WOODROW — Cade Gant doesn’t know a season that ends before the playoffs.
The Lubbock-Cooper football team hasn’t in a while, either. Since Gant has been in school, the Pirates have played 12 games a year, winning at least eight in each.
The thought of turning in his pads before November didn’t even cross his mind. He made the plays to prevent the unfathomable, too.
In a must-win matchup against Abilene Wylie, Gant had a senior night worth recounting. He found the end zone twice and even played a hand in scoring when he wasn’t the target. Along with a late defensive stand, it was enough to punch Cooper’s ticket to the postseason.
As if there was any other way for Gant to go out.
“Words can’t really describe it,” Gant said. “It’s senior night, we got in the playoffs, and now we have a bye to get ready for playoffs.”
Gant finished with eight catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns Friday, the highlight a juggling catch he completed for a 50-yard score. His biggest impact may have come on a play he didn’t touch the ball.
Late in the fourth quarter of a tied game, Ryan Rodriguez threw a 5-yard TD to a wide-open Reed Watters. The havoc that Gant was wreaking throughout the night drew the Bulldogs’ attention, allowing Watters to slip unnoticed into the end zone.
Cooper’s offensive versatility showed with 275 passing yards and 200 rushing. That kind of balance is what allowed the Pirates to average 36.8 points in the regular season.
“We pride ourselves on running the football,” Cooper coach Chip Darden said, “but having somebody like Cade, and then also Noah (Clark) on the other side, if they want to play two high safeties, we hope we can run the ball. But then if they don’t have help there, we think (Gant’s) good enough to win some one-on-ones.”
It helps having Rodriguez running the show. The three-year starter became Cooper’s all-time leader in passing yards and added 227 to that total in the Week 10 win. Rodriguez has also been integral in helping Gant’s own record pursuit.
Gant has surpassed 1,100 yards on the season, putting him among the Pirates’ top pass-catchers. Darden said the quarterback-receiver connection was on full display on a fourth-down TD early in the final period.
“The thought was lets have (Nos.) 14 and 11 involved right here,” Darden said of Rodriguez and Gant. “Those guys have done it for years. Those guys have done it since middle school, honestly. What a throw, but then a great catch. … He’s pretty close to single-season and career receiving records, which would be pretty impressive.”
Gant said his chemistry with Rodriguez “makes my job a lot easier.” The two go way back, and they got to extend their high school careers at least a couple more weeks. That was far from a sure thing when the team dropped to 1-3 in district. Cooper (6-4, 3-3 district) responded by winning its last two games to secure a 13th-straight playoff appearance.
“This team’s faced a lot of adversity,” Gant said. “So we’re already used to it. We’re gonna always battle, no matter what.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: In run-first program, Lubbock-Cooper receiver Cade Gant makes his mark
Reporting by Stephen Garcia, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
