Cooper returns to lift West Chester East past Henderson for first win

WEST GOSHEN >> Dealing with injuries can be a huge challenge, and West Chester East running back Jared Cooper was forced to grapple with those difficulties in the six weeks he missed for the Vikings before coming back in their 37-14 win over the Henderson Warriors on Friday evening.

“Being out was one of the hardest times of my life physically, mentally and emotionally,” Cooper said. “To come back and play with this great team is what helped me get through this game.”

Cooper returned with a vengeance for the Vikings, exploding for 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns in what was East’s first victory of the season. There were numerous occasions in which Cooper turned plays that looked like they were heading nowhere into something substantive, and he was the catalyst for a West Chester East offense that put up 316 yards of offense, including 221 on the ground.

Vikings head coach Scott Stephen, who notched his first win as the lead man for West Chester East, was happy to see his team abide by his game plan and attack the ground relentlessly.

“Knowing the fact we were getting Jared back this week, we wanted to emphasize the run,” Stephen said. “He’s such a game-changer and a dynamic player. Moving forward, for us, the run game has to be a priority.”

Cooper echoed the same sentiment as his coach, acknowledging that the Vikings wanted to make running the ball their focus in this one.

“We just knew what we had up front and knew we could continue to run all game,” Cooper said.

Other contributors in the ground game included Kyle Cichanowsky, who finished the evening with 29 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts, and Pierre Marchant, who amassed 14 yards on the ground.

Vikings quarterback Ryan Cassidy didn’t have too taxing of a game, throwing the ball only 14 times and completing eight. One of those connections produced a touchdown, as Michael Gray, who caught six passes for 85 yards, reeled in a gorgeous pass off a perfectly ran fade route for a second quarter score.

As for the Warriors, they struggled to muster up much offense on the night, finishing the game with 181 yards of offense, one yard less than the Vikings put up for the entire second half.

Star running back CJ Preston average only 3.1 yards per carry, ending the defeat with 53 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts.

Warriors quarterback Joe Saulino was quiet outside of rushing for a first half touchdown, ending the game 7-15 for 62 yards, including a late interception, which was picked off my Cichanowsky.

As for picking up his first win, coach Stephen was more elated for his players, rather than himself.

“They’ve dealt with some adversity the first seven weeks of the year, but we kept fighting, coming back to work and believing in each other. Over time we knew if we stuck together, we’d find success.”

Going forward, Cooper wants his team to play to the best of its ability and hope for the best in terms of a postseason berth.

“We want to close the season with two more wins and see how the dice rolls with playoffs, because we believe we can make a statement.”