COOPER FOOTBALL

WE'VED MOVED TO TEMPLE, TEXAS!

2011-08-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

We've changed 'CATS', gone from Cougars to Wildcats! Come with us as we embrace a new community and adventure! GO WILDCATS!!!

Something special!

2011-02-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my! Where do I start! During the
past 5 seasons at Cooper, Coach and I have had the honor
and pleasure of being apart of the most amazing staff of
coaches and their families. While the men were hard a work
rebuilding Cooper Football and lasting friendships, we girls had
a lot of fun!

We cheered loud at games and inspired discouraged
fans to join us. Played together, made crafts, caramel apples and
mischief. One year we went to the fair, ate dinner on my front
porch and tarred and feathered rubber chickens (before playing

our crosstown rivals). We've had countless conversations, on the
phone and at 'Thursday night coffee'. We've loved, encouraged
and prayed for each other and somewhere along the way we
became 'family'. I love each and everyone of you and want to

thank you for being great wives. Together we better learned to
respect, encourage, befriend and support our husbands. Preparing
for future days when demands will increase and responsibilities
will grow. Just remember that you are never alone and that

H.U.G.'s understand. Change is coming for our precious staff,
but we will 'treasure all these things and ponder them in our
hearts'! I thank God for our time together and for all that He
taught us. I praise Him for our future, each and every one of us,
and thank Him that no matter where we go, He goes with us.

Admire your husband, treasure each day with your family and celebrate and love like there is no tomorrow! Develop a walking, talking, seeing, hearing relationship with God. Ask Him for everything you need. Especially wisdom, forgiveness and trust. Become best friends and learn to love Him more than anything. He in return will enable you to love like you've never loved before.

Embrace your children. Be a mother, not a friend. God will give them many friends but no one can love, teach and discipline as well as you. Parent with a passion for children grow up fast. Make them your priority....your ministry and when they grow up they will be the kind of people you would want for a friend.

I love you.
Roxanne

Girls Night Out! (http://roxannetheartist.blogspot.com/2009/08/girls-night-out.html)

Saying Goodbye is hard....part 1

2011-02-05T06:10:00.000-08:00

Living and coaching in Abilene Texas the past 5 seasons has been the realization of a longtime dream. Back in the 8o's when we were newlyweds and lived a block away from Cooper High School on S 41st Street, we dreamed of someday coming back here to Head Coach. Six years ago this month, that dream came true and 'Boy!' has it been a good one! Abilene, is a special place! The kicked back pace of living and geniune kindness of the people, have made it an all time Spradlin favorite. Our time here has been rich and memorable. Our hearts (something he'll never forget) have been touch by Abilene's warm embrace. There have been so moments, so many relationships. Things we'll always treasure.

Particularly those who have rallied around us to rebuild the Cooper Football program. We will never forget our time here and all the precious people that loved and encouraged us. It wasn't easy! It took a lot of people working very hard but together by God's grace, strength and will, the roar of the Cooper Cougars has been restored. It will be a blast to watch their continued success in the future!

2010 Cooper Football Banquet

2011-01-31T22:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had the pleasure of spending the evening celebrating the Cooper Cougars 2010 football season. It was three hours well spent, as a crowd of 500+ applauded and affirmed the efforts and accomplishments of this special group of young men. Theirs was a memorable season full of special achievements and broken records. Especially for those who had invested themselves fully over the past years. The players, parents and fans enjoyed the banquet immensely! The enthusiam and sincerity of team set the tone. The 30 minute highlight video, by Cindy Gravitt, was the highlight!

A special thanks to all the parents that plotted, planned, prepared, set up, decorated and took down. We too, made a good team! :) I've never seen so much red, white and blue in one place! Everything looked beautiful. You are a inspiring group of parents. I applaud your interest and your involvement in the lives of your children. Nothing means more, than parents that care.

Love the flying jersey's! When the players arrived, the first thing they do is find their number! The second, is find their matted 8 x 10 photo (a gift from the booster club) hanging on the far wall. They make me smile! The football experience has made them men, but there is still a glimmer of boy in them.

The new cougar head looks great! A perfect 'walk through' when introducing the players and their dates.

The ticket table .......

Coaches table! The players get a kick out of this (here's my coach)! I love pictures!

The Hobby Lobby gift wrap (1/2 price Christmas) was a great way to jazz up tables, walls and thank you gifts....all color coordinated!

Again, it was a wonderful banquet! Hearts were full. Faces were happy! I was touched.

note to self: Next year..... wear waterproof mascara!

Coach's Wife Shares Wisdom

2011-01-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

By Hannah Boen
Abilene Reporter News

In 1977, Roxanne Spradlin's life looked much like a fairy tale.She had just graduated from the University of Houston, married her childhood-sweetheart-turned-collegiate-football-star and was embarking on what she called "the adventure of newlywed life."

That adventure grew into more of a hardship as she added three kids in six years, an overworked and underpaid husband, and a struggle to overcome a rocky past.

"I was raising three children while my own heart was recovering from my dad leaving when I was 13," she said. "There were many years where I was supportive on the outside, struggling on the inside."

Her story of motherhood is similar to many women today. Looking back, though, she can see a purposeful strategy that was used to raise three kids that she said she genuinely adores and strike a successful balance in her marriage.

"I have just been smitten and crazy about him since I laid eyes on him," Roxanne said of her husband, Mike Spradlin, Cooper High School's head football coach. "We met in the eighth grade at the ripe old age of 13, and we never dated anyone else. Ours is a true love story."

She never had an interest in sports, but her husband knew as a middle school student he would grow up to be a coach, she said, and it was his passion for football that influenced almost every step of her life since that eighth grade encounter, beginning with their wedding.The pair knew long before they graduated high school and attended the University of Houston together that they would get married. However, Mike insisted the wedding not come before Jan. 1, 1977. It was the day his team was scheduled to compete in the Cotton Bowl in the University of Houston's inaugural year in the Southwest Conference.

"Things before had been all about football," she said, "but even then I'm not sure I realized how much it really would affect me and my family."

The pair were married seven days after Houston's first Cotton Bowl win and soon moved to Freeport for Mike to begin his first coaching job. That move was the first of 17, Roxanne said, in 34 years of marriage. However, moving was the least of her worries as she began to have children.

Everything that was difficult about having a hardworking husband got more difficult with children, she said.

"When our children were little I was just drowning," she said. "It was just hard, managing life. It seemed unfair. Having this unavailable husband plus not having a lot of money. But I just can't complain. All I can tell you is it has been a hard road to get where I am now- a place of peace."

Just as football had dictated her wedding, she said, it had begun to shape her marriage and her role as a mother.

"Mike is very goal oriented with work, but also with life. It's crucial to believe it's more about your journey toward the goal than just reaching the goal," she said. "That's just one of the things, many things that I've learned while listening to him coach."

Just as God wired her husband to be a coach, she said, she was wired to be married to a coach. For her, it's meant being less selfish and more resourceful.

"Anyone in that situation," she said of people overwhelmed in their role as a parent, "has to learn to make a lot out of a little. You've got to quickly tend to the business of making your own fun."

She gauges her success as a parent on the people her kids turned out to be.

"I just adore them," she said with tears in her eyes. "They're good people, the kind of people I would want to be friends with."

Mike agreed that their approach to maintaining the kind of balance that creates a happy home life has had a lot to do with football.

"I always say, 'life's not all about football but football's all about life.'" he said. "It's been interesting in that we've kind of all been brought together through me coaching. Football is, I think, just great life lessons."

He said he has recognized the struggles of families with busy fathers, especially coaches, but felt fortunate to have a job that brought his family together despite having a busy work schedule. Although Roxanne attributes the balance her family has found to Mike's work ethic and life lessons, Mike said it is the other way around.

"I could not have married someone more respectful of what I do or how I do it," he said. "She is wonderful and unwavering in supporting what I do. She is a true dream."

Ultimately, Roxanne said, the way to get the most out of parenthood is to dedicate yourself entirely to your children.

"I think it's human nature to be selfish," she said, "to think first about what's most convenient or good for you. We've spent our lives pouring into our kids all our time, energy, money, everything. Now they're grown up and to see them pour themselves into others is the greatest joy."

note: Hannah Boen, a beautiful young journalist, writes for the Abilene Reporter News. Recently we spent the afternoon chatting and today she honored me with this article. She also sent me an email inviting to read a blog post she written....what can I say? I'm glowing and blushing simultaneously! Thanks Hannah, for making me feel so special.

A new year.

2011-01-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

The C00per Coaches Wives - 2010 Football Banquet

Wow! The dust has finally settled around here. It's calm and quiet.

The coaching life is an interesting one indeed. It is full of contrasts and color. Depth and dimension. Certainly the makings of good art and a good story. Twists and turns. One minute you're in an endless sprint. Then suddenly... it's over.

We eat, breathe, and barely sleep, September through November. Just in time to catch our breath and bust into the Playoffs with a frenzy. We go and go and go and go, hoping to go all the way. A State Championship or bust! Believing our team can do it... Knowing they can! Hoping that everyone will be strong and stay the course! We will and we wish but most of all you pray because ultimately, so many things are out of our control. We keep the faith. Trusting, leaning not on our own understanding but acknowledging in all our ways. Winning round 1, leads to winning round 2 which leads to Round 3! Playing in Cowboy Stadium was mind blowing! It's all so exciting! Like a big snowball, momentum is building, one game at a time. You peek ahead to see it's all downhill. Yeah, baby! We're on a roll! Go! Go! Go!
Then bam!!! It's gone. Without warning, we're done!

The silence is painful. The 'what ifs' deafening. The realization that something you have poured your all into, is over. People who have worked endless hours, scatter. Coaches, team mates, family, friends and fans all go their separate ways. It's time to breathe. Take time to reflect. Process, then ponder the past, present and future. Count your blessings! Every season is full of victories and accomplishments. Acknowledge them and celebrate! Yes, there is so much to celebrate!

On January 31st, the Cooper Cougar community will gather to support, encourage and recognize the young men that made up the 2010 football team. They were a special lot, their goals were big. Their accomplishments were great! I look forward to being( one of a 500 plus crowd) at this annual event. To commend and applaud the amazing efforts of this group of young men. They were fully invested all year long and now they'll receive the first of many rewards to come. Others will come in the future, when life challenges cause them to draw from their experiences. I'm convinced that the lesson's learned all year will provide them with a reservoir of strength, commitment and determination. God bless you guys...we won't forget you. In the future, may each and every one of you look to God for all your needs. May you, like us, let Him be the coach of the rest of your life. You will find that He is the secret, to being a true champion!

Cowboy Stadium! Regional Playoffs....

2010-12-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday while the turkey was roasting and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was on T.V., Coach and the Cooper football team were practicing! In the world of high school football it is considered an honor to still be playing football at Thanksgiving.

So you can imagine how exciting it was for this 2010 team to find themselves Distric and Area Champs two years in a roll and headed to the metroplex to play Denton Guyer, in the

....Dallas Cowboy Stadium! The complex is simply amazing. We were awe-struck!

It was truly an honor.

Unfortunately, it was not our day. And though our season has come to an end, there is so much to celebrate.!

A big congratulations to the Abilene Cooper Cougars. It was an honor to watch you play football. You invested your time and effort wisely. The payoff will be a wealth of memories, relationships and accomplishments that will last a lifetime. Thanks for getting our attention! Thanks for giving a lot of Cooper fans hope and a snoozing community a wake up call! You inspired us. Made us believe again. You changed the atmosphere.

And though we weren't ready for the season to end, it did. In the end, a lot of lessons were learned. Stories were written on the pages of countless lives.

As each of you walk into the future, may you become men of honor and outstanding leaders. Drawing from your gridiron experiences, may you lives out life with integrity, passion and purpose.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

Boy, do I want to beat Denton Guyer! Cooper has lost the past two years to them in the Regional playoffs. They are very good...but don't you think it would hard for them to beat us three times in a roll? Third times a charm, right? It's been a tough week around here. Losing three starters has been a distraction to say the least, but everyone is pulling together. Lessons are being learned and stories are being written and what a story it is.

Coach Spradlin takes the Cooper High Road

2010-11-22T07:00:00.001-08:00

Sometimes in life, we have to make hard decisions.

We’ve all had to do it…

For a parent, it might be disciplining a child knowing you’re going to have to watch them cry. For a boss, it might be letting a good person go because they’re underperforming in the workplace. For another person, it might be ending a relationship knowing it’s going to break the heart of someone you care about. For a coach, it might be letting three talented players go because they don’t meet your team’s expectations.

They all sting a little – but you make the hard decision because it’s the right thing to do.

I want to applaud Cooper High School Head Coach Mike Spradlin and his staff for making a tough decision on Friday night by removing three players from the team indefinitely. It would’ve been easy for the coaches to turn a blind eye to what was happening. That would’ve been the easy thing to do. Instead, they made a decision that could potentially cost them their opportunity at a state title.

I also applaud Spradlin and AISD Superintendent Heath Burns for their transparency. It would’ve been easy to try and cover this up or deny it; I’ve seen other districts do it. Instead, they were forthcoming about the situation without compromising the privacy of their students.

Who were the players and what did they do? At the end of the day, it’s really not that important. We all made mistakes in our teenage years. Sure, some of our mistakes were worse than others. But at the end of the day, these guys are just kids. Yes, they play on a popular football team in a town where high school football is everything. But as kids, they deserve privacy…and they deserve second chances.

Win or lose this Saturday, we should all take pride in the fact that Cooper High and Mike Spradlin chose the high road. In a day and age where teams look past players’ poor attitudes and actions, Cooper refused to do that.

As a head coach, Mike Spradlin is naturally in a position to for people to look up to him. On this occasion, Spradlin showed us what being a role model is all about.

Posted by Austin Kellerman

We won! I More info. on Saturday!

2010-11-20T00:24:00.000-08:00

Playoffs- week 1: Winner Cooper 41-6 over Arlington Lamar. Written by Joey Richards and Photography by Thomas Metthe

2010-11-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

Khole Jackson provided the spark the Cooper Cougars needed in their Class 5A Division II playoff opener Friday night.

The senior scored the game’s first three touchdowns, including a school-record 88-yard touchdown catch, in the Coogs’ 41-6 victory over Arlington Lamar at Shotwell Stadium.

Jackson also had a 21-yard touchdown run and caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Clayton Nicholas as the Coogs (10-1) advance to play Amarillo Tascosa (6-5) in the second round at Lowrey Field in Lubbock at a date and time to be announced.

Overall, Jackson had four catches for 131 yards and finished with 152 total yards.

“Oh man, it felt real good,” Jackson said about his big game. “Just execute in practice, and it works in the game.

Nicholas, who threw for 241 yards in the game, also tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dillan Stille just 45 seconds before the half, as the Coogs rolled to a 28-6 lead.

All but 23 of Nicholas’ passing yards came in the first half.

“It was good,” the junior quarterback said. “The receivers played well, the O-line blocked well. It was just a good night for all of us.”

The Coogs finished off Lamar (5-6) with a rushing attack that rolled up 283 yards. Davon Riddick led all rushers with 176 yards and a touchdown, a 70-yarder in the third quarter. Alford Cooper, who had 82 yards rushing, capped the scoring with a two-yard run in the fourth quarter.

“We did a few different things tonight, threw a wrinkle or two at them, and it paid off for us,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “The first one in the playoffs is always the toughest. Now we’ve got to get at it and get to work.”

Spradlin was especially pleased with his defense, which held the Vikings to 192 total yards, including 76 rushing. The defense also had four sacks.

Lamar managed just two Conner Curran field goals, both in the second quarter.

“When we play defense like that, coaching offense is easy,” Spradlin said. “If they aren’t scoring, they aren’t winning. It’s just that way.”

Cooper, the District 3-5A tri-champion, drove 64 yards on six plays — all rushing — on its first possession of the night. Jackson capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown run on a reverse.

The Coogs needed one play to score on their third possession of the night. Nicholas’ first pass of the night went for an 88-yard touchdown to Jackson.

“It was just a good play-action pass,” Jackson said. “Clayton confused the defense with it, and he threw it up and I caught it, took it the house. I knew it was a touchdown when he called the play.”

The reception is the longest in school history, eclipsing the record of 87 yards shared by two other receivers (Luke Harrison from Dowell Loggains against North Mesquite in 1988 and D.C. McDonald from Chris Feris against Temple in 1985).

Curran’s 31-yard field goal cut the lead to 13-3 early in the second quarter, but Nicholas again hooked with Jackson this time for a 30-yard touchdown pass.

The Vikings answered with their last score, a 29-yard field goal by Curran.

Cooper closed the half with a seven-play, 77-yard drive. Nicholas finished it with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Stille, who had two catches for 45 yards on the drive.

Riddick ripped off his 70-yard touchdown run with 5:19 left in the third quarter, and Cooper finished the scoring with a two-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

“Great night of football against a good football team,” Spradlin said. “I’m so proud of our guys and what a great job defensively. What a good balance for us. Of course, the o-line did a great job.”

Lisa, we won!!!

2010-11-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

Just got home and had to shout out the good news. Cooper won 41 - 6 tonight against Arlington Lamar. It was a great win! The whole team played 'lights out'! So proud of these guys. More about the game soon!

Game Day!

2010-11-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

What a great week! The team has never worked harder... never looked better. They have invested a lot in this season. They are well prepared. What an amazing opportunity they will have tomorrow night. A victory will further their cause, one week closer to winning a State Championship.

Play offs - week 1

2010-11-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

This Friday, as the Abilene Cooper Cougars take the field at Shotwell Stadium, they'll have lot's of fan's cheering them on. But no one will be cheering louder than the Cooper coaches wives. We have invested a lot into this program too and are so proud of the 2010 team's accomplishments.

2010 Playoffs

2010-11-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Our first Playoff game will be this Friday, November 12th, Shotwell Stadium, Abilene Texas. Congratulations, Cougars on an amazing season! Best Wishes in the Playoffs!

Dave Campbell's Texas Football Rankings.......Abilene Cooper is on the list...check it out!

2010-11-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Rank School (Previous week) 2010 Overall/District Record Last result
1. Euless Trinity (1) 9-0/7-0 Open
2. Katy (2) 9-0/6-0 W: 56-14, Katy Taylor
3. Round Rock Stony Point (4) 9-0/5-0 Open
4. Coppell (5) 9-0/6-0 W: 56-16, Keller
5. Abilene Cooper (13) 9-0/4-0 W: 45-28, Abilene
6. GP North Shore (7) 8-1/4-0 W: 62-20, Baytown Sterling
7. The Woodlands (8) 9-0/4-0 W: 42-10, TW College Park
8. Klein Collins (10) 9-0/6-0 W: 52-16, Spring Westfield
9. Katy Cinco Ranch (9) 9-0/6-0 W: 48-21, Katy Morton Ranch
10. Allen (3) 8-1/5-1 L: 35-28, Hebron

Cooper High School, is U.S. Army Strong- Game of the Week

2010-11-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

CHS is Army Strong Team Of The Week0/5 ratingPrint ArticleReported
by: Meridith Young
Monday, November 01 2010

Abilene, Texas – November 1, 2010 – Dave Campbell’s Texas Football is proud to announce that the Abilene Cooper High School Cougars football team has been named the Army Strong Team of the Week for Division 5A.

