On a roll....

A coach rarely will say his team has achieved its full potential. At least not publicly.

Ask Mike Spradlin if his Cooper Cougars, who thrashed Abilene High 45-28 Friday to advance to 9-0 this season, are there yet and he’ll tell you work still is to be done.

But as the Cougars have addressed their to-do list drawn up in the preseason, items each week have been crossed off.

With the playoffs starting in two weeks, we can say: They are legit.

Not a team squeaking into the playoffs off a fourth-place finish in district, but a team on the verge of a championship in the state’s most famous football district.

Coming into the season and returning to 5A football, Cooper had its share of questions to answer. Far more unknowns, it seemed, than Abilene High, which was poised to make another run at a state championship. Return two young men named Sims in the backfield, and your chances of playoff glory improve dramatically.

But while it may be Abilene High that now has questions, the Cougars are putting theirs behind them.

Cooper was putting a new quarterback on the field, for one thing. And how would its defense play, one that gave up 331 points in 13 games last year?

There also was this matter of bumping back up to 5A. Cooper lost to the 5A teams it played while in 4A; how would the team fare playing 5A teams every week?

Spradlin early on addressed the latter question, saying his team would be ready for upgrade to first class.

From Game 1, Clayton Nicholas looked more like a veteran at quarterback than a junior taking over for a record-setting graduate. He throws a nice ball, is accurate and looks entirely comfortable directing the show.

What helped Nicholas settle in was having two experienced and talented running backs returning — Davon Riddick and Alfred Cooper — and taking snaps behind a strong offensive line that gives him time to find his open receiver. And, boy, have they been open.

When Cooper has needed to pass, Nicholas has been on target. When the running game is given to the Coogs, he is good with throwing fewer balls and making more handoffs.

This run-pass threat has overwhelmed opponents, the Eagles now included.

What else Cooper has shown is a new resiliency. Last year, Cooper found a way to lose games. The three losses to 5A opponents by a total of 19 points before district play were winnable games at some point in the second half. But a mistake, a missed opportunity or defensive letdown would prove fatal.

But the Coogs rolled out The Drive to beat Austin Westlake in Game 2. Perhaps Westlake is down this season but sometimes, you have to beat a team and its reputation. Cooper did both that night, and it was game on.

Against Midland Lee, the game seemed to have gotten away from CHS in the second half, then won back, then lost, then won again.

The new popular opinion became that if Cooper had the ball last, watch out. Abilene High certainly did not want to be in that situation.

And they weren’t Friday. AHS missed a chance to drive to a two-score lead in the first half and Cooper converted at the end of the half and the start of the second half to take control. That forced the Eagles to play catchup, and they weren’t catching the Cougars this night.

Out of nowhere rose the Cooper defense, which stuffed the Eagles running game. Meanwhile, the offense kept scoring, and what looked to be a game of First One to Fifty became a Cougars’ blowout.

Now comes the biggest test for Spradlin’s crew. It’s back to Midland where an outright district title awaits. Few Cooper fans with an honest face would admit to believing this would be a 10-0 season, but it can be.

Cooper now must move forward from its emotional win and hit Midland High with its 1-2 newfound punch of offense and defense. Midland’s win over crosstown rival Lee was not nearly the big deal Cooper’s 50th birthday victory over Abilene High was, so the Bulldogs will ready for the Coogs.

Cooper should be of the mind that the playoffs already have started. It would be hard to find two better back-to-back opponents than AHS and Midland. This is life in the postseason. You cruise, you lose, you get out the basketball shoes.

As Abilene High’s state championship was a great thing for the city last year, the success of both teams this year is something to be proud of. Abilene High fans applauded Cooper’s accomplishment after Friday’s game, a nice gesture to cap a high-energy game in a stadium that could hold no more fans. Their Eagles will be in the playoffs — possibly seeing the southside crew again — and remain a formidable foe.

But good for Cooper. What a way to continue the milestone year celebration, and what a way to shed the funk of two years in 4A.

The Cougars each week have made believers out of those who poo-pooed their nondistrict schedule — excluding Westlake, and those who believed defense would be the death of the Coogs.

Cooper can be a better football team, sure. But if Friday night’s impressive win over Abilene High is an indication, Spradlin’s looking at a much shorter list of coachey-dos than he did in August.

