Cooper’s Cyrus Allen scoops up a fumble by Spring Lake Park as Hawk teammates Ahmad Palmer (left) and Jamison Rybak clear the way. (BILL JONES SUN NEWSPAPERS)

Cooper will challenge another football team labeled SLP, but not a team with the same reputation.

The Hawks will travel to face St. Louis Park at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, after facing Spring Lake Park last Friday.

On paper there is a big difference in the two teams. Spring Lake Park is undefeated at 6-0 and has outscored opponents 202-34. St. Louis park is 2-4, being outscored 78-162 and losing to Edina 41-0 last week.

However, Cooper is well aware that the game is not played on paper, but on the field.

A projected blowout turned out to be a barnburner as Cooper lost a close 21-14 decision to undefeated Spring Lake Park Friday.

The Panthers (6-0) had yielded just one touchdown in the first five games, while Cooper (3-3) gave up 62 points the week before. However, the Hawks did not back down.

Cooper grabbed a 7-0 first half lead on a 2-yard run by quarterback Ryan Luessenheide before Park scored 14 third quarter points. Ahmad Palmer tied the score for Cooper on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Spring Lake Park scored with just 1:31 left to play. Cooper got within the Panther 20, but ran out of time.

Palmer, who had sat out the week before with an injury, rushed 21 times for 72 yards. Luessenheide rushed seven times for 34 yards. He completed 10 passes in 22 attempts for 99 yards and two interceptions. His primary target was junior Tim Gerding, who had five catches for 66 yards.

Park was able to gain 346 yards on 61 rush attempts but was slowed by four lost fumbles.

"Our kids executed the game plan pretty well," said coach Erick Norby. "We had our linebackers move up tighter and our defensive ends played a lot better on the option. Our guys came out and played hard. I couldn't ask them to do any more. We just got beat by a better team."

Norby said the defensive standouts were linebackers David Egan, Rashad Gayden and Cole Thompson, plus defensive ends Jamison Rybak and Roszell Gayden.

Securing fumble recoveries for Cooper was Rybak, Rashad Gayden, Leon Cheneyon and Cyrus Allen.

Securing fumble recoveries for Cooper was Rybak, Rashad Gayden, Leon Cheneyon and Cyrus Allen.