The Cougars were chosen for this honor because of their teamwork, dedication, discipline, personal courage and integrity, values shared by U.S. Army Soldiers.

“Abilene Cooper outscored rival Abilene 21-0 in the second half to emerge with a 45-28 win and clinch at least a share of the District 3-5A title. Cooper also kept its unbeaten record intact at 9-0 overall, 4-0 in district, and the Cougars can clinch the district title with a win this week against Midland,” said Adam Hochfelder, general manager of Dave Campbell's Texas Football. “Cooper QB Clayton Nicholas was the hero of the game, passing for 349 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran for a score. RB Alford Cooper added 129 rushing yards and three TDs.”

The award will be presented to the team at a time to be determined later this week by a representative of the U.S. Army.

"The U.S. Army is recognizing the student-athletes at Abilene Cooper High School for demonstrating qualities similar to those exhibited by its Soldiers. Student-athletes and Soldiers share similar values, but more importantly they must be mentally, emotionally and physically strong," said CPT Adam Drybread. "We expect to see some of these young men competing at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the college level, or maybe even professionally in the future."

2010-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just have to say, Wow! I love be married to a Texas High School Football Coach!!!

What a season! My Coach, Mike Spradlin, left the University of Houston in January of 2006, to rebuild the Abilene Cooper Cougars. A good school with history and a once winning tradition, had fallen on hard times. However, with a dedicated, like minded staff of coaches, they began to rebuild a buried treasure. It was tough, a controversial boundary change had severely effected the Cooper community. Coach Spradlin, with an unlimited supply of optimism and a proven philosophy, went to work. Immediately, the players bought in and soon success followed. Season 3, found the Cougars, three rounds deep in the playoffs. Season 4, the same plus a district championship. It's been an exciting adventure! Effecting more than a football team. It has fanned the flickering flame of a community.
Which brings us up to date and season 5! Solid and prepared in every way this group, this invested group of men beat #4 state ranked, Austin Westlake, in their first preseason game. Now, 9 games later the Cougars are still undefeated, 9-0. This past Friday night, in front of a 'sold out' stadium of 15,000 plus, Cooper beat the defending 5AAAAA State Champions, Abilene Eagles, in it's 50Th Crosstown Rivalry! The final score was 48-25. I am certain it came as a big surprise for a lot of people, but they weren't on our football team! It was a great game. The Cooper offense played flawlessly. The defense, was a powerful force! Together, they did what no team had done since 2002.

It was a sweet victory....one I'll never forget. Our grown children, came home to witness the occasion. They blessed us with their presence! A gift that one never out grows.

Next week, we head out west to play Midland High. A victory there will make us District Champions and 10-0! Needless to say, my Coach has been hard a work all weekend, figuring out how to beat the bulldogs this Friday night, November 5Th, 2010! It will be a battle, just like every district game, that's why they call it the 'Little Southwest Conference'! We'll be counting the days. Go Cooper Cougars! ....yours is a story worth telling!

Undefeated!
Roxanne Spradlin

On a roll....

2010-10-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-10-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

Photo by Jeff Brokovich

Undefeated!!!

2010-10-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-28T12:35:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-10-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-23T15:23:00.001-07:00

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.”

2010-10-23T15:22:00.001-07:00

Woohoo!!!

2010-10-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

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

article to follow

Game day! Abilene Cooper vs. Odessa High

2010-10-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-16T02:14:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-15T15:28:00.001-07:00

Next up....the Permian Panthers!

2010-10-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-10-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-09-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Cooper linebacker Josh Robinson has a pretty simple philosophy when it comes to playing defense.

“Get to the guy with the ball and try to rip his head off,” he said. “All that mean stuff. I play defense. That’s what I do.”

The senior does a good job getting the guy with the ball, too, and he’s laid out some of the hardest hits you’ll see on the football field this season. One, in particular, stands out. His hit on Austin Westlake quarterback Lewis Guilbeau in the Coogs’ second game of the season, a 35-31 victory over the Chaparrals, was a brutal blast, dropping Guilbeau for a four-yard loss late in the first half.

“It was just the way he got there,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “He really bursted there, made a huge play on it. It really was one of the biggest hits I’ve seen. I’ve got to give it to the kid (Guilbeau). He got up, and about three or four plays later, he threw a touchdown pass. (The hit) was a great athletic play, too. It wasn’t just the violence of it. It was a great athletic play.”

It’s tackles like that, though, that make Robinson’s night. He loves hitting folks hard.

“Every minute, every second of it,” he said. “It’s great.”

The 5-foot-11, 235-pound Robinson is one of the Coogs most articulate and confident players.

It’s also evident he’s having a lot of fun out there.

“Because I’m the best out there doing what I do,” he said. “I’m not arrogant. But it’s the way you’ve got to think. To be the best, you’ve got to think that way. I’m confident because I’ve prepared. I’ve worked harder than anybody. If that guy says he can beat me, I’m going to man up and challenge him. I’m not going to back down from anybody.”

That confidence is one of the things that endears Robinson to Spradlin.

“He’s extremely confident,” he said. “He’s always been that way. I got to know Josh when he was an eighth-grader over at Madison. Boy, I could tell then he had a chance to be special. A hard worker. Real confident in his ability. I like that about him. He’s a great leader. He’s been a great leader for our football team for three years, honestly. Even as a sophomore, he just played like an older guy. The last two years, he’s been great.”

Robinson started as defensive tackle in youth football but lost weight and made the switch to running back in junior high. He also played running back at Cooper his freshman year, but he was moved to nose guard on defense. He didn’t like playing nose guard. He wanted to be a linebacker, and he got his wish that freshman season.

“It was pretty obvious that was a good fit for him,” Spradlin said.

Robinson, a three-year starter, has bloomed into that smart, passionate football player, who’s every bit the leader on his team.

“He’s certainly not a guy who’s going to get shook,” Spradlin said. “He’s going to stay calm, stay focused on the task, play intelligently. He plays tough, because he’s strong and has a quick burst, as we saw against Westlake.”

Robinson said he’s learned to be much more disciplined — something lacking his freshman year.

“I had all the tools,” he said. “I was big, strong, fast. I just wasn’t right in my mind.”

The Coogs are 4-0 and coming off an impressive offensive and defensive showing against Lubbock High — a game called at halftime because of lightning. Cooper’s defense held the Westerners to 10 yards of total offense, including minus-two yards on the ground, in a 43-0 victory — the team’s first shutout this season.

“I think we’re coming along very good,” Robinson said about the defense. “We’re not perfect, but our effort and intensity hasn’t fallen off. It’s picked up. We haven’t gotten our bellies full. We’re still hungry. We’re playing like we haven’t won a game.”

Ah, that’s Robinson — always the leader, always wanting to get better.

“I just love his passion for leading and his passion for the game,” Spradlin said. “It’s important to him. He’s been one of the finest kids I’ve coached.”

Spradlin expects Robinson to play college ball, perhaps at the Division I level. Robinson, though, isn’t worried about where he lands. He just wants to enjoy this final season at Cooper.

“This is what I love to do,” he said. “I’ve got to cherish every moment of it. This is what I’m going to miss when I’m there doing it like a job in college.”

Cooper 56 - Lubbock Coronado 21

2010-09-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

Alford Cooper made up for lost time Friday night.

After sitting out two games with a twisted ankle, the Cooper senior ran for 132 yards and four touchdowns — all in the first half — to power the unbeaten Cougars past Lubbock Coronado 56-21 on a wet homecoming at Shotwell Stadium.

“It feels great,” Cooper said. “Those two weeks I was out was killing me. It feels great to be back, and I’m glad to be back.”

Cooper, who was injured on the Coogs’ first possession against Austin Westlake in the second game of the season, ran for touchdowns of 11 and 4 yards and twice from a yard out. His entire yardage came in the first half on 11 carries.

“He did pretty good,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “I told him everybody has kind of forgotten about you. You’re going to have to remind them that you’re still around. He and Davon (Riddick) both ran well.”

Riddick ran for touchdowns of 18 and four yards and finished with 64 yards on seven carries. Khole Jackson also returned a punt 28 yards for a touchdown, and Clayton Nicholas threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Khaeer Sonnier.

Nicholas, who played only the first half, completed 10-of-16 passes for 164 yards. Cooper didn’t have a turnover.

All of the Coogs’ points came in the first half, including 42 in the second quarter. None of the team’s offensive starters played in the second half, and the first-team defense played only one series.

“The first half, I think that’s about the best we could be,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “We got a chance to get a lot of kids in. It got a little sloppy there in the second half, but that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Cooper wrapped up nondistrict play with a 5-0 record. It’s their best start since going 12-1 in 2002. The Coogs have a bye next week, before opening District 3-5A play at Midland Lee in their return to the Little Southwest Conference after two years in Class 4A.

“It’s momentum,” Spradlin said. “We wanted to make a statement going into district, and I think we did. We certainly did in the first half. I feel good about it.”

Coronado (1-4) scored all of its points in the fourth quarter against Cooper’s reserves. Banner Owen ran for a pair of two-yard touchdowns, and Brennan Johnson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Grayson Young.

Three Coronado turnovers fueled the Coogs’ second-quarter outburst.

“I loved the turnover deal tonight,” Spradlin said. “It was outstanding.”

Josh Bowman, who got his team’s first pick last week against Lubbock High, got picks on back-to-back Mustang possessions with Cooper up 21-0 in the second quarter. The first interception set Cooper up at the Mustang 21, and four plays later Cooper ran one yard for his third touchdown. Bowman’s next pick gave the Coogs the ball at the Mustang 31. Two plays later, Riddick ran 18 yards for a touchdown.

“I was happy that I got them,” Bowman said of the interceptions. “I dropped my first one (tonight). When I caught those two, it just lightened the game up.”

On Coronado’s next possession, the Mustangs fumbled the ball away, and Cooper’s Ty Robinson came up with the ball, giving the Coogs the ball at the Mustang 39. The Coogs needed four plays to get a 27-yard touchdown pass from Nicholas to Sonnier.

“Cooper is a great football team, and we didn’t do things you’re going to have to do to stay with that in the first half,” Coronado coach Butch Henderson said. “Defensively, I think we played well at times. Offensively, we didn’t take the ball and move the ball. That’s what we’ve got to be able to do. But that’s not to take anything away from them. They’re a great football team.”

Written by Joey Richards

Photos Abilene Reporter News

Abilene Cooper HS- 43 Lubbock HS- 0

2010-09-17T08:36:00.001-07:00

Sports

Miranda Grubbs
Abilene Cooper’s Khole Jackson (1) scores a touchdown as Lubbock High’s Marcus Fitzhugh, left, stands nearby. Cooper beat the Westerners, 43-0, Thursday at Lowrey Field
Abilene Cooper mauls Lubbock High in lightning-shortened game
Lubbock High had hoped to pull off an upset like it had done in two of the last three years against Abilene Cooper. That hope lasted all of about two minutes.
By George Watson

Abilene Cooper mauls Lubbock High in lightning-shortened game

Lubbock High had hoped Thursday to pull off an upset along the lines of what it had done in two of the last three years in its football game against Abilene Cooper.

That hope lasted all of about two minutes.

Cooper fumbled on its first possession, scored on its next six and did so seemingly at will, racking up 396 yards offense in a dominant first half and winning 43-0 at Lowrey Field in a game shortened to two quarters because of lightning.

“That’s a good football team,” Lubbock High coach Mike Speck said. “We had to scrap for everything we had. I thought the first eight minutes we really played well. We gave up that first cheap touchdown … and then they just put it into another gear, and the thing about being that great is it looked like they weren’t even moving half the time. They’re so smooth and accurate. That’s the difference in numbers and a great (Class) 5A program.”

The game was called just before the start of the third quarter after a second lightning delay just after halftime. The first one, which came midway through the first quarter, caused a 39-minute delay, but only delayed the inevitable.

Cougars junior quarterback Clayton Nicholas tied a school record with six touchdown passes, three to Khaeer Sonnier and two to John Patrick, as the Cougars (4-0) had three scoring drives that totaled 33 plays and three others that lasted just four plays.

Nicholas was a surgeon-like 17 of 19 for 254 yards and six touchdowns, tying Zac Allen’s 16-year-old school record for touchdown passes in a game. Davon Riddick added 96 rushing yards to the fray for the Cougars, and leading receiver Khole Jackson had five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown in the first 24 minutes.

“It was pretty obvious they wanted to stop Riddick, stop our running game, and I felt we took advantage of those things and threw the ball a little bit,” Cougars coach Mike Spradlin said.

“I’m really proud of our team. We do have a bunch of guys playing hard and playing with passion, and that’s what it takes. We’re fixing to go into a tough district and we need to play all the ball we can.”

Lubbock High (0-4) was completely the opposite. The Westerners had five possessions in the first half and went three-and-out on three of them.

On another they were whistled for a safety when Tyler Schovanec was called for intentional grounding in the end zone, having to pick up a snap that sailed over his head. The Westerners’ final possession of the half saw them gain their first first down, but ended in a Josh Bowman interception two plays later.

Cooper led 7-0 when the game was delayed, but it didn’t face the Cougars, who simply picked up where they left off.

A 21-yard touchdown pass to Sonnier pushed the lead to 14-0 two minutes after the game resumed, and it grew to 16-0 when Schovanec’s intentional grounding penalty drew a safety. Two plays after the ensuing free kick, Nicholas hit Sonnier from 17 yards out to push the lead to 23-0.

Two penalties on Lubbock High’s ensuing drive forced it to stall at the Westerner 25-yard line, at which point LHS had more penalty yardage (25) than offensive yardage (19). Cooper took over at the LHS 41, and on the first play Nicholas hit Sonnier on a post route for the touchdown and a 30-0 lead.

Cooper took over on the ground on its next drive, going 65 yards in 12 plays, only four which were through the air. But the final one was a pass as well, a 3-yarder to Patrick on third-and-goal. Justin Lehr missed the extra-point kick to keep the score at 36-0, but it hardly mattered.

“One of our goals is to pursue the state playoffs and get into the state playoffs,” Speck said. “If we get into the playoffs that’s the kind of people we’re going to face. It’s a great learning tool that we’ve got to play more than eight minutes of great football, and take it to 48. It’s a challenge to those guys.”

ABILENE COOPER 43, LUBBOCK HIGH 0

Meet, Kimberly Waddell!

2010-09-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Kim! Thanks for joining us today on my blog! It's been so nice getting to know the Cooper C-wives better and I appreciate you taking the time to visit. Kim is married to David Waddell who is an Offensive Line coach for the undefeated 2010 Cooper Cougars! David and Kim, have three adorable children; Hayden, Reece and Olivia.

Tell us a little about yourself?

I was born and raised in the West Texas area. I grew up just a few miles down the road in Odessa. I am a graduate of Odessa High School. (My parents are still season ticket holders for over 40 years now.) And yes, since we are back in the "Little Southwest Conference" you may find me singing the school song when the band plays on Friday night. It's my alma mater. I can't help it.

While in school I cheered along side the Bronchettes on Friday nights and was a member of the Odessa High Corral and a girls group called the Renditions (kinda like a cover band, but better!)

. When did you meet your coach?

I met my coach, David, while attending the college department at Temple Baptist Church. At first we were just friends, not really interested in one another. But you know how that goes, things seemed to change and after one year of dating and one year of engagement, we got married!

. How long have you been a coaches wife?

David and I have been married for over 11 years. WOW! My husband would say,”It only feels like 11 minutes...under water." (HA!HA!) No really, it does only feel like 11 minutes. Time really does pass by when you are having fun!!!

. What quality do you most admire in your coach?

I think what I admire most in David is that he knows who he is. He is unwavering. He knows what he stands for and he knows what he believes in. David is firm, steadfast, consistent, faithful, dedicated, determined, devoted, dependable, loyal... And most of all, he is loving.

. What is your favorite part of football season?

My favorite part of football season is Friday nights! It's waiting for family to arrive and attend the game; getting our game jerseys and game faces on; eating out before the big game; rushing to the stadium to make it on time before the kickoff; cheering in the stands as the Coogs push towards the end zone; and then coming home and laying our heads down at night knowing we just spent family time together. All of us! Even Daddy, although he is in the press box. We are all there, together!

. What is your greatest challenge?

For me, the greatest challenge is trying to remember that the time David spends away is short. And although it may seem like eternity, eventually he comes home to love on all of us.

. Where do you work?

Well, if you ask me, first of all, I am a stay at home mom. Our oldest son, Hayden, just began kindergarten and our other two children, Reece and Olivia attend a local church preschool program. So, after we drop Hayden off, I go to school with Reece and Olivia and spend the day with them while they are learning about the ABCs and 123s. It is the perfect job! We all leave the house together and we all come home together.

And by the way, I am an Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. I love this job! Who would have guessed that playing with skin care and makeup could be so fun!!! www.marykay.com/kimberly_waddell

. What hobbies do you enjoy?

I really enjoy cooking. I love to cook good food and then eat it! I love spending time with family and friends. And of course, don't forget that good food.

I also enjoy sitting on the back porch, drinking a cup of coffee (if it's morning) or sweet tea (if it's evening), reading a magazine and watching my kids play in the back yard. There is nothing better.

Kimberly, thank you so much for taking the time to share about yourself. You have a precious family. You and David are good parents. We are thankful to have you all here in Abilene and at Cooper. Together we are making a difference in the lives around us.

Oh, I want a makeover!

VICTORY!!! Cooper 55 / San Angelo Central 14

2010-09-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Coach's Kids!

2010-09-10T03:27:00.001-07:00

Our oldest daughter Bethany, wrote a blog post titled Eat Your Heart Out Westlake.( Click to read!)

One constant in the life of Coach Spradlin, is the unconditional love of his family. It's not always easy to be a coach, or his family but it's always been easy to love him. A coach's family is tight! Babies grow up on the practice field and in the fieldhouse. From birth, they attend football games. Learning quickly to cheer for the team! They look forward to pep rallies, pom poms and seeing to the mascot. When you make 17 moves they come with you. Help you pack, unpack, paint walls, plant flowers and make friends....but until you make new friends the famliy hangs out and has fun together.

And when they grow up, they come back home and cheer for their dad again ....and the boy's he coaches!