Photo by Jeff Brokovich

Undefeated!!!

One streak is over. Another is still alive, and the Cooper Cougars couldn’t be happier about both.

The Coogs outscored Abilene High 21-0 in the second half to beat the No. 9 Eagles 45-28 on Friday to clinch at least a share of the District 3-5A title before a standing-room-only crowd at Shotwell Stadium.

Cooper snapped a six-game losing to the Eagles, while keeping their unbeaten season intact. The Coogs (9-0, 4-0) can win an outright district title with a victory next week at Midland High.

“We’ve got to feed off this now and carry this momentum with us,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “We’re in the same position we were a year go. We’ve got to make sure we don’t share this one with anybody.”

Abilene High coach Steve Warren was gracious after the loss.

“I congratulate Mike and that team over there,” he said. “They were ready to play, and they played well, and they earned the win tonight. I know how hard (a losing streak is). I’ve been on the other end of that before. You get on the back side of a streak like that, and it’s hard. I congratulate their staff and their players.”

Senior running back Alford Cooper ran for 129 yards and three touchdowns for the Coogs, while junior quarterback Clayton Nicholas threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns — both to Derek Footer — and ran for another.

Footer finished with five catches for 131 yards, while another senior, Khole Jackson, had 13 catches for 145 yards.

“This game was really on our offensive line,” Nicholas said. “I didn’t even get touched one time. They gave us great protection, and I put the ball where it needed to be for our receivers to catch it. Every receiver I threw to caught it.”

The Eagles (6-3, 3-1) got the game’s first touchdown, following a Cooper fumble. The turnover set up a one-yard touchdown run by Ronnell Sims. The teams would trade scores the rest of the half.

Sims ran for three touchdowns and threw for another, a 16-yard scoring catch to Jeret Smith, all in the first half.

Alford Cooper ran for a pair of touchdowns for the Coogs, and Nicholas threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Footer.

The touchdown pass to Footer came after the Eagles muffed a punt return. Cooper recovered the ball at the AHS 43 and needed one play to tie the game at 21 with 3:19 remaining in the half.

The Eagles would retake the lead on Sims’ seven-yard touchdown run with 1:14 to play in the half.

The Coogs, though, answered the score, driving from their own 13 to the Eagles 11 in eight plays to get a 28-yard field goal from Justin Lehr as time expired.

The kick cut the Eagles’ lead to four, 28-24, and Spradlin though it was huge, considering the Coogs would get the ball to start the second half.

“To get those points out of that was a big momentum shift for us,” he said. “A big, big drive.”

Sure enough, Cooper drove 86 yards on 12 plays to open the second half with a one-yard touchdown run by Nicholas to take the lead at 31-28.

The Coogs converted two 3rd-and-long plays on the drive. Facing 3rd-and-10 from the CHS 25, Nicholas threw a 16-yard pass to Jackson to keep the drive alive. Then facing 3rd-and-15 from the CHS 36, Nicholas again hooked up with Jackson, this time for a 43-yarder down to the AHS 21.

“What a great catch and great throw to keep that drive alive,” Spradlin said.

After forcing a punt on the Eagles’ first possession of the second half, the Coogs reeled off another 86-yard scoring drive. Footer started it with a 53-yard catch, and Alford Cooper capped the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run, putting the Coogs up 38-28 with 1:24 left in the third quarter.

The defense stepped up again, sacking Sims on a fourth-and-four play from the CHS 37. The Coogs then put the game away, closing out a 10-play, 57-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Nicholas to Footer with 5:17 remaining in the game.

“A big win for our kids; A big win for our program,” Spradlin said. “I’ve got a ton of respect for Steve (Warren) and the job they do. Man, what a great year they’ve had, too. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see other again down the road.”

