By John Loop, BubbleLife Intern

Benchwarmer: (sports) a substitute who seldom plays.

Senior Everett Schau spends almost every one of the Coppell Cowboys basketball games on the bench. But a strong bench is key to any winning team.

So when Coppell Cowboys head basketball coach Kit Pehl puts Schau in the game, it is kind of a big deal.

When he entered a recent game in the Hurst Bell Texas Healthcare Showcase against Euless Trinity, Schau thought it would be just another game where he would pay limited minutes, as usual.

Little did he know what was about to transpire.

“In the previous game (against Justin Northwest), we had a good lead,” Schau said. “Coach had put everyone in the game, and he thought he got everyone in, but he actually missed me.”

Pehl decided that he would sub Schau in the next game for sure.

And just like that, the Cowboys were up late in the fourth quarter against the Trojans when Pehl made his move.

“We got up, and it was the fourth quarter, and there were like six minutes left, and he told me, ‘Alright Everett, get in the game.’“ Schau said.

Schau had yet to net his varsity points until this point.

“There had been some built up anxiety about when I was going to get in and get a lucky two points,” Schau said.

The ball rolled around on the floor as both teams went into turnover mode.

Somehow, it ended up in the hands of senior guard Matt Behrndt.

“I have been playing with Matt Behrndt for three and a half years,” Schau said. “He is actually the only guy that was on B-team with me during my freshman year.”

Behrndt corralled the loose ball and heaved up the court, while falling to the floor, to a waiting Schau.  

“Matt got the ball and kind of threw kind of a bounce pass to me as he was falling down,” Schau said. “I managed to grab it and lay it up underhand on the backboard, and it went in.”

Emotions flooded the senior captain’s mind as the ball dropped through the hoop.

“It was just kind of a defining moment,” Schau said. “I mean I remember my first free throw freshman year, my first point ever in a basketball game. I am going to remember my first two points on varsity. Nothing saying that they are not the last two points on varsity.”

Of course, there are still times when the senior rides the bench the entire game, but Schau does not sweat it, knowing that he is just as important to the Cowboys as the next guy in line.

“I think every guy that is there would like to play more, but in the logical side of my head, I think that I want what is best for the team,” Schau said.  “I know they all want me to play, and they want me to get my time, but I also know that they want to win. I want to play more, but I accept that I might not need to play more in order for us to win.“

Though his playing time has been brief (13:27.93 to be exact), Schau has relished all 16 games of his varsity career, even if he has only checked into a few of them.

“(This season) has been special,” Schau said. “I like all these guys, and I like being around them, and whether I am on the floor or on the bench, it’s a good time, and I am glad to be with the team I am with.”