There’s good news and bad news for the Cooper Cougars in 2022.

The bad news is they graduated 29 of the 49 lettermen from last year’s 6-5 team and will have to replace a number of key players on both sides of the ball. The good news, though, is their district schedule and path to a deep playoff run just got considerably easier with a move to Class 5A Division II.

The 24th-ranked Cougars will still have to contend in District 2-5A DII with quality teams from Wichita Falls Rider (ranked No. 7 in 5A DII by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football) and Wylie, but a 16th consecutive playoff berth is there for the taking in a six-team league that features struggling squads from Amarillo Palo Duro, Plainview and Lubbock High. And if CHS can nab a top-two playoff seed out of its district, history suggests the Coogs could be playing deep into November or beyond.