By Tim Peterson
(San Dimas) – It was the debut of the Hooper and Cooper show Thursday night in San Dimas. Andres Hooper rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown and Paul Cooper picked off two passes and caught a touchdown pass to lead Northview to a 27-21 win over Rosemead in the season opener at San Dimas High School.
Hooper also locked down on defense from his corner position and laid a hit on a Rosemead receiver in the fourth quarter that could be heard down in Brea. Cooper meanwhile was a constant thorn in the side of Rosemead quarterback Steven Nava. He also picked off a third pass but it was called back due to a pass interference penalty and another pass slipped through his hands or it might have been four.
Northview opened up a 27-7 lead in the third quarter but the Panthers battled back scoring the final two touchdowns and had the Vikings on edge in the end.
***After a blocked punt, Rosemead got the ball back with 3:08 left in the game at the Northview 47 but went four and out.
***Freshman quarterback Steven Comstock made his debut for Northview and completed 6 of 13 for 62 yards and a touchdown (to Cooper.) He also threw a pick.
***Northview scored on its first drive when Comstock finished a 65 yard, nine-play march with a 10 yard touchdown run. Comstock had three carries for 21 yards overall.
***Rosemead took advantage of a Northview fumble deep in its own end in the first quarter when Nava hit Jasper Chavez on a two-yard touchdown strike to tie it at seven.
***Hooper and Cooper both scored in the second quarter to put Northview up 20-7 at halftime. Hooper rushed straight up the middle for an 11-yard score and Cooper hauled in a 14-yard strike from Comstock.
***Northview went up 27-7 when offensive lineman Roger Padilla recovered a fumble in the endzone off of a Hooper run near the goal line.
***Rosemead looked to be dead in the water but Angel Lopez scored on a one-yard run to complete a an 86-yard drive. Nava hit Jordan Parham on a 32 yard pass play to highlight the drive.
***On the next series Northview was stunned when Nava flung a 53 yard bomb to a streaking Parham with 5:53 left to get the Panthers within six. They had one last shot but the Viking defense held.
***Nava finished the night 12-27 for 196 yards and two touchdowns. He was hurt by the two interceptions. The second one however was literally stolen away from the receiver by Cooper.
***Northview rushed for 199 yards despite being without Christion Blackmon who is out with a back injury.
***”There’s a couple of things we need to iron out but it’s the first game. Rosemead is a tough team and we new we were going to have to strap it up and play,” said Northview HC Marcel Perez.
***Northview faces Montebello next week while the Panthers face off against Diamond Ranch.
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