Varsity Football: Cooper City Defeats St. Thomas to Win Second District Championship Varsity Football: Cooper City Defeats St. Thomas to Win Second District Championship
BY KEVIN KOPLIN Friday November 4th, 2011 will forever be remembered in Cooper City as the day the Cowboys defeated St. Thomas Aquinas for... Varsity Football: Cooper City Defeats St. Thomas to Win Second District Championship

The Cowboys celebrate their 21-16 win againt St. Thomas. It marks the first time the Cowboys have beaten St. Thomas since 1972.

BY KEVIN KOPLIN

Friday November 4th, 2011 will forever be remembered in Cooper City as the day the Cowboys defeated St. Thomas Aquinas for the first time since 1972 clinching the school’s second consecutive district championship.

Although the game took place at St. Thomas’ home field, the Cowboy fans showed up to support their team. After a rather slow first quarter where no team showed much offensive advantage, the Raiders lead 3-0.

Things quickly changed however, after a key 3rd down stop by the Cowboys defense with 8 minutes left in the second quarter. When St. Thomas lined up for their second field goal of the game, the kick was blocked by senior Justin Ingram and the ball landed at the 1-yard line, where senior running back Camden Krohn picked up the ball and returned it 99 yards for the first touchdown of the game, giving the Cowboys a 7-3 lead. The Raiders soon came back to score a touchdown giving them a 10-7 lead at halftime.

Both team’s defenses allowed little from their opponents offence. With 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter and the score still 10-7, sophomore linebacker Tyson Burch intercepted a St. Thomas pass and ran the ball down to the 3-yard line, setting the Cowboys at 1st and goal. The Cowboys quickly capitalized on the great field position, as Krohn ran the ball into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game. The Cowboys once again claimed the lead, 14-10.

Soon after the Cowboys defense proved clutch once again, when a fumble by the Raider quarterback Max Lescano was recovered by senior defensive end Jordan Mornay, who ran it in 11 yards for a touchdown. The visitors sideline erupted and the Cowboys took a 21-10 lead going into the 4th quarter.

The Raiders weren’t finished though, with 2:30 left in the game St. Thomas scored on an 8-yard touchdown pass. The Raider’s attempt at a 2-point conversion failed however and the score was 21-16. St. Thomas then attempted an onside kick to get the ball back for a chance to win the game but senior James Zawoyski recovered it. The Cowboys couldn’t advance the ball downfield, but they forced St. Thomas to use all three of their remaining timeouts. The Cowboys defense held tough once again and the Raiders were down to their final possession of the game. The Raiders offense was unsuccessful once again and the Cowboys won with the final score of 21-16.

The win marks the first time since 1972 in which the Cowboys defeated St. Thomas and the first time in 15 years that St. Thomas hasn’t won the district championship. It was also the first time ever that an opponent held Aquinas to under 20 points. The Cooper City Cowboys are now 9-0 on the season, ranked 8th in the State of Florida, 68th in the nation.