High school football preview: Lubbock-Cooper eyes district title in return to 5A D-II

The standards for Lubbock-Cooper football are high. Look no further than the team being disappointed by consecutive second-round playoff exits.

Those came in Class 5A Division I. The Pirates are set to return to D-II and, they hope, deeper postseason runs. Cooper finished 13-2 in 2021 following a semifinal loss to eventual state champion Dallas South Oak Cliff.

That also marked the Pirates' last district title, ending a streak of four consecutive. Cooper went 10-2 in league play the past two seasons but finished second each time.

"We've got a group in general that doesn't really like how the last two years have gone," Pirates coach Chip Darden said, "and that's nothing against our guys that graduated. Bumping up to 5A Division I was a different bump. This group wants to win a district championship and they want to make a run in the playoffs, and I think you've seen that throughout offseason and throughout the start of fall camp."

Darden feels he has the senior class to lead the way. Although not all were starters in 2023, the coach said playing experience isn't an issue. The team has 30 returning lettermen.

"You get asked about who's a returning starter, and we don't look into that," Darden said, "so much as we look into how many guys have played a lot of football. … We've got guys that the last two years maybe weren't even a starter at a certain position, but they played significant reps on the varsity."

Count quarterback Ryan Rodriguez under returning starters. Rodriguez led the team to an 8-4 record as a sophomore. Darden said the signal-caller is more confident and has a better grasp of the scheme.

Rodriguez will have playmakers around him, too. Senior receiver Michael Dever caught 40 passes for 672 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He committed to Texas Tech in July.

Darden said Dever beefed up before the breakout campaign.

"I think that's what kind of helped him be the guy," Darden said. "We've seen (the ability) from him since he was in middle school. We've known he's got pretty special talent, and it was nice to see him put it together last year."

Jackson Austin will return to running back in a lead role. He's split time in the backfield and at slot receiver during his career. Gage Piepkorn will take over the slot position, and veteran tight ends Cash Truby and Easton Barnhill drew Darden's praise as well.

Three-year letterman Hudson Hamilton leads an offensive line Darden deemed a "work in progress." The coach added the group is progressing.

The defensive front will power the unit, Darden said, with district defensive MVP Cole Stanzione and Preston Jones back at linebacker. Sione Vaea was defensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore, and Jakson Sewell adds to a versatile, "explosive" D-line.

Malik Epps-Keller, Kyler McDowell and Carter Gentry bring speed to the secondary, Darden said. But the center of attention will be the trenches.

"That front seven's where it's at," Darden said. "We need them to be really good and think they've gotten off to a good start."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: High school football preview 2024: Lubbock-Cooper Pirates