You don’t need to talk to Cooper linebacker Aeneas Favors to know that he loves playing football. You can see it in the way he plays.

Favors, the defensive newcomer of the year for District 4-5A last year as a sophomore, has an energy about him and a bounce to his step that draws eyeballs his way on the football field.

That’s true of fans, who will find him around the football on more plays than not. And it’s true of opposing coaches, who wish their extra attention would have a larger effect on his tackle numbers.