Game of the Week (week 9)

The article below is featured on www.5Afootball.com, as the Game of the Week! That's for the entire state, y'all!!! How exciting is that! Big things are happening here in Abilene, Texas. God is showing off. It's a good day to be on planet earth. Here's the article:

Abilene Cooper @ Abilene

There are certain rivalries that embody everything the Texas high school football spectacle has to offer. Abilene High-Cooper is one of the Lone Star State’s best rivalries. This year’s Showdown marks the 50th meeting between the two programs. Cooper leads the overall series 30-19, but Abilene’s won . Cooper has the longest winning streak in the series; going undefeated from 1966 through 1980 before the Eagles got back on the board with two straight wins. Cooper went on another run from 1991 through 1998 before Abilene came back with a win in 1999. The Eagles have won every match-up since 2004. The two haven’t locked horns in district since 2007 before Cooper realigned to Class 4A for two years. This year’s game, with both team’s undefeated in district, is one of the most important in series history to date.

Abilene took its lumps in one of the state’s most ambitious non-district schedules, but the Eagles have hit a stride in district play. Abilene’s won three games in a row since losing by a point (32-31) to Longview. Midland High managed to test the Eagles in a 28-18 game last week, but this week’s contest figures to be a more explosive affair. Cooper’s piled up the points on the way to an 8-0 overall record. The Cougars were challenged in the first two weeks of district play against Lee and Permian. Abilene had a much easier time with Lee than Cooper did, but both teams won by similar margins against Odessa High. Abilene won last year’s non-district meeting 49-37. Neither offense is likely to be slowed down much given the match-ups this year.Cooper hasn’t seen anything close to Abilene’s running game, and Abilene hasn’t seen an offense as diverse as Cooper. Abilene’s defense has allowed at least 17 points in each game this season. Cooper’s defense allowed at least 21 per game until holding Odessa High to 8 last week.

The total running talent between these two teams is frightening. Abilene High’s Ronnell Sims, Herschel Sims, and Tony Curtis made names for themselves during last year’s state run. They’ve added junior Paxton Grayer this year. Cooper’s experienced tandem of Davon Riddick and Alford Cooper has found the end zone 26 times this season. Junior Clayton Nicholas gives Cooper an advantage in the passing game with just under 2,000 yards for the season so far. This has the look of a game that’ll come down to the last team with the ball. In fact, the 5A predictor (stat crunching formula) has Abilene winning 39-37. Both teams should throw caution to the wind in this contest for local bragging rights, playoff seeding, and a district championship.

Game Ball!

An undefeated season 8-0 is no small feat in the 'little Southwest Conference'. How proud we are here in Abilene Texas, of our 5-A Abilene Cooper football team. Four years and nine month's of hard work and commitment have prepared them for a time such as this. It has truly been a team effort. Countless names, faces, hands and feet, hearts and souls have been involved.

Two weeks ago, after the victory over Odessa Permian, a jubilant football team stood proudly in front of the band while they played our school song. It is a special moment week after week to watch this meaningful tradition. As a small token of his appreciation, Coach Spradlin gave the winning 'game ball' to another team of champions, the Cooper Band! These amazing young men and women, under the direction of Mr. Clay Johnson, provide musical inspiration and entertainment all year long.....as witnessed each and every football game. Things just wouldn't be the same without them! And by the look of things, the football team isn't the only one that's been working hard! On behalf of the entire Cougar Nation, I want to thank our band with a collective, Bravo. Their talent, hard work and commitment, is unmatched.

Cooper 45 - Odessa High 45-8! ...by Joey Richards

The Cooper Cougars are going to the playoffs for the fourth-consecutive year and headed for a showdown with cross-town rival Abilene High for the District 3-5A lead.

Clayton Nicholas threw four touchdowns passes, and Davon Riddick ran for a pair of touchdowns as the Coogs clinched a playoff berth with a 45-8 victory over the Odessa High Bronchos on Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

The victory pushes the Coogs to 8-0 on the season and 3-0 in their return to the Little Southwest Conference. Now, they’re alone atop the district with Abilene High, which knocked off Midland High, 28-18.

The Coogs and Eagles play for the outright lead and at least a share of the title Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

”It’s real familiar to us,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “We’ve been 3-0 the last two years at this point. It really helps you. You’ve accomplished a goal. You realize now you’re going to be playing Week 11, and it sets up a big contest next week.”

A week after throwing for a season-low 74 yards and no touchdowns, Nicholas completed 15-of-20 passes for 280 yards. He was picked off once.

“Our whole offense knew we were going to throw the ball,” the junior quarterback said. “They just had a wide-open defense. They had a lot of holes. We all just thought I could do it, and our O-line played well. We just slung it around.”

