Football to host Denton Braswell in home opener

Benjamin Nopper, Section Editor • September 28, 2018

Seniors Ryan Collins and Danny Flaggert pursue a Frisco Heritage ball carrier.

Three hundred and twenty-two days have elapsed since the last time the football team (2-0 overall, 1-0 district) took the field in a regular season game at Leopard Stadium, but the long drought will finally end as the Leopards will host the Denton Braswell Bengals (1-3, 1-0) tonight at 7 p.m. The festivities of Leopard Friday will also add to the significance of the home opener.

As the Leopards have already sat through a rain out in week two, a near two-hour delay in week three and a bye in week four, head coach Todd Ford said he has high expectations for the home opener.

“I expect the energy level to be really high, and I will be disappointed if it’s not,” Ford said. “We all really enjoy competition, and thus, when it’s game day, we ought to be on cloud nine.”

The aforementioned competition the Leopards will face consists of a Denton Braswell team that dropped its first three non-district games. However, the Bengals defense forced four turnovers and held first-year program Frisco Memorial to negative rushing yards in a 43-0 victory in last week’s district opener.

Senior quarterback Carson Collins described the Bengals defense as athletic but potentially susceptible to the passing game.

“They are the most athletic team we have seen so far,” Collins said. “They play a seven-man box most of the time to stop the run, and they play a loose man coverage over the top, which we can attack with the pass game.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Denton Braswell also offers some unique looks, senior defensive back Chase Coronado said.

“We see some good athletes [on film] for sure and a lot of funky formations and motioning,” Coronado said. “However with all of that being said, our defense has had two weeks to prepare for them, so we are very excited to get after these guys.”

The team took care of business two weeks ago against Frisco Memorial after the power went out in the area, forcing a prolonged delay during the first quarter. The Leopards didn’t look back even after the delay and held on for a 74-13 victory.

Collins registered 301 passing yards and three touchdowns in the winning effort, and sophomore running back James Boyd gathered 110 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the absence of fellow tailback Jahi Rainey (illness).

“I was very pleased with how maturely they handled the situation,” Ford said. “We knew there was a chance this [rain] could happen, and as a result we went right into plan B, and we made the best of it.”

About the Contributors

Benjamin Nopper, Section Editor

After joining staff and becoming an editor his sophomore year, Benjamin Nopper is enthusiastic to spend his senior year in the newsroom he considers to be his home away from home. Benjamin walked into room E103 two years ago feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of the unknown‒writing for an award-winning publication without much previous experience. Hundreds of articles and dozens of close relationships later, he now understands that writing enables an individual to have a meaningful impact in his community. A disciple of his former boss, Nick Smith, Nopper retains his position as sports editor for the third consecutive year while also contributing as an opinion writer. However, if it were up to him, he would run his own satire department. Outside of the newsroom, Nopper plays baseball and serves as an FCA leader. Nopper is also a member of Student Council, NHS and Spanish Club. He enjoys embarking adventures with his three dogs, spending afternoons on the golf course, and feeding his unhealthy coffee obsession. Nopper also loves to watch Impractical Jokers, the show that admittedly inspires some of his lighthearted interactions with his friends. Upon graduating, Nopper intends to study business and eventually attend law school.

Grace Nguyen, Section Editor

Fueled daily by three iced vanilla coffees, standing at 5’2”, Grace Nguyen will walk into the E103 door with no problem. Grace is entering senior year, and the only reason she is believed to have survived high school is because of the napping couch in the photography studio. During her time on staff, Grace has been to almost every football game, win or loss, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. Yes, Grace has been tackled by football players, run over by coaches, and body slammed by referees. Nonetheless, Grace will confidently walk on the field this year, bruises and all, alongside her sideline media team. Stepping outside the newsroom, which is rare, Grace enjoys playing softball, hanging out with family and friends, and finding excuses to go to every $3 Pazookie Tuesdays at BJ’s. After high school, Grace hopes to pursue a career in sports photojournalism, so watch out for her still getting run over by athletes on ESPN in the years to come. Although it’s bittersweet to leave newspaper upon graduation, Grace is thankful for all the opportunities that she’s had on staff. Through The Red Ledger, Grace created long-lasting friendships and won a lot of awards that she never imagined was possible. Grace hopes that current and future staffers will think of this national-award-winning publication the same way as she did–a second family and their home away from home.