LINGLE – Lingle-Fort Laramie’s Garrett Cooper was invited to represent the United States in the Canam Bowl, which is an annual six-man football game between the United States and Canada.
“First of all, it’s just a huge honor to even be considered,” Cooper said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to go and play football and represent the country.”
Cooper was selected as one of three players for Wyoming to play for Team USA. The squad has 16-18 players from Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana and Texas to represent the United States against Canada. Cooper is joined by fellow Wyomingans Reed Staffard (Kaycee) and Dalton Abarr (Meeteetse).
Matt Jensen, Meeteetse’s head football coach, was on the coaching staff of Team USA last year and was in charge of inviting players from Wyoming (3) and Nebraska (1) for this year’s roster.
“What drew us to (Cooper) was hearing other coaches talk about him and how high of a motor he has,” Jensen said of a player he didn’t get a look at during the regular season because LFL and Meeteetse did not play each other. “I met with him and his mom two weeks ago and it was a no brainer. He is a great kid and will represent us very well.”
Cooper racked up the stats for the Doggers on the gridiron as a quarterback and middle linebacker. He averaged 51 rushing and 91 passing yards per contest in the fall. He rushed for 15 touchdowns and threw for another 12, while only throwing five interceptions.
On the defensive side of the ball, Cooper averaged 22.1 defensive points per game. He amassed 8.9 tackles per game. Throughout the season, the senior had 11 tackles for loss, two sacks and two passes defended against. He recorded one fumble recovery, one interception and one blocked kick during the fall.
Cooper was named all-state for his efforts for the Doggers.
“Garrett not only knows what his job is but he knows everyone else’s job, which gives him excellent field awareness,” LFL coach Matt Cornelius said of what sets Cooper apart.
“I’ve never experienced coaching a guy that will represent the country and I could not have picked a better guy to represent us,” Cornelius added.
Jensen said that Cooper will spend most of his time on the defensive side of the ball, although he could make an appearance on the offense.
The Dogger, who has never been out of the country before, will make the 14-hour trip from Lingle to Kerrobert, Saskatchewan with most of his new teammates. The players and coaches from Texas work their way through the west and pick up the players from the other four states. Once in Canada, the team has several days to practice together before the match up against Canada.
“I think being the road team is great for us because being on those long road trips in the van, you really get to know each other before you get up there,” Jensen said.
The international contest is set for 7 p.m. on July 7. It is the 21st installment of the CanAm bowl, with the United States winning 16 of the past 20 games. In 2016, The United States bested Canada 61-22.
“I’m definitely going up there with the mindset that we have a legacy to live up to, but there is no reason to play if you don’t have fun with it,” Cooper said.
