Sunday, November 23, 1997

Playoffs old hat to Cougars

By Lance Fleming / Abilene Reporter-News

The playoffs are becoming old hat to the Cooper Cougars

That's because for the fifth straight season they've reached at least the regional semifinal round, getting there this year with Friday night's 50-8 shellacking of El Paso Socorro.

Last year, of course, the Cougars -- ranked fourth in the state this year -- made it to the state championship game before falling to Austin Westlake.

And with so many starters and lettermen back from that team, this is a team that knows what it takes to get back to the state title game. And they played like the veteran group they are Friday night, taking advantage of almost every opportunity the Bulldogs presented them.

Socorro turned the ball over four times, and Cooper scored touchdowns off three of them. Socorro shanked a pair of punts and Cooper scored touchdowns on both bad punts.

And with a 21-0 lead at halftime, the Cougars ended the ballgame with a 22-point third quarter.

It's that killer instinct the Cougars displayed throughout the playoffs last year, and one they showed again Friday night.

"I felt really good about the way we executed," Cooper head coach Randy Allen said. "I've been waiting for a game where we click on offense and defense and start peaking."

They began that process Friday night, completely demolishing a Socorro team that some said was the best in El Paso.

The Bulldogs, though, gave up 424 total yards to the Cougars and gained just 276 themselves.

The Cougars were so impressive that one of the Socorro ISD officials in the press box after the game said that it was no disgrace to lose to the state champion.

The next 27 days will tell the tale on whether or not the Cougars will win the state title. First up is a tough ballgame with South Grand Prairie on Friday night. After that it could be Flower Mound Marcus or Amarillo High and then it could be Garland.

"The important thing for us is to stay healthy and rested," Allen said. "We go to the Gopher Bowl Friday night, and that'll be a tough game."

Nothing will be easy for the Cougars. Winning a championship never is. But with a state title in its sights, this group of Cougars certainly knows how to get there.

We'll see in the next 27 days if they will.