REPEAT AFTER ME: Purples take down Cooper again to claim back-to-back 5A titles

Published 6:37 am Sunday, December 8, 2024

by Micheal Compton

LEXINGTON – The Class 5A state title was on the line again when the Bowling Green football team faced Cooper for the second straight year at Kroger Field.

Bowling Green came in as the champion, with Cooper the upstart challenger looking to unseat the top dog. The Purples withstood Cooper’s challenge, but in the end it was Bowling Green standing tall again – claiming back-to-back titles with a 37-20 victory over the Jaguars.

The Purples controlled the trenches on both sides of the ball to neutralize Cooper’s high-powered offense and deny the Jaguars a perfect season.

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The title was the ninth in program history for Bowling Green, the third in the last five seasons under head coach Mark Spader.

“I am not one to look at a lot of media and press myself, but our kids really felt like we were ignored coming into the game,” Spader said. “There was a juggernaut of a Cooper team that we had great respect for and it was just assumed that they were going to mow over us. It motivated our team. I think it gave us a little extra this week to come out here and finish the season and finish our goals to win back-to-back championships.”

Four-year starting quarterback Deuce Bailey, named the game’s most valuable player, said it was a great finish to a career that featured three straight trips to the 5A title game.

“It means everything,” Bailey said. “Since middle school me and (senior) Grayson Newman have been talking about how after losing a state championship in middle school that the next four years we wanted to make something special happen – take those four years and give it all we got.”

Cooper (14-1) jumped out to an early lead, scoring on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Cam O’Hara to Isaiah Johnson on the first play following a Bailey interception. The Jaguars missed the extra point, keeping the score at 6-0.

Bowling Green (13-2) responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 2-yard keeper from Bailey to take a 7-6 lead late in the first quarter.

A Jaxen Smith fumble recovery near midfield set up the Purples’ next drive – with Braden Widener adding a 41-yard field goal to make the score 10-6 with 9:41 left in the second quarter.

The Jaguars answered less than a minute later with O’Hara throwing deep to Jaiden Combs, who made a spectacular one-handed catch on a 32-yard touchdown that allowed Cooper to regain a 12-10 advantage. Cooper missed the extra point again, which proved to be costly as the Purples added a second Widener field goal late in the half to go into the locker room with a 13-12 lead.

“Coach (Clay) Stephens does a tremendous job of preparing our special teams each week,” Spader said. “Add in a talent like Braden Widener and special teams really become special.”

The Purples extended the lead on the opening drive of the second half, marching 61 yards. Bailey capped the drive with his second touchdown run of the night – a 14-yard sprint to the end zone that pushed the margin to 20-12.

Bowling Green’s defense struck again with Montez Trussell recovering a fumble on Cooper’s next drive. The Purples took seven plays to score again – a 6-yard touchdown run by Smith that extended the advantage to 27-12 midway through the third.

Bailey added a third touchdown run early in the fourth to make the score 34-12. Cooper had one final gasp, a scoring drive that cut the deficit to 34-20 with 7:29 remaining, but Widener’s third field goal of the night sealed it with 3:34 left.

“I’m very proud of our team throughout the year, but especially tonight,” Spader said. “These guys set a goal back in January to repeat as champions and I told them it would be a tough task. It was a much tougher season for us. You get everybody’s best shot when you are the defending champs.”

Bowling Green outgained Cooper 371-300, relying heavily on the run game. Montravion Graham led the way with 88 yards on 12 carries for a Purples team that rushed for 238 yards.

“It wasn’t as if we were breaking off 40-yard runs, but we could pick up 4-, 5- or 6-yard chunks – which is what we did in the second half,” Spader said. “That has helped Deuce with our passing game, because we finally got a running game.”

Smith had 79 yards on 18 carries.

Bailey rushed for 88 yards and finished 13-for-18 passing for 133 yards in the final game of his BG career.

“What a way to top your career,” Spader said. “I’ve coached a couple of really good quarterbacks that won championships in our program. I kind of tried to motivate him by mentioning them. I really do think that because he is a four-year starter and has led us up here for three years, that really kind of puts him out in some rare air in our program. That’s tough to say, because we have a couple of more guys that won two championships themselves, but he has done some really special things. I said at the first of the year I was going to enjoy watching him play because he brings so much to it and he’s a really good person.”

O’Hara threw for 262 yards, but Bowling Green’s defense kept him off balance all night – recording seven sacks. Brandon Gurley had two sacks, while Smith and Ryan Watt had 1½ sacks each.

“We got after them last year and really we just watched that film a lot,” Spader said. “I don’t know that (defensive coordinator Alex Strode) called the safe defense back-to-back throughout the game. He mixed it up so that their offensive line was seeing different movement, different pressure people and we had some really athletic, quick guys up front that really played well.”

Newman, a three-year defensive starter, led the Purples in tackles (8) in the final game of his career.

“I’m proud of my guys for finding a way and digging deep and going out with a bang our senior year,” Newman said.

BGHS 7 6 14 10 – 37

CHS 6 6 0 8 – 20

First quarter

CHS – Isaiah Johnson 13 pass from Cam O’Hara (kick failed), 8:28

BG – Deuce Bailey 2 run (Braden Widener kick), 4:14

Second quarter

BG – Widener 41 field goal, 9:27

CHS – Jaiden Combs 32 pass from O’Hara (kick failed), 8:44

BG – Widener 31 field goal, 3:42

Third quarter

BG – Bailey 14 run (Widener kick), 9:51

BG – Jaxen Smith 6 run (Widener kick), 5:01

Fourth quarter

BG – Bailey 6 run (Widener kick),

CHS – Austin Alexander 12 pass from O’Hara (Alexander pass from O’Hara), 7:29

BG – Widener 26 field goal, 3:34

About Micheal Compton

I am a sports reporter and movie critic for the Bowling Green Daily News.

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