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 WHITE SETTLEMENT — A disastrous first quarter put the Cooper football team in a 21-0 hole that it could never climb out of in a 37-14 loss to Fort Worth Brewer in a key District 3-5A Division I game Friday at Bear Stadium.

The Cougars, now 4-3 overall and 2-2 in league play, gave a game effort in the second half, outscoring the Bears 14-9 over the final two periods. But coach Aaron Roan’s squad was facing a 28-0 deficit by the time it went to the locker room for halftime, making a comeback unlikely against a talented Brewer squad (6-1, 4-0). 

Cooper pulled within two scores (30-14) early in the fourth quarter and appeared to recover a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff, but an offsides penalty wiped out that potential momentum shift, and the Bears scored on the resulting drive to put the game away and preserve their firm standing in the district title race.

COOPER (4-2, 2-1) AT FORT WORTH BREWER (5-1, 3-0)

7 p.m. Friday at Bear Stadium, Fort Worth

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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Fort Worth Arlington Heights-Cooper football (90 images)” →

The Cooper football team has played 677 games in its 62-year history, and Thursday night against Fort Worth Arlington Heights the Cougars had the opportunity to break a school record that had stood since the third year of the program’s existence.

Cooper’s defense was two plays away from breaking the school record of fewest yards allowed (31 by Sweetwater in 1962) before allowing 15 yards on Brian Furch runs to put the Yellow Jackets to a grand total of 46 yards for the game.

The dominant effort led to a 43-0 win in a District 3-5A Division I game at Shotwell Stadium, leaving the Cougars one win shy of the 400th in program history.

As is always the case with new starters, Chris Warren’s first year as Cooper’s quarterback has been a learning experience. 

But five games in, it’s not hard to see why coach Aaron Roan was excited about the junior when the season began.

In leading his team to a 3-2 record, including wins over crosstown rivals Abilene High and Wylie, Warren has emerged as one of the area’s top dual-threat quarterbacks. And while his first year as a starter has had its share of challenges, the growth he’s shown through them has positioned him — and the Cougars — well for a strong second half.

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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Granbury-Cooper football (84 images)” →

The Cooper football team has consistently been slow starting this year, entering Friday’s homecoming game against Granbury having scored just seven points in the first quarter all year.

The Cougars found their quick-strike offense Friday night at Shotwell Stadium, though, scoring on the first play of the game and three times in the opening five minutes as they rolled to a 56-34 win in District 3-5A Division I play.

Cooper’s defense also came up with four turnovers — three of which gave the offense the ball in the red zone — as the quick start by the offense let the defense attack the Pirates offense relentlessly.

GRANBURY (3-1, 1-0) AT COOPER (2-2, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday at Shotwell Stadium, Abilene

During his team’s 2-2 start, Cooper coach Aaron Roan has seen enough from the Cougars to conclude they have the tools to compete at a high level.

What he hasn’t seen from this group quite yet is four full quarters of football.

The Coogs, who are 0-1 in District 3-5A Division I play heading into Friday’s homecoming game against Granbury, have been plagued in the early going season by a slow starts that have consistently had them playing from behind. And that’s a trend Roan is ready to put an end to this week.

JUSTIN — A disastrous start was too much for the Cooper football team to overcome in a 33-21 loss to Justin Northwest in the District 3-5A Division I opener for both teams Friday at Northwest ISD Stadium.

The Cougars, who have been slow out of the gate in every game this year, fell behind 19-0 by halftime and were unable to work their way back into the game after the break.

Cooper (2-2 overall, 0-1 in district) outgained the Texans 303-295, but some special teams miscues and a pair of turnovers allowed Northwest (3-1, 1-0) to pull ahead 33-7 early in the fourth quarter. Coach Aaron Roan’s squad did battle back with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull within two scores late, but by then the deficit was too large.

COOPER (2-1, 0-0) AT JUSTIN NORTHWEST (2-1, 0-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Northwest ISD Stadium, Justin

Coming into the season having lost almost 90 percent of its production to graduation or transfer, the Cooper receiving corps was a glaring question mark for the Cougar offense.

Coach Aaron Roan believed he had the talent on hand to build a reliable group, but he wouldn’t know for sure until he saw those players perform on the field under the pressure of Friday night lights.

Three games into this season, the picture is still incomplete. But with each puzzle piece that’s been put into place, Roan has grown more and more confident that his original faith in that group was well-placed.