Amarillo Palo Duro Scores All 35 Points In 1st Half In 35-7 Win Versus Abilene Cooper: Texas High School Football

An early district showdown in West Texas high school football took place Thursday night in Amarillo.

But thanks to four first-half touchdowns by Raymond Johnson, Amarillo Palo Duro essentially had the game in the bag by intermission.

Johnson, a senior tailback, scored four consecutive TDs as the Dons rang up a 35-0 lead in the first half and went on to a 35-7 win against the Cougars of Abilene Cooper Thursday night at Amarillo's Dick Bivins Stadium, a matchup between two of the three teams currently tied for first place in District 5-2A Division II.

Watch Abilene Cooper vs. Amarillo Palo Duro LIVE on the NFHS Network

Entering Thursday's game, Cooper, Palo Duro and Abilene Wylie all shared the lead. Wylie is off this week, so the Dons (5-1, 2-0) are now in sole possession of first place in the district going into next week. Palo Duro has also won five straight games since a season-opening loss to Amarillo High.

Palo Duro was clicking on both sides of the ball tonight 🔥

Final from Amarillo in this week’s RISING Game of the Week, presented by @DICKS pic.twitter.com/wt7Vg6ryRi
— Dave Campbell's Texas Sports (@dctf) October 2, 2026

Last week, Cooper (3-3, 1-0) won its district opener with a 49-28 win against Wichita Falls Memorial. As for Palo Duro, the Dons started district play with a 50-9 win against Wichita Falls Legacy.

But it was all Dons, as they scored on their first series, a 23-yard keeper from quarterback and Delaware commit Julian Reese II. Palo Duro got the ball back after a punt and it resulted in a 5-yard TD from Johnson for a 14-0 lead.

Johnson then added three more TDs in the second quarter, including one on an 88-yard sprint, as the Dons built a 35-0 lead. Cooper had its lone score right before halftime, but defense for both teams then took over in the second half, as there was no scoring. Palo Duro did get a couple of interceptions in the game's final 14 minutes to deter any possibility of a Cooper comeback.

Follow High School On SI correspondent Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Amarillo.

Scroll down for live score and game updates from kickoff to the postgame. Refresh this page for the latest.

PALO DURO 35, COOPER 7 FINAL

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POSTGAME

- Palo Duro, behind four TDs from tailback Raymond Johnson, score all 35 of its points before halftime as the Dons move to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the district. Dons have also won five straight since a season-opening loss.

FOURTH QUARTER

- INTERCEPTION PALO DURO. Dons stop a potential Cooper scoring drive, as Noah Faragoza dives to make the pick inside his own 20, and with about five minutes left, that should do it for the Dons.

- A dropped pass in the end zone on fourth down from a Don, and Cooper gets a huge break on the opening play of the fourth.

- Palo Duro faces a fourth down inside the Cooper 25 as we move into the final period of play.

THIRD QUARTER

- INTERCEPTION PALO DURO. Darel Vargas picks off a pass near midfield. He had also forced the fumble on Cooper's opening series that set up the Dons' first score. Dons take over with about a minute to go in the period.

- Palo Duro has to punt the ball away three minutes into the third.

- Palo Duro will receive to start the second half.

HALFTIME

- Palo Duro decides to run out the rest of the clock, and will go into intermission with a 35-7 halftime advantage.

SECOND QUARTER

- TOUCHDOWN COOPER. Cougars finally get on the scoreboard right before halftime, as Jamarion Dunson takes a direct snap and goes in from 3 yards out. (Palo Duro, 35-7 | :19, 2nd)

- Cooper is inside the Palo Duro 5 with less than 30 seconds left in the half.

- TOUCHDOWN PALO DURO. Make it four tuddies for Raymond Johnson, the latest taking a direct snap on a third-and-short inside the 5 and carrying Cooper defenders with him into the end zone. (Palo Duro, 35-0 | 2:57, 2nd)

Make that 4 😤

Raymond Johnson can’t be stopped pic.twitter.com/doUsGe8KKh
— Dave Campbell's Texas Sports (@dctf) October 2, 2026

- Right now, there's more suspense down the road at the Big Texan steak house for someone trying to finish off a 72-ounce steak in an hour than there is in Dick Bivins Stadium right now. All Palo Duro so far and the Dons have the ball once again.

