 of the last 3 seasons.

“They are pretty big and they are disciplined,” Coppage said. “They like to run the ball and will keep it pretty basic. We have to execute well on offense and move the football.”

The Eagles did move the ball well at times against No. 1 Carl Albert but they weren’t consistent enough.

“We all have to be students of the game and work harder and become more consistent,” Coppage said. “We have been playing since grade school and we would love to have a really gooid season.”

While many of the athletes we interviuew want to go out and dine in their favorite restaurant, Coppage says his mom Shawanda makes amazing food at that would be his choice on special occasion.

“She makes great pork chops and mashed potatoes and gravy,” he said. “That’s probably my favorite meal.

When it comes to his favorite class Coppage said Spanish is probably his favorite class this semester.

“I just think it would good to be bilingual once I get out in the job world,” he said. “There are many Spanish-speaking people in our country and it would be good to know how to communicate with them.”

Coppage would love to play football at Oklahoma University but he knows it would take some doing to reach that level.

“I think our offense can keep getting better and that’s what we are all striving to accomplish as we move forward,” he said. “Our offensive line is starting to get a more consistent push up front and as they improve I think we will improve.

“We have some big guys up on our line but they are rather inexperienced. I think they are getting better as if that happens I think our offense will really start to improve.”

One phase the Eagles have been good a most of the season is special teams, especially in a win over Lawton High. The key in that game was Serri Sheridan’s 72-yard kickoff return right on the heels of one by the Wolverines.

“I was over on the sideline cheering him on,” Coppage said of where he was when that play happened. I had been on the kickoff team all that game but I swapped out on that one.”

Coppage wasn’t able to escort him to the end zone because he was on the sideline and he said, “I wasn’t fast enough to catch because because he’s much faster than me.”