Last Friday's victory was extra special to the or family because it was the 2nd time that 'our coach' had led his team to victory, over the Austin Westlake Chapparel's. Beth and Nate, Carte and Emme; Kim and John; and Clint came to town to watch the Coogs. We adore our kids and love it when they all come 'home'. They knew what a big deal it would be for Cooper to beat Westlake and they couldn't miss the opportunity to support their dad. This picture was a recreation of one taken 10 years ago (have you read Beth's story yet?). Both were milestone's in our coach's career....two of many we've been privy to witness. Since the first Westlake defeat, our family has grown up a lot...

We've also grown in numbers! ( ...we missed you Jenny!)

What an amazing game! One of the best ever! It was hard to settle down, but later coach found a note on his night stand. Here is what it said:

Dad,
I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much you mean to me. I can't help but get a little emotional every time I see you out their with your players because I see how much fun you have and how much you love them and how much they love you. You truly are a man of God, and the amazing part about all of this is that I have the honor and priviledge to call you Dad. You truly are my hero and I know there will never be another. I can only hope that one day people look at me the way they look at you, and that one day I will have a son that loves me as much as I love you!

Love Always,
Your son

I don't think Coach Spradlin ever slept.
Children; What a blessing from God! ...can I get an amen?

Big Game tonight! Abilene Cooper 35. Austin Westlake 28

2010-09-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

There is a great article at Go Friday Night (gofridaynight.com), I've been trying to copy and paste for one hour! Please feel free to check it out! Above is a photo of the game winning touchdown!

Meet, Mindi Womack!

2010-08-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, Mindi! Welcome to the blog and thanks for letting me interview you. Mindi's married to Jerod Womack, who coaches the Wide Receivers and is also C0-Offensive Coordinator. They have the cutest little boys, Hudson and Grant.

Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Mindi. I grew up in West Texas, Midland to be exact. I grew up loving high school football...wouldn't be a true West Texan if you didn't! I have two sisters and the best parents in the world (all devoted Cooger fans). I grew up being in athletics. I was a fastpitch softball pitcher and played all the way through college at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Jerod and I have two boys, Hudson (2) and Grant (8 mo).

When did you meet your coach?

Jerod and I met in high school. We were friends first, then started dating his senior year and my sophomore year. We had a long distance relationship for several years and got married when I graduated from nursing school in 2003.

How long have you been a coaches wife?

Since we got married. It's been 7 years now....seems impossible!

What quality do you most admire in your coach?

It's very hard to pick out just one quality that I admire the most in Jerod. I think I would just say his love for people. I think his genuine love for people is what makes him a hard working, great coach and an even better husband and father.

What is your favorite part of football season?

FRIDAYS!! The games are awesome to watch! I love watching Jerod in action. And when they win....it's so rewarding to see all of the guys' (coaches and players) hard work pay off.

What is your greatest challenge?

It's a challenge during football season seeing Jerod having to be apart from his family so much. We miss him a ton and he really misses a lot with the kids during the long hours that they work.

Where do you work?

I am by trade a RN. I work part-time at Abilene Regional Medical Center as a labor and delivery nurse. It's amazing to be in a job where you witness the miracle of birth every time you go to work! My two miracles at home are my fulltime job and I couldn't love it more!

What hobbies do you enjoy?

My hobbies include anything that involves being with my family. I enjoy scrapbooking (when I have time), being outdoors, and being with friends. And on occasion, I enjoy a good reality TV show!

Thanks a lot Mindi! I love your humor and good attitude. You're a great addition to the coaches wives and we're so glad you and Jerod are at Cooper!

Meet, Cassidi Dunnam!

2010-08-29T05:56:00.000-07:00

Today, I'd like you to meet another coaches wife. Cassidi, is married to Aaron Dunnam, who coaches the inside linebackers. Cassidi, has been the athletic secretary at Cooper the past two years. Though she will be greatly missed Cassidi, has decided to stay home with her three adorable children, Lyssa, Parker and Tate.

Welcome Cassidi! Thanks for giving everyone an opportunity to know you better!

. Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Cassidi. I grew up in the best little town in whole world, Wheeler! I could ride my bike anywhere I wanted! I lived in the same house for 18 years and it is still my favorite place to be! Family means everything to me! In high school I ran cross country and track and played basketball. My graduating class had 23 people and to this day I keep in touch with most of them!

Aaron and I have been blessed with three children for which we are so thankful. They keep us busy and smiling!

. When did you meet your coach?

I met my husband when I was in the 5th grade! He moved to Wheeler from a town near by. I still remember the first time I saw him. I thought he was soooooo cute (much like Parker now). When I was in the 6th grade I remember telling him I was going to marry him someday! I wasn’t kidding!

. How long have you been a coaches wife?

Although it seems like just yesterday he started coaching, it has been 7 years.

. What quality do you most admire in your coach?

On the field…his passion for the game, I love to watch him coach just as much as I loved to watch him play!

Off the field…the love he has for our babies! I never get tired of seeing him hold them.

. What is your favorite part of football season?

The games are tons of fun. Me and my girls (c-wives) have made many, many, many funny memories on all of our road trips. Of course I love all the kiddos running around.

. What is your greatest challenge?

My greatest challenge during football season isn’t doing all the “work” at home by myself. It’s all the memories that are made at home that I wish he could be a part of. It’s hearing, “Mom, why can’t daddy come?”

. Where do you work? (job, home, etc.- plug your business if you have one)

Four more days at Cooper, then a full time stay at home mom! I will be remoting into my dad’s computer to help him with one of his business, Wallace Tax Service. I will also be helping my sisters with our new business adventure called PLAY IT S.A.F.E (www.playitsafeprogram.com). My oldest sister has patented a concussion management program. She has been working with the University of Texas for ten years and she decided to make it public and promote it to other colleges and high schools. So far, OSU, Alabama , and the Jets have purchased it. We are very excited about it J

. What hobbies do you enjoy?

I love doing things around my house…painting and gardening are two of my favorites! We love having family and friends over, so we always want our house to feel open and FUN!!!

Cassidi, thank you so much for dropping by. And on behalf of the wives I want to thank you. You're so good at organizing things and getting us together. Your like the glue! We love you!

Meet, Katie Galusha!

2010-08-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Cooper Football blog!

You may have noticed that things have changed a little bit around here:) I love makeovers and design challenges and I'm always changing things! I started this blog last year as a little gift to those who love Cooper Football. In my house that happens to be my husband, Coach Spradlin, who I respect and admire. He is a deeply committed, well invested indiviual, living out his dream. Life with him as been an amazing adventure, full of breath taking moments! This year, as the ones before it are sure to be full of excitement. I will continue to journal the 2010 season, as before but I'll be telling the story from a personal prospective. That of a coaches wife. Which works are amazingly well since I am one. I also just happen to be surrounded by 12 others. So, I'll have lot's of help.

So, let's started with some introductions. Many of you have had an opportunity to meet the men who coach the Cooper Cougars. They are a stellar group of men that genuinely care about the lives and futures of the young men they coach. A touching observation for those who have had the e opportunity to watch first hand. As you know, this kind of concern makes a big difference in hearts and minds, and attitudes. It reinforces what parents have passed on and further prepares them for the years ahead. So needless to say, yet true. Awesome things are happening in the lives of those involved! Good things are on the horizon...the best is yet to come!

So, you've met the coaches. Now I would like you to meet the women that love and respect them. The ladies who encourage them 24/7 to be the men they are! In the days to come I will invite each of these lovely women to be my guest. I will ask them a few questions that will help you get to know them better. They are precious,inspiring and unique. Each one plays an irreplaceable role, just as you in their family and community.

Today, I'll be visiting with Katie Galusha. Katie is married to Rob Galusha, defensive secondary coach. Welcome Katie! I'm so glad to visit with you today!

.Tell us a little about yourself?

I was born & raised right here in Abilene, TX. I have lived here my entire life, and I do love it! I went to Abilene High (gasp!) and graduated from there in 2006. I am currently attending Hardin-Simmons and will graduate with a degree in Biology in December of this year. I hope to continue on and obtain a master's degree.

. When did you meet your coach?

I met my coach in 2003 at our church's youth camp in Oklahoma. We were both from Abilene but had never met. We were in the same small group at camp, so we spent a lot of the week together. I didn't think of it this way at the time, but I think I was in love with Rob pretty much immediately! He was an awesome football player (at Cooper!) and I was hooked!

. How long have you been a coaches wife?

I have been a coach's wife from the moment we arrived home from our honeymoon in July of 2008. When we got off the plane, Rob checked his voicemail, and he had a message from Coach Spradlin telling him that the job was his! We were jumping for joy (and receiving some crazy glares) in a terminal at DFW!

. What quality do you most admire in your coach?

There are so many things that I admire about my coach, but I think I would have to say his dedication and passion. He doesn't commit to anything without completely fulfilling his duties (and then some!). His passion for football is certainly undeniable. There are many yellow tablets with play after play jotted down on them as well as many game films around our house to prove it!

. What is your favorite part of football season?

My favorite part of football season has to be those Friday night lights! There's really nothing better than seeing all of your coach's work pay off. I also love being with my fellow c-wives...I love how we especially come together during the season.

. What is your greatest challenge?

Whew, where to begin? I am human and have many challenges, but right now I'd say my biggest challenge is figuring out who I really am. I'm at a crossroads right now because I'm about to graduate from college but I'm not certain what it is that I want to do with my life. I want to have a career that I love, one that challenges me, and one that allows me to help and uplift others. Right now I am doing my best to leave that in the hands of the Lord, but it is hard to be patient sometimes!

. Where do you work?

I work part-time waiting tables at a local steakhouse and full-time as a house-wife! :)

. What hobbies do you enjoy?

I LOVE cooking/baking! After being diagnosed with Celiac disease last summer, I had to become a little more creative in the kitchen, and I have really enjoyed that. I have also recently become a big fan of blogging!

Katie, thank you so much for sharing! You are a wonderful addition to our H.U.G.'s (huddle up girl's) and we all love your enthusiasm and sweet disposition!

Thanks for stopping by. You're interest and support is so encouraging...and appreciated! It's hard to believe we have out first game tomorrow night, but we do! Have a great day and see you at the game!

A New Game Plan!

2010-08-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

My Playbook For Life
_____________________
How high school football changed everything for country star Kenny Chesney.
by Kevin Sessums
Parade Magazine

Kenny Chesney is not wearing a hat. That’s the old Kenny Chesney—or at least the public Kenny Chesney—the country mega-star who is forever party-ready, beck-and-call rowdy, always peering out at his fans from under a brim.

But last fall, something inside Chesney changed.

“You’d think I’d have been happiest in my life playing music in front of 50,000 people at Gillette Stadium. But let me tell you, it’s an odd feeling to feel alone in the spotlight,” the singer-songwriter says, sitting in an overstuffed chair in his Nashville production office. He’s wearing jeans and sneakers and a T-shirt that exposes his buff biceps. A bottle of Corona is by his side. “I was standing onstage last year, and I felt like I wanted to be somewhere else. No matter how many people were out there, it all just felt like a blank sheet of paper.” So the 42-year-old entertainer, who has sold more than one million concert tickets during each of the past eight summers, decided to sit out the season—surprising his fans and Nashville, but most important, surprising himself.

It’s said that rockers want you to forget where they come from but country stars want you to remember. This country star had to remind himself of his own roots. He spent his year off reconnecting with his family and hometown in east Tennessee, which culminated in his producing a documentary about the impact of high school football, The Boys of Fall, due to air on ESPN this fall. A reverie of innocence lost and manhood found, it features coaches and players from the pro and college ranks reminiscing about their times in high school. It also highlights a few small-town high school teams, including Chesney’s own former squad.

See exclusive pics from PARADE's phoot shoot on the football field with Kenny Chesney

“I felt as if I had lost my center,” Chesney says, explaining why he took the year off. “But sitting there talking to those coaches and hearing these icons of the game—their wisdom and philosophies about football, life, marriage, and love—relates to how I am now trying to find some balance in my life. It’s done more to inspire me than anything in a long time. I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t realize this film would do that for me.”

Chesney’s love of the game began on the football field of Gibbs High, near tiny Luttrell, Tenn., where he grew up. He didn’t go out for the team until his junior year; he played wide-receiver. “It all started for me on that field,” Chesney says. “Football taught me how hard you had to work to achieve something,” he says, his eyes lighting up at the memory of “knockin’ heads and talkin’ trash, slingin’ mud and dirty grass,” as he sings in his first single—also called “The Boys of Fall”—off his new album, Hemingway’s
Whiskey, due out Sept. 28.

In high school, Chesney was too busy with baseballs and basketballs and footballs to pick up a guitar. That didn’t happen until he went to college and began to play local clubs. “When I was playing for tips in college, I felt a fire in my soul. I had the same principle of focus that I had learned playing football.

Yearbook photos of Kenny and other celebs who played high school football

“I stopped [touring] because I need to feed this,” he says, grabbing a fistful of his T-shirt right where his heart is. “I needed to reconnect with my family. I needed to reconnect with me. I needed to pick up the guitar just because. I needed to get that kind of heart back in my life.”

He takes a long, slow swig of his beer and rubs the birthmark on his right bicep. It’s an endearing, daydreamy gesture that emerges whenever he feels his innate sweetness begin to blur his party-guy image.

Chesney’s sweetness comes in large part from being raised so well by his mother, Karen, a hairstylist, who was only 19 when she gave birth to him and was divorced soon after he was born. His father, Dave, is a former schoolteacher. Karen was a working single mom for most of his childhood before marrying his stepfather. She divorced again when her son was in high school and recently married for a third time.

“She was dating someone once and broke up,” Chesney says. “And this stayed with me. She said, ‘Kenny, I just want you to know I’d rather be miserable alone than miserable with somebody else.’ That makes a lot of sense to me.”

Chesney’s own love life has been spotty as well—most notably, his four-month-long marriage to actress Renée Zellweger, which was annulled in a miasma of media scandal in 2005. He is currently in an on-again-off-again relationship with a young Nashville nurse, Amy Colley.

Even though the breakup with Zellweger was hard, “there ain’t nothing you can do about it,” he says. “Just hang on for the ride. Now I look back on it as just another way of getting knocked down on the football field.”

And he insists it hasn’t made him marriage-shy. “Not at all,” he says. “I hope that’s in the cards for me one day.”

But does The Boys of Fall, which is filled with scenes of young men bonding with one another as well as their fathers and coaches, make him want to have kids of his own—so he can be a cheering parent in the stands? “Not really,” Chesney says. “I hope I have kids one day. But I don’t wake up every day and miss that in my life.”

What he does miss is trust.

“The world is a different place now,” he says. “I mean, if I go out with a girl, there is a possibility that she’s going to get up from the dinner table and go to the bathroom and use Twitter to tell everybody what she’s doing. And the next thing you know, everybody’s got a play-by-play of what you’re having for dinner. That would make anybody uncomfortable.”

As Chesney polishes off his beer, I ask him why so many of his songs are about drinking. Would he call himself a functioning alcoholic? Laughing nervously, he turns to one of his entourage. “Bring me another beer!” he shouts good-naturedly. Then he looks at me soberly. “I probably don’t drink as much as perceived,” he says. “I’m too healthy. But a lot of my songs were written with the idea of having a good time. When I’m on tour, you’d be surprised by how disciplined I am. Because I have to be. But when I’m off tour, that’s when those drinkin’ songs get written. That’s probably a misconception about me. Yeah, I have a few cold beers every now and then. No doubt about it.”

See photos of Kenny working the stage and the crowd

The other misconception about Chesney is that he’s not comfortable without his hat. The truth is he also learned to be follically challenged on that same football field.

“When I was 17 or 18, I’d take my helmet off on the field, and I’d see hair in it and go, ‘Good God! What’s going on?’” he says with a chuckle. “It did bother me in college a little bit—going bald—but it doesn’t at all now. What’s ironic about it is that friends of mine in their 30s and 40s are just starting to lose their hair and are freaking out. I went through all that in high school.”

For Chesney, everything comes back to football. “When my father and I didn’t have anything in common and didn’t talk about anything, there was always University of Tennessee football,” he says. “There are a lot of fathers and sons out there like that. Last year, after my tour was over, me and my dad went to lots of games. It was because of football that our relationship got better. We even went to the Super Bowl.”

Does Chesney dream of playing the Super Bowl halftime show? “If I was asked to do it—yeah, I probably would.” What he wants to do right now, however, is get the word out about The Boys of Fall. It’s as if he’s on a mission.

“I feel a responsibility to myself—the self that was that kid,” he says. “I want a sophomore in high school to take away wanting to be the best player, the best friend, the best person he can be. Football emulates life. You get knocked down—but it’s how you get up and handle it that’s important.”

During filming, former NFL coach Bill Parcells told Chesney, “I want these players and myself to hang onto your passion. If you can hang onto someone’s passion, it becomes habit-forming.”

“That was the best compliment I could have gotten,” Chesney says. “Because that’s another reason I took the year off. Not that I’m not passionate about what I do musically, but it was beginning to seem mechanical. I didn’t like that. Music has to be about the heart and soul.”

That’s a lesson he learned not onstage but on the football fields of east Tennessee.

“When I was that boy in that high school football uniform, and I was dreaming, I had no idea my life could be like this,” Chesney says. “I used to go out in my backyard and just look up at the sky and know there was something out there for me. I just didn’t know what it was. I do love my life now. I am blessed beyond belief.”

Cooper wins season opener 40-21!

2010-08-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

Whatever doubts Cooper fans might have had about their new quarterback were put to rest in the season opener.

Clayton Nicholas, a guy who hadn’t started a game since eighth grade, threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars surged past the Wichita Falls Rider Raiders 40-21 on Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

“I couldn’t have asked any more out of him for the first game,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “He did a tremendous job of executing our offense and making good decisions.”

Nicholas, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior, completed 18-of-28 passes. He threw one interception.

“We all played well,” Nicholas said. “Our defense was outstanding, and our offensive line helped me throw the ball around, gave me time to find the receivers. I thought it was a good night for all of us.”

Nicholas got plenty of help from his teammates. Alford Cooper amassed 178 total yards of offense. The senior running back ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.

“They got Eric Dickerson over there,” Rider coach Jim Garfield said about Alford Cooper. “He’s a stud.”

Khole Jackson also had a big night, catching four passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Overall, Cooper rolled up 571 yards of total offense.

“I’m so proud of Al and our skilled guys,” Spradlin said. “Khole had a big night, and Khaeer (Sonnier) caught the ball well. Clay did a great job. But those five guys we have up front are pretty special right now. They’re the guys making that happen.”

Rider hung tough with Cooper until the Coogs outscored the Raiders 13-0 in the fourth quarter.

In fact, Rider cut Cooper’s lead to six on Deron Royster’s one-yard touchdown run with one second left in the third quarter.

