Throughout this off-season, Levi Cooper raved about the growth and maturity within his Cosby football team.
On Friday night, that growth was put to the test for the first time this season.
Cosby led Cumberland Gap 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, but the Panthers drew within a score after a Cosby turnover.
Unfazed, the Eagles punched in two more touchdowns before the break while also recording a safety.
The output put them ahead 30-7, and the visitors cruised from there in a 37-7 win to open the second season under Levi Cooper.
“Really pleased with the response after some adversity right there,” Cooper said in reflection. “A 14-7 game, that can go a bunch of different ways. But the offense made up for its mistake, and we tacked on again.”
Sophomore quarterback Matthew McMahan tossed four touchdown passes and two picks in his official debut.
He led the Cosby offense to 228 yards of total offense, including 156 passing yards on the night.
But he also stood tall in the pocket, despite knowing a heavy blitz would come on each snap.
“We talked all week about them bringing one more than he could block, so he knew there was a good shot he would get put on his back and there wasn’t much we could do about it,” Cooper said. “He had one of the toughest performances I’ve ever seen. Hit over and over, but kept staring down the barrel and throwing it.”
As for his two interceptions, Cooper cited two different reasons for the turnovers.
“One of them was a bad decision, and on the other one, it was a 50-50 ball that we didn’t win,” he said. “But all in all, he was just super tough and gritty. He took some shots, delivered the ball, and helped us win a game.”
David Baker was the recipient of two of those touchdown passes, while Devonte Wigfall hauled in another.
Chase Joyce also caught one, and Mason Williams ran in a score as well.
Defensively, Cosby wreaked havoc on the Panthers’ offensive front.
They brought a litany of different pressures from each side of the field, unleashing a chaos-fueled brainchild from co-defensive coordinators Dearco Nolan and Kevin Hall.
That resulted in the aforementioned safety, as well as a number of turnovers that went Cosby’s way.
“It’s awesome,” said Cooper with a chuckle. “I love Coach Nolan’s aggressive style and creativity, and Kevin’s ability to take what he’s doing in the box and match up the back end.
“It’s really helped us, and we took it to another level. Those two working together, it’s changed the way we play. It was impressive to watch.”
Cooper even noted his sympathy for Cumberland Gap, as he has seen all too well the trouble that the Cosby defense can cause.
“Part of me felt bad for them, because I’m so sick of going against it myself in practice,” Cooper said. “There’s people coming from everywhere — really creative and hectic.
“Honestly, I told them I’m glad I don’t have to plan and scheme against that. Because it would be tough to do.”
Cooper also said they held the Panther offense to -16 yards rushing leading into their last possession.
“The only possession that they threatened to score was where we turned it over deep in our own area,” Cooper said. “I was really pleased with how the kids responded.”
Not everything was rosy on Friday, as Cosby had two touchdowns called back for penalties — one on a potential kickoff return for a score by Wigfall.
But overall, he was pleased with the response he saw, especially after the Panthers drew within a touchdown in the first half.
That response stems from the maturity Cooper noted in his sophomores, as well as the hunger and experience he has seen in a number of seniors.
“It‘s a cool balance,” he said. “We’ve got young cats on the defense, but there’s a lot more blue — which are seniors — on that side than I realized.
“The mix of those guys and the ones that came through Brody’s system and brought that to the high school level, they know how to win football games.”
Now, Cosby will look to do that again this week, as the Eagles will travel to Cherokee (NC) on Friday night.
Cherokee took down the Eagles 47-6 last season at Virgil Ball Stadium — a score Cooper has not forgotten.
“We’re 1-0 and that’s great, but we know that Cherokee doesn’t care,” he said. “The boys remember last year, and we’ve got all the respect in the world for Cherokee. We’ll have to be up to the challenge to stop their ground attack.”
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