Josh Welch, Brent Garner and current Baylor standout Robert Griffin were all quarterbacks that opposing coaches knew they had to keep contained.
Times are changing.
As the Bulldawgs (11-1) enter today’s 7:30 p.m. Class 5A Division Region II semifinal against Houston Cypress Ridge (9-2) at Waco ISD Stadium, the quarterback to fear will be playing for Cy-Ridge, while some people may need a roster just to know who Cove’s quarterback is.
Cy-Ridge’s Russell Shepard is rated by Rivals.com as the top dual-threat quarterback in the nation. The Louisiana State commitment has rushed for 2,635 yards and passed for 1,616.
“I have been in coaching for 30 years and he is near the top of the list of the best athletes I’ve coached,” Cy-Ridge coach Gary Thiebaud said. “That’s a very short list. Like all athletes of his type, he’s very instinctive and plays to those instincts. He’s very knowledgeable about the game.”
Shepard led District 15-5A in rushing but had the benefit of having a very talented running back alongside him in Hasan Lipscomb, who has rushed for 1,045 yards and was second in the district in rushing.
“It’s not just their quarterback,” Copperas Cove coach Jack Welch said. “The running back has just as many yards and they’ve combined for 31 touchdowns.”
That will put a lot of pressure on a Cove defense that is allowing 278.5 yards per game. But the defense has seen many tests in recent years and has passed most, including last week’s win over Garland Naaman Forest that Welch said might have been the best performance of the year.
“That was one of the best games defensively we’ve ever played,” he said. “They played well from start to finish and executed the game plan. We aren’t going to be the most athletic team out there, but when the kids do what they are supposed to do and execute the game plan, then good things will happen.”
The Bulldawgs held Naaman Forest’s Jonathon Miller and Demario Broadnax under 100 yards, the first time the Rangers failed to have a 100-yard rusher all season.
The Bulldawgs have had a history of overcoming teams with a single star athlete. Welch says that’s because the team understands that great athletes are going to be able to get their yards anyway.
“You can’t stop everything,” Welch said. “You focus on that and you won’t stop anything. The talented players will get their yards.”
The Cove defense has had to step us as Cove’s offense is still trying to find some rhythm under quarterback Nick Greene.
Greene, who was the backup most of last year and this year, was forced into the starting role when started when starter Cody Vaughn went down with an injury in the regular season finale.
Greene has not felt completely comfortable as the starter, throwing for just 13 yards on 3-of-14 passing. All three completions came in last week’s win.
“Being a new starting quarterback, he did some things well,” Welch said of Greene. “But the things he didn’t do well stood out like a big hickey.”
Namely, Greene had a fumble late in the game that the Rangers ran back for a touchdown, turning a two-TD lead into a mere eight points.
But long before that, when neither team had scored, Greene’s indecision and failure to complete a pass was costly. Things began to change when he finally did complete one after missing his first three of the game.
“That was important because the first plays he didn’t even throw it to the receivers,” Welch said. “We had pass plays and the guys were wide open but he didn’t throw it.”
Thiebaud said it doesn’t matter who Cove has at quarterback, the Rams - who allow more than 28 points per game - will still have to be at the top of their game.
“Cove is an outstanding football team,” he said. “We know their reputation. They play hard, can put pressure on you and play outstanding defense. They do a good job running the ball and manage to throw using play-action. They try to lull you to sleep using the run, then use the play-action. We will have to play sound defense.”
He knows that’s especially true coming to Waco.
“We didn’t want to play there,” he said. “We know they call it their second home and are like 13-0 there. We wanted to get them out of there. But we couldn’t find an agreeable spot. We put Kyle Field up, they put Waco up and they won. But our kids will be prepared for that.”
