The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs have an attitude that says just keep it going.

As the Bryan Vikings prepare to face them at Merrill Green Stadium, their approach is to just get over it.

It has been the nature of the Vikings to rebound from setbacks. They have done it at some point in every game they have played this year. A week ago, the Vikings battled the flu, injuries and some missed opportunities. A hard-running A&M Consolidated team beat them, 43-33.

"It's real important that we are able to let that go, and let's move on to the next ballgame," Bryan coach Bob Bellard said. "We've had football teams in the past that didn't let go. This group right now seems like they are ready to climb back on board and get ready to get the next one.

"No one game is going to decide our season. Our season begins probably about right now. What we do over the last five football games is going to determine what our fate is."

Three of Bryan's five remaining district games will be played at Merrill Green Stadium, where the Vikings won their district opener against Shoemaker. A late penalty in a loss to Leander might have cost them a victory there.

The Vikes dropped two passes late in the loss to Consol, and failed to recover a fumble that seemed destined to be theirs. It's not a Bryan team prone to mistakes, but setbacks seem to provide a reason to recover.

Bryan's challenge is to not only leave that game and those disappointments in the rear-view mirror, but to play well against a 5-0 Copperas Cove team that shares the District 12-5A lead.

Vikings' coach Bob Bellard believes that there are reasons for Cove's consistent success. The Bulldawgs reached the 5A Division II semifinals last year after reaching state championships games the previous two years in Class 4A.

"They usually have talented kids at skill positions running around on offense and defense," Bellard said. "Skill kids tend to negate big plays and give them some. The second thing is they are extremely dangerous in the kicking game. They block well on the returns and come after your punt. They do a lot of little things."

That is no small factor. Bellard pointed that out after looking at Cove's opening district wins over Killeen Ellison and Temple, where the stats were close.

"The field position that they get from the kicking game is the difference," Bellard said. "They also got points from return teams, with a punt return vs. Temple and a kick return vs. Ellison. The transition from offense to defense is the kicking game and they have been dominant in those areas."

Cove had to replace every member of its offensive line and has a young team dotting that unit and on defense, but young doesn't always indicate inexperience. In the past three years, the Bulldawgs have played 15 playoff games. That extra season and a half provided more practice time for promising young players.

"When you go to the playoffs, you are going to pull up those special players, the guys who are going to benefit from extra workouts," Bellard said. "Those guys are getting extra time, and extra quality time. Right now, the expectation at [Copperas Cove] is, 'That's where we are going to be.'"

Bellard says that all of Cove's backs are a concern, but he's particularly impressed with Brelan Chancellor. While Brandin Byrd has run for 546 yard and nine touchdowns, Chancellor's versatility makes him stand out. The senior is averaging 8.7 yards per carry while running for 382 yards and three touchdowns. He is also the Bulldawgs' leading receiver on a team that has passed sparingly but effectively.

"Those two guys are both committed to North Texas and there's a good reason for it," Bellard said. "Brelan Chancellor may be the best football player I've seen in the three years that I've been here. He does it everywhere. He does it on the offensive side and the defensive side. He does it in the kicking game and he covers kicks. He's really an exceptional athlete and a very, very fine football player."

"He's one of those playmakers who says, 'Give me the ball and I'll go make something happen.'"

Chancellor's 10 receptions for 170 yards have led to two scores.

Bellard would like to see a little more take-charge attitude from sophomore Kevin Jefferson, who has been outstanding when he can get in position for returns.

"Kevin has got to do a little better job of coming up and going after the football," said Bellard, whose return specialist missed the final nondistrict game with a thumb injury. "We need to be a more of a risk-taker about going up and approaching short kicks. Watching Cove, I don't think they are scared to kick to anybody.

"They kicked it to [Temple's Lache] Seastrunk, who is supposed to be one of the best running backs in the country."

BRYAN FOOTBALL

* Friday's game: Copperas Cove (5-0, 2-0 District 12-5A) at Bryan (2-3, 1-1), 7:30 p.m.

* Radio: KZNE, 1150 AM