Little Elm spoils Cooper's debut
August 28, 2010

By DAVID CLAYBOURN
Herald-Banner Staff

GREENVILLE -- Little Elm’s Lobos spoiled the head coaching debut of Chawn Cooper in a 31-10 victory over the Greenville Lions on Friday night.

The Lobos snapped a 10-10 tie in the second quarter, reeling off 21 unanswered points to take the 2010 football season opener at T.A. “Cotton” Ford Stadium.

Little Elm owned a big advantage in first downs (20-7) and total yards (296-204).

“We got outplayed on both sides of the ball,” said Cooper. “Their kids were more physical than us and blocked and tackled better than us.”

Cooper said the Lions’ effort and attitudes were great but they couldn’t overcome some mistakes in technique and inexperience. The Lions return only two offensive starters and one defensive regular off last year’s 6-4 team.

Little Elm took the opening kickoff and drove from its 39 to the Lion five after getting a 15-yard completion from Brandon Dudley to Darryl Demesme and an 11-yard run from Matt Marrs. But the Lobos lost a touchdown when Dudley’s 5-yard pass to Jordan Alvidrez was called back because of offensive pass interference in the end zone.

Little Elm’s placekicker Selvin DeLeon then pushed a 37-yard field goal try wide to the left.

The Lobos forced a Greenville punt and then drove from midfield to the Lion 12. But a false start penalty backed the Lobos up to the Greenville 17 and the Lion defense dug in, forcing Little Elm to settle for DeLeon’s 32-yard field goal that put the Lobos on the scoreboard first with 11:50 left in the second quarter.

Greenville answered with a 24-yard field goal from Zakery Halverson that tied the score at 3-3 with 8:43 left in the second quarter. Cobbie Johnson set up the field goal with his 66-yard catch and run off a pass from Jeffro Davis.

Little Elm countered with a 74-yard, nine-play drive that featured runs of 18, 10 and 13 yards from quarterback Devonte Pullum, who topped off the drive with a 2-yard keep for the touchdown. DeLeon’s kick made it 10-3 with 5:39 left before halftime.

Antwoine Burley’s recovery of a Little Elm fumble at the Lobo 34 set up Greenville’s next score. The Lions covered the distance in only four plays, including a 14-yard run by fullback Austin Martin and then a 19-yard pass completion from Davis to Tony Rios for the touchdown with 1:57 left before the half. Halverson’s kick tied it at 10-10.

Little Elm added another score before the half, set up by a 48-yard kickoff return by Xavier Sanders to the Greenville 44. The Lobos scored with 42 seconds left in the second quarter on a 29-yard strike from Pullum to Sanders.

Little Elm controlled the ball and the clock for most of the first half, finishing with a 15-3 advantage in first downs, 212-110 edge in total yards and a 14:57 to 9:03 advantage in time of possession.

A fourth-down gamble didn’t pay off for the Lions on their first drive of the second half as Harris was stopped for a 7-yard loss at the Greenville 45. The Lobos drove to the Greenville end zone in seven plays, capped by Pullum’s 13-yard touchdown run with 5:33 left in the third period.

Sanders’ 36-yard punt return set up Little Elm’s final score: a 1-yard run by Marrs with 7:21 remaining.