Keller football secures sizable victory against Abilene Cooper to commence season

KELLER - Junior quarterback Beckham Robinson tossed three touchdown passes to lead the Keller Indians to a 37-14 victory over the Abilene Cooper Cougars in a non-district clash Thursday night at Keller ISD Athletic Complex.

Robinson hit three different receivers for his scores. He had an 81-yarder to Will Adams in the second quarter, a 34-yarder to Tré Griffiths in third and found Brock Meek on a 22-yard aerial to open the final stanza. Robinson finished with 151 passing yards on just six completions.

Griffiths, the Star-Telegram’s No. 1 wide receiver to watch and an Oklahoma State commit, hauled in his touchdown after Indians defensive back Ryan Ventura came up with an interception -- his second of the game -- to begin the third quarter at the Cougars 34-yard line.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Griffiths totaled 54 receiving yards on four catches for Keller, the No. 5 school in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s preseason area rankings.

Senior Cameron Rayford, who led the Indians with a game-high 69 yards rushing on 12 attempts, tallied a pair of scores on the ground -- an eight-yarder on the game’s first possession, and added a three-yarder with 3:28 left in the second period, as Keller forged a 24-7 lead at intermission.

After Rayford opened the contest and season with a touchdown, Abilene Cooper answered on its first possession, driving 86-yards in six plays with Daniel Bray hammering one in from one-yard out. Bray keyed the tying march, with a 44-yard gallop, and his 35-yard reception set him up at the Indians one-yard line.

Gabriel Ogura drilled a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the first quarter as Keller took a 10-7 lead, one it never relinquished.

Head Coach Carl Stralow said he was proud of his team’s efforts.

“I told our team that we were gonna have to play real hard to get a win,” Stralow said. “I knew our offense would be okay, but we have a lot of new faces on defense.

“We alternated our two quarterbacks and I thought both played well,” added Stralow, noting that senior Ryan Hanson drew the start.

Stralow said the team played hard the entire game.

“Our execution was very good,” Stralow said. “We have some things to clean up, but overall great job by our team.”

Keller posted a 34-16 season-opening win a year ago at Abilene Cooper enroute to a 10-3 record. The Indians had their best season since 1966, reaching the 6A Division I regional semifinals.

This story was originally published August 25, 2023 at 12:27 AM.