0-3 to 3-0

By Tommy Kilpatrick
September 15, 2004

By Tommy Kilpatrick / Cooper Cougars Blogger

As a Cooper fan, I can’t help but be thrilled with the 3-0 start to the 2004 season… especially after the 0-3 start last year.

Of course, the case can be made that Cooper has not opened the 2004 season with the same caliber of opponents they did in 2003, but I think only time will tell just how good they are.

Mansfield Summit is believed to be one of the better Metroplex teams despite their 1-2 record so far this season. Brownwood was an 11-1 playoff team last year, but that team has been replaced with one riddled with injuries and stacked with juniors and sophomores.

Finally, Del Rio was… well… the Rams had a lot of tough kids that had to play both ways due to an amazing lack of depth.

All that being said, compare the numbers. Last year the Coogs started off 0-3, scoring just over 19 points per game while giving up over 35. This year the Coogs have started off 3-0, scoring 32 points per game but giving up just over 7 points a game.

That’s right… the defense is holding their opponents to a full 4 TDs per game less than what they gave up last season. I can’t help but be impressed with the job Coach Secord and his staff has done on that side of the ball.

Now, the Cougars prepare for their first road game of 2004… a short trip to the hostile home of the San Angelo Central Bobcats.

Most Cooper fans saw the Bobcats get dismantled by Abilene High a little over a week ago, but most Cooper fans also know to expect a tough game from Central.

San Angelo Stadium has not been friendly to Cooper in the past and I see no reason to expect a change this year. Central bounced back from their tough loss to Abilene High to give Midland High everything they wanted and then some.

Central came from behind but still lost to a very good Midland team 31-30. If I were a betting man, I would expect to see the Central team that came back against Midland… not the one that fell to Abilene High. Central may prove to be the toughest test for the Cougars so far this season.

Updated Cougar rosters, stats and standings:
www.geocities.com/coopercougars

Comments

This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted -- responsibility lies with the relevant reader alone.

Post your comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)





GoFridayNight Team Pages