Jim Mashek

BOWLING GREEN’s QUICKNESS TOO MUCH FOR COOPER AS PURPLES CLAIM BACK-TO-BACK STATE TITLES

LEXINGTON — Deuce Bailey would step toward the line of scrimmage and wait for the snap in pistol formation from Bowling Green High School teammate Chris Nuckols, the Purples’ center.

Then, it was time for Bailey to take control.

That’s what the BGHS senior quarterback did on Saturday night, as his scrambling ability and steady leadership carried the Purples to another KHSAA Class 5A state championship.

Bailey rushed for 74 yards and three touchdowns, and BGHS placekicker Braden Widener added three field goals, as the Purples plowed through previously unbeaten Cooper High School, claiming a methodical 37-20 victory before a paid crowd of 6,343 at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger FIeld.

Bowling Green’s defense, meanwhile, recorded six sacks against Cam O’Hara, the Jaguars’ talented junior quarterback, as the Purples claimed the ninth state championship in school history. Bowling Green earned its 13th victory against two defeats while Cooper, the favored squad for media outlets in Louisville and Lexington, finished its season at 14-1.

Bowling Green won back-to-back state championships for the first time since 2016 and ’17, and it was a goal the Purples addressed amongst themselves after defeating Cooper, 28-14, for last year’s state title.

“I’m proud of our guys, for digging deep and going out with a bang, in our senior year,” BGHS senior defensive back Grayson Newman said.

Newman and Bailey were permanent team captains for veteran BGHS coach Mark Spader this season. Spader won his third state championship after succeeding his predecessor, Kevin Wallace, after the 2017 season.

“These guys set a goal back in January, to repeat as champions,” Spader said in the brief postgame press conference. “I told them it would be tough … When we took a loss to South Warren (a hard-fought, 28-24 defeat at the hands of its crosstown rival on October 18), we started take a better approach to our running game.

“Our offensive line knew what we were going to need in the postseason.”

Bailey’s offensive line — senior left tackle Parker Fields, junior right tackle Zach Jordan, senior left guard Mehki Axson, junior right guard Caleb Ray and senior center Chris Nuckols — controlled the line of scrimmage as Bowling Green finished with a significant advantage in time of possession.

Bailey and the Purples had the ball in their hands for 30 minutes, 17 seconds, compared to the Jaguars’ 17 minutes and 34 seconds. Bailey passed sparingly, completing 13 of 18 passes for 133 yards, but the Purples took control in the third quarter after taking a 13-12 lead into the locker room for the half.

Trey Graham, the Purples’ junior tailback, carried the ball 12 times for a game-high 88 yards while Jaxen Smith, who takes snaps on both sides of the line of scrimmage, added 79 yards on 18 carries. Smith scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:01 left in the third quarter, extending Bowling Green’s lead to 27-12.

Bowling Green’s Brandon Gurley had two of the Purples’ six sacks, including one in the fourth quarter that sent Cooper’s Cam O’Hara to the sideline with a leg injury. O’Hara was able to attend the postgame press conference.

“They were able to get pressure, to get to Cam,” Cooper coach Randy Borchers said.

BGHS defenders Ryan Watt and Jaxen Smith each finished the game with 1.5 sacks, while teammates Montrez Trussell and Malik Coburn had one apiece.

“Our defensive line really got after it tonight,” BGHS coach Mark Spader said. “We have some really athletic, quick guys up front.”

I’ll have my complete story on the Purples’ run to another state championship before leaving Lexington at lunchtime on Sunday. Thanks for reading jimmashek.com