Already part of a Bowling Green High School program full of tradition, the Bowling Green Junior High School seventh-grade team added a new chapter to the program’s history over the weekend, winning Kentucky’s first Seventh Grade State Championship in Lexington.

The team finished its season 11-0, beating Corbin Middle School in the title game Saturday.

“These young men have worked extremely hard this season,” BGJHS coach Joel Taylor said. “We’re very fortunate to get the caliber of kids we get at Bowling Green Junior High. They come in wanting to play football. They enjoy playing football. They are just a great bunch to be around. They definitely put together a heck of a season for themselves.”

Bowling Green was unbeaten in the Southern Kentucky Middle School Conference, beating middle-school teams from Warren, Allen, Barren, Simpson and Monroe counties, to qualify for the eight-team Conference-on-Conference state tournament. The tourney consisted of nine conference champions and Franklin-Simpson, which made the field as an at-large.

BG clinched the title with two wins Saturday – beating Somerset’s Meece Middle School in the semifinals before topping Corbin later in the day.

Taylor said his team’s depth was a big factor in the championship run.

“We play quite a few more kids than most teams,” Taylor said. “It didn’t seem to affect us in the least bit. The kids just seemed to go out there and take care of business. When we got done, they were throwing the football and playing football and we trying to round them up and get them on the bus and get out. They were ready to play a third game if need be.”

Upon its return to Bowling Green, the team was honored with a celebration during a school assembly Monday.

“That was a really nice extra bonus for the administration to allow the boys to be recognized,” Taylor said. “It was a really nice conclusion to the season to be able to share it with all the students, teachers and administrators at the school.”

The players now continue as part of the Bowling Green High program, competing as eighth-graders next season before joining the freshman team in 2009.

Regardless of what the future holds, Taylor said the BGJHS team should be proud to earn a championship that will long be a benchmark for the seventh-grade program.

“When you look in the history books, they will forever be the first ones to win it,” Taylor said. “They are fully aware of the football program and tradition they are playing for. They are very excited to start their run as Purples. It is very important to these young men.”