Cooper Schilling, Perryton football, Fr.
On the field: Schilling didn’t show any freshman nerves and played more like a savvy senior in his first career postseason start leading the Rangers to a 58-27 blowout victory against Fort Stockton during a Class 4A Division II bi-district matchup last week. Schilling had his best outing to date with a near flawless performance going 31-of-40 (77 percent) for a career-high 461 yards with an incredible seven touchdown passes.
Since taking over as the starting quarterback in Week 6 against Stratford, Schilling has gone 97-of-152 for 1,329 yards with 17 touchdowns and has run for another score
Coach Cole Underwood: “It was a huge culture win for us. It’s a part of what we’re trying to build here. We’ve demanded a lot from these guys this year and it is wins like this that make it worth it. What I love is how hungry this team still is and the culture we’re trying to build. Cooper is a big part of that. He’s growing up each and every week. The jump from eighth grade to varsity is tremendous. The game was really fast to him at first but it’s starting to slow down and he’s starting to make the right reads. He is just a freshman, but he’s looked at as this team’s quarterback and leader. Julian Cervantes has been a huge help to him, and he’s been fun to watch get better.”
Schilling: “Playoff wins are hard to come by. With a new head coach this shows the culture we’re building and the hard work paying off that all of us have put in. I made my first start against Stratford. That was difficult. I wasn’t comfortable and the game was really fast to me, and I made a lot of mistakes. Since then, the game has really slowed down and I’m just doing my best to limit my mistakes and get better for my team.”
About Schilling
Favorite band or musician: Tyler Childers
Favorite social media platform: Doesn’t have a favorite.
Favorite athlete: Corey Seager
Bet you didn’t know: He loves to fish.
Parents: Hunter and Aaron Schilling