Nicholas

Spradlin knew Nicholas was ready to have a big game.

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “Clay prepared himself well this year. He was fired up and ready to go. He had a great night tonight.”

Odessa High (3-5, 0-3) managed only eight points despite getting 292 combined rushing yards from quarterback Johnny Campos and Ivan Subia, including 176 from Subia. Bradley Marquez, the district’s leading rusher, didn’t play in the game after getting a concussion in last week’s game.

Still, the Bronchos got their rushing yards, but couldn’t muster more than a touchdown — a one-yard run by Campos late in the second quarter.

“We gave up a few big plays tonight,” Spradlin said. “We keep getting things people are doing different, and tonight wasn’t any different. But the bottom line is we kept them out of the end zone, and that’s all that matters.”

Da’mor Barnes answered Campos’ touchdown with an 84-yard kickoff return, and Riddick ran for touchdowns of three and 22 yards on the Coogs’ first two possessions of the second half. The second was set up after Cooper blocked a punt to set up a three-play, 27-yard drive.

Nicholas closed out the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Khole Jackson early in the fourth quarter.

Nicholas had the hot hand early, completing his first nine passes for 212 yards, including three touchdown passes.

He started the scoring with a 51-yarder to Khaeer Sonnier with 6:15 left in the first quarter just six plays after the Bronchos fumbled the ball at the Coogs’ 13 on the game’s opening possession.

Nicholas hit Derek Footer for a 30-yard touchdown catch 16 seconds before the end of the opening quarter.

After missing the first PAT, Justin Lehr had his second attempt blocked. Austin Tavarez came up with the loose ball and pitched it to Kyle Alexander, who scampered 90 yards for two points.

Nicholas threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Alford Cooper early in the second quarter.

Odessa High closed within 10 on Campos’ one-yard touchdown run 3:29 before the half.

Barnes, though, returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for some added breathing room for the Coogs, who led 25-8 at the half.

“I’ve been waiting for that to happen,” Spradlin said. “Da’mor did a great job of taking that one to the house. It was just a good overall team victory for us, no doubt.”

The Cooper Cougars are going to the playoffs for the fourth-consecutive year and headed for a showdown with cross-town rival Abilene High for the District 3-5A lead.

Clayton Nicholas threw four touchdowns passes, and Davon Riddick ran for a pair of touchdowns as the Coogs clinched a playoff berth with a 45-8 victory over the Odessa High Bronchos on Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

The victory pushes the Coogs to 8-0 on the season and 3-0 in their return to the Little Southwest Conference. Now, they’re alone atop the district with Abilene High, which knocked off Midland High, 28-18.

The Coogs and Eagles play for the outright lead and at least a share of the title Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

”It’s real familiar to us,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “We’ve been 3-0 the last two years at this point. It really helps you. You’ve accomplished a goal. You realize now you’re going to be playing Week 11, and it sets up a big contest next week.”

A week after throwing for a season-low 74 yards and no touchdowns, Nicholas completed 15-of-20 passes for 280 yards. He was picked off once.

“Our whole offense knew we were going to throw the ball,” the junior quarterback said. “They just had a wide-open defense. They had a lot of holes. We all just thought I could do it, and our O-line played well. We just slung it around.”

Nicholas

Spradlin knew Nicholas was ready to have a big game.

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “Clay prepared himself well this year. He was fired up and ready to go. He had a great night tonight.”

Odessa High (3-5, 0-3) managed only eight points despite getting 292 combined rushing yards from quarterback Johnny Campos and Ivan Subia, including 176 from Subia. Bradley Marquez, the district’s leading rusher, didn’t play in the game after getting a concussion in last week’s game.

Still, the Bronchos got their rushing yards, but couldn’t muster more than a touchdown — a one-yard run by Campos late in the second quarter.

“We gave up a few big plays tonight,” Spradlin said. “We keep getting things people are doing different, and tonight wasn’t any different. But the bottom line is we kept them out of the end zone, and that’s all that matters.”

Da’mor Barnes answered Campos’ touchdown with an 84-yard kickoff return, and Riddick ran for touchdowns of three and 22 yards on the Coogs’ first two possessions of the second half. The second was set up after Cooper blocked a punt to set up a three-play, 27-yard drive.

