On a chilly and windy night from Grande Communications Stadium in Midland, the Abilene Cooper Cougars ran and ran and kept on running to a convincing 55-23 win over the previously unbeaten Canutillo Eagles.
After a three-and-out to open the game for Canutillo, the Cougars went quickly down the field in four plays topped off with a 12-yard touchdown run by Ender Freeman to make it 7-0. Cooper would add another score on a quick four-play drive with another touchdown run by Devon Cunningham. The Cougars did not let up in the first quarter as they got it done through the air as Austin Smith completed a 22-yard pass to Myller Royals who dove at the pylon to make it 20-0.
Canutillo would show some life in the second quarter. Linebacker Erick Lopez picked off an errant Austin Smith pass and took it back inside the 30-yard line of Abilene Cooper. The Eagles stalled and missed a field goal which Cooper would take advantage of immediately. Devin Johnson took a handoff 78 yards to make it 27-0 and put Abilene Cooper in firm control of the game. The Eagles would add a 29-yard field goal by Cesar Valles late in the half to make it 27-3.
In the second half, the Cougars would run and run some more with touchdown runs by Austin Smith and Tyrees Whitfield to make it 41-3 Cougars at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, the Eagles continued to fight back as Damian Martinez took it in from a yard out to make it 41-10 Cougars. Speed was the name of the game on this night as Terreon Paige took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a score.
Less than 90 seconds later after a Canutillo touchdown pass from Alvarez to Cristian Martinez, Tyrees Whitfield got in the fun taking a kickoff 87 yards for a score to make it 55-16. Alvarez would add one more rushing touchdown to solidify the final score.
On the night, Cooper finished with 390 rushing yards with seven different ball carriers. Smith would finish 135 yards passing and a touchdown. Canutillo struggled all night with Cooper’s speed and wound up with just 57 yards passing. The Eagles did finish with 245 yards on the ground, but the majority of those yards after the game was out of reach.
Canutillo finishes their season at 11-1. Abilene Cooper moves to 8-4 and will face the Aledo Bearcats next week.
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