Kylan Cooper scored three first quarter touchdowns to power the Lawrence County Cougars to a 51-0 win over Forrest County AHS in Region 7-4A high school action Friday night in Brooklyn.

Cooper had touchdown runs of 5, 20, and 60 yards the first three times Lawrence County had the football. For the night, the speedy junior rushed nine times for 192 yards and four touchdowns — all in the first half. To finish off his night, Cooper returned a free kick 65 yards after the Lawrence County defense produced a safety for his fifth touchdown of the night.

It was a dramatic turnaround for Lawrence County which stumbled to an 0-5 finish in region play last season, giving up an average of 48 points per game in region play. In its first region game of this season, the Lawrence County defense did not allow Forrest County AHS a single first down.

It was the first game in Lawrence County’s 32-year football history in which the Cougar defense held an opponent to zero first downs. Defensive end Stephen Pierce was in on an unofficial 12 tackles.

Jesse Anderson’s Cougars improve to 5-2 overall and 1-0 in the region. Forrest County AHS fell to 1-6 and 0-1. Lawrence County will host Sumrall next Friday for homecoming in Monticello.

Story by Craig Davis