Nicholas closed out the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Khole Jackson early in the fourth quarter.

Nicholas had the hot hand early, completing his first nine passes for 212 yards, including three touchdown passes.

He started the scoring with a 51-yarder to Khaeer Sonnier with 6:15 left in the first quarter just six plays after the Bronchos fumbled the ball at the Coogs’ 13 on the game’s opening possession.

Nicholas hit Derek Footer for a 30-yard touchdown catch 16 seconds before the end of the opening quarter.

After missing the first PAT, Justin Lehr had his second attempt blocked. Austin Tavarez came up with the loose ball and pitched it to Kyle Alexander, who scampered 90 yards for two points.

Nicholas threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Alford Cooper early in the second quarter.

Odessa High closed within 10 on Campos’ one-yard touchdown run 3:29 before the half.

Barnes, though, returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for some added breathing room for the Coogs, who led 25-8 at the half.

“I’ve been waiting for that to happen,” Spradlin said. “Da’mor did a great job of taking that one to the house. It was just a good overall team victory for us, no doubt.”

Woohoo!!!

The Cooper Cougars beat Odessa High 45 - 8 tonight!!! Undefeated season!!!

article to follow

Game day! Abilene Cooper vs. Odessa High

The Odessa High Broncos are coming to town today! They'll take on the Cooper Coogs at 7:30 in Shotwell Stadium. Another victory will assure the Coogs a spot in the playoffs....the 1st of several team goals. Lisa, I'll be praying and I hope you'll be listening! (Lisa, is a fun, football loving mom, who lives in Mississippi and has enthusiastically adopted the Coogs...you can read her comments after each post. She listened to our game last week at home in her kitchen)
See last weeks post for listening info!
I'll post our score as soon as we get home!
Go Cougars!
p.s. Thank you Lord, for an undefeated season!

Undefeated Abilene Cooper beats Odessa Permian 34 to27!....by Joey Richards

Coogs beat P
Joe Dillard calls them Doom and Boom. Together, they cast a gloom on Odessa Permian’s night.

Davon Riddick, otherwise known as Doom, ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns, and Boom — Alford Cooper — ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns to spark the Coogs to a 34-27 victory over the Panthers in a District 3-5A game Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

“It was a crazy night,” Riddick said. “Coaches kept on calling running plays, and we had to execute. We did our thing. We blocked for each other, ran for each other. We did our best.”

The Coogs rolled up 402 yards rushing, while throwing for only 74 to remain unbeaten at 7-0 overall and 2-0 in their return to the Little Southwest Conference.

“They chose to drop deep,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said about the Permian defense. “They had our outside guys manned up with deep safeties over the top of them. There wasn’t a whole lot there, but we were able to exploit the running game.”

A week after giving up 52 points to Midland Lee in the district opener, Cooper’s defense rose to the occasion in the second half, stopping Permian on its first two possessions. That allowed the Coogs to break open a one-point game with touchdown runs of 45 and 16 yards by Cooper and Riddick, respectively, in the third quarter.

“It was pretty fun, carrying the load with Davon, going back and forth, challenging each other,” Cooper said. “The O-line did great and the defense, too.”

Permian (4-3, 0-2) pulled within a touchdown on Van Powell’s third touchdown pass of the night — a 11-yarder from Landry Serrano with 8:40 left in the game.

The Panthers would force Cooper to punt and get the ball back with 5:31 remaining. They drove from their own 20 down to the Coogs’ 11-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-6 play from the 11, Dillard sacked Landry, who fumbled the ball. Jamar Renfro picked up the loose ball and returned it 71 yards down to the Permian 2 — sealing the victory.

“If I could script it for our team, I think it was really cool that we were able to win that game on defense.” Spradlin said. “We were reeling a little bit from last week.”

The Coogs scored on the first play from scrimmage — a 74-yard touchdown run by Cooper.

However, Serrano, who threw for 351 yards on the night, came back to throw touchdown passes of 13 and 65 yards to Powell to make it 14-7 with 4:41 left in the first quarter, and DeAnthony Fay ran two yards for another Permian touchdown early in the second quarter. The Coogs blocked the extra point, but the Panthers were cruising at 20-7.

