Jim Mashek

PURPLES SLIPPED PAST SOUTH, 31-28, IN LAST YEAR’S 5A STATE SEMIFINALS

Montez Trussell, Bowling Green High School’s decorated senior linebacker, didn’t hesitate in answering the question.

With archrival South Warren moving up to the KHSAA’s Class 6A ranks, while the Purples remain in Class 5A’s 2nd District, is some of the luster lost off the fierce rivalry pitting BGHS and its neighbor on Nashville Road?

Not a chance, according to Trussell.

“It still has a lot of juice to it,” he said.

Veteran BGHS coach Mark Spader, whose squad is trying to avoid its first 0-4 start since the 1958 season, agrees, to a point. The Purples needed some special-teams excellence to slip past South Warren, 31-28, in last year’s KHSAA Class 5A semifinals last November, and Bowling Green went on to claim its third state championship in five years.

Former BGHS quarterback Deuce Bailey guided the Purples to an impressive 37-20 victory over Cooper High School, at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field, and Bowling Green has nurtured another prodigy in freshman quarterback Anthony Davis. Davis passed for 179 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s hard-fought, 35-28 loss to Scott County in Georgetown.

Spader and his South Warren counterpart, Brandon Smith, are looking at the big picture as they move closer to Friday night’s high-profile matchup on the Spartans’ refurbished artificial surface. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., and everyone expects a big turnout for the game.

“It was critical when we were in the same district,” Spader said. “So much was at stake, as far as the home-field advantage, for the playoffs, things like that … It’s a rivalry game, and I’m glad we’re still playing (South Warren). It’ll be better, for both of us, down the road …”

Smith, in his 12th season as the Spartans’ head coach, is taking a similar approach.

“It doesn’t have the same consequences,” Smith said. “It’s in Week Four, instead of Week 10 … We’ve got our own problems to solve, and last week, we had a lot of them. We’re both trying to figure ourselves out.

“The season really starts, after this game.”

South Warren (3-0 overall) overcame a sloppy showing that included three weather delays in last week’s 33-19 victory over Greenwood. The Purples (0-3 overall) have shown some promise, with the 6-foot-4 Davis moving into the starting QB role, but they’ve been decimated by a rash of injuries at wide receiver and tight end, including all-state wideout Trevy Barber.

Barber was injured on Opening Night, in the first quarter against Owensboro Catholic in the Rafferty’s Bowl, and he has been on the mend ever since. Junior running back Nick Graham was the primary weapon in last week’s game against Scott County, carrying the ball 39 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Zach Jordan, the Purples’ senior right tackle, said the rivalry “feels a little bit different” but he was quick to add that Bowling Green remains a work in progress.

“We’ve got to treat it like any other game,” Jordan said.

That might be difficult, away from the field, but the Purples open KHSAA Class 5A, 2nd District play next week at home against Barren County. South Warren, meanwhile, doesn’t open Class 6A, 2nd District play until October 3, when the Spartans tangle with winless Meade County (0-3). They’ll also have district games against Central Hardin (0-3 overall) and Daviess County (1-2) before closing regular-season play at home against unbeaten Logan County (3-0).

(Logan County competes in the KHSAA’s Class 4A ranks.)

“I don’t want to downplay this game,” South Warren coach Brandon Smith said. “I’m expecting a great environment, a huge crowd. We’ve got to be mentally sharp, which we didn’t see much of, last week against Greenwood.”

Camden Page, South Warren’s 6-foot-3 junior quarterback, has completed 51 of 73 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in the Spartans’ first three games. Senior wideout Jake Carter is off to a sizzling start, with a team-high 23 receptions for 368 yards and three TDs. Carter also takes direct snaps in the WIldcat formation, on the goal line or in short-yardage situations, with teammates Kayden York (183 yards rushing, five touchdowns) and Jamir Boards (148 yards, one TD) getting the bulk of the work at running back.

“You really can’t look at the records and stuff, not with this game,” Page said. “We have to focus on ourselves, and be better prepared, and physical, for a game like this.”

Malik Butler, the Spartans’ durable two-way player on the offensive and defensive lines, is quick to concur.

“We’re just finding ourselves,” Butler said. “When adversity hits, we’ve still got to face it, to go through it.”

Carter pointed out to Butler that as South Warren seniors, this will be their last game against Bowling Green. The crosstown rivals played twice on five different occasions over the last six seasons, with the Spartans claiming their last KHSAA Class 5A state championship in 2021. Carter had a monster game last week against Greenwood, pulling in a game-high 11 receptions for 149 yards while scoring three touchdowns, two via the pass and one on the ground.

“Bring it on, we’re looking forward to it,” Carter said.

Senior BGHS linebacker Montez Trussell is taking a similiar approach. In three games, Trussell has been credited with a team-high 37 tackles, including three tackles for losses.

“I like the pressure. We embrace it,” Trussell said.

In other high-profile games involving South Central Kentucky teams on Friday, Warren East (1-2) makes the trip across town to square off with Warren Central (1-2), Logan County (3-0) plays host to Greenwood (2-1) and Glasgow (3-0) looks to stay unbeaten on the road against Allen County-Scottsville (0-3).