Park Center star piles up six TDs in victory over Cooper

Witnesses will remember the six touchdowns senior Amani Hooker scored in Park Center's 48-37 playoff victory at Cooper.

Fans screeched. Teammates whooped. Twitter users cast their votes in bunches about who should win Mr. Football.

Renowned for his ball skills at multiple positions, Hooker caught three touchdowns, ran for two scores and took an interception back for six points as well. The performance pushed the No. 3 seed Pirates (8-2) to the Class 5A, Section 5 championship game against No. 1 seed Spring Lake Park (9-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

What will Hooker remember? Senior teammate Josh Wleh knifing through the Cooper offensive line to strip the ball in a critical fourth-quarter situation.

Wleh's big moment came one play after the host Hawks (6-3), holding a 29-27 lead, turned Park Center over on downs.

"That turned the game a lot," Hooker said.

A touchdown gave Park Center a 34-29 lead. Cooper's ensuing possession ended after its fake punt attempt got snuffed out. Then Hooker added his final two scores. on a 1-yard catch and 45-yard interception return.

On the Hawks' sideline, quarterback Phillip Howard sagged on the bench. An elite playmaker who has committed to playing for the Gophers, Howard connected with Jordan Brown for two touchdowns. But Howard limped off the field early in the fourth quarter and did not return.

"It hurts," Howard said. "I can't even explain it."

Cooper entered the game without injured senior receiver Melvin Newbern. He led the Hawks in the regular season in receptions (12) and yards (240).

The scoreboard became an odometer in the first half. Cooper built a 27-20 lead as the five of the teams' combined seven touchdowns covered 20 to 85 yards.

The game would not resemble the teams' previous meeting, a 21-16 Park Center victory at Cooper on Sept. 19. Hooker, who has committed to play at Iowa, totaled only 45 yards of offense in the first game.

"He's a great athlete," Howard said. "You've got to contain people like that, but we didn't do such a good job of that."