St. Francis vs Robbinsdale Cooper Standouts: Robbinsdale Cooper

My Week 1 game this year was a slugfest between two talented teams, the St. Francis Fighting Saints and the Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks, in New Hope. Both teams made big plays across all 4 quarters, but as the final buzzer sounded, it was the Saints who had pulled off a 29-21 victory on the road. Each team boasted a talented roster, so get ready to meet some of the Robbinsdale Cooper standouts!    If I were to give an offensive player of the game, that award would go to Davison. He did everything for the Hawks that a skill player can do without finding the endzone. He's a legit RB and likely a stock riser throughout the season. Exceptionally quick with a nose for cutback lanes, Davison gashed the Saints' defense on more than one occasion with his legs, but also caught a couple of big balls out of the backfield. Every time he gets the ball, there's a chance for a chunk play to break out. Big things could be coming for the Hawks' senior.     Harris proved to be a two-way threat last night with big plays on both sides of the ball. He broke off a 96-yard TD after reeling down a ball in tight man coverage, setting the tone for the offense and putting the Hawks up big at half. He also caused a big fumble when the Saints were only yards away from scoring on a breakaway run. His speed, effort, and pursuit were on full display throughout the game. With two years left to ball out and a promising Week 1 to kick off his junior campaign, Harris could become a big-name prospect.     While Bemidji State commit Sema'j "Speedy" Young may not have found the endzone last night, he more than made an impact catching passes. Despite being bracketed most of the evening, every time he got the ball, it felt like I could hear the Saints coaches worry. More often than not, he would break multiple tackles on any given play, and on several occasions, he was able to turn a busted play into a first down. He demands constant attention from defenses and still finds ways to create plays. He also had a crucial fumble recovery in the first quarter.     One of the biggest surprises to me was talented junior WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1120533' first='Erick' last='Larkins']. He's a smooth route runner who scored the first TD of the game off of a modified sluggo route, which saw him beat 2 separate defenders in coverage for a wide open TD in the end zone. Cooper has a talented receiving core, and I think we'll see Larkins emerge as a consistent offensive threat throughout the season.     Nason had an impact that stretched beyond the stat sheet. He recorded a sack in the first half, but throughout the evening, he provided a near constant pressure on the quarterback and had a handful of devastating QB hits. He showcased phenomenal bend around the edge throughout all four quarters, and an explosive get-off that made life difficult for the bigger and slower tackles. His pass rush bag has gotten deeper over the offseason, and the Ball State offered EDGE rusher showed off a variety of moves that granted him a quick release to the QB.     Jackson was an impact player on both sides of the ball. A starter on both offense and defense, Jackson was arguably the most successful Cooper lineman over the course of the night. Not only did he cause a fumble in the first half, but he was plugging up run lanes on the interior frequently. On offense, he played a key role in stifling what is a dangerous rotation of St. Francis edge rushers. On run plays, there were a bunch of times where I saw him burying defenders in the dirt, or he would put them on skates and run them to the top of the field. Jackson is definitely a name to know over the next two seasons.     I have to give Van Voorst a lot of credit, because I don't know if he ever left the field Friday night. He was QB1, a starting safety, and the Hawks' kicker. It was his first game back from an injury-riddled sophomore season, and he showed that the building blocks were there for a successful junior and senior campaign. With a clean pocket, the ball placement, arm strength, and accuracy are all there, and high-level at that. He threw 3 TDs and 3 INTs, so the consistency and decision-making could be improved, but the talent is there for Van Voorst to evolve into a high-tier QB1.     Wiley-Hunt played out of his mind last night and was the most productive member of the Hawks' defense throughout the evening. He was responsible for the team's sole interception. and also had a forced fumble, which he later recovered. His zone coverage is legit. He does a great job of baiting QBs to throw his way before he closes down and either forces a PBU or makes a quick tackle for a minimal gain. Wiley-Hunt looks like an underrated DB who could be a great steal for some MIAC schools.     Brown was responsible for the final Cooper touchdown, and it came at a crucial time in the 4th quarter to cut the lead to one score. He ran a great post route across the middle of the field to catch the 20-yard TD. He separated immediately from the OLB matched up with him, and had a free release after that. Brown looks like a nice WR3/WR4 in Cooper's dynamic spread offense.     A 2027 LB whose stock I could see rising rapidly over the next couple of seasons is Dadjuah Karmo. Karmo was creating problems for the offense all night and even brought down a pair of sacks throughout the game. He can really do it all. Lined up as an edge rusher or playing over the middle, he made an impact wherever he was played. Quick off the edge with a relentless motor, there is a lot about his game that screams potential. Keep an eye out for the Cooper product.

My Week 1 game this year was a slugfest between two talented teams, the St. Francis Fighting Saints and the Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks, in New Hope. Both teams made big plays across all 4 quarters, but as the final buzzer sounded, it was the Saints who had pulled off a 29-21 victory on the road. Each team boasted a talented roster, so get ready to meet some of the Robbinsdale Cooper standouts!