But Alford Cooper ripped off an 18-yard touchdown run with 8:11 left in the game, and Davon Riddick capped the night with a 40-yard TD run. Riddick finished with a game-high 109 yards rushing on 13 carries.

“We were going good, but things happened, and it didn’t go our way,” Garfield said.

Rider got off to a good start as Tevin Aldridge went 83 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The Raiders went for two and failed.

Cooper’s first possession came to an end when Tyler Weir picked off Nicholas at the 21-yard line, setting up the Raiders at their own 25. But a bad snap cost Rider 20 yards, and the Raiders were forced to punt. Cooper ended up with great field position after the punt, thanks in part to a 15-yard penalty on Rider, giving the Coogs the ball at the Rider 14.

Three plays later, Alford Cooper scored from five yards out with 6:39 left in the opening quarter.

Rider answered with a 34-yard field goal by Connor Nutt less than two minutes later.

Cooper got its first big play later in the half, as Nicholas threw his first career varsity touchdown pass — a 76-yarder to Jackson.

Rider retook the lead on Malcolm Carter’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Graham McGregor less than a minute later, putting the Raiders up 15-14.

However, Cooper put together a 10-play, 73-yard scoring drive for a 21-15 lead — a score that would hold up at the half. Nicholas capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to John Patrick.

Cooper increased its lead to 34-21 on Nicholas’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Alford Cooper early in the third quarter. Rider closed the gap on Royster’s 1-yard touchdown run.

But the Coogs would put the game away in the final quarter.

“Cooper is a great football team, and they kept the ball away from us,” Garfield said.

Rider 9 6 6 0—21

Cooper 7 14 6 13—40

First Quarter

RID — Tevin Aldridge 83 run (pass failed), 11:41

CHS — Alford Cooper 5 run (Justin Lehr kick), 6:39

RID — Connor Nutt 34 FG, 4:55

Second Quarter

CHS — Khole Jackson 76 pass from Clayton Nicholas (Lehr kick), 8:21

RID — Graham McGregor 26 pass from Malcom Carter (run failed), 7:18

CHS — John Patrick 11 pass from Nicholas (Lehr kick), 2:14

Third Quarter

CHS — Cooper 10 pass from Nicholas (kick blocked), 10:00

RID — Deron Royster 1 run (pass failed), :01

Fourth Quarter

CHS — Cooper 18 run (Lehr kick), 8:11

CHS — Davon Riddick 40 run (kick failed), 5:12

Abilene Reporter Telegram....thanks, Richard!

We won our first game! Abilene Cooper 40- Wichita Falls 21

2010-08-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Cooper Cougars! It was a good game and a great weather. I'll post more in the morning!

Girls Night Out!

2010-08-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Roxanne the artist is also, Roxanne the Coach's wife. I, like most of you precious women, wear many hats. We all complain but really don't you love being many things to many people? It's definitely challenging and helps us grow!

Recently, I hosted a 'Girls Night Out' party for 12 special ladies. All of which happen to be married to football coaches. Every year about this time, before football season begins, I send out cute invitations and then start making plans to celebrate these women. For those of you who do not know, Football Season is a BIG here in Texas! To be a successful coach requires commitment, dedication, passion, hard work, determination plus long work weeks. Were talking 90 plus hours from August to (hopefully) mid December. Need I say more about these amazing wives that keep the home fires burning?

Yes I do!

They are pretty, cheerful, fun and kind. They cook, clean and wash . They teach, discipline, inspire and encourage. They read, color, play games, go on walks. They bake cookies, make lunches and warm up dinners. They work in and out of the home, pay bills, mow lawns. They hammer, nail and use power tools. They juggle after school sports, errands and appointments. They basically do it all with very little assistance. At the end of the day, when they tuck their babies in bed, they count their blessings and kiss them twice. Once for themselves and once for their daddy, who would love to be there too!

So each year I 'H'uddle 'U'p (these) 'G'irls....I call them H.U.G.'s! I love them with pretty decorations, gifts, good food and encouraging words. Even Coach gets involved by reminding them how valuable and appreciated they are!

We had a wonderful time talking. We ate Spinach Salad with fresh peaches, toasted almonds and seeds. Then, the Mansion on Turtle Creek's Tortilla Soup. For dessert we had Frozen Strawberry Bars. Later we shared our hearts and ideas with each. Discussing ways we can help one another. After all, we are a community of coaching families. We are a sisterhood of coaches wives. We have so much in common but most importantly we love our husband. In fact, it's even more than love, we respect them! They are good men, fighting the good fight and we admire them for it and in return, they love us well!

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have!

_______________________________________________________
A special thanks to our son Clint and his beautiful wife Jenny, and Jenny's precious aunt & uncle Nancy and Jim Martin, who brightened my weekend with their visit. We shopped til we dropped and ate (at Perini's) til we popped! They were so thoughtful and kind, helpful in every way! Everyone, even Clint and Jim, helped make the paper flowers ( an easy to assemble kit from Martha Stewart) and like a good 'coach's kid', Clint patiently hung them up. I was so touched by their willingness to help me out! One of the nicest things about 'love' is the union of families. Jenny, I'm so thankful that God brought you and Clint together. :) You and your family have richly blessed me!

Fall 2010

2010-08-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome! Football season is here again! What an exciting time of the year. I can't help but wonder, 'what it means to you?' So many things, to so many people. For my husband, it's a favorite time of the year, like Christmas to a child. Something you look forward to all year long and year after year. It also is an incredibly demanding time. Last Friday, Coach put in an 18 hour work day that involved a trip to Wichita Falls, then to Amarillo and back to Abilene at 2:00 am. After 3 1/2 hours of sleep, he was up and at 'em and back up to the school for another long day. Even after all of these years, I never cease to be amazed!

For me, a coaches wife, it's a different story. Though my days are busy, they are mine to fill. Everything is flexible. Subject to change. I'm available to help. It works well that way.

So tell me, what does 'football season' mean to you?

Kenny Chesney “The Boys Of Fall” « K-FROG 95.1 FM and 92.9 FM – California Country Music Radio Station

2010-08-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Kenny Chesney “The Boys Of Fall” « K-FROG 95.1 FM and 92.9 FM – California Country Music Radio Station

WELL, FOLKS! IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME AGAIN....TIME FOR A LITTLE WEST TEXAS FOOTBALL! AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO start out the 2010 season, than with a brand new Kenny Chesney song called, Boys of Fall! So, listen for yourself, dig out your red and blue and let's get ready to support the Cooper Cougars, in what could be their best season yet!

A special thanks from the Coach's wife!

2009-11-29T08:03:00.000-08:00

This morning, it is hard to accept, but the '09 season has come to a close. Saying goodbye is never easy but this year's team will make it more even more difficult! Looking back over the past eleven months it is easy to see why the '09 Cooper Football Team will be fondly remembered. Last January, the seniors with focus and determination began their season. With unmatched effort and unselfishness they grew into a strong family....a 'band of brothers'. Talented and disciplined they fought their way to the top of District 4-4A to win outright the District Championship, for the first time since '03. Battling on, they added Bi- District and Area Championships to their list of accomplishments.

To all of the fans, friends, and faculty that supported....we thank you!

To the Cooper Band, drill team, cheerleaders and pep squad that played and cheered...we thank you! You make everything more fun!

To the Dad's and Mom's, and families that loved....we thank you!

To "Doc", the trainers, filmers that helped....we thank you!

To the coaches wives and children that understood....we thank you!

To all the coaches, you made a difference and we thank you!

...and to the 2009 Cooper Football Team that inspired us...we thank you!
It was a satisfying season. One we'll always remember!

2009-11-28T20:30:00.001-08:00

Mike Spradlin’s voice broke as he tried to hold back the tears. Saying goodbye to this group of Cooper seniors wasn’t easy for the Cougars’ coach.
Yet, say goodbye he did.
J.W. Walsh threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more as Denton Guyer rolled past Cooper, 57-34, in a Class 4A Division I Region I semifinal game Saturday at Shotwell Stadium.
Walsh completed 8-of-9 passes for 143 yards, and he also ran for 113 yards on 14 carries. Running back Jaimaine Wilhite added 109 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Guyer (12-1) rolled up 384 total yards, including 241 on the ground. Cooper (9-4) had 495 yards, but turned the ball over three times.
Guyer had no turnovers.
It’s the second straight year Guyer ended Cooper’s season in the region semifinals. Last year, the Wildcats beat Cooper 28-7 in Aledo.
This time, that was the halftime score. Cooper spotted Guyer 28 unanswered points in the first half, including 14 off turnovers — a blocked punt and a fumbled kickoff return.
“They’re way too good to do that,” Spradlin said about the early deficit. “The thing is, we did it with some mistakes we haven’t made. The blocked (punt) is the first one we’ve had (this season), and then the fumble. They got (14) points off real short fields there.”
The Coogs would outscore the Wildcats 34-29 the rest of the way, but it wasn’t enough for another magical comeback like a week earlier against El Paso Del Valle, when Cooper rallied from a 24-0 deficit early in the second quarter for a 51-41 victory.
“This bunch, they never laid down,” Spradlin said. “That’s what was cool about this group. There was a point there going into the fourth quarter I was thinking, ‘Man, we’re going to win this thing.’ I think (our players) were thinking they were going to win it, too.”
It was another tough ending for Cooper quarterback Ryan Heslep and this group of seniors.
“We didn’t accomplish our goal,” he said. “We set out to win a state championship, and we just came up short today.”
Heslep threw for 296 yards, becoming Cooper’s all-time career leader with 4,822 yards in two seasons. His three touchdown passes Saturday left him with 46 for his career — two shy of the all-time record. The senior also ran for 90 yards on 12 carries.
Cooper (9-4) got a late touchdown in the first half — a 3-yard touchdown pass from Heslep to John Harvey — to make it a 28-7 Guyer lead at the break, and the Coogs scored the first touchdown of the second half — a 6-yard run by Alford Cooper — to cut the lead in half at 28-14.
But Guyer responded with a six-play, 70-yard drive. Walsh capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Moore.
Then the bottom fell out. Jon King returned a fumble 37 yards for another Wildcats touchdown less than two minutes later for a 42-14 Guyer lead. Heslep tried to throw a lateral to Alford Cooper out on the left flat on a third-and-10 play at the Coog 46 but the ball fell incomplete. King scooped the live ball at the 37 and ran for the score.
The Coogs answered with an eight-play, 69-drive drive as Heselp threw his second touchdown pass of the day to Harvey, a 14-yarder, with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
Spradlin then tried an onside kick, and it turned out to be a big play for the Wildcats not the Coogs. Josh Stewart grabbed the ball at the Guyer 45 and raced 46 yards down to the Cooper 9. One play later, Walsh ran for his third touchdown of the day.
What kind of day was it for the Wildcats? They botched the ensuing PAT, thanks to a high snap, but holder Luke Russell improvised and threw a pass to Moore for the two-point conversion — giving Guyer a 50-21 lead.
Davon Riddick ripped off a 65-yard touchdown run for Cooper but the Coogs could only trade touchdowns with the Wildcats in the fourth quarter. Walsh threw his final touchdown pass of the day, a 22-yarder to Russell, to culminate a 13-play, 80-yard drive, and Heslep threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Alford Cooper with 3:10 left in the game.
“I think the drive they started in the fourth quarter was kind of the back-breaker,” Spradlin said. “At least we still had hope. They went a long time there, scored and that was tough. But that’s a good football team. I think we were, too. We were in the elite part of the playoffs.”
Cooper’s season might still be alive had it not been for its first-half woes. Cooper forced Guyer to punt on its first possession and the Coogs marched to the Wildcats 27. They even got down to the 15 on a pass to Alford Cooper but the play was pushed back to the 31 on an illegal block penalty. The drive then died, thanks to two illegal procedure penalties.
Guyer answered with a 9-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Wilhite ran 13 yards for the game’s first touchdown with 16 seconds left in the first half.
The Wildcats never trailed.
Cooper, the District 4 champion, would close the gap to 14, but couldn’t get any closer — or stop Guyer enough times the rest of the way. Spradlin let his emotions flow afterward as the Cooper faithful filed out of the stadium.
“I’ve worked 26 years to get to coach this group — a group that was really unselfish,” Spradlin said, his voice breaking with emotion. “We’ve really worked that band of brothers thing and the team thing, all that kind of stuff. Man, this was a great group for us.
“I can honestly look anybody in the eye and say, ‘I’ve coached 26 years, and this is my favorite group I’ve ever coached.” And they’ve set a standard for the guys to come for many years.”

THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL FUN!

2009-11-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

During the Thanksgiving holiday, there's nothing more fun than eating turkey and scoring touchdowns! The Cooper Cougars, Area Champs are thankful to line up against the Guyer Wildcats tomorrow at Shotwell Stadium @ 2:00. The only show in town, fans and friends are sure to turn out in large numbers for an exciting West Texas showdown!

CLASS 4 A PLAYOFFS: COOPER RALLIES FROM 24 DOWN

2009-11-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

Class 4A playoffs: Cooper rallies from 24 down
JOEY D. RICHARDs richardsj@reporternews.com / 325-670-5213
Posted November 21, 2009 at 11:11 p.m.

MIDLAND — Down 24-0 early in the second quarter Saturday, Cooper quarterback Ryan Heslep was determined this wasn’t how his senior year was going to end. Heslep came back to throw four touchdown passes, including two to senior Reese Williams, and Alford Cooper ran for two touchdowns as the Cooper Cougars pulled out a wild 51-41 victory over the Del Valle Conquistadores in a Class 4A Division I area-round playoff game at Grande Communications Stadium.">

photos by Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News
Cooper running back Davon Riddisck (37) shakes off an El Paso Del Valle defender during the second quarter of the Region I-4A area round playoff game Saturday at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland.

Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Cooper defensive lineman Quincy Moore (40) sacks El Paso Del Valle quarterback Jordan Baeza (10) during the second quarter of the Region I-4A area round playoff game Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland.

Below: Cooper tight end Reese Williams (11) sprints past El Paso Del Valle defenders for a 32-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Cooper quarterback Ryan Heslep (14) dives for extra yardage between El Paso Del Valle defenders during the second quarter of the Region I-4A area round playoff game Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland.
MIDLAND — Down 24-0 early in the second quarter Saturday, Cooper quarterback Ryan Heslep was determined this wasn’t how his senior year was going to end.
Heslep came back to throw four touchdown passes, including two to senior Reese Williams, and Alford Cooper ran for two touchdowns as the Cooper Cougars pulled out a wild 51-41 victory over the Del Valle Conquistadores in a Class 4A Division I area-round playoff game at Grande Communications Stadium.

“This is my senior season, and we made a pact last night at the team meetings that we weren’t going to go out without a ring on our fingers,” said Heslep, who threw for 279 yards and one interception. “We just regrouped and kept our composure, and we just went out there and did our thing. We came out with a win. It wasn’t pretty, but it was win.”

Cooper scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter for a 24-24 tie at the half. But the Coogs still had to outscore Del Valle 20-7 in the final 15:08 of the game to pull out the victory.
“I’m just proud of our character and poise for coming back and winning,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said.

Cooper (9-3) advances to play Denton Guyer (11-1) in the Region I semifinals at 2 p.m. Saturday at Shotwell Stadium. Guyer beat Mansfield Legacy, 42-21, on Friday.

Early on, it seemed liked everything that could go wrong for Cooper did go wrong.
Jordan Baeza threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another as Del Valle (9-3) rolled to a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter — all but three of the points were set up by short field position after two fumbles and an interception.

Spradlin, though, said his team didn’t panic — not after being down 31-7 at the half against Class 5A Lewisville Hebron earlier this year and actually coming back to lead that game before giving up a late touchdown.

“We’ve been here before,” Spradlin said. “That’s one of those things where I think we were able to draw back on that.”

Cooper didn’t have to wait until the second half to comeback — scoring 24 unanswered points in the final 7:16 of the half.

Alford Cooper caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Heslep to get the rally started, capping a seven-play, 75-yard drive.

Khole Jackson returned a punt 23 yards down to the Del Valle 32. On the next play, Williams caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Heslep, cutting the deficit in half with 5:58 left in the half.

Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Cooper recovered a Del Valle fumble at the Conquistadores’ 22. That set up an 11-yard touchdown run by Riddick.

Then as time expired in the half, Ryan Lucas booted a 28-yard field goal to tie things up at 24.

“I thought the drive before the half to tie it up was huge,” Spradlin said. “Now, you’ve got a zero-zero thing again, and here you go.”

The shootout continued in the second half. Baeza threw a 43-yard pass to Rudy Tueckmantel, down to the Cooper 1, and then Baeza ran for the touchdown.

Cooper answered with a quick touchdown. Tommy Bowman, who fumbled a punt earlier in the game, returned the ensuing kickoff 62 yards to the Del Valle 37. Two plays later, Williams caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Heslep, tying it at 31 with 7:22 remaining in the third quarter.
Edgar Salcido put Del Valle back up 34-31 with a 50-yard field goal — his second field goal of the night — a little more than two minutes later, but Cooper took its first lead of the game on Alford Cooper’s 6-yard touchdown run with eight seconds left in the third quarter.

In a bit of déjà vu, just on the other side of the ball, Del Valle went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Cooper 35. Baeza, though fumbled the ball, and a Del Valle player recovered, but by game rules, couldn’t advance the ball. Cooper took over on downs.

The same play happened to the Coogs in the first half on a fourth-and-1 play at the Cooper 40.
Three plays after the Del Valle fumble, Heslep threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night, an 18-yarder to Jackson with 9:52 remaining in the game.

Cooper recovered a bad snap on a Del Valle punt attempt at the Conquistadores’ 32, and Alford Cooper later ran 9 yards for his third touchdown of the night.

Baeza threw a late touchdown to Jon Jon Hernandez for Del Valle’s final score.

“I’m just real, real proud of our kids,” Spradlin said. “This is a great second-round win for us.”

Cooper 0 24 14 13—51

Del Valle 17 7 10 7—41

Area Champs!

2009-11-22T00:07:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!!! Just got home from Midland Texas, where the Cooper Coogs won their 2nd playoff game and won the Area Championship, 51-41 against El Paso Del Valle. Next week CHS will play Denton Gueyer at 2:00 at Shotwell Stadium.

Week 12

2009-11-17T05:10:00.000-08:00

Anticipation mounts, as week 12 unfolds and the Cooper Cougars continue to prepare as they have from the beginning. Back in January, they collectively had a dream and every day since, have worked hard to make that dream come true.

*With respect, they have listened and learned.

*With dedication, they are united in focus and effort.

*With determination, they daily bring their personal best.

*With discipline, they combine their strength.

*With one heart, they work toward a common goal.

