“Board!”

This is what is screamed by the Coppell bench as the ball goes flying.

Ensuing in full speed is senior guard Drew Wagner as he dives on the ball not allowing the opposition to touch it.

Determined, scrappy and a leader are the words echoing out of Coppell players and coaches when Wagner is mentioned as his shoes squeak on the court, sprinting full speed.

“The way he comes out and brings his energy every practice is contagious,” Coppell coach Ryan Murphy said. “He is a natural player and has worked hard to get to where he is.”

Giving 100% is just another Monday for Wagner as his work ethic is why he is an important piece for Coppell.

“I give my maximum effort whenever I can,” Wagner said “It is the part that makes the team better and allows everyone to feed off what we are trying to build.”

Inspired by his father, Andrew Wagner the head coach of Coppell Middle School East, Drew took charge in third grade

“He has been my inspiration since day one,” Drew said. “I was about eight or nine years old and while watching his old highlights, I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

He knew basketball would be his game even though he was transitioning into a multiplex of sports.

“I took the step in fourth grade and I made a commitment because of my dad,” Drew said. “He really was and still is a motivation to me.”

When he was in seventh grade, he tried out for his dads’ Broncos in which he made the A-team, displaying his potential early on.

“Watching him make the seventh grade A-team, I saw his talent at the beginning,” Mr. Wagner said. “I recognized early in his play that his hard work would pay off and I knew that if he keeps working hard, he’s going to get where he’s at now.”

For Wagner, it was a new opportunity to represent something bigger than himself.

“I got pushed harder than I had before,” Drew said. “But there was something about wearing East on my chest that made me want it even more.”

Going into ninth grade, the competition got tougher, but for Drew, it was an opportunity to expand on his game and prove he was better than what his height might suggest. “I have probably been the smallest player on every team I have played on,” Drew said. “That is just motivation for me to go out and play my role bringing whatever I can bring.”

Not only utilizing his skills, but unlocking his teammates’ skills was another thing he has worked on since his middle school days.

“He is a natural born leader,” Murphy said. “He comes out not only ready to work on his own game, but coach and energize his teammates so that they can improve.”

According to Mr. Wagner, whenever his team is down, Drew is there leading and bringing the energy back.

“When he was worried about whether he would make the team or not, his leadership still showed up supporting his teammates during tryouts,” Mr. Wagner said. “Kids also talk about wanting to be on his team because he brings that spark that the team needs.”

To Drew, the culture is the most important part about being with Coppell and leading his teammates, echoing the foundations fostered by Murphy.

“Coach Murphy preaches culture more than anything else,” Drew said. “The reason I love being a leader is because the culture is so fun and although it is a lot of responsibility, being a leader is motivation that comes with the job.”

Whether it is listening to rap in the locker room, getting ready to hype his teammates up, or being the potential energy ready to turn kinetic, Drew Wagner is there leading the way.

This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on December 19, 2024.