Phantom Stang
08-25-2005, 04:17 PM
Sports
Mustangs try to sink Pirates again
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
Sweetwater head coach Kent Jackson knows it won't take much to get Lubbock Cooper fired up for this Friday's season opener at Mustang Bowl.
That's because Sweetwater is facing a team it met twice a year ago, the last time in the area playoffs. And the Pirates have had nine months to stew about their 35-14 loss to the Mustangs that ended Cooper's best season in 33 years.
And to provide even more motivation, there's the fact that Sweetwater is ranked No. 7 in Class 3A in the Associated Press's first preseason poll -- and is No. 1 in Texas HSFootball.com's Web site poll.
However, last year's rivalry was not ex-actly onesided. The Pirates put a season-opening blot on the Mustangs' record by winning, 17-14, on their field in Woodrow and went on to finish with a 9-3 record while ending a 33-year district championship drought.
Cooper lost 22 seniors from that team, but the Pirates still have six offensive and four defensive starters returning and are expected to again be a strong contender for top honors in their district (2-3A).
Some of the key returning players are Trey Wood (6-2, 188), an all-district linebacker who is also the new quarterback; two-way linemen Cory Nichols (6-2, 278) and Randy Calderon (6-1, 273); and de-fensive end Tyler Maberry (6-4, 211).
"They have an experienced, outstanding line," Jackson said. "They have good size and move well and they've really had their way with people."
Cooper coach John Windham has pub-licly said that the goal of this year's team is not just to make the playoffs, but to go deep into the playoffs, and Jackson said he expects another tough battle Friday.
"They're running the same things that we saw last year and playing with confi-dence, and that's to be expected with the success they've had," he said. "They do things right, and you can tell they are well-coached. It's good to play people like that; you can't help but get better."
Sweetwater should be feeling confident as well, based on its two scrimmages with Midland Christian and Vernon. The Mus-tangs scored a total of nine touchdowns, while allowing none.
Jackson admits he's pleased with what he has seen so far, but knows it's no substitute for the real thing.
"So much of what you see in scrimmages is controlled, and that's why we're anxious to get into the games," he said. "There's something about being under the lights and in the fire. We think our youngsters have done a good job, but we're anxious to get to Friday and see where we are."
Copyright © 2005 Sweetwater Reporter
Mustangs try to sink Pirates again
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
Sweetwater head coach Kent Jackson knows it won't take much to get Lubbock Cooper fired up for this Friday's season opener at Mustang Bowl.
That's because Sweetwater is facing a team it met twice a year ago, the last time in the area playoffs. And the Pirates have had nine months to stew about their 35-14 loss to the Mustangs that ended Cooper's best season in 33 years.
And to provide even more motivation, there's the fact that Sweetwater is ranked No. 7 in Class 3A in the Associated Press's first preseason poll -- and is No. 1 in Texas HSFootball.com's Web site poll.
However, last year's rivalry was not ex-actly onesided. The Pirates put a season-opening blot on the Mustangs' record by winning, 17-14, on their field in Woodrow and went on to finish with a 9-3 record while ending a 33-year district championship drought.
Cooper lost 22 seniors from that team, but the Pirates still have six offensive and four defensive starters returning and are expected to again be a strong contender for top honors in their district (2-3A).
Some of the key returning players are Trey Wood (6-2, 188), an all-district linebacker who is also the new quarterback; two-way linemen Cory Nichols (6-2, 278) and Randy Calderon (6-1, 273); and de-fensive end Tyler Maberry (6-4, 211).
"They have an experienced, outstanding line," Jackson said. "They have good size and move well and they've really had their way with people."
Cooper coach John Windham has pub-licly said that the goal of this year's team is not just to make the playoffs, but to go deep into the playoffs, and Jackson said he expects another tough battle Friday.
"They're running the same things that we saw last year and playing with confi-dence, and that's to be expected with the success they've had," he said. "They do things right, and you can tell they are well-coached. It's good to play people like that; you can't help but get better."
Sweetwater should be feeling confident as well, based on its two scrimmages with Midland Christian and Vernon. The Mus-tangs scored a total of nine touchdowns, while allowing none.
Jackson admits he's pleased with what he has seen so far, but knows it's no substitute for the real thing.
"So much of what you see in scrimmages is controlled, and that's why we're anxious to get into the games," he said. "There's something about being under the lights and in the fire. We think our youngsters have done a good job, but we're anxious to get to Friday and see where we are."
Copyright © 2005 Sweetwater Reporter