I smile as I type this, knowing that some may assume I copied the above from a manual or perhaps the locker room walls. Others may think I am knowledgeable about the game of football. Truth is, I am neither. The list came easily to me because for many years, I've had the privilege of observing from a front row seat a man that lives such a life.

I don't spend a lot of time at the field house. My visits are short and sweet. When I do however, have the opportunity to stand among these young men and their coaches, I am always touched by what I observe. Namely the respect that passes between them. Also a quiet confidence, that is shared by all. Each of them has been tested therefore trust is in place. They are like a family. They can count on each other. They are brothers in the truest sense.....they compete for one another.

2009-11-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

LUBBOCK — The Cooper Cougars turned to the elements to exorcise its Demons.
Davon Riddick, Kendrick Powdrill and Alford Cooper — nicknamed Earth, Wind and Fire respectively — combined for 335 yards and four touchdowns as the Cougars expelled the Dumas Demons 52-14 in a Class 4A Division I bidistrict playoff game Saturday at Lowrey Field.

“That’s pretty good,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “Of course, that doesn’t happen without our guys up front. I think our receivers did a great job of blocking on the perimeter. We ran some stretches and things like that.

“Boy, that’s what I’ve been saying about those three guys. They’ve all got special talents and special things they do. I was real proud of what they did today. All three of them.”

Cooper (8-3) plays El Paso Del Valle (9-2) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in a second-round playoff game at Grande Communications Center in Midland.

Last year, Cooper beat Del Valle 56-10 in the second round in Odessa.
Saturday’s game will be the first of a doubleheader. Abilene High plays El Paso Coronado at 1 p.m.

Riddick (aka Earth) buried Dumas with a game-high 132 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, including 120 yards on eight carries in the first half.

“It was really exciting, and I was kind of nervous at first, because it’s my first playoff game,” he said. “But once I got going, it was just another game.”

Cooper (aka Fire) burned the Demons for 119 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, including 98 yards on 11 carries in the first half.

“It was pretty fun doing what we do,” Cooper said. “Coach was talking to us before the game, just do it like we do in practice. Just run.”And Powdrill (aka Wind) breezed to 84 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Overall, the Coogs rolled up 399 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. Quarterback Ryan Heslep, Sammy Beall and Derrick Footer each ran for touchdowns.
“We can throw the ball,” Heslep said. “But when the running game’s working and you’re pounding a team like that, you might as well stick with it, especially if we can get a win.”

The Coogs didn’t do too badly passing the ball either. Heslep completed 16-of-24 passes for 184 yards and no interceptions. Khole Jackson had five catches for 67 yards and Reese Williams had five more for 60 yards.

The Coogs, who had 583 total yards, scored on their first six possessions, including all five in the first half, as they cruised to a 38-0 lead.

Riddick scored the Coogs’ first two touchdowns on runs of 39 and 11 yards — the latter on a fourth-and-goal play to start the second quarter.

Ryan Lucas booted a 25-yard field goal, and Cooper and Heslep each ran for a touchdown of 4 and 5 yards respectively for a 31-0 halftime lead.

After Powdrill got a 5-yard touchdown run on Cooper’s first possession of the second half, Dumas (4-7) answered with consecutive touchdowns. Backup quarterback Clayton Baker hooked up with Andres Baskin for TD passes of 31 and 35 yards.

Baker, who took over for starter Aaron Thomas late in the first half, completed 15-of-34 passes for 234 yards — including four for 62 yards to Thomas.
The Demons had just 39 yards rushing.

The Coogs got two fourth-quarter touchdown runs — a 9-yarder on a reverse by Beall and a 7-yarder from Footer.

Dumas has primarily been a running team this season, and Spradlin said the Coogs didn’t expect that kind of passing effort from the Demons. “It caught us off guard a little bit,” he said. “We didn’t handle it as well as we’d like to, but we knuckled down and went to back to work and things worked out well.”

Dumas 0 0 14 0—14
Cooper 7 24 7 14—52

Joey Richards

Playoffs....1st round!

2009-11-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

Last night hundreds of Cooper fans turned out for a 'friday night lights' pep rally. Fiddlers, cheerleaders, the band, drum corp, drill team, pep squad, students, faculty and lots of fans cheered on the Cougars on the eve before their 1st playoff game. Following the pep rally, the team moved the celebration to Southern Hills Church, for a hamburger supper, inspiring videos and motivational messages. It was a fun evening!

But the fun wasn't over because Brokaw Landscape had hung red, white and blue lights on our house which brightened up the neighborhood!

This morning loyal fans made the 2 hour and 45 minute trek to Lubbock Texas to watch the Coogs beat Dumas High School 52-14.

Now, Cooper is the official 4-A Bi-District Champions. Good stuff!!!

...for a great community of family, fans and friends.

Sweet victory, for an amazing team of young men!

Congratulations, we are proud of you!

Welcome to the Cooper Football blog. I'm so glad you dropped by! Want to leave a comment? It's simple! Click on 'Comment', below. A new screen will pop up. Type your message in the 'Leave your comment' box. Sign your name. Click below on 'Anonymous'. Your done!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I look forward to hearing from you.

2009-11-12T06:40:00.000-08:00

PLAYOFFS!!!

THIS SEASON, WHICH BEGAN WAY BACK IN JANUARY, IS UNFOLDING JUST LIKE THE COOPER COUGARS HAD HOPED. COMMITMENT, DISCIPLINE AND DETERMINATION HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR SUCCESS! PLAYOFFS BEGIN THIS SATURDAY IN LUBBOCK AT LOWERY FIELD, 2:00. ABILENE COOPER WILL TAKE ON THE DUMAS DEMONS.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

CHAMPIONS!

2009-11-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Cooper Cougars are undisputed champions of District 4-4A.

The Coogs left no doubt, routing Plainview 48-3 on Friday at Shotwell Stadium, completing a 5-0 run through district play.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “I’m so proud of our guys. They bought in. They deserved it.

“A lot of people maybe thought we were caught up in the moment. We wanted to win this thing outright. We didn’t want to share that thing with anybody, and we knew that put a target on us. Boy, I thought our guys responded.”

Quarterback Ryan Heslep threw for 308 yards and five touchdowns, including 263 yards and four touchdowns in the first half.

“I came out real motivated because their coach in their newspaper said I reminded them of Pampa’s quarterback, but I wasn’t very accurate,” Heslep said. “That motivated me. I think 260 (yards) in the first half and five touchdowns overall is pretty accurate."

Heslep, who left after throwing his fifth touchdown pass of the night on the first series of the second half, completed 17-of-21 passes with no interceptions.

Cooper’s defense held the Bulldogs (2-8 overall, 0-5 district) to 205 total yards and recorded two sacks.

Cooper, 7-3 overall, opens the Class 4A Division I playoffs at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lowrey Field in Lubbock, most likely against Dumas.

Cooper had to run only 15 plays to score on its first five possessions for a 35-0 lead early in the second quarter.

“I like that,” Spradlin said. “Boy, Davon (Riddick) went off early, and Ryan did a great job executing our offense. (The offensive line) did a good job up front. They (Plainview) blitzed. I knew they’d bring the house every down. Our guys did a good job picking the stuff up. A great game for us going into the playoffs.”

The Coogs needed only three plays to cover 36 yards on their first possession, culminating in a 20-yard TD run by Riddick.

he next time Cooper touched the ball, the Coogs needed six plays to cover 76 yards. Heslep threw a 5-yard TD pass to John Harvey.

Heslep would come back to throw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Riddick to cap a three-play, 88-yard drive.

Then just before the end of the first quarter, Cooper recovered a fumble at the Plainview 6-yard line. One play later, Heslep threw a 6-yard TD pass to Reese Williams, as the Coogs to a 28-0 lead after the first quarter.

Tommy Bowman capped the scoring in the first half with a 40-yard TD pass from Heslep with 9:41 remaining before the break. Bowman had both catches on the two-play, 70-yard drive.
Cooper opened the second half with a six-play, 80-yard drive. Alford Cooper caught a 42-yard TD pass from Heslep, pushing the Coogs’ lead to 41-0.

Plainview’s lone points came on Gustavo Molina’s 41-yard field goal late in the third quarter. Kendrick Powdrill closed the scoring with a 13-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

“We got a chance to play a lot of guys,” Spradlin said. “It was a great night for us. A great way to wrap up the district and get ready for the third season.”

Plainview 0 0 3 0—3
Cooper 28 7 6 7—48

Joey Richards

Hooray!!!

2009-11-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Abilene Cooper beat Plainview High tonight 48-3, to outright win the 4-4A District Championship. Playoff bound, the Cougars will play Dumans in Lubbock @ Lowery Field at 2:00, Saturday. Congratulations Coogs!

4-4A district title would be the perfect ending to Coopers regular season play!

2009-11-05T17:51:00.001-08:00

Ryan Heslep never could have imagined this — not after winning one football game his seventh- and eighth-grade seasons at Madison Middle School. Now, Heslep and the Cooper Cougars have clinched at least a share of the District 4-4A title — and they can win it outright Friday with a victory over Plainview at Shotwell Stadium.
“We were talking the other day, we would have never thought about (winning a district title),” said Heslep, Cooper’s senior quarterback. “But we all got together, made a goal to win, and we stuck to it. We made each other accountable, and we went out there and did it.”
It’s been a wild ride for the Cougars. When Mike Spradlin took over as head coach in 2006, the Coogs hadn’t posted a winning season since going 6-5 in 2003 — the last year they won a district title or reached the playoffs.
Now, they’ve clinched their third straight trip to the playoffs and second straight winning season — and a district title to boot.
“It’s crazy,” said Tommy Bowman, a senior receiver. “Before Sprad came, I was in middle school and would come up and watch. It wasn’t that good. Us seniors never thought we’d come to Cooper and get (a title) again. None of us ever expected that, and it’s cool being the one to get the district ball back.”

Yet, Bowman sensed a change when he made the jump to Cooper. His freshman year was Spradlin’s first as head coach at Cooper.
“We came in as freshmen, Sprad’s first year, and he said he was going to turn things around,” Bowman said. “He pretty much did. As the four years went on as we came up, it’s been gradually getting better and better. We almost had it last year. This year, our senior year, to finally win it feels really good.”
Cooper went 4-6 overall and 1-4 in District 3-5A in 2006. The Coogs were 5-6 in 2007, but made the playoffs with a 1-4 record. Manfield Timberview beat Cooper 17-13 in the first round of the playoffs.
Last year, Cooper’s first in Class 4A, the Coogs won their first playoff game since 2002 and went three rounds in the playoffs before falling to Denton Guyer, 28-7, to finish 8-5 overall. Cooper was 4-1 in district, losing to Wolfforth Frenship, 16-10.
Now, only Plainview (2-7, 0-4) stands between Cooper (6-3, 4-0) and an outright title.
“Last year was a good year for us,” Spradlin said. “No question about it. Got the train started. Just to have the opportunity to get a gold district championship football is a big deal. We’ll sure enjoy that when the season’s over. It’s a sense of accomplishment, but not a satisfying thing right now. There’s too much left to do out there.”
Still, it’s hard for the Coogs not to relish what they’ve accomplished so far. This group of seniors have set the bar high for those that follow.
“It means a lot to us, doing something nobody’s done since 2003,” said T.C. Robinson, a senior defensive back who’ll play at Baylor next year. “We’re just setting a new standard at Cooper High School for the students coming after us.”
Added Heslep: “It’s kind of cool. Growing up, Cooper had such a great tradition. Then we kind of lost it for a while. It’s kind of cool being a part of bringing that back, restoring that tradition. That’s kind of a cool thing to do, but we just want to win games.”

Joey Richards

Hear the Roar!

2009-11-03T05:14:00.001-08:00

English Bulldog - Dog Fashion Portrait
Originally uploaded by Mauro Bull

With the playoffs secured, this Friday night @ Shotwell Stadium the Cooper Cougars take on the Plainview Bulldogs. A win, will assure the Cougars a 4-4A District Championship. The 1st since 2003. The Bulldogs will roll into town ready to play so wear your red and blue, come on out and cheer on the CHS Champions

CHS vs. Frenship~Cooper Wins!

2009-10-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

21 to 7! Go COOGS!!

WOLFFORTH — The Cooper Cougars went into the Tigers’ den Friday night and knocked off the 13-time defending district champions on their own turf — and clinched at least a share of the District 4-4A title in the process.

Davon Riddick ran for a pair of touchdowns and Kendrick Powdrill added another as the Coogs fought off the Frenship Tigers 21-7 at Tiger Stadium to move within one victory of an outright district title.

“It’s real sweet, and it’s something our kids have had a goal to do for a long time,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “It’s something we set our in our sights when these kids were freshmen. This was our first group, this bunch of seniors, and I’m so proud of these guys. I can’t stand it. It’s a great, great victory on hostile turf.”

The victory also avenged a 16-10 loss to Frenship last season at Shotwell Stadium — the Coogs’ lone district loss since joining the district.

“Last year, we felt like we should have won the game,” Cooper quarterback Ryan Heslep said. “We just didn’t play very good. And tonight, we were motivated by that, especially coming to their place, because they came into (Shotwell) and took it from us.”

Now, Cooper (6-3 overall, 4-0 district) — which has a share of its first title since 2003 — can nab the title for its own with a victory over last-place Plainview at Shotwell Stadium.

“It feels good, but we don’t want to share it, Heslep said. “We don’t want to have the same record as anyone in our district.

We want to win it outright. It feels good for the moment, but we still have to go back to work and beat Plainview next week.”

Cooper’s defense had another great effort. The Coogs held Frenship (5-4, 1-3) to 120 total yards on offense, including 47 on the ground, and recorded six sacks for a loss of 47 yards.

“Wow, probably our best game of the season,” Cooper defensive end Quincy Moore said. “I can’t say enough about the job everybody did. It wasn’t just pressure or coverage. It was a group effort, and then the offense kept giving us motivation, putting points on the board.”

Cooper hasn’t allowed more than two touchdowns a game in district.
“It just keeps getting better and better,” Spradlin said. “I can’t say enough great things about the defense. Offensively, I’m a little frustrated. I thought we had a chance to really break it open, and we made some mistakes, didn’t execute in some areas. But those are fixable are fixable things.”

All but one touchdown came in the first half, as Cooper led 14-7 at the break.

Riddick — who ran for 106 yards on 15 carries — capped a six-play, 51-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

Bobby Huey answered with a 25-yard touchdown run for Frenship, coming at the end of a quick three-play, 39-yard drive. The score was set up by a 36-yard kickoff return by Aaron Pool.

Cooper’s T.C. Robinson responded with a 53-yard kickoff return to the Tiger 43. Six plays later, Riddick scored from three yards out, and Ryan Lucas booted his second PAT to give the Coogs a 14-7 lead with 8:38 left in the half.

Cooper recovered an onside kick to start the second half, even though Spradlin said the Coogs weren’t trying for the onside kick — just pooching the kick. But Dalton Wilcox came up with ball just before it went out of bounds at the Frenship 37.

Five plays later and just one play after the Tigers had an interception negated by an offsides call, Powdrill ran 19 yards for the game’s final touchdown.

“It feels great,” Moore said. “Part of it is coming in here and beating this team, because we didn’t beat them last year. Part of it is just really winning that district championship. It’s really not about a one-on-one battle. Whoever’s in your way, you have to run them over to get the next game.”

Cooper 0 14 7 0—21
Frenship 0 7 0 0—7

Cooper Cougars vs Frenship Tigers - It's Friday Night Lights in Lubbock!

2009-10-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

Beware of the sleeping Tiger!

2009-10-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 30th Abilene Cooper vs. Frenship Tigers @ Frenship 7:30 Lubbock Texas

Cooper grabs hold of 4-4A lead! CHS wins 21 -18

2009-10-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Cooper Cougars are all alone at the top.

Ryan Heslep threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another as the Cougars took down unbeaten and No. 7-ranked Big Spring 21-18 in a District 4-4A showdown Friday night at Shotwell Stadium.

The teams came into the game as the last two unbeatens in District 4. Now, Cooper (5-3 overall, 3-0 district) takes over sole possession of the district lead with two games left in the regular season.

“It’s huge, a huge win,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “A lot of belief, a lot of passion, a lot of hope. But it sets us up now where we want to be. We feel like it’s going to help catapult us to where we want to go.”

Big Spring (7-1, 2-1) drove to the Cooper 47-yard line on its final drive, but turned the ball over on downs as Tyler Tannehill’s pass fell incomplete on a 4th-and-4 play.
Cooper ran the game’s final 2:23.

“It’s exactly what I thought it was going to be,” Big Spring coach Phillip Ritchey said. “We knew Cooper was very, very talented, big, physical and strong. Very balanced on offense. Tough defensively.

“Our kids fought their guts out. I’m very proud of the way we played tonight. It really came down to who had the ball last. We had it and we didn’t capitalize. We had our chances, just didn’t get it done.”

Both teams were averaging a little more than 450 yards and 40 points a game. But Cooper held the Steers to 289 yards. Steer running back Monte Anderson, averaging 200 yards per game, was held to 98 on 31 carries and no touchdowns.

“I can’t say enough about how good our defense played tonight,” Spradlin said. “When two good offensive teams get together, everybody expects this big shootout. So many times, it turns into a defensive thing.”

Cooper had 333 yards on offense, including 217 passing by Heslep.
Heslep threw touchdown passes of 60 and 46 yards in the first quarter to Tommy Bowman and Jamail Lowry, respectively.

Tannehill sandwiched a 15-yard TD pass to Thaddeus Straughter in between the scores, all in the first quarter.

Tannehill kicked a 23-yard field goal just two seconds before halftime to make it 14-10.
Heslep capped a nine-play, 67-yard drive on the opening possession of the second half with a 1-yard TD run.

The Steers answered. Facing fourth-and-3, Tannehill hit Matt Ritchey for a 41-yard touchdown pass. Anderson ran for the two-point play, cutting the Coogs’ lead to 21-18 with 5:09 left in the third quarter.

It appeared Cooper might put the game away in the fourth quarter, but Davon Riddick fumbled the ball away on a nine-yard run down to the Big Spring 5.

Cooper got the ball back nine plays later, as T.C. Robinson picked off a Tannehill pass at the

Cooper 48 and returned it 20 yards to the Big Spring 32.

However, on a 4th-and-8 play from the 30, Tevian Parnell picked off Heslep to end the threat.

That gave Big Spring the ball at the 9 with 8:07 left in the game. The Steers got to the Cooper 47. Then, facing a fourth-and-7, Tannehill’s pass fell incomplete, and Cooper was able to run out the clock.

“I’m proud that we overcame the fumble,” Spradlin said. “We had a chance to ice the game at that point. But doggone it, if our kids didn’t rise up and go to work.”

