CCHS Football Shocks The World With Their Success

Chris Beaton takes ball past Miami Beach defender. The CCHS varsity football team shocked the world with their unbelievable season. Photo Credits: DAVID ROSENFIELD

BY JACKIE WEISER

For Cooper City High School, the year 2011 was, to say the least, historic. That year will go down as the year that Cooper City High School’s varsity football team shocked the world and became legends. From becoming district champions, to beating St. Thomas Aquinas for the first time, the Cowboys of 2011 will be remembered forever in CCHS history.

The person who set the tone for this success was Coach Art Taylor. When Taylor first came to Cooper City High before the 2010 season, the first thing he noticed was that the team didn’t have a lot of speed or strength. This is why he emphasized speed training and weight lifting for the team.

“Practice was hard,” Taylor said. “So mentally the game would be easier for them.”

Entering the first game of the 2011 season against Everglades High, Taylor was unsure of what to expect that night. But there was one thing he was sure of: this was going to be a good season for the Cowboys. After practicing over summer every day from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., he had no doubt that the team was ready to take the field. The Cowboys won 21 to 19, a sign of things to come. The team went on to win their first five games before encountering their first big challenge.

That test was on October 14^th, when the took on Western High School. It was a crucial game, because for the past seven years the Cowboys haven’t been able to defeat the Wildcats. On that night the Cowboys dominated the field, putting an end to the streak with a 17-6 win.

“The field was packed with people,” athletic director Paul Megna said.  “It was great.”

Photo Credit: DAVID ROSENFIELD

Throughout the next few games the Cowboys continued to breeze through the competition, remaining on top and undefeated. Then on November 4^th, the Cowboys faced the ultimate test. The team had to defend their district champion title and undefeated season against one of the top teams in the country: the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. This game was crucial; and would determine if all of the Cowboys’ hard work had come to fruition.

“I knew the boys could pull through for the St. Thomas game.” Taylor said.

As Coach Taylor predicted, the Cowboys pulled through and pulled the upset of the century, beating the Raiders 21-16. The crowd went crazy right when the 4th quarter ended. Students jumped from the stands and ran onto the field to show their gratitude to the players.

“It was crazy beating St. Thomas,” senior Colton Rosiak said. “It feels like everything I’ve worked for in my football career has paid off.”

The day after the St. Thomas game, the Cowboys made headlines in nearly every local newspaper and the school earned a lot of recognition across the nation. The team also brought the school together as many Cooper City students were proud to say that they were a Cowboy.

“It was like the whole city woke up with a smile the next day,” junior Adam Penias said. “Everyone from Cooper had so much pride saying they were a Cowboy.”

The Cowboys cinderella season culminated on November 25^th,  when 4,000 people crowded the stands at Cooper City High to watch the Cowboys face the Raiders for the second time in a crucial playoff rematch. Unfortunately for the Cowboys the Raiders made a comeback and put an end to their nearly perfect season with a final score of 27-10.

“We had our chance to beat them again,” Taylor said. “We lost that game, St. Thomas didn’t beat us.”

Overall, Taylor is pleased with how the season went. The football team has never had such a significant success and the players all agree that they will never forget it.

“This was a good season for the team,” Taylor said. “It was great watching the underdog team rise up and prove everyone wrong.”

Within three short months the Cowboys managed to put the small town of Cooper City on the map, bring together the community and make a name for themselves. They have proven that hard work and determination can go far. The 2011 football season will forever  be a season that students, staff members, coaches, and Cooper City residents will never forget.

“I’m so happy for the team,” CCHS principal Wendy Doll said. “It was a season that brought the school recognition and it made me proud to watch them.”

Photo Credits: DAVID ROSENFIELD