For the better part of three quarters Friday, the Cooper Cougars were on the verge of falling victim to a trap game during District 2-5A Division II play against 0-5 Lubbock Cooper — which entered the night at Shotwell Stadium with four losses of at least 23 points this year.

Leading just 7-6 in the third quarter, it took a pair of second-half defensive touchdowns for the hosts to get some breathing room on their way to a 27-6 win. It was the closest game of the three contested between the two squads.

Despite the struggle, Cooper coach Scott Stewart was happy with what he saw on the defensive side of the ball as the Cougars held the Pirates to 129 yards of offense on 49 plays — an average of just 2.6 yards per play.