The Lowell Red Arrows took on Coopersville on Friday night in a game that started their River Cities Alliance slate. Last year, Coopersville was the lone blemish in Lowell’s RCA campaign. This week, they exacted revenge with a 33-20 win.
Early in this game, it was Coopersville who found the end zone first. Leland Noel broke free for a 39-yard race to the end zone, and the Broncos had an early 7-0 edge. Lowell would respond, as quarterback Logan Dawson used his legs for a 1-yard keeper to bring Lowell within a point.
Coopersville responded when Champ Kelly took to the air, finding his top target Brooks Hadden for a 10-yard touchdown pass. This put Coopersville out in front 14-7. Lowell would respond with another short run by Dawson, but they entered the half trailing 14-12.
On their opening drive of the third quarter, the Red Arrows finally took the lead. Mitchell Eikey shot through the Coopersville defense, racing for a 46-yard touchdown that gave Lowell a 18-14 edge. The advantage would grow to six, when the Lowell defense recorded a crucial safety.
With the football back after the safety, the Red Arrows scored through the air. Dawson found Nathan Raison on a 50-yard dart, ad suddenly Lowell was up by twelve after trailing just nine minutes prior.
In the fourth quarter, Dawson extended the Lowell lead to 19 before Coopersville got a late touchdown pass from Kelly to Owen Manthei. That touchdown came with four minutes to play, but the Broncos could not draw closer than 13.
With the victory, Lowell improves to 3-0 and 1-0 in RCA play. Next week, they will face Southfield in their final non-league game. Coopersville slides to 0-3 for the first time since 2020. They will look to snap that skid when they face Sparta, a team that they have beaten four straight times.
