AZLE — Cooper never trailed until the final minute of its season opener at Azle on Friday, but Auston Morgan’s fourth touchdown pass of the evening — a 38-yard strike to Kaden Haas with 57 seconds remaining — left the Cougars on the wrong side of a 28-24 heartbreaker in Scott Stewart’s first game as head coach.

The Cougars outgained the Hornets 270-159, limiting Azle to minus-19 yards on the ground, but the home team found a way to rally from a 21-7 second-quarter deficit to pull even in the third period.

And after kicker Felipe Herrera gave Cooper a 24-21 lead with 9:56 to play in the fourth, the Hornets completed the comeback with less than a minute to play when Morgan found Haas for the winning score.