2009-10-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Big Spring running back Monte Anderson, who sat out last year’s meeting against Cooper because of an injury, wanted to know what all the talk was about concerning the Cougars. Now he knows.
The Big Spring senior was averaging 200 yards a game going into Friday’s District 4-4A showdown with Cooper. The Coogs held him to 98 yards on 31 carries — an average of 3.1 yards a carry. Anderson had just two runs of more than six yards — one for 12 and another for 23. He didn’t score a touchdown in Cooper’s 21-18 victory over the Steers, who came into the game unbeaten and ranked No. 7 in Class 4A.
“There was all this big talk about him and how good he is and the 200-yards-a-game thing,” said Cooper junior Joshua’e Robinson, an inside linebacker. “We just came in and did what we had to do to win.”
Not only did Cooper slow Anderson, it held an explosive Big Spring offense to only 289 yards, including 161 passing.
Cooper coach Mike Spradlin couldn’t have been happier with his defense.
“It was a great effort by our guys,” he said. “We’ve played some great running backs, and he’s one of them. You’re talking about an offense that was averaging 450 yards a game coming in, and rightfully so. Those guys have a good football team, and we think they’re going to make a huge run in the playoffs.”
Both Cooper and Big Spring went into the game tied for the district lead at 2-0. Now, Cooper is all alone at the top with two district games remaining — Friday at defending district champion Wolfforth Frenship and Nov. 6 at home against Plainview. The Cougars, who clinched a playoff berth with Friday’s win, are seeking their first district title since 2003.
“It was a big win for us,” Spradlin said. “We certainly got after Anderson a little bit, and we got after (quarterback Tyler) Tannehill, got a nice pass rush on him and forced him into some bad throws. They got us a couple of times. But all in all, we were real pleased.”
Much of the success on defense Friday night could be traced back to Cooper’s defensive front of nose guard Joe Dillard, defensive ends Jamar Renfro and Quincy Moore, and the two inside linebackers — Britton Hale and Robinson. The unit did a good job of containing Anderson and putting pressure on Tannehill.
Spradlin said he expected big things out of the defensive front this season, especially with the return of first-team all-district pick Moore, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior, and Robinson, a 5-11, 235-pound junior who was a second-team all-district selection last season. But Spradlin said the new guys — Dillard, Renfro and Hale — have been solid additions.
“Joe Dillard played great as a sophomore on the JV (last year) and had a great offseason, good powerlifting season — all that,” Spradlin said. “Of course, he’s done a great job at nose. Joe’s a big body guy. The biggest guy we’ve had since I’ve been here, and then Jamar Renfro’s a special guy, too. A hard, hard worker, a big powerlifter for us playing defensive end.
Dillard, a 5-foot-10, 245-pound junior, and Renfro, a 5-10, 230-pound junior, were expected to do well. But Hale, a 5-10, 180-pound sophomore, has been a pleasant surprise. He filled in when starter Greg Nicholas went down with an injury — and played well enough to keep the job. Once healthy, Nicholas moved to outside linebacker.
“Britton went in there and just made plays, did a great job,” Spradlin said. “We think all five of those guys are playing extremely well.”
Hale even returned a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown in a 62-14 win over San Angelo Lake View in the second week of district play.
Cooper’s defense was suspect during the Coogs’ final three non-district games — all losses to Class 5A teams. During that stretch, Cooper was giving up an average of 42.6 points.
Robinson admitted the Coogs weren’t playing well on defense during that stretch.
“That’s the God-honest truth,” Robinson said. “We were doing things the wrong way.”
Dillard agreed.
“It was just mental mistakes,” he said. ”We weren’t executing things the way we were supposed to.”
But since the Coogs have hit district, they’ve allowed no more than two touchdowns a game.
“We weren’t quite as worried as everyone else was, because we saw flashes of what we could do,” Spradlin said. “We knew we were young, and when you come through a stretch like we came through, it’s going to expose you a little bit. That’s not a bad thing, sometimes. Your kids learn from it.”
Then the Coogs have a defensive effort like Friday night.
“It really just boosted our confidence a lot,” Dillard said.
Added Spradlin: “There’s no doubt about it. We’re starting to come together defensively at a time when we really need to. We’re going to get tested again this week, and it’s going to happen in the playoffs. It’s great to know we’re in, but we’ve got some unfinished business.”

100% PURE BEEF!

2009-10-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Mike Spradlin doesn’t mind admitting that tonight’s game against No. 7 Big Spring is a big game. After all, both are the last two undefeated teams in the District 4-4A standings — and the winner will be in the driver’s seat for the district title with only two games remaining.
“It’s a big ballgame,” said Spradlin, whose Coogs haven’t a district title since 2003. “We don’t try to dance around that. We don’t call it just another game. But we try to treat each game as a big ballgame, so our kids don’t ever feel like you’ve got to step it up a level. I think we’ve played at this level, and I think we’ve played good football teams. But (Big Spring) certainly one of them. There’s no question about it. They’re doing things extremely well, executing real well and getting the job done.”
The folks in Big Spring are buzzing about their Steers, who are 7-0 for the first time since 1931 and ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press’ Class 4A state poll.
“They are excited,” Big Spring coach Phillip Ritchey said. “They’ve really got on board, supporting this team. They’re a good group of kids, and they’ve worked extremely hard. I’m just happy to see them have the success their having. Really, just having Big Spring mentioned in big games like this is exciting.”
Big Spring, which hasn’t won a district title since 2001, took down Denison — ranked No. 4 in Class 4A at the time — earlier this year and then snapped defending district champion Frenship’s 16-game league winning streak in the 4-4A opener in Wolfforth. Denison has reeled off five straight wins since the loss.
Ritchey, though, said the Steers have their hands full tonight at Shotwell Stadium.
“I’m very impressed with (Cooper),” he said. “Obviously, they’re very well coached, very disciplined in what they do. To me, they’re excellent in all three phases of the game. I don’t see any weak spots.”
Both teams can eat up the yards and score a lot of points. Big Spring is averaging 450 yards and 42.3 points per game. Cooper is averaging 454 yards and 40.7 points a game.
The Coogs, 4-3 overall, have been a prolific passing team this year, with QB Ryan Heslep throwing for 1,642 yards and 15 TDs this season with no interceptions. He has six different receivers with more than 10 catches and more than 100 yards receiving. RBs Alford Cooper (75-452, TDs), Kendrick Powdrill (57-483, 7 TDs) and Davon Riddick (61-431, 8 TDs) have combined for a formidable rushing attack. The defense has struggled at times this year but has been playing its best ball the past two weeks — allowing only 227.5 yards and 14 points per game.
Big Spring is led by quarterback Tyler Tannehill, who has thrown for 1,592 yards and 22 touchdowns. He’s been picked off four times. He has weapons in receivers Tevian Parnell (22-431, 5 TDs) and Thaddeus Straughter (29-422, 6 TDs), and tight end Matt Ritchey (20-411, 4 TDs) also has good hands. The Steers also have one of the best running backs in the Big Country in Monte Anderson (174-1,465, 15 TDs), who’s averaging 209 yards per game.
Big Spring also can play some defense, leading the district with only 89 points allowed all season — that’s only 12.7 points per game.
“They’re just a good football team period,” Spradlin said. “They’re playing good defense. Their guys up front are getting the job done, both the O-line and D-line. They’re certainly dangerous with the Tannehill kid at quarterback and the receivers — the Straughter kid and Ritchey and all those guys. Of course, the Anderson kid is one of the great running backs we’ve seen. ... They’re certainly a good football team. We think it’s going to be a heck of a matchup, and we think it’s going to be a lot of fun at Shotwell.”
Both coaches believe turnovers could decide which teams wins the game.
“The one thing I’m real tickled with is that we’ve won the turnover battle week in and week out. ... I think that’s something we’ve got to keep doing,” Spradlin said.
Cooper hasn’t turned the ball over in five consecutive games.
“We’re going to have to play a perfect game,” Ritchey said. “We can’t make mistakes. We certainly can’t afford to turn the ball over. We can’t have a lot of penalties, and we have to be sound in the kicking game and really be able to handle their offense with our defense.”
The winner clinches a playoff berth, but both teams are likely headed to the playoffs, with Cooper going Division I as the biggest school in the district and Big Spring going Division II as the smallest. Both coaches believe this game will prepare their team for the playoffs.
“I’m really excited that we’re playing in Shotwell Stadium against a really, really good football team,” Ritchey said. “I really believe in our future, thinking about the third or fourth round.”
Said Spradlin: “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope everybody comes out. It’s going to be a big night at Shotwell. I think they’ll travel well. They’re real excited in Big Spring right now. They have every right to be. They’ve got a darned good football team. We think we’ve got us a good football team, too. It’s kind of what it’s all about. I think it’s a great West Texas matchup this week.”
Notes — Cooper seniors Tommy Bowman and David Damian both committed to Stephen F. Austin State University this week. Bowman, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound receiver, has 11 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns this season. Damian is a 6-5, 290-pound offensive lineman.
“They offered them this summer, and they’ve really shown a lot of interest in them,” Spradlin said. “So I think they’re both excited in making that commitment.”

Showdown at Shotwell!

2009-10-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

Word is from Big Spring, that they are closing down the town and everyone is coming to Abilene to watch the Cougars and the Steers, battle it out Friday night at Shotwell! Both teams are undefeated in district play and Big Spring is 7-0 for the first time since 1931. Winner of the game will have the inside track toward a District Championship. So get the word out to everyone in the COUGAR NATION to show up for the Showdown at Shotwell. Wear your red & blue or PINK, bring your noise makers and let's get rowdy!!!!!

Final score A. Cooper 62 - S.A.Lakeview 14...the details!

2009-10-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Nights like these don’t come around very often — not this deep in the season.

But Davon Riddick, Ryan Heslep and the rest of the Cooper starters had a fairly short night Friday, making quick work of the Lake View Chiefs.
Riddick rolled up 164 total yards and scored four touchdowns, and Heslep threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars mauled Lake View 62-14 in a District 4-4A football game at Shotwell Stadium.

Cooper (4-3 overall, 2-0 district) scored on eight of its nine possessions in the game — coming up empty on its last drive when the game was well over and the starters were on the bench.
It was a big win for a Cooper team facing Big Spring and defending district champion Wolfforth Frenship in the upcoming weeks. Big Spring trounced Plainview 49-12 to — the Steers and Cougars hook up next week at Shotwell.

Frenship fell to 0-2 in 4-4A play after a 20-17 loss to Hereford.
“I think we needed momentum going into these next two weeks with Big Spring and Frenship,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “It was a big game for us. I don’t think there’s any doubt about

it. I was real tickled with the way we played.”

Riddick ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns. His last carry of the night was a five-yard touchdown run to give the Coogs a 47-14 lead with 7:57 left in the third quarter. He also had TD runs of 41 and 22 yards.

“I give it up to the O-line,” Riddick said. “They did a great job. They opened up a lot of holes for me. They made real easy.”
Riddick also had three catches for 38 yards, including a 19-yard pass from Heslep.

Heslep, who completed 12-of-15 passes for 182 yards and no interceptions, also threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Bowman and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Beall.
Kendrick Powdrill added 131 yards rushing, including touchdown runs of seven and 39 yards, and Britton Hale returned a fumble 15 yards for a Cooper score.

Cooper amassed 438 yards on offense, including 256 on the ground.
“It all starts up front with those guys,” Spradlin said. “They didn’t feel like they played as well last week as they can. I think they put that one on their back tonight.”
The Cooper defense held the Chiefs to 182 total yards, including minus-53 rushing.
Lake View (2-5, 1-1) got a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Paxton Martin — a 73-yarder to Roy Garcia and a 41-yarder to J.D. Smith — the latter to pull within 14, 28-14, with 5:20 left in the half.

But Riddick got his third rushing TD just before the half, a 22-yarder, and Cooper exploded for 28 points in the third quarter to put the game away.
Martin completed 22-of-30 passes for 235 yards and no interceptions, but he was sacked four times for a loss of 34 yards.

“It was a great win for our kids,” Spradlin said. “I was real proud of how hard we played. I was real proud of the passion that we played with tonight and the fact that we didn’t make a lot of errors and mistakes.”

Joey Richards Abilene Reporter Telegram

Lake View 0 14 0 0—14

Cooper 14 20 28 0—62

Final score CHS 62 - SAL 14...more details tomorrow!

2009-10-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

2009-10-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

TONIGHT>>>>>>arrows will fly at Shotwell Stadium, 7:30, as the Abilene Cooper Cougars battle the San Angelo Lakeview Chiefs! Both teams are 1-0 in district play, so hitch up the horses, circle the wagons and come watch the Coogs attack ////!!!

2009-10-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Kyle Williams, a precious wife and mother, passed away yesterday after bravely battling cancer for four and a half years. Please keep husband George, and sons Hunter (CHS alumni and valedictorian) and Reese a CHS senior and varsity receiver (#11) in your prayers. Also her large circle of family and friends. Kyle will be greatly missed.

2009-10-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

This week the Cougars will take on the Chiefs, when San Angelo Lakeview (1-0) travels to Abilene. Game time, 7:30 @ Shotwell Stadium. The Coogs are healthy and (1-0) in district play after defeating the "Herd" in Hereford (0-1) last Friday.

So wear your red and blue, fill up the stadium and let's show them "How!".... we play 'West Texas' football!!!

The scoop on the Hereford game!

2009-10-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

HEREFORD — After making a six-hour, 280-mile drive for the District 4-4A opener, the Cooper Cougars needed just one minute, 18 seconds and 25 yards to score two touchdowns and beat the Hereford Whitefaces 20-14 on Friday night at Whiteface Stadium.
Cooper recovered two Hereford fumbles — one at the Herd 6 and another at the Herd 14 — and cashed them both in for touchdowns to take a 20-7 lead in a span of 1:18 in the third quarter.
The Coogs (3-3, 1-0) then held on to snap a three-game losing streak and beat the Whitefaces in the district opener for the second consecutive year.
“That was huge,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “I was real pleased with the way our defense played. It was unbelievable. And to capitalize on (the turnovers) was huge, too.
“To come up here in a hostile environment — and it’s a long ride — just getting a win against a team that’s much, much improved makes me extremely proud of our kids.”
What was expected to be an offensive shootout, turned out to be a defensive grudge match.
In fact, Hereford (5-1, 0-1) led just 7-6 at halftime — both touchdowns coming in the second quarter. Parker Bridwell threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian Garza to cap a 10-play 79-yard drive with 9:36 left in the first half.
Cooper answered with a six-play, 64-yard drive. Davon Riddick ran the ball on all six plays for 72 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown run. (A holding call turned a 34-yard run down to the 1 into a 21-yard run to the Herd 26.)
Ryan Lucas missed the PAT kick, leaving the Herd up 7-6 with 6:56 to go before the break.
The game turned on consecutive Hereford turnovers in the third quarter.
Cooper recovered a fumbled snap at the Herd 6. Two plays later, Jamail Lowry ran four yards for the TD, giving the Coogs a 12-7 lead after another missed PAT with 3:49 left in the third quarter.
On the Herd’s next possession, Bridwell fumbled the ball as he was being sacked. Cooper got the ball at the Herd 14. After a holding penalty brought back a 9-yard gain by Kendrick Powdrill, Khole Jackson caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Heslep. Cooper, which had missed its three previous PATs, then went for two, and Heslep tossed a pass to Reese Williams to give the Coogs a 20-7 lead with 2:31 remaining in the quarter.
Cooper held Hereford on its next two possessions — getting a pair of stops on fourth-down plays from the Cooper 27 and 21.
Hereford got a 1-yard touchdown run from Bridwell with 1:11 left in the game, but the Coogs recovered the onside kick attempt to preserve the victory.
Hereford lost three of five fumbles in the game, while the Coogs didn’t lose a single turnover — for the fourth straight week.
“That was huge,” Spradlin said. “Playing mistake-free football is the key to this thing, and they did (turn the ball over) and we didn’t.”
All after a very long day for the Coogs.
“We left at 11 o’clock this morning and rolled in her at 5 this afternoon,” Spradlin said. “It’s a six-hour trip, 280 miles, and I’m not sure many people are traveling that far for a district football game. I’m just tickled to death and excited to get a win.”

Cooper 0 6 14 0—20

Hereford 0 7 0 7—14

District 4 AAAA Opener

2009-10-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

Last night the Cooper Cougars arrived in Hereford, Texas to play the "Herd" (5-0) for the 4-AAAA District Opener. The Coogs took a long, 6 hour drive through the Texas panhandle which apparently put the team to sleep for when the game began the Cougars we're a bit, shall we say sluggish? However, they we're not alone for the officials we're struggling to stay awake themselves. Their tired eyes kept them dozing on & off throught the game, effecting their ability to see only 4 Hereford penalties but alert to see 17 against Cooper! Poor officiating is so frustrating! Especially when it's not going both ways......but it did serve a purpose because it stirred up the sleeping Giant and made him mad....okay, real mad!

Abilene Cooper 20 - Herford 14

FYI - The cougar (Puma concolor), also known as puma, mountain lion, mountain cat, catamount, or panther, depending on the region, is a mammal of the Felidae family, native to the Americas. This large, solitary cat has the greatest range of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, extending from Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes of South America. An adaptable, generalist species, the cougar is found in every major American habitat type. It is the second heaviest cat in the American continents after the jaguar, and the fourth heaviest in the world, along with the leopard, after the tiger, lion, and jaguar, although it is most closely related to smaller felines.A capable stalk-and-ambush predator, the cougar pursues a wide variety of prey. Primary food sources include ungulates such as deer, elk, and bighorn sheep, as well as domestic cattle, horses, and sheep, particularly in the northern part of its range, but it also hunts species as small as insects and rodents. Moreover, it prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but it can live in open areas. The cougar is territorial and persists at low population densities. Individual territory sizes depend on terrain, vegetation, and abundance of prey. While it is a large predator, it is not always the dominant species in its range, as when it competes for prey with other predators such as the jaguar, gray wolf, American Black Bear, and the grizzly bear. It is a reclusive cat and usually avoids people. Attacks on humans remain rare, despite a recent increase in frequency.

2009-10-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

HEREFORD STINKS! NOTHING PERSONAL....IT'S THE PLAIN TRUTH! SO ENJOY THE THE FRESH AIR OF THE MESQUITE PLAINS, BOYS AND GIRLS, AND IF YOU FIND YOURSELF CONCERNED ABOUT THE COUGARS AND THE EFFECT THIS AROMA MIGHT HAVE ON THEM, WORRY NO MORE! THESE YOUNG MEN ARE TOUGHER THAN NAILS AND HAVE NO APPARENT SENSITIVITIES TO SMELL. CASE IN POINT...THE BOYS LOCKER ROOM!

SO TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND LET'S GO WIN OUR FIRST DISTRICT GAME!

SURPRISE!!!

