The Cooper Cougars weren’t perfect Friday night, but when it came down to it, they made the plays necessary to win in a 23-14 victory over Abilene High in the 59th annual Crosstown Showdown.
Two key special teams plays — a safety on a bad punt snap and a blocked field goal — helped the Coogs build a 16-0 second-quarter lead. And a big fourth-down stop in the third quarter with AHS threatening to steal the lead proved to be the play of the game, swinging the momentum back in Cooper’s favor and allowing coach Aaron Roan’s team to seal the win with a clutch touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.