After surprising Bosque County six-man world with their first postseason appearance since 2018, Class 1A, DII Kopperl Eagles expects to win and take it to the level
After Kopperl’s Cinderella season produced its first postseason appearance since 2018, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football predicts the Eagles will make it two years in a row by finishing second to sixth-ranked and defending district champion Iredell in the new District 11-1A, Division II.
As a result of the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment last February, Kopperl and Iredell will be challenged by the Morgan Eagles attempting to take flight with a new head coach competing against the Bluff Dale Bobcats and the Three Way Braves, who will be dropping down from Class 1A, DI.
“It’s always fun to speculate,” Kopperl football head coach Ken Davis said. “And for us, we were expecting to be in the same district as Iredell and Morgan. Three Way and Bluff Dale make sense because we are all in the immediate area.
“Obviously, Iredell is the favorite after a good run in 2023, and the fact that they bring most of their team back. I would like to think that we will be in the mix again because we are losing no one to graduation. Morgan is always competitive, and Three Way drops to D2 from a very tough district. Bluff Dale was in with Iredell last year and played them very close.
“All in all, I think the district is going to be well-represented. Overall, I believe it is going to be a great district full of rivalries and it makes for a lot of good storylines. Our team has come a long way from a winless 2021 season. The best thing of all is we lost nobody to graduation. So, we are excited about this year.”
With 11 returning letterman including all six offensive and six defensive starters taking the field again this season, the Eagles will be fully-loaded to challenge the powerhouse Iredell Dragons for the district title.
Accounting for 214.5 yards per game, senior quarterback Christian Falk returns as the signal caller after completing 76 of 131 passes for 1,092 yards, tossing 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions while rushing for 1,053 yards and 18 scores.
Falk will also have his favorite target back in senior receiver Kevin Eilers, who led the Eagles with 251 yards receiving on 15 catches for six scoring strikes. Senior Anthony Johnson returns as Falk’s lead blocker and alternative runner, while senior Isaac Payen gives the Eagles another scoring threat after running for five touchdowns and catching two more scores in 2023.
“Many of our seniors are four-year starters and bring a boatload of experience,” Davis said. “We also had 21 show up to play this year, which is almost double from last year. But we have to figure out a way to stop giving up too many big plays on defense.”
On defense, Johnson returns as Kopperl’s team leader and first-team, all-district selection after collecting 66 tackles, six fumble recoveries and three sacks last season, along with Falk, who led the team with 97 takedowns and four interceptions. The Eagles will also rely heavily on junior Bearon Brinkley and sophomore Jairo Vega to return as stout defenders as Brinkley contributed 66 tackles while Vega compiled 59 last season.
“Without question, Iredell is the heavy favorite,” Davis said. “They have most of their key players returning after a deep playoff run in 2023. But the rest of the district is evenly matched. Bluff Dale played Iredell close last year, while Three Way has a bunch of new players. Kopperl and Morgan will give everyone a run for it.”
Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS
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