Moments of the Year is a series of stories reflecting on performances, plays or games that occurred during the 2021-22 school year. Installations of the series will be released regularly throughout the summer, leading in to the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.
Sometimes a notable performance needs to age before it can be appreciated.
The Flying Eagles appreciated Keynan Cook’s early-season showing on the gridiron as soon as happened.
With Beckley’s postseason hopes fading away early, Cook made the most of his opportunities, hauling in six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns on Sept. 24, 2021 at Van Meter Stadium in Beckley. For good measure he also intercepted a pass late in regualation, helping Beckley force overtime where the hosts beat Morgantown 28-27.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the performance was that the offense was tailored away from Cook’s strengths for most of the evening. After an interception on Beckley’s first drive, Beckley coach Street Sarrett elected to dust off the wing-T playbook and kept the ball on the ground for most of the game.
It made the offense less explosive but kept the clock rolling and the team moving forward as they sustained longer drives. Still when Cook was needed he was ready.
With under two minutes left in the half and needed to move the ball quickly, the Flying Eagles went to the air where Cook tracked down a deep pass and after two tips and juggle, he came down with it, racing to the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown.
He was true again later in the fourth with the Flying Eagles trailing 21-13.
McMillen finds Keynan Cook for the 20-yard TD with 4:07 left. Beckley goes for two to tie it and Matthew Moore powers it in. We’re tied 21-21#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/SltCPBK2EM
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) September 25, 2021
With 4:07 left, Cook wiggled free down the left side of the field for a 20-yard score that helped tie the game and a little over a minute later he intercepted a pass that killed a Morgantown scoring drive.
Not bad for a player making the most of his opportunities, but he also accepted a diminished role coming in, playing fewer snaps. Still, he made the most of his time on the field helping secure a win that put the Flying Eagles back in the playoff for the first time in eight seasons.
“We started out running the ball a lot cause that was our game plan,” Cook said after the win. “We planned on it all week. We’ve went full pads since last Tuesday with the Bluefield game canceled and we just ran, ran and ran and we got in shape. But me coming off the sidelines? That’s nothing to me. I just care about helping our team and that’s all it is to me.”