However, Riddick answered with touchdown runs of 45 and five yards — the last with 4:39 remaining in the half — to help the Coogs take a 21-20 lead at the half.

The Coogs dodged a bullet when Talon Smith turned in a 45-yard pass play down to the Cooper 2, but fumbled the ball out of the end zone, giving the ball back to the Coogs just 1:24 before halftime.

The Coogs’ defense stepped up in the second half by stopping Permian on a 4th-and-2 play from the Coogs 18 on the first drive of the half, while Josh Bowman got his fourth interception of the season on the next possession. Cooper got touchdown runs of 45 and 16 yards, respectively, after each stop.

And after Permian closed within seven on Serrano’s third touchdown pass of the night, the defense stepped up again to preserve the victory.

“We had some set backs last week, but we had to make up for them, work hard in practice and come out and execute,” Dillard said. “We got it done tonight.”

Cooper Cougars 34 just beat Odessa Permian 27, under the Friday Night Lights!

Want to follow or listen to our game? You can go to www.fridaynight.com....internet play by play or www.radioabilene.com 1340am

Next up....the Permian Panthers!

Get ready Cougars, the Panthers are coming to town! The coaches are watching film and drawing up plays. The team is practicing and getting ready for the big game. Don't be decieved by last weeks score. Permian is good! So, say your prayers and wear your red and blue. Game time is 7:30 at Shotwell Stadium.

Sweet Sunday!

While many folks are home relaxing today, the Cooper coaches aren't! They are hard at work trying to figure out how to beat the Permian panthers. So every Sunday afternoon I like to take them a little treat. It's one little way I can show my support and appreciation for their hard work

and commitment to the team. Anyone close to this group of guys can certainly tell they care about the young men they coach. They respect each other...they are like a family! So work hard coaches and figure it all out, so the Cooper Cougars can remain undefeated.

Cooper 56 - Midland Lee 52...whew! Article by Joey Richards

MIDLAND — It’s only appropriate Cooper should celebrate its return to the Little Southwest Conference with some fireworks.

And, boy, were there fireworks Friday night at Grande Communications Stadium.

Clayton Nicholas threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Khaeer Sonnier with 24 seconds left in the game to lift the Cougars to a 56-52 victory over the Midland Lee Rebels in a thrilling District 3-5A opener.

The touchdown — Cooper’s third in the final 6:10 to rally from a 10-point deficit preserved the Coogs’ unbeaten record and gave them a joyous return to the Little Southwest Conference after spending two years in Class 4A.

“That’s crazy. That’s nuts,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “I didn’t expect that. I knew it was going to be a slobberknocker but that may have been a little more slobbin’ than I thought was going to happen.”

Sonnier’s catch capped a wild finish to a wild game. Lee (5-1) led 45-35 after Miles Vincent’s 38-yard field goal with 9:57 left in the game followed a failed Cooper onside kick.

But the Coogs (6-0) answered with touchdown runs by Alford Cooper and Davon Riddick to take a 48-45 lead. Cooper ripped off a 24-yarder on a 4th-and-3 play to make it a three-point game, then Riddick slipped away for a 47-yarder for Cooper’s first lead of the second half. Only 3:05 remained.

Time enough for the Rebels to take the lead right back. Adrian Horton threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Corey McPherson with 1:14 to play. It was McPherson’s 10th catch of the night for 136 total yards.

But it wouldn’t be enough. Nicholas needed only three plays to cover 78 yards for the game-winning score. He hit Sonnier just outside the end zone, and Sonnier streaked in for the touchdown. It was Nicholas’ third-straight completion the drive and 11th straight overall.

“It felt real great, about the best feeling I’ve had in my life,” Sonnier said about the catch. “I can’t even talk about it. I’m so happy we won.”

Nicholas, who completed 23-of-29 passes for 368 yards, wasn’t surprised to see Sonnier haul in the pass Nichlolas’ second touchdown pass of the night.

“I knew that Khaeer would catch a ball if I put it up in the air for him,” he said. “It all comes down to what the safety did. He took the wrong guy, so I threw it to the other one.”

The final drive was reminiscent of Cooper’s game-winning drive in the final 1:32 against Austin Westlake, and Nicholas said that was on the team’s mind after Lee had retaken the lead.

