“We knew what we were up against when we scheduled to play them (Cooper),” senior Bryan Kisinger said. “We needed to set the tone, but mistakes killed us.”
The Raiders actually had the lead three times in the first half, but each time Cooper was able to retake it from the Raiders.
After Cooper scored on their second drive due to favorable field position, Connor Nutt nailed a 34-yard field goal to give the Raiders the lead 9-7, however the Cougars pulled off a 76-yard touchdown pass and just like that Cooper retook the lead 14-9. The Raiders would answer back when Malcolm Carter hooked up with Graham McGregor on a 26-yard touchdown pass to give Rider its final lead of the game. The Cougars would score one more time to preserve a 21-15 halftime lead that never really came in question for the duration of the second half. The Raiders managed to pull within 34-21 when Deron Royster scored from one-yard out, but Abilene Cooper would score one more time in the fourth to put the game away.
“We need to play as a team,” senior Devon Garvin said. “We need to practice real hard and work on our mistakes.”
The Raiders once again will be tested as they travel to Arlington to play the #10 team of 3A Kennedale Sept. 3.
Categories:
Football Starts Season
Byron Dowling
•
September 3, 2010
With an emotional off-season finally behind them and a new head coach on their hands, the 2010 football team was ready to come out fighting in their season opener against the Cougars of 5A Abilene Cooper. Tevin Aldridge took Rider’s first offensive play of the year 83 yards for a touchdown, and after Tyler Weir picked off Clayton Nicholas on Cooper’s first offensive series, it seemed as if the Raiders had an upset on their hands. However the Cougars wouldn’t lose their composure and found themselves with a 21-15 halftime lead that they wouldn’t surrender to the Raiders in the second half pacing Abilene Cooper to a 40-21 victory in a emotional season opener for both teams.
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