- TOUCHDOWN PALO DURO. Raymond Johnson, ARE YOU SERIOUS? For the third time tonight, the Dons' senior tailback finds the end zone, the latest taking a direct snap at his own 12, finds some space and HE IS OFF TO THE RACES down the left sideline. Wow, what a start for Johnson and the Dons. (Palo Duro, 28-0 | 8:30, 2nd)

- Palo Duro linebacker Zachary Linton comes up with a sack on third down, forcing Cooper to punt. With the wind on their side, the Cougars get a booming one. A Dons' player fields it inside his 5....BUT FUMBLES THE BALL. But a teammate pounces on the ball at the Palo Duro 3, where the Dons will take over with more than nine minutes left in the half.

- Cooper finally putting together a good drive as the Cougars are past midfield.

- TOUCHDOWN PALO DURO. On the first play of the second quarter, tailback Raymond Johnson shakes off a couple of tacklers before cutting upfield and breaking free into the end zone for an 18-yard score, his second TD on the night. PAT ups the Dons' lead to 21. (Palo Duro, 21-0 | 11:49, 2nd)

- Second-period action starts with Palo Duro in the red zone once again.

FIRST QUARTER

- Palo Duro faces a fourth-and-1 at the Cooper 41 and Dons go for it. Direct snap goes to Raymond Johnson, who breaks free for about 20 yards down to near the Cooper 20 late in the opening period.

- Palo Duro's defense forces a three-and-out. Cooper punts again, and this time gets a better kick despite the stiff wind. Dons field it near their 45 and get it out to midfield.

- TOUCHDOWN PALO DURO. Another 6-play drive for the Dons, this covering 35 yards, and ends as running back Raymond Johnson plows ahead from 5 yards out into the end zone. All Palo Duro so far. (Palo Duro, 14-0 | 5:03, 1st)

- And Julian Reese II does it again, converting on another fourth down play with a scramble by spinning to his left and sprinting down the sideline for a 28-yard gain. First-and-goal Palo Duro at the 5.

- Cooper backed up near its own goal line after the ensuing kickoff. Cougars can't move the ball and punt it away. But the kick is against a strong wind, and the ball lands at the Cooper 35. Great field position for Palo Duro.

- TOUCHDOWN PALO DURO. Julian Reese II does it again, as he goes into the end zone on a 23-yard scramble, dodging his way around Cooper defenders. The Dons strike first, going 37 yards in 6 plays after recovering the backwards pass fumble. (Palo Duro, 7-0 | 8:19, 1st)

Deuce Reese (@Julian_Deuce) punches in the first score of the day for Palo Duro, who now is getting the ball back late 1st quarter up 14-0. https://t.co/qhgL7CrGsw pic.twitter.com/BHs1bytFa0
— Feathers and Field Goals (@FeathersFGsPod) October 2, 2026

- Palo Duro goes for it on fourth-and-long and QB Julian Reese II feels pressure but he finds room to scramble and darts 18 yards to the Cooper 18 and a first down for the Dons.

- FUMBLE RECOVERY PALO DURO. Cooper tries a backwards pass, but the ball comes loose and the Dons make the recovery near the Cougars' 35.

- Palo Duro forced a third-and-long, but the Dons were flagged for roughing the passer, giving Cooper a first down near midfield.

- The opening kick from Palo Duro goes into the end zone for a touchback. Cooper to start at its own 25-yard line.

PREGAME

- Palo Duro wins the toss and defers to the second half. Cooper will field the opening kickoff in mere moments.

- Live from Dick Bivins Stadium in Amarillo, it’s a District 5-2A Division II showdown as Abilene Cooper travels to square off against the Dons of Palo Duro.

ABOUT ABILENE COOPER

After starting the season 0-2, the Cougars come in riding a three-game win streak. In addition to their district-opening win last week, they have also defeated San Angelo Central and Odessa High.

In last week’s win, the Cougars broke a 28-all tie in the fourth quarter. Running backs Markquel Sims and Jamarion Dunson combined for five TDs, and Dunson also caught a TD pass.

ABOUT AMARILLO PALO DURO

The Dons returned five starters on both sides of the ball from a team that went 10-2 and made the area round last season. One of those returnees is senior quarterback Julian Reese II, a Delaware commit, who had 335 yards of total offense and five TDs in last week’s win against Wichita Falls Legacy.

Like Cooper, Palo Duro also dropped its season opener, falling to Amarillo High, but since then, have reeled off four straight wins. The Dons easily handled crosstown foes Caprock and Tascosa as well as Dumas before hanging half-a-hundred in last week’s district opener.

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