December 14, 2019
Aledo 28, Lubbock Cooper 21: Abilene Christian’s Anthony Field hosted one of the most controversial state semifinal games of the year as Aledo avoided a Lubbock Cooper upset bid with a 28-21 win en route to an eventual ninth state title.
The story of this game really got crazy when, with the game tied at 21, Aledo RB Jase McClellan (battling an injury) fumbled inside the Lubbock Cooper five yard line and the ball was recovered by Lubbock Cooper. However, the officials ruled McClellan was down and he would score from two yards out a play later.
Multiple replay reviews after the fact showed the McClellan was not down and Lubbock Cooper should have had the ball on its own two-yard line with a chance to win the game, thus reigniting the talk around the state about instituting instant replay at the semifinal level in addition to the UIL State Championships. The missed call marred a supreme effort from Lubbock Cooper who went toe to toe with the heavily favored Bearcats.
Aledo led 13-7 at halftime on the strength of two McClellan touchdown runs, but Lubbock Cooper took control of the game early in the third when QB Cooper LaFebre scored on a 40-yard run to give the Pirates a 14-13 lead.
The Bearcats jumped back ahead 21-14 later in the quarter on an 11-yard run from QB Jake Bishop. Cooper would tie the game up with 5:35 left in the game on Isaiah Johnson’s three-yard run to tie the game. Cooper’s defense had plenty of momentum and appeared to be forcing a three and out from Aledo, but on 4th-and-4 Aledo elected to go for it on its own territory and it worked beautifully as Bishop ripped off a 48-yard run inside the Lubbock Cooper 10, setting up the late game controversy.
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