Lubbock Cooper uses ground game to dominate Justin Northwest
Running back Isaiah Johnson rushed for three scores and nearly 250 yards Friday afternoon, as Lubbock Cooper defeated Justin Northwest, 34-14, in a Class 5A DII Regional Semifinal on Friday.
Johnson’s touchdown runs came from 52, 77 and the game’s final score of 25-yards as he amassed all the positive yards for a Cooper running game that grounded and pounded all afternoon.
His 52-yard run on Cooper’s first possession started the scoring, and it was quarterback Brenden Mehl connecting on a 52-yard strike to Rilee Keane that saw the lead increased to 14-0 after the first quarter.
In the second, Johnson’s second score put Cooper on top 21-0, before kicker Brock Thompson’s 35-yard field goal put the lead at 24-0, at the half. The story of the first half, not only was Cooper but was Northwest’s inefficiency in the red zone as they threw one interception and missed two field goals in the first quarter.
Cooper, who had not allowed a single point in the playoffs thus far, was finally scored upon on consecutive possessions in the fourth, as quarterback Austin Ahmad found Antonio Reese and Quentin Lee on touchdown throws of 5 and 9 yards, respectively.
Game was over when: Lubbock-Cooper took a 24-0 lead into the half and hung on in the second half.
Play of the game: Lubbock-Cooper’s Isaiah Johnson’s 77-yard run put the score at 21-0 early in the second quarter.
Offensive player of the game: The honor, with no argument, goes to Cooper running back Isaiah Johnson, who finished with 242 yards and three scores.
Special Teams player of the game: Lubbock-Cooper kicker Brock Thompson earns the nod, connecting on two field goals of 35 and 26-yards and four extra points in the game.
Unsung hero of the game: The award goes to the duo from Justin Northwest’s trio of Ahmad, Hosey, and Lee that finished the game for Northwest, amassing close to 400 total yards on the night.
What’s next? Lubbock Cooper moves on to face the winner of the matchup between Canyon Randall (6-6) vs. WF Rider (7-5).