The Cooper football team isn’t returning a particularly large group from last year’s 6-6 squad, but sixth-year coach Aaron Roan likes the nucleus he has back.

The Cougars’ 21 returning lettermen are the second fewest in District 2-5A Division II, topping only Lubbock High’s 15, but with six starters back on both sides of the ball, Roan and his team feel good about their chances of extending CHS’ playoff streak to a 17th consecutive season.

The Coogs will be leaning on that consistency and program tradition while they work to build depth with call-ups from a 5-5 junior varsity squad. In the meantime, they’ll depend on the experience they do return to carry a heavy load.