Lake City’s Cooper Lands VT Offer

One of the more intense players in the state of South Carolina’s 2007 class, Lake City High School’s Scotty Cooper is an aggressive, fast player who really stepped up as the leader and catalyst for head coach Justin Gentry’s defense this past season. The 6-0, 205-pound outside linebacker racked up 96 tackles including 11 tackles-for-loss and four sacks in what was an outstanding junior season.

“We knew he was a great athlete,” Gentry said of Cooper, who plays outside linebacker in Gentry’s 3-5 scheme. “Last year, about mid-way through the season, we started off 4-0 and things were going great and then we dropped a couple close ones. That’s when he realized it was time for him to step and I tell you he stepped it up. From week 6 thru week 10, I’ve never seen a kid step it up on the field the way he did. He learned to become a leader last year. He’s a very out-spoken young man, so he’s a natural leader.”

A three-sport athlete, Cooper plays football, runs track and, just this year, added wrestling to his list of sports. He brings the same intensity to each sport he plays.

“Scotty’s strength is his liking of contact I guess you could say,” Gentry said. “He’s an aggressive kid. He’s not afraid to put his nose in there. And his overall speed and how he closes in on the ball is just amazing. I’ve never coached anybody with the closing speed that he’s got.”

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