The NKyTribune will be offering focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Cooper senior running back Torrey Cordell-Armstrong is going into the 2015 high school football season that begins Friday with a more positive attitude than he had at this time last year.
“I’m a lot more confident because I actually had an offseason to train,” he said. “Last year, I was just rehabbing and I didn’t get to really progress.”
The injury that delayed Cordell-Armstrong’s development as a player occurred in the seventh game of his sophomore season. He left the field on a stretcher with a broken tibia bone in his right leg. He said surgeons had to insert pins into the shattered bone and reset his kneecap. No one was sure if or when he would be able to return to football.
After several months of rehabilitation, however, Cordell-Armstrong was back in the Jaguars’ starting lineup last season and he ended up rushing for 1,752 yards and 16 touchdowns.
That was an impressive comeback considering the severity of his injury, but the 5-foot-9, 175-pound tailback is setting even higher goals this season since he got to spend the last eight months in training instead of rehabilitation.
“I want to do better than last year and it’s going to happen,” Cordell-Armstrong said.
“We lost a few starters (on offense), but we’re all pretty much back and I am really confident,” he added. “The thing is, even if they don’t hold a block on a play, my goal is to make a play happen anyway. It’s not always going to be perfect and you’re not always going to have a hole, but it’s still up to you to make something happen.”
After everything Cordell-Armstrong has been through in his young life, it’s easy to see how he developed his grit and determination. His mother died in an automobile accident when he was 7 years old and he moved in with his father. It took some time for the young boy to forge a relationship with his father, but they worked it out together.
The mother Nikki’s last name is Armstrong and his father Correy’s is Cordell. Their son now includes both of their names in his own last name.
Cordell-Armstrong’s character was tested once again by the injury at the end of his sophomore season. But he made a successful comeback and then went back to work to prepare for his senior season.
“Torrey is one of the hardest working football players I have coached,” said Cooper head coach Randy Borchers. “His dedication to the weight room has put about 20 pounds of muscle on him this offseason and he really worked on his speed and quickness, which has drastically improved since his junior year. Torrey is one of those guys you know will do things right even when no one is holding him accountable.”
Last season, Cordell-Armstrong accounted for more than 65 percent of Cooper’s total rushing yardage and scored more than 33 percent of the points. He’ll be the team’s primary offensive weapon once again this season in a new backfield that includes first-year quarterback Nathan Brown.
Cordell-Armstrong knows how much the Jaguars will be counting on him this season, especially with the team being moved up to Class 6A for the first time in its eight-year history. That’s why he worked hard in the weight room and attended several running back camps during the offseason.
“All I really care about is what can I do to help the team win games,” he said. “I want Cooper to earn respect. It seems like some schools still don’t have respect for us because we’re kind of new and all that stuff. So that’s the biggest thing, earning respect for our school and our team.”
COOPER JAGUARS
2014 SEASON: 9-5 record, lost in semifinals of Class 5A state playoffs.
THIS SEASON: Class 6A, District 5 with Conner, Ryle.
COACH: Randy Borchers (46-56 in nine seasons overall: 39-42 in seven seasons at Cooper, 7-14 in two seasons at Ludlow).
2015 SCHEDULE
Aug. 21 – HIGHLANDS, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 – at Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 – at Bryan Station, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 11 – CAMPBELL COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 – at Simon Kenton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 – LEXINGTON CATHOLIC, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 – DIXIE HEIGHTS, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 9 – RYLE, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 – at Boone County, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 – at Conner, 7 p.m.
See these NKyTribune prep football previews:
Bishop Brossart
Ludlow
Campbell County
Highlands
Dixie Heights
Bellevue
Newport
NewCath
Conner
Covington Catholic
Holmes
Dayton
Ryle
Scott
Walton-Verona
Beechwood
Boone County
His mother’s name is Nikki Armstrong , father’s name is Torrey Cordell….His name has always been Torrey Cordell-Armstrong. Great article regardless.
Fixed. Thanks for letting us know this needed to be corrected. We apologize for the error. But happy to have this story about your son.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing Torrey grow up over the last several years. I’ve witnessed the dedication and discipline he has to his goals. He’s pushed himself to accomplish more each year. We will continue to see great things from Torrey and look forward to them! He is very deserving of this feaure. We all think he’s pretty amazing!