Lubbock-Cooper Surges Over Lubbock Coronado with Strong Second Half

With an exciting back-and-forth win over a metroplex school, Lovejoy, the Pirates faced Coronado fresh off the Mustangs invigorating win against the Wichita Falls Legacy Leopards.

The Mustangs showed explosiveness early when Senior quarterback Isaiah Vazquez found a streaking Ke’Vonte Carr on a deep 48-yard pass to gain some momentum. Unfortunately, no dice for the Mustangs as they punted the ball into Pirates territory.

With five and a half minutes left in the first quarter and the ball just shy of the 50-yard line, Lubbock-Cooper Pirates Junior quarterback Ryan Rodriguez loaded up a bomb to receiver Michael Denver to secure a red zone opportunity. A crawl to the goal line led Senior Jackson Austin to his first touchdown of the night. The Pirates lead 7-0.

The Pirates forced a punt from Coronado's end zone on the ensuing possession and ripped off an excellent return to the Mustangs' 10-yard line. Rodriguez lobbed a pass to the left of the end zone, found Carr for a touchdown, and extended their lead to 14-0.

The Mustangs decided they had enough. Vazquez handed the ball to Senior Allen Gant, who broke through a handful of defenders for a 75-yard touchdown. After a successful kick, the Mustangs had some momentum brewing. The Pirates still led the first quarter 14-7.

After his speedy score down the sideline, Gant needed more under his belt. Pirates quarterback Rodriguez scrambled on the 35-yard line and threw a high pass intended for a receiver downfield but was snatched out of the air by Gant, a two-way player.

Coronado's Vazquez connected with senior Demarion Finch and took the ball to the left side of the field. Struggling to find a way through the defense, Finch spun in the other direction and took the ball to the right side of the field for a 44-yard carry, setting up the Mustangs to potentially tie the ballgame.

The Mustangs set up for third and goal on the 7-yard line, eagerly wanting to tie the game against the No. 9 ranked team. Vazquez tossed the ball to Junior receiver Campbell Stanek, but the fierce Pirates defense stopped him at the 5-yard line. The Mustangs decided to take the points and secure the field goal, 14-10.

With the needle in the Mustang's favor, the Pirates needed a momentum shift to widen the advantage. Rodriguez looked for a quick out route, found Jackson Austin, and took it to the house for a 74-yard touchdown to subdue the Mustangs' sideline. Pirates 21, Mustangs 10.

A solid kickoff return reanimated the Mustangs' offense as they drove the ball down the field into Pirate territory once again, this time to score seven. JJ Villalobos, now in the game at quarterback for the Mustangs, found Carr sprinting across the endzone for his second of the night. The Pirates are still ahead 21-17.

Just before time expired, the Pirates needed a little cherry on top to gain some momentum before they headed into the locker room. A quick drive set them up for a 48-yard field goal. Kicker Cub Patton nailed the ball between the uprights. Cooper led at the half, 24-17.

Early in the 3rd quarter, Mustangs Villalobos connected a deep pass to Stanek, inching Coronado closer to the end zone. Villalobos then threw a pass to receiver Aaron Rodriguez, but Cooper's Kyle Warlick was there to make a play. He punched the football away from Rodriguez and into the hands of Pirates linebacker Cole Stanzione for the turnover.

Up by seven, the Lubbock Cooper Pirates drove the ball downfield, and running back RJ Florence punched the ball into the endzone, extending their lead to 31-17.

Back with the ball, the Mustangs needed to score to keep themselves in it. On the 40-yard line, Coronado’s Villalobos tossed up a pass to Campbell Stanek but threw another pick. Lubbock-Cooper Pirates Malik Epps-Keller returned the interception downfield to the 5-yard line. The Pirates ran it in for Jackson Austin’s third touchdown of the night. After the kick, the Pirates led 38-17.

At the end of the third quarter, Jackson Austin took the ball downfield for a 60-yard rush, finishing off the drive with a wide-open trot into the endzone for his fourth touchdown. The Pirates lead 45-17 at the end of the third quarter.

The Mustangs began to take chances in the fourth quarter, but could not find any connections. With the large deficit over their heads, the Mustangs were ready to finish the ball game and regroup. Both teams dwindled the clock down to its final seconds to wrap up. The Lubbock-Cooper Pirates put their foot down in the second half, leaving the Coronado Mustangs gasping for air. The final score was 45-17.

The Head Coach for the Lubbock-Cooper Pirates talked about the key plays he recognized helped them gain and sustain their momentum throughout the game. Watch that interview below:

The Coronado Mustangs Head Coach Andrew Roy talked about how competitive the Pirates are and mentioned how the Mustangs had their momentum stolen after the half. Watch that interview here:

The ranked Lubbock Cooper Pirates head to Amarillo to face the Tascosa Rebels on Friday, September 13. Meanwhile, the Lubbock Coronado Mustangs return to Lowry Field on Thursday, September 12, to play against the Abilene Wylie Bulldogs, who narrowly won their first game 29-28 against the Lubbock Monterey Plainsmen.