2009-10-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's OPEN WEEK for the Cooper Cougars, so Coach took me on a little out of town date to Plainveiw Texas. After a quick lunch at Chick-fil-a, we hit the road and enjoyed a relaxing drive through the Texas Panhandle.....where the terrain is flat and the sky is big & blue. When we got to Lubbock, 2 hours later, we piddled around and then had dinner at Furr's (a football team favorite) all-you-can-eat cafeteria! Then it was back in the car for a 45 minute drive to Plainveiw. Where we 'scouted' the Plainview Bulldogs and the Pampa Harvesters. I couldn't tell you much about the game but I did make some interesting observations such as:
* The Pampa Harvester's Mascot looked like Mr. Peanut with shaggy blond hair, dressed like a plow boy!
* There's something special about Friday night football in a small town.
*Sitting next to the band gives one a new appreciation for the band director and band members.
* And though it was windy and chilly and the game was a bit long, I enjoyed sitting on the top row, under the west Texas stars, with the man I respect most!

We spent the night, slept in and got back to Abilene around noon. As we drove past our house, upon return, I heard Coach slowly say, "someone......has....painted....our...yard...like...a..football.....field?"

A special 'thanks' to John McDonough & Co. for painting our front yard and doing a fabulous job!
It was a perfect surprise!

THE HERD IS WAITING!

2009-09-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

...AND THE COUGARS ARE COMING! OCTOBER 9TH. HEREFORD, TEXAS.

Might I add, with no disrespect intended, Hereford stinks. Literally! I've heard it from several reliable sources (don't worry, your name will not be mentioned! Wild horses couldn't drag it out of me! I will say this, one of the R.S. is shall we say, close to the matter....in more ways than one.

Hebron snatch win from Cougars!

2009-09-26T01:26:00.000-07:00

CARROLLTON — The Cooper Cougars were 1:34 away from nabbing an improbable 42-28 victory and snapping a two-game losing streak.
But Kyle Aubuchon threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Chad Barlow with 48 seconds left in the game to lift the Hebron Hawks to a wild 45-42 win over Cooper in a nondistrict football game Friday night at Hawk Stadium.
Cooper (2-3) had a chance to send the game into overtime, but Ryan Lucas’ 34-yard field goal sailed wide left with a second left.
The Cougars nearly pulled off an incredible comeback win. Hebron (3-2) led 31-7 at the half, but Cooper scored 21 unanswered points to get back in the game.
Ryan Heslep threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to John Harvey to get the rally going with 5:28 left in the third quarter.
Then Cooper, which had given up an onside kick in three consecutive games, including two that played key roles in a pair of losses, recovered two consecutive onside kicks — and scored each time.
Heslep threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Reese Williams after the Coogs recovered the first onside kick at the Hebron 40.
Davon Riddick capped the second, recovered at the Hawks 39, with a 2-yard touchdown run as the Coogs pulled within three, 31-28, with 43 seconds left in the third quarter.
Hebron responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Aubuchon early in the fourth quarter, pushing the Hawks lead to 38-21.
But the Coogs stormed right back, getting a one-yard touchdown run from Heslep, and the Coogs finally got their first lead of the night on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Heslep to Alford Cooper.
Lucas’ PAT gave the Coogs a 42-38 lead with 1:34 left in the game.
But the Hawks would go 75 yards on five plays for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown — a 21-yard scoring pass from Aubuchon to Barlow with 48 seconds left in the game.
Cooper got in position to tie the game, getting down to the Hawk 17 in the final seconds, but Lucas’ kick on a fourth-and-4 play was wide left.
Heslep completed 29 of 45 passes for 391 yards and three touchdowns for the Coogs.
Things unraveled quickly in the first half. Hebron took the opening kickoff and 71 yards on eight plays for a quick 7-0 lead. Dezmond Wortham capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.
Cooper then started its first drive at its own 3 — and was forced to punt after three plays.
Hebron’s Kiante Griffin returned the ensuing punt 26 yards down to the Coogs’ 22-yard line. Two plays later, Wortham scored from 22 yards.
The Hawks tacked on a 26-yard field goal by Kurt Walker for a 17-0 lead with 3:23 left in the first quarter — all before Cooper could get a first down.
The Hawks, who scored on all five possessions in the first half, added a 3-yard touchdown run by J.T. Teague with 2:59 remaining before the half for a 31-7 lead.
The big play on the drive was a 29-yard pass from Aubuchon to Griffin on a third-and-12 play from the Hawks 32.
Cooper 7 0 21 14—42
Hebron 17 14 0 14—45

Every girl needs a 'Pops'!

2009-09-25T02:02:00.001-07:00

Beth Spradlin Saxton

Grandparents are pretty great. They let you get away with just about anything and they love you like you were the sweetest thing on earth. Carter has some of the best grandparents around...each and every one is special in their own way. But, I've decided every girl needs a Pops. Pops is the guy who says things like, "How ya' doin' kid?" and always has a piece of gum ready to trade for a hug. He's one of the best coaches in Texas, and can be a pretty intimidating guy, but still manages to have a soft spot in his heart reserved for a certain little four year old....
He also has the hook up when it comes to meeting the Cougar, what more could a girl ask for?Pops might even give her a shot a little later in life at running back...But, I'm thinking we'll probably be sticking with cheerleading...Visiting during football season definitely has its perks!

Abilene Cooper Cougars vs. Lewisville Hebron Hawks...tonight!

2009-09-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight the Cooper Cougars will play the Hebron Hawks at 7:30 at Lewisville.

The above photo was found on Flickr. The following information accompainied it....This Hawk is banded. The band reads, 'Cooper's Hawk'.

See you there!

Cooper's Cooper is a Cougar on the loose!

2009-09-25T00:52:00.000-07:00

Alford Cooper got a taste of what life’s like on the Cooper varsity last year, when he got called up for the playoffs. He ended up running for 93 yards on 17 carries in three games playing behind A’mon Pimpton and Kendrick Powdrill.
Even though he knew Pimpton, who led the team in rushing last season with 1,513 yards and 19 touchdowns, would move on after graduation, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior running back expected to play a backup role to Powdrill — last season’s District 4-4A newcomer of the year — this year.
That hasn’t been the case. In fact, Cooper has emerged as the Cougars’ starting running back. He leads the team in rushing with 393 yards on 58 carries, and he has four touchdowns.
It’s not the role the shy, quiet Cooper expected to play on this team.
“At first, I thought I would be doing what they needed me to do, like backup Kendrick and stuff like that,” he said.
Cooper coach Mike Spradlin, though, knew the young running back would play a big role this year.
“We saw it last year,” he said. “He was really our go-to guy on the JV as a sophomore, then we had a chance bring him up in the playoffs, and he got some carries.”
Cooper was impressive in his first game this season, rushing for a game-high 106 yards on nine carries in a 56-7 win over O.D. Wyatt. He also had a touchdown. But a week later against Fort Worth Boswell, the wheels kind of fell off for Cooper. He ran for just 68 yards on 15 carries, and he fumbled twice in a 38-28 victory.
The two fumbles deflated Cooper’s confidence in himself.
“After those two fumbles, I was pretty down,” he said.
Spradlin, though, wouldn’t let Cooper wallow in self pity — or stop believing in his ability.
A week later, Cooper led the Coogs in rushing with 95 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries in a 49-37 loss to Abilene High — and no fumbles.
“I think that’s where he really matured,” Spradlin said. “Alford’s real passionate about being a team player, and he doesn’t want to hurt the team. I finally just told him, ‘Let it go, just let it go. Go be you.’ Sure enough, he did that.”
Spradlin said he knew his young running back would be OK, when Cooper caught a short pass from quarterback Ryan Heslep on a third-and-nine play at the Coogs’ 34-yard line and picked up the first down on the team’s first drive. Cooper also had a 13-yard run on a third-and-five play later in the drive that ended with a Cougar touchdown.
“There was a point where Ryan kind of shuttled it to him there, and he ran over a safety for a first down,” Spradlin said. “That’s kind of where he broke out. He did OK in the first two games, but he just started playing like I knew he could. He’s a physical, tough guy, and he’s got good speed, too. He’s very explosive.”
Cooper had his most impressive game last week in the 34-30 loss to Garland. Cooper ran for a career-high 124 yards on 14 carries. It appeared he had iced the game on a 52-yard touchdown run that gave the Coogs a 30-13 lead with 8:38 remaining in the game.
“The O-line blocked it up, and I had a cutback to the side and took it all the way,” Cooper said. “Our wide receivers did a good job (blocking) too.”
Garland, though, rallied for the victory, but Cooper nearly saved the day a second time. Later in the game, he had a 32-yard run down to the Owls 37 negated by a holding call. The drive ended up stalling at the Cooper 42, and Garland answered with the winning touchdown.
But Spradlin said Cooper does a lot more than just run the ball.
“The thing we like about Alford is that he’s not just a runner. He’s a great pass blocker,” Spradlin said. “He takes a lot of pride in his whole game. He’s not just a guy who’s just trying to be a good running back. He’s probably the most complete guy we’ve had since I’ve been here, as far as his pass protection and all the things he does.”
Cooper, who also has four catches for 39 yards, is just one part of an explosive Cougars offense. The Coogs are averaging 480.25 yards per game, including 225 on the ground. Cooper, along with the senior Powdrill (25-313, 5 TDs) and junior Davon Riddick (17-104, 2 TDs), keep opposing defenses from just defending the pass.
“We’ve had some success with the play-action stuff,” Spradlin said. “We’re running some bootlegs and things like that. If your running game’s strong, then you’ve got a chance to do some of that stuff. We’re about as complete right now as we’ve been — throwing and running. We don’t have to rely on one thing. I think that’s what keeps defenses off balance.’
And even though Cooper has stolen some of the Powdrill’s thunder, he said the two of them get along just fine.
“Our relationship is pretty good,” Cooper said. “All of three of us, even Davon, we hang out sometimes, play video games and stuff like that.”
Spradlin expects Cooper’s relationship with the team to continue to be a pretty good one, too. It’s interesting to note that since the Boswell game, Cooper hasn’t put the ball on the ground once.
“I think he knows now he can trust himself,” Spradlin said. “He doesn’t have to be too careful. What we don’t want around here is guys who are playing careful. I don’t want to play not to lose. I want to play to win. I want guys going all out, and I think he’s doing that. I’m real proud of him.”

Joey D. Richards

Abilene Reporter News

What's a wife to do?

2009-09-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

I must admit that being a C-wife has more 'Up's & Down's' than the State Fair of Texas! And after Friday Night's last quarter loss, this well-seasoned wife was at a loss for words. So what may I ask is a wife to do? The first few hours I listened and shared the pain. Then I tossed and turned and tried to sleep, but this guy kept swooping through our room startling the heck out of us! However with the light of day came bright ideas and I decided to do what I do best. Cook breakfast! Doesn't everyone know that the surest way to a man's heart is through his stomach?First I ground coffee beans and perked a pot of coffee. Next I popped Pillsbury frozen biscuits into the oven and fried a few strips of bacon in the cast iron skillet. When the biscuits were almost ready I scrambled five eggs

with just a little bit of cheese and arranged it all attractively on an appropriate plate.

This is my plate......

and this is Coach's.

On second thought, an extra biscuit may be more appreciated today.....

.......but when he was finished I couldn't resist!

A note to coach: Thank you for working so hard and caring so much. Your determination and optimisim inspires me! I respect you greatly.

Coogs let it slip away!

2009-09-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Malcolm Robinson scored from a yard out with 1:11 left in the game to lift Garland over Cooper 34-30 in a nondistrict football game Friday night at Shotwell Stadium.

The Owls (2-1) scored 21 unanswered points in the final 7:12 of the game to spoil the Coogs’ homecoming and hand Cooper (2-2) its second straight loss to a 5A team.

“It’s a tough loss. Any loss is tough,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “I’m going to try to spin it off. It is what it is. We fought our tail off against a real good football team.”

After Garland got a 26-yard touchdown run from Robinson to go up 13-10 with 7:05 left in the third quarter, Cooper answered with 20 unanswered points to lead 30-13 with 8:38 to play in the game.

But Garland answered with a nine-yard touchdown catch from Jared Barnett to Ayron Morgan a little more than a minute later.

The Owls recovered an onside kick at the Coogs’ 48 and one play later, Adrian Phillips caught his second touchdown catch of the night to pull Garland within three, 30-27, with 7:00 left.

Garland stopped the Coogs on downs and marched 54 yards on seven plays for Robinson’s one-yard plunge on a third-and-goal play.

Cooper drove to the Owl 42 but the Coogs’ final two passes fell incomplete.

The onside kick — the third given up by Cooper in an as many games — proved costly.

“We had them where we wanted them,” Spradlin said. “Once again, our kicking game let us down. We’ve got to execute that. Got to make that play. It’s about making plays and executions. Those are the things we have to do.”

Cooper quarterback Ryan Heslep threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Harvey, and Ryan Lucas booted a 32-yard field goal as the Coogs took a 10-6 lead at the half.

Garland went back on top with a 26-yard touchdown run by Robinson with 7:05 to play in the third quarter. Vince Villanueva’s PAT gave the Owls a 13-10 lead.

But Sammy Beall returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the Owl 46, and five plays later, on a fourth-and-1 play,

Kendrick Powdrill scored from six yards out.

Lucas’ PAT put the Coogs up 17-13 with 5:04 left in the third.

Cooper tacked on a 11-yard touchdown catch by Jamail Lowry from Heslep with 10:59 left in the game, after T.C. Robinson recovered a muff punt at the Owls’ 28.

The Coogs appeared to be in control when Alford Cooper, who rushed for a game-high 124 yards on 14 carries, ripped off a 52-yard touchdown run with 8:38 remaining

But then Garland — which scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter in last year’s 28-14 win in Garland — rallied for the victory.

“I’m going to say it again: I think we’ve got us a darned good football team,” Spradlin said. “I really do. With a win tonight, it’s shaping up just the way I want it. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

“I love these guys. I love their maturity level. I think they’ll bounce back. I have no doubt about it. We’ll have to travel our tail off to Hebron next week. We’re going to try to get in there and get us a win.”

Garland 6 0 7 21—34

Cooper 3 7 7 13—30

Cooper 30 - Garland 34

2009-09-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

It was a tough loss for the Cougars tonight. With 8:40 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Coogs led 30 - 13. After scoring a touchdown the owls responded quickly with a touchdown of their own, recovered on-side kick and in the next play scored again. In short...GHS made up 14 pts. in 3 plays! Talk about momentum. The Cooper offense attempted to regroup and respond but in the end they would fall short of their goal. Disheartened, to say the least. This one will be tough to get over.

"Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks."

This weeks opponent:

2009-09-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

2009-09-15T21:31:00.001-07:00

CHS Coach Mike Spradlin Talks About Showdown

2009-09-15T18:43:00.001-07:00

CHS Coach Mike Spradlin Talks About Showdown

Shared via AddThis

2009-09-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

The Sims cousins — Herschel and Ronnell — proved to be too much for the Cooper Cougars.
Herschel Sims ran for three touchdowns and Ronnell Sims ran for two more and threw for another as the Abilene High Eagles overcame Cooper 49-37 in the annual crosstown clash Friday at Shotwell Stadium.
Abilene High scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to overcome a 24-21 deficit and win its sixth consecutive game against Cooper.
“The thing I’m most proud of is how we came out in the second half. When it got down to it in the second half, we were stronger both mentally and physically,” AHS coach Steve Warren said.
It’s appropriate the winning team scored 49 points in the 49th meeting between the two schools. Cooper still leads the series 30-18-1.
Ronnell Sims, who ran for 202 yards on 14 carries, had the go-ahead touchdown — a 31-yard run — with 6:49 left in the third quarter.
After recovering an onside kick, Herschel Sims, who gained 97 yards on 12 carries, added a 10-yard touchdown run with 5:36 to go in the quarter.
AHS (2-0) then stopped Cooper (2-1), and Ronnell Sims answered with a 61-yard touchdown pass to Darius Joseph as time expired in the quarter.
Cooper would sandwich a 2-yard touchdown run by Davon Riddick and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Heslep to Khaeer Sonnier as time expired around a 19-yard touchdown run by AHS’ Tony Curtis for the final score.
“They’re pretty good, man,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “They’re pretty good. They’re about as good on offense as I’ve seen. I don’t think it’s as much a testimony to where we’re at defensively as it is where they’re at offensively.
Spradlin said the onside kick, recovered by AHS’ Boo Barrientes, kept the momentum in the Eagles’ favor.
“I’m not so sure they were onsiding it as much as they were pooching it, and we weren’t ready for it,” Spradlin said.
Warren said the Eagles were going for the onside kick — and it worked to their advantage.
“I think we took control,” he said. “I think I saw our defense, when we held them to three, we knew we could stop them. I think that was a huge confidence builder.”
Cooper’s Ryan Lucas had kicked a 32-yard field goal on the first possession of the second half to break a 21-21 tie.
Heslep, who was 29-of-44 for 264 yards, threw a touchdown pass to Reese Williams in the first half and also ran for another. Alford Cooper also ran for a touchdown for the Coogs.
Abilene High took the opening kickoff and drove 71 yards on four plays for the game’s first touchdown. Herschel Sims capped the drive with a 27-yard touchdown run.
Cooper answered with a 13-play, 67-yard scoring drive. Heslep threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Williams on a third-and-goal play. It was the third converted third-down play on the drive, and Heslep also hit Sonnier for a 21-yard completion on a fourth-and-5 play from the AHS 30.
The Eagles struck quickly once again, thanks to a 22-yard kickoff return by Sawyer Tallant to the Coogs’ 35. Four plays later, Herschel Sims scored from nine yards out as AHS took a 14-7 lead.
Cooper responded with a 15-play, 82-yard drive. This time, Alford Cooper ran four yards as the Coogs tied the game at 14 early in the second quarter.
After stopping AHS for the first time of the night, the Coogs got their first lead on a 1-yard plunge by Heslep with 1:40 left in the half. The Coogs drove 75 yards on 14 plays to take a 21-14 lead.
But the Eagles re-tied the game at 21 on a 46-yard touchdown run by Ronnell Sims just 36 seconds later — and it remained tied 21-21 at the break.

Crosstown rivals!

