Abilene Cooper High School

Abilene Cooper 2009

The Abilene Cooper Cougars were Class 4A’s team on the cover of last year’s Top O’ Texas Football Magazine, and they didn’t disappoint. After posting a combined record of 9-12 the first two seasons under Coach Mike Spradlin, the Cougars debuted in Class 4A with a bang. They went 4-1 in District 4-4A, losing only to perennial power Frenship, then proceeded to advance three rounds deep in the Division I playoffs. The Cougars opened the post-season by knocking off Canyon Randall 35-0 then took out El Paso Del Valle 56-10. In the regional round against Denton Guyer, Cooper didn’t have enough as the Cougars fell 28-7. Guyer went on to beat Frenship in the quarterfinals 37-35 before bowing to Longview in the semifinals 41-30.

Now the challenge for Cooper is to step it up to the next level, and Spradlin feels the Cougars can do it. While they lost 30 lettermen, a couple dozen return including an enviable eight on offense and five on defense. “We will be better on offense,” noted Spradlin, a University of Houston graduate who is an even 17-17 in his three years at Cooper and 60-47 in 10 seasons overall as a head coach.

It’s easy to see why Spradlin is so high on his offense, what with lots of key components returning from last season. Those include senior quarterback Ryan Heslep (6-1, 190, 4.9), who last year in Cooper’s multiple set offense passed for 1,957 yards. Heslep could surpass the 2,000-yard mark in ’09, especially since two of his favorite targets — wide receivers with great speed — return from a year ago. Junior Khole Jackson (5-10, 185, 4.55) and senior Tommy Bowman (6-2, 190, 4.5) both earned all-district honors after Jackson accumulated 457 receiving yards and Bowman 480 yards and six touchdowns. Another talented skill position player, senior running back Kendrick Powdrill (5-7, 155), figures to make more of an impact this season after contributing 627 of Cooper’s 2,899 total rushing yards in ’08. Other starters back on offense include a pair of talented linemen, senior tackle David Damian (6-5, 290, 5.5) and junior center Matt Freeman (5-10, 245).

Leading the charge over on defense will be a pair of returning all-district talents, senior cornerback T.C. Robinson (5-11, 180, 4.4) and senior linebacker/end Quincy Moore (5-11, 215, 4.7). Robinson came up with three interceptions last year and will be looking to increase that number considerably this season. Moore, meanwhile, recorded four sacks, 12 hurries, recovered a pair of fumbles and scored a touchdown. Another veteran linebacker in Cooper’s 4-3 defense is junior Josh Robinson (5-11, 235, 4.7), who had three fumble recoveries and a couple of picks last season.

Spradlin also is excited about the return of senior punter Reese Williams (6-3, 205), who averaged 39.8 yards per boot a year ago.

The Cougars would like to have a more successful pre-district than last season, and the schedule favors it with three of the first four games at Shotwell Stadium including the season-opener on Aug. 28 against O.D. Wyatt. After a trip to Boswell, the Cougars host cross-town rival Abilene High then get Garland for homecoming on Sept. 18. A road game against Lewisville Hebron leads into an open week and the start of district play, which sees the Cougars making the long trip to Hereford on Oct. 9. Back-to-back home games against San Angelo Lakeview and Big Spring follow before the game that figures again to be for the district title against Frenship on Oct. 30.  The regular-season comes to a close at home against Plainview on Nov. 6.