WAXAHACHIE – Waxahachie ran the ball on all 11 plays on its game-winning drive, marching 63 yards for a 13-yard touchdown run by Taylen Strange with 1:55 left to beat Coppell 27-24.
Strange, who often gets overlooked in Waxahachie’s high-powered passing game, carried the ball six times for 45 yards on the winning drive and finished with 24 carries for 139 yards and three touchdowns.
A week after Waxahachie quarterback Jerry Meyer III threw for 400 yards and six touchdowns against Ennis, Waxahachie ran for 215 yards on 35 carries while throwing only 20 passes.
Waxahachie’s defense put the game away with back-to-back sacks, with Sedrick Marsh Jr. getting the first one and Carmelo Clawson and Anthony Newton Jr. combining on the second one.
Coppell quarterback Carter Zingelmann completed a 17-yard pass on fourth down to move the ball to the Waxahachie 44, but it was 3 yards short of the first down with 28 seconds left.
In addition to Strange, Waxahachie got 77 yards on seven carries from Jordan Smith.
Waxahachie regained the lead, 21-17, on an 11-yard touchdown run by Smith with 4:47 left in the third quarter, and he had three carries for 53 yards on the drive.
Zingelmann, a four-star junior who is rated the ninth best quarterback in the nation in the Class of 2028, threw for 255 yards and a touchdown on 22 of 29 passing. He hit Jacob Anene with a 16-yard touchdown pass to give Coppell a 17-14 lead in the third quarter, and Coppell (1-1) took a 24-21 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter when Zavier Kichan scored on a 1-yard run.
Coppell 7 3 7 7 24
Waxahachie 0 14 7 6 27
CP – Zavier Kichan 2 run (Caden Mechsner kick).
WX – Taylen Strange 13 run (Kohen Manis kick).
CP – Caden Mechsner 20 field goal.
WX – Taylen Strange 1 run (Kohen Manis kick).
CP – Jacob Anene 16 pass from Carter Zingelmann (Caden Mechsner kick).
WX – Jordan Smith 11 run (Kohen Manis kick).
CP – Zavier Kichan 2 run (Caden Mechsner kick).
WX – Taylen Strange 13 run (run failed).
First Downs CP: 20 WX:18
Rushing Yards CP: 33-90 WX: 35-215
Passing Yards CP: 255 WX: 132
Passing CP: 22-29-0 WX: 13-20-1
Punts-Avg CP: 4-34.5 WX: 2-41
Penalties CP: 4-41 WX: 8-45
Fumbles-Lost CP: 0-0 WX: 1-1
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: CP – Carter Zingelmann 13-50, Zavier Kichan 18-39, Carson Hodge 2-1. WX – Jordan Smith 7-77, Jerry Meyer III1-2, Taylen Strange 24-139, Kentorion King 2-3, Josh Wade1-4.
Passing: CP – Carter Zingelmann 22-29-0-255. WX: Jerry Meyer III 13-20-1-132.
Receiving: CP – Jackson Echols 6-51, Ishan Mair 3-38, Jacob Anene 5-64, Corson Lindley 2-64, Diego Rodriguez 2-26, Zavier Kichan 3-13, Carson Hodge 1-1. WX – Jordan Smith 1-8, Taylen Strange 1-13, Jordan Thompson-Woods 5-80, Kentorion King 2-5, Jashawn Crayton 3-26, Josh Wade 1-10.