2009-09-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

Abilene High 49
Abilene Cooper 37

2009-09-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

Sandra Fowler, by nature, isn’t a hater. She doesn’t hold any ill will against Abilene High.
Still, the 1968 Cooper graduate bleeds Cougar red and blue, and she’s well aware of the fact the Coogs haven’t beaten their crosstown rival since 2003. So it’s only natural that she would love to see the Cooper football team finally end the drought Friday night at Shotwell Stadium.
“The time is now,” she said. “I’ve ridden the roller coaster through the years. It’s just time.”
And even someone as upbeat and positive as Fowler admits that sometimes, she believes a few Abilene High fans tend to get a bit smug about the Eagles’ recent run of success in the crosstown clash.
“Sometimes you feel like they put you down,” she said. “So we kind of get tired of that. So this is one way, if you win, they don’t put you down.”
Fowler doesn’t say that with any bitterness or animosity. It’s more like she’s disappointed that anyone would turn a game — one played by high school students — into a nasty, hurtful thing. And in her own back yard, among her own people, no less.
This is supposed to be fun, about choosing up sides and building up your side while not tearing down the other. And Fowler, a teacher for 34 years, does love building youngsters, hoping they’ll see the benefit of being part of something bigger than themselves. That’s why she’s been involved as an active, hands-on Cooper supporter for the past 10 years.
She got the bug back when she was in high school, watching adults in the booster club work so hard for the Cooper athletes.
“It changed my life,” she said. “I just watched all these adults come and put up posters and banners. So whenever my daughter came through Cooper, I was just waiting, on the edge, ready to go. I just felt like it was my time to carry the baton, so to speak.”
Fowler — Sandra Choate back then — was a cheerleader at Cooper. She was on the sidelines cheering on her Coogs during that memorable fall in 1967, when the Cooper football team marched all the way to the state championship game, falling by one point to Austin Reagan.
Now, Sandra and her husband, Cliff, are both active in the Cooper Booster Club, even though their daughter, Lindsay, graduated from CHS in 2002.
Cliff, a 1967 Cooper graduate, puts up all the Cougars flags that wave at Shotwell Stadium on gameday. Sandra, who teaches reading skills at Dyess Elementary, organizes the Cougar Crew — a group of elementary students who make up the line the Coogs run through before the game. She also helps her husband decorate the stadium, and, this week, she even cut streamers you’ll see flying around town.
“It’s my way of giving back,” Sandra said. “I mean, it’s a contribution to the community. West Texas football is unique. I think it’s a community thing. I hope that any kids who happen to see what Cliff and I do will put that away, file it away, so that when they have children, they won’t be just sitting on their hands.”
And Sandra respects anyone who does their part — whether they’re doing it for the Cougars or Abilene High.
In fact, had she ended up teaching at a school that feeds into Abilene High, instead of Dyess, which feeds into Cooper, she would be spending this week building little Eagles fans.
“It would be hard,” the diehard Cougar fan said. “But I thought about it a long time. I would encourage my kids to participate, because I think that’s very important. I would be promoting: ‘Someday you’re going to Abilene High. You need to buy into this. You need to be participating, be a part. Don’t just be floating out there somewhere.”

Cougars take charge in second half....

2009-09-05T00:13:00.000-07:00

.....Cooper finds end zone in the second half
Joey RichardsSaturday, September 5, 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas — What a strange night for the Cooper Cougars.
After coming up empty on four trips inside the red zone in the first half, the Coogs were 4-for-4 in the second half.

Those 28 second-half points helped the Coogs hold off the Boswell Pioneers, 38-28, in a non-district football game Friday night at Pioneer Stadium.

“I can’t say enough about the resiliency of our kids,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “Doggone it, if we didn’t make more mistakes tonight. The penalties, the turnovers, things like that. I wish I had the magic answer, but I don’t.

“Bottom line is we overcame it and won the football game. Weeks from now, that’s all that’s going to matter.”

Ryan Heslep threw for 364 yards and two touchdowns, and Kendrick Powdrill ran for two more as the Cougars improved to 2-0 on the season.
Cooper amassed 584 yards on offense.

Boswell quarterback Quinton Gregory threw for 184 yards and four touchdowns — including two in a frantic rally in the fourth quarter. But the Coogs picked off three passes and recovered three fumbles to drop the Pioneers to 1-1.

“Our defense played really well,” Spradlin said. “I can’t say enough about those guys. They did a great job against a very good Boswell team.”

Cooper rolled up 302 yards of offense in the first half, including 212 passing.
But the Coogs needed a 9-yard touchdown pass from Heslep to Reese Williams just 16 seconds before the half to take a 10-7 lead at the break.

Cooper scored on its first two possessions of the second to take a 24-7 lead. Alford Cooper ran nine yards for the first TD of the second half, and Powdrill added a 5-yard scoring run.

Gregory threw a 24-yard TD pass to Jacob Stone to make it 24-13 with 4:18 left in the third quarter.

Cooper answered when Tommy Bowman caught a 9-yard TD pass from Heslep early in the fourth quarter, and Powdrill got his second TD on an 11-yard run with 6:55 left in the game to all but put the game away.

Josh Bowman picked off a Gregory pass at the 1-yard line to stop a Pioneers threat.
Boswell still got two touchdowns in the final 1:11, one after recovering an onside kick.
Cooper fumbled the ball away three times inside the Pioneer 20 in the first half, including one on a first-and-goal play at the 1-yard line.

“You can’t be happy with that, and I won’t be happy with that,” Spradlin said. “We can’t have that. We know that. We’re a mature football team. It showed in the third quarter that we are. … We came out and took control in the second half, and I thought we put them away.”

The Coogs defense kept them in the game, though, getting two interceptions and recovering two fumbles — including one that set up the score before the half.

Cooper got inside the Pioneer 20 six times overall in the first half, coming away with the TD and a 24-yard Ryan Lucas field goal. Lucas also missed a 27-yard attempt.

The game got off to an ominous start. Cooper recovered the opening kickoff at the Pioneers 20, but the Coogs were called for offsides on the kick.

On the re-kick, Lucas Davis returned the ball 54 yards down to the Cooper 21.

Three plays later, Davis caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Gregory.

Da’mor Barnes returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards for Cooper to the Boswell 46, and the Coogs eventually had a first-and-goal at the 9. But they were forced to try a 27-yard field goal by Lucas, that sailed wide right.

Cooper got down inside the 11 on its next possession, but settled for a 24-yard field goal by Lucas.

Cooper’s Joshua’e Robinson picked off Gregory at the Boswell 7 to end a Pioneers threat. Heslep then threw a 59-yard pass to Bowman to get the ball down to the Pioneers 21. But two plays later, the Coogs turned the ball over inside the 20.

Cooper got down to the Pioneer 22 following a Lawrence Brownfield pick but turned the ball over on downs.
On the Coogs’ next possession, Bowman made a 47-yard catch but had the ball stripped at the Pioneers 19, where Boswell recovered.

Cooper recovered a Boswell fumble at the Pioneers 30 later in the second quarter. The Coogs eventually had a first-and-goal at the 1 but Alford Cooper fumbled the ball away at the 2.
Cooper finally cashed in a Boswell fumble when the Coogs’ Barnes stripped Gregory of the ball and Greg Nicholas caught it in the air. Cooper needed five plays to cover 32 yards and take its first lead of the night on Heslep’s 9-yard TD pass to Williams.

COOPER cruises to easy win over Wyatt, 56-7

2009-08-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect night for the Cooper season opener against Ft. Worth O. D. Wyatt. The Cougars have worked hard and prepared well. The stands were full. Excitement filled the air as the Cougars took the field for their first time in 2009!

Darron Rosenquist took some great pictures throughout the night!

By Joey Richards Friday, August 28, 2009

O.D. Wyatt running back Johnny Perry (3) is brought down for a loss by Cooper defenders Regal Sanchez (35), Joe Dillard (96) and Joshua'e Robinson during the first quarter of the Cougars' win on Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, at Shotwell Stadium.

Cooper's Tommy Bowman (8) slips between O.D. Wyatt defenders en route to a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown during the second quarter of the Cougars' win on Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, at Shotwell Stadium.

O.D. Wyatt quarterback Dante Gentry (5) is hit as he throws the ball by Copper linebacker Jamar Renfro (44) during the second quarter of the Cougars' win on Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, at Shotwell Stadium.

Cooper wide receiver Sammy Beall (2) celebrates with teammate Tommy Bowman (8) after Beall'd touchdown in the second quarter of the Cougars' win on Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, at Shotwell Stadium.

Cooper defensive back Lawrence Brownfield (16) intercepts a pass over O.D. Wyatt wide receiver Roosevelt Hooker (81) during the third quarter of the Cougars' 56-7 win on Friday,

The Cooper Cougars put on quite a show in the season opener.
Ryan Heslep threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as the Coogs drubbed the O.D. Wyatt Chaparrals 56-7 on Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

Cooper, 33-17 all-time in season openers, led 42-0 at the half and cruised to the victory.
“We threw the ball well. We ran the ball well. The guys up front did a great job,” Cooper coach Mike Spradlin said. “We created opportunities defensively. We had great field position in the first half and took advantage of it. I’m just real pleased with this win.”

Heslep completed 12-of-16 passes for 180 yards — all in the first half. He played only the first series of the second half, before giving way to backup Clayton Nicholas.

“I thought we came out and executed well on both sides of the ball,” Heslep said. “We had some jitters on the first series, but we battled back and put a lot of points on the board.”
Three Cooper running backs ran for touchdowns, including two by Kendrick Powdrill, who finished with 86 yards on nine carries.

Alford Cooper, who ran for a game-high 106 yards on nine carries, and Davon Riddick each also ran for a TD.
Tommy Bowman caught a 29-yard touchdown pass and returned a punt 66 yards for another. Sammy Beall had a 28-yard touchdown catch for Cooper’s first score of the night.
The Coogs rolled up 466 yards on offense, while allowing only 136 on defense — all but 27 yards of that in the second half, and 63 of those yards came on Johnny Perry’s touchdown run late in the third quarter.
“It was very crisp, good offensive football,” Spradlin said. “Our defense flew around and held them.

Our special teams played well. In all the phases, we played well for 2 ½ quarters. I was really pleased.”

Cooper scored on four straight possessions, after coming up empty on its opening drive — and the Coogs’ had a 14-yard touchdown pass from Heslep to Khole Jackson called back on that drive.
Cooper opened the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Heslep to Beall with 2:12 left in the first quarter.
Less than a minute later, after recovering a fumble at the Wyatt 14, Powdrill scampered 14 yards for the touchdown.

The Coogs exploded for 28 points in the second quarter.
On the their first possession of the second quarter, Jamail Lowry caught a 50-yard pass from Heslep, down to the Chap 1-yard line, to set up a 1-yard TD run by Heslep to help the Coogs take a 21-0 lead.
The next time the Coogs touched the ball, Heslep threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Bowman for a 28-0 lead.

Bowman would later return a punt 66 yards for a touchdown, and Powdrill capped a six-play, 80-yard drive with an 8-yard TD run just before the half.
Riddick ran 16 yards for a TD early in the third quarter, and Alford Cooper ripped off a 43-yard TD run — set up by a Lawrence Brownfield interception — to cap the scoring for the night for the Coogs.
Wyatt avoided the shutout when Johnny Perry ran 63 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
Note — It’s the second straight year the Coogs have beaten Wyatt to open the season. Cooper won last year’s game 33-0 at Shotwell.

Wyatt 0 0 7 0—7
Cooper 14 28 14 0—56

First quarter
CHS — Sammy Beall 28 pass from Ryan Heslep (Ryan Lucas kick), 2:12
CHS — Kendrick Powdrill 14 run (Lucas kick), 1:47

Second quarter
CHS — Heslep 1 run (Lucas kick), 11:35
CHS — Tommy Bowman 29 pass from Heslep (Lucas kick), 10:17
CHS — Bowman 66 punt return (Lucas kick), 4:54
CHS — Powdrill 8 run (Lucas kick), :31

Third quarter
CHS — Davon Riddick 16 run (Justin Lehr kick), 10:35
CHS — Alford Cooper 43 run (Lehr kick), 8:33
WHS — Johnny Perry 63 run (Carlos Armaza), 6:26

WHS CHS
First downs 5 22
Rushes-yards 34-125 33-244
Passing 11 222
Total yards 136 466
Comp-Att-Int 3-15-1 14-19-0
Punts 7-31.8 0-0
Fumbles-lost 6-1 3-3
Penalties-yards 6-42 3-25
Individual statistics

Rushing — Wyatt, Johnny Perry 8-72, Nicholas Hunt 5-27, Nicholas Johnson 3-15, Dante Gentry 11-14. Cooper, Alford Cooper 9-106, Kendrick Powdrill 9-86, Alex Morrison 5-44, Davon Riddick 3-29.

Passing — Wyatt, Dante Gentry 3-15-1-11, Okayae Stewart 0-2-0-0. Cooper, Ryan Heslep 12-16-0-180, Clayton Nicholas 2-3-0-42.

Receiving — Wyatt, Roosevelt Hooker 1-7. Nicholas Johnson 1-5, Perry 1-(minus 1). Cooper, Khole Jackson 3-29, Jamail Lowry 2-57, Caston Gillit 2-42, Tommy Bowman 2-40, Sammy Beall 2-35, Alford Cooper 1-7, Reese Williams 2-0.

Next week CHS will travel to the

Metroplex to play the Saginaw Boswell Pioneers!

Cooper vs. Boswell @ Boswell, 9-4 Friday at 7:30.

CHS vs F.W. Wyatt - First game of the Season!

2009-08-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Cooper Cougars season opener is upon us! Tomorrow night at 7:30, CHS will line-up against Ft. Worth Wyatt, at Shotwell Stadium. After a strong appearence in the Odessa High scrimmage last Friday night, the Coogs are ready to take the field! So wear your Red and Blue and join the Cougar Nation for a new chapter of "Friday Night Lights"!

An article about Ryan Heslep, from the Abilene Reporter News. http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/aug/26/cooper-qb-heslip-confident-about-his-role-with/

An interview with Coach Mike Spradlin, concerning the upcoming F.W. Wyatt game. http://reporternews.com/videos/detail/spradlin-wyatt and another interview with David Robinett, of KTAB. http://bigcountryhomepage.com/content/video/?watch=1&cid=168452&shr=addthis

Photo day!

2009-08-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

READY...SET...HUT,HUT!!! COOPER DOTY, SET THINGS IN MOTION THURSDAY EVENING AT SHOTWELL STADIUM.

EVERYONE LOOKED PICTURE PERFECT IN THEIR RED AND BLUE! (ex. HUDSON & MINDI WOMACK)

THE TEAM WAS 'DRESSED OUT' IN THEIR GAME DAY BEST. SPORTING CONTAGIOUS LAUGHS AND SMILES, MUCH TO EVERYONE'S DELIGHT!

STAN, THE MAN OF THE HOUR...OR TWO, WAS IN RARE FORM! ARMED WITH EXPERIENCE AND GREAT EQUIPMENT, HE SEIZED THE MOMENT.

WARMED UP AND FEELING GOOD, STAN TAKES HIS ACT TO A HIGHER LEVEL. BE CAREFUL, STAN! CHILDREN ARE WATCHING...

WOW! THAT'S IMPRESSIVE!

COACH MOEBES, CHILLIN' ..."HI, TY!"

WHILE SOME LOVE THE SPOTLIGHT. OTHERS, SHALL WE SAY, ARE A LITTLE CAMERA SHY?

EVERYONE ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL EVENING.

THE O-LINE. THEY'RE A NICE BUNCH OF GUYS.
OK GUYS!. . . ONE MORE PICTURE.

TEAM COUNCIL - WORKING HARD AND MAKING GOOD DECISIONS, ON AND OFF THE FIELD. . . ALL DAY LONG!

.......WE'RE READY COACH!

NEXT FRIDAY, O.D. WYATT, SHOTWELL STADIUM @ 7:30. BE THERE!

Two-a-days!

2009-08-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

It's official! Summer is over and football days are here again. Two-a-days began this morning at 8:00.

The weather was perfect. A cool 85 degrees.

After a mid day break the Cougars hit the field again this afternoon at 4:00. Then it's off to the weight room to pump some iron!

Encouraging words from Kelvin Kelly, Team Advocate.

Good catch!

...watching with interest!

Local media coverage is excellent in Abilene, Texas. One of the many perks of West Texas Football.

Saturday, all players will scatter throughout Abilene for the annual Cooper Football Card blitz! The cards feature the Cougars '09 schedule as well as generous discounts from many local merchants such as, Sonic's Route 44 drinks are .99, anytime of the day!

Last year's team started a new tradition. A sledge hammer called "The Finisher", now hangs in the hall in memory of a great bunch of guys and their sucessful season!

In '09 the tradition continues with a new team, a new hammer with a new name...All Day! It will accompany the team throughout their journey and at the end of the season, hand on the wall next to "The Finisher" with a plaque honoring their accomplishments! Hey, Coach Bloesh! (new to the Cooper staff. Played at the U of Houston with Coach Doty....welcome!)

The Band of Brothers quote:

One of three shelves of displaying Cooper football's winning tradition...

The following is a excerpt from the Abilene Reporter Telegram.

Cooper coach Mike Spradlin welcomed about 140 Cougar players for the first day of two-a-day practices. “It never ceases to amaze me,” Spradlin said. “I keep thinking that the older I get that it will change, but it never loses its magic for me. There’s still an air. I couldn’t sleep (Sunday) night. I never get comfortable. I woke up about 10 times and couldn’t wait for the alarm to go off.

“We had a great first day, probably the best we’ve had since I’ve been here. The kids are enthusiastic and we’re ready to rock.”While continuity has become a hallmark for the Eagles in Warrens 13 previous seasons as head coach, the Cougars are beginning to reap the same kind of benefits as Spradlin enters his fourth season with the program.
“I think we’re where we want to be,” Spradlin said. “We’re right where we thought we’d be. We feel like we’ve done what we do and there’s some repetition and carryover. If you want to compare it to the last couple of years, we’re ahead just for the simple reason we’ve all been here. I didn’t lose a coach last year. Our staff’s intact and those are the things that get you continuity.” Cooper, which went 8-5 and advanced to the third round of the playoffs in its first season of Class 4A competition last year, kicks off the 2009 season on Aug. 28 against Fort Worth Wyatt as part of the Action Sports Medicine Champions Classic at Shotwell Stadium.

Band of Brothers!

2009-08-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Each year the Cooper Football team has a motivational theme. A motto of sort. This year the Cougars have chosen, a Band of Brothers, based on a Shakespearean quote:

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”

William Shakespeare

The new billboard at the field house just went up. How cool is that! A big thanks to everyone involved. Great job!

Two-a-days begin tomorrow! Signaling the official start of the fall football season. However, the coaches and players will tell you that actually, the '09 season started way back in January 2008. For it was then, that they began to formulate a plan, make goals and decide what it would take to make their dreams come true. Realizing that every day between then and now, if used properly, could move them closer to attaining their goals.

So as a team, they made a commitment to work harder and think smarter than ever before. Even throughout the summer, on strictly a voluntary basis, they spent a lot of time in the weight room.

In short, the Cougars a ready! They are tough and intense. They are a team. All day!