Hopkins-Phelps signs for football; Smith, Woodberry to play college hoops
Fri, 2015-05-15 05:00
News Staff
The Bulldawgs’ football and basketball programs sent three more student-athletes – Davon Hopkins-Phelps, Chance Smith and Jordan Woodberry - to compete at the next level during a signing
ceremony Wednesday at Copperas Cove High School. “Opportunity is what the name of the game is,” said head football coach and athletic director Jack Welch. “To get the opportunity to go to school and be a part of something is an honor. We’re honored by having these three young fellows play for us throughout their careers. Not only were they good ball players, they were fine examples of good students.” Dual-sport athlete Hopkins- Phelps committed to play football for West Texas A&M. “It feels good knowing I get to go play somewhere,” said Hopkins-Phelps. “Football doesn’t just stop for me in high school. I get to go play somewhere else – especially for West Texas A&M. It’s a great school. I talked to the coaches a lot and I like the coaches a lot.”
Hopkins-Phelps showed his versatility for the Dawgs this season when he took over the quarterback position for an injured Manny Harris and led them to a 54-40 victory over Schertz-Clements to get their once-promising season back on track. Hopkins-Phelps will join fellow offensive teammates Remington Weis and Trent Canion at West Texas A&M. “That was a big thing because I didn’t necessarily want to go to a school by myself,” said Hopkins-Phelps. “I wanted to go with friends.” Joining the college basketball ranks were Smith and Woodberry after a record-setting
season for the Bulldawgs’ basketball team where they won the first playoff game in basketball history. “I’m really going to miss these guys,” said Cove head basketball coach Billy White Jr. “They were both major factors in our success this season and major factors in turning our Bulldawg basketball program around and I’m really proud of these two young men.” Woodberry thought this
moment would never come after breaking his leg in the summer before his senior year. “I was real devastated when it happened,” he said. “I didn’t think I would get to play at first. I’m glad I got the surgery and it happened pretty quick. I think I only stayed out for about six weeks. I went through therapy and everything and it got me back right.” He will get the chance to continue his basketball career with Central Christian College in McPherson Kansas. “I really just liked the feeling at that college,” said Woodberry. “The players are good and they liked me and my game. I felt like that was the best opportunity.”Looking back on his time at Cove, Woodberry is proud of their historic accomplishment as a program. “It’s big to be a part of it,” he said. “It’s big for us and big
for me.” Woodberry battled back from a possible career-ending injury to help the Bulldawgs win their first playoff game in program history. “He worked and busted his butt to get back on the
court and be a major contributor,” said White. “We had our first playoff victory in Copperas Cove history and Jordan was a big factor in that. I’m very proud of him.” Smith is just grateful for the opportunity. The senior didn’t garner a lot of interest but it only takes one college to say yes and Sterling College in Kansas was that college. “This is a blessed feeling,” he said. “I’ve been working hard and reaching out to schools to see if they liked me. They were the only ones that came back so I felt like that was my destiny. This has been very stressful. I’ve been working my butt off in
the offseason to find a school. I didn’t have any options and I found Sterling. They contacted me back and I accepted it.” Smith made an instant impact as a freshmen and helped guide the Bulldawgs to history. He was second on the team in scoring and rebounding. Only Oklahoma-signee and all-state selection Rashard Odomes notched higher numbers in both categories.
“Chance came in as a freshman and he was one of the hardest working kids in that freshman class,” said White. “Chance Smith can do anything. He was consistent night in and night. He was our second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder.” Smith has a solid midrange game and Sterling noticed. “They liked my midrange game,” he said. “They said they haven’t seen that in a minute. I’ll bring that midrange game to Sterling and work hard.” Smith follows former Bulldawg Raheem Odomes to Sterling. Odomes was an All-American at Sterling but that legacy doesn’t add any pressure to Smith. In fact, it makes him feel even better about playing there. “Actually it didn’t give e pressure,” said Smith. “It made me feel better about myself knowing somebody that
went there. I talked to him, he said it’s a good school so it made me feel more relaxed that I can go to that school and play there.” “One of the most exciting things for us is to see them go on and compete at another level,” said Copperas Cove Superintendent Joe Burns. “Not many kids get to do that. We’re very proud of these young men. A lot of kids go off to college and by Christmas
they’re home because they don’t have the academic background to handle the rigors of sports in college. We’re very proud of our students at Copperas Cove High School because they are repared
academically and athletically to go perform.”