Bowling Green goes back-to-back with Bailey and a suffocating defense

Bowling Green claimed back-to-back state titles on Saturday with a 37-20 win over Cooper in the Class 5A UK Healthcare Sports Medicine Football Finals at Kroger Field in Lexington.

The Purples led by just a 13-12 margin after two quarters, but broke the game open with touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half, aided by a Cooper fumble on their own 27-yard line early in the third quarter.

“I’m not one to look at a lot of media and press myself, but my kids really felt like we were ignored coming into the game,” said Bowling Green coach Mark Spader, whose No. 5 Purples reached the finals for a third consecutive year and faced Cooper in the last two championship games, this time with the Jaguars undefeated and ranked No. 1 all year. “It was a juggernaut of a Cooper team that we had great respect for, and it was just assumed that they were going to bowl 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 and win this back-to-back championship.”

Deuce Bailey, Bowling Green’s four-year starter at quarterback, rushed for 74 yards and three touchdowns. Jaxen Bailey added a 3-yard second half TD to go with field goals of 41, 31 and 26 yards by Braden Widener.

Bailey was named Class 5A player of the year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association before the game and championship game most valuable player after it. He relished the victory.

“It means everything,” said Bailey, who answered postgame questions with defensive captain Grayson Newman. “Since middle school me and Grayson here have been talking about how, after losing the state championship in middle school, that the next four years we want to make something special happen.”

Cooper (14-1) has fallen victim to Bowling Green (13-2) three times in state title games, including these last two in a row. Like last year, the Purples’ aggressive, physical defense caused the Jaguars problems.

Bowling Green sacked Cooper quarterback Cam O’Hara seven times and forced two fumbles, the second of which set the Purples up on Cooper’s 27-yard line and led to Jaxen Smith’s touchdown run for a 27-12 lead with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

That momentum continued as Cooper punted on its next possession leading to a 55-yard Bowling Green drive capped by Bailey’s final TD for a 34-12 lead with 8:40 to play.

O’Hara threw for 262 yards and three TDs. A 13-yarder to Isaiah Johnson in the first quarter came on the heels of Ryker Campbell’s 25-yard interception return and gave the Jags a 6-0 lead. Jaiden Combs caught a 32-yard TD pass for a 12-10 Cooper lead early in the second quarter. Austin Alexander caught the last TD pass in the fourth with the game out of reach.

Bowling Green has won nine state championships overall, the last three coming under Spader.

This story was originally published December 8, 2024 at 2:04 AM.

Jared Peck

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-488-2883

Jared Peck, the Herald-Leader’s Digital Sports Writer, covers high school athletics and has been with the company as a writer and editor for more than 20 years. Support my work with a digital subscription