“Everybody on the sidelines was saying, ‘We’ve got this. We did it against Westlake. We can do it against them,’” he said.

Cooper rolled up 651 yards of total offense. Riddick had 170 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 10 carries, and Alford Cooper had 115 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries.

The Coogs also had two receivers with more than 100 yards. Khole Jackson had seven catches for 126 yards, and Derek Footer had eight catches for 116 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown catch early in the second half.

Lee had 407 yards of total offense. Horton completed 21-of-30 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns.

Cooper had a 14-0 lead before Lee could even get a first down, as Alford Cooper ran for a touchdowns of 16 and six yards on the Coogs’ first two possessions.

However, Lee scored 35 points in the second quarter, including 21 unanswered, to take 35-28 halftime lead after Riddick and Jackson each had touchdown runs for Cooper, including a 76-yarder by Riddick.

Photos and Article - Abilene Reporter News

1st District game this Friday...

This Friday, the Cooper Cougars will head west on I-20 to play Midland Lee in their 1st district game of the season. The Coogs and the Rebs, both 5-0 in preseason play, will battle it out in Grande Stadium, at 7:30 pm.

The 2010 Coogs, talented and healthy, are ready to play! After scoring 141 points in the first half of the last 3 games, they are looking forward to the challenge ahead. Midland Lee will be the first big opponent the Cougars have faced since they overcame state ranked Austin Westlake, in a 24 -21 victory.

There is something special about this year's team. It's obvious to even me, who knows very little about this game and yet knows! Excitement is in the air in Abilene Texas! More specifically at Cooper High School. Since 2005, every player that has believed, every coach that has inspired, every parent that has helped and every fan that has hoped, can sense it! Resuscitating the Cooper Football program did not happen overnight. Its been 5 1/2 years since Mike Spradlin, left Art Briles and friends at U of H, to bring his brand of ball to Abilene Cooper. With unwavering dedication, discipline and determination he and a staff of coaching warriors, have rebuilt the walls that had all but crumbled. As many know, this has been no small feat but it has been worthwhile. For a long the way, many broken lives have been restored, as well.

What a privilege I consider it to be married to a coach. These men who have the smarts and the work ethic to succeed anywhere, amaze me! Over the years, it has become increasingly obvious to me that God has 'wired' them for such a purpose. Created them to serve others. They are not alone; those serving in the U. S. military, law enforcement, firefighters, ministries etc. It's the only thing that makes sense! Why else would they day in and day out, give so much and expect so little in return.

I am humbled by their selflessness and honored, and inspired to better play my own role. I am many things to many people but foremost, I am Coach's helper. So, in the weeks to come I will provide encouragement and a listening ear, nourishment and clean laundry. On Sunday afternoons, I will deliver fresh baked goods, keep the candy bowls full and this blog updated. Most importantly, I will respect my coach at all times. Honoring him with my words and deeds. I will attend all games, cheer less and watch more. :) Last but not least, I will pray. Pray without ceasing... 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Speaking of prayer, there is something I must confess. During coaching school last summer, while visiting with Carolyn Allen (wife to Coach Randy Allen) and she referenced a particular state championship season as ' the season daughter Ashley prayed they would be undefeated'. Though she had mentioned it before, this time the idea stuck and I decided this fall I would do the same. In season's past, I have 'made my request known' while at the same time asking, that God's will be done but this year I will be specific. On August 14Th, at our annual Girls Night Out, I announced to the Cooper coaches wives that this year I would be praying for an undefeated season. I have gone before the throne of God and made known the 'desire of my heart'. I know it is a bold request but prayer is powerful and God is able. Deep down I know He doesn't mind me asking Him for this and I know He doesn't mind me believing and trusting Him to preform it. You see, I've trusted Him for many things along life's way. He is more than worthy of my trust. So I will step out here and share my request.

My heart is confident in you God; no wonder I can sing your praises!

Wake up, my soul! Wake up, O harp and lyre! I will waken the dawn with my song.

I will thank you Lord, in front of all the people. I will sing your praises among all the nations.

For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.

May your glory shine over all the earth. Psalm 108

Please join me. There is strength in numbers.

Trusting Him, in all things.