THE MACHINERY WHILE THE PURPLES
WORK ON KICKOFF COVERAGE.
WALLACE’s IMPRINT REMAINS WITH PURPLES FOOTBALL
Bowling Green High School’s football team is used to playing a demanding schedule, and that’s certainly the case with former BGHS head coach Kevin Wallace and Louisville’s St. Xavier High School coming to town.
Wallace guided the Purples to five KHSAA state championships, in addition to three consecutive runner-up finishes, before moving on to St. X in 2018. He was succeeded by BGHS coach Mark Spader, who has led the Purples to three state championships himself, in addition to a runner-up finish in 2022.
Spader and Wallace have remained close, over the years, but both coaches admit the sentimentality of Friday night’s game at BGHS will take a back seat to the high-profile matchup on the field. Wallace is stepping down after the season and plans to return to Bowling Green. He has high praise for Spader and the Purples coaching staff, and he understands the value of a tough non-district schedule when the playoffs begin.
“I go back to my time at Bowling Green, and we played either St. X or Trinity every year since 2005,” Wallace said. “Mark’s done an awesome job. I’m extremely grateful to that coaching staff.”
FROM A TOUGH LOSS TO OWENSBORO CATHOLIC.
The Purples lost their opening game, dropping a 23-17 decision to visiting Owensboro Catholic in last week’s Rafferty’s Bowl. Bowling Green was hit with a double whammy on the flanks, as all-state senior wide receiver Trevy Barber was injured early in the game, followed by an injury to another BGHS wideout, Ethan Kirkwood.
Bowling Green also was without the services of senior running back Jaxen Smith, who led the Purples in rushing with 522 yards while scoring seven touchdowns. Spader expects Smith to play against St. Xavier, but probably in a supportive role.
“We’ll sprinkle (Smith) in there,” Spader said. “We want to get him into the swing of things.”
Bowling Green’s senior transfer quarterback, Jaxon Strautman, played against top-flight competition at his former school’s Lexington’s Frederick Douglass High School. The Purples will be looking to improve on last week’s offensive production, when they were limited to 153 yards total offense by Owensboro Catholic’s derfense.
“You can’t predict injuries. It’s the nature of the game,” Spader said. “I told the guys, ‘Nobody is going to feel sorry for you.’ I thought our sideline handled it well, when you take a potential ‘Mr. Football’ candidate off your plate early in the game.
“Our defense had some breakdowns (against Owensboro Catholic), but they gave us a chance to win. All we could do was get back to work.”
While Strautman has succeeded four-year starter Deuce Bailey, now a freshman quarterback at Missouri State University, St. X returns its starting quarterback from 2024, senior Mason Trimble, in addition to Marlon Harbin III, a dual threat at running back and wide receiver who has committed to his hometown school, the University of Louisville.
Wallace said he was “disappointed” with last year’s finish at St. X, which included a 26-9 loss to Bowling Green and a second-round exit from the KHSAA Class 6A playoffs, a 38-17 loss to Ryle High School.
“We feel like there’s something to prove,” Wallace said. “We didn’t play like a championship team.”
St. X opened the 2025 season with an impressive 38-7 victory over Owensboro High School. Trimble passed for 178 yards and two touchdowns while adding a team-high 43 yards on the ground.
“We put a lot on our quarterbacks with the RPO (run-pass option),” Wallace said. “Mason Trimble has played really well for us in our one game and two scrimmages.”
Senior BGHS linebacker Montez Trussell turned in a strong performance against Owensboro Catholic, finishing the game with a team-high 11 tackles and a fumble recovery.
“We had to scramble a little bit, offensively,” Spader said. “Playing a team like St. X, you find out a lot about yourselves.”
