By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
A disastrous offensive outing put an end to Covington Catholic’s bid for a fourth straight trip to the Class 5A state football final.
In a semifinal home game on Friday, CovCath committed six turnovers and turned the ball over on downs twice during a 20-0 loss to Bowling Green. The last time the Colonels were shut out was a 39-0 loss to Cincinnati Moeller in 2014. The last in-state opponent to hold them scoreless was Highlands in 2008.
CovCath senior quarterback Caleb Jacob committed all six of the team’s turnovers. He had five passes intercepted and one fumble. Bowling Green scored off two of those take-aways.
The visiting Purples finished with a 319-207 advantage in offensive yards. It was the lowest yardage total of the season for the Colonels, who came into the game with a 333.7 average.
Bowling Green (9-2) will play Owensboro (12-0) in the Class 5A state championship game next Saturday. CovCath, winner of the 2019 and 2017 state titles and state runner-up in 2018, ended the season with a 10-2 record.
CovCath came into Friday’s game with a 3-0 record against Bowling Green, including a 28-0 win in last year’s state semifinals. But the Purples ended that streak with a shutout of their own.
After Bowling Green senior quarterback Conner Cooper scored on a 72-yard breakaway run on his team’s second play from scrimmage, both teams struggled on offense for the remainder of the first half.
CovCath picked up just 51 yards on its seven first-half possessions with Jacob getting three passes picked off.
Bowling Green turned the ball over twice during the first half, but the Purples did cash in on Jacob’s third pass interception. The offense got the ball inside the 5-yard line and senior running back Javeius Bunton scored on a 1-yard dive into the end zone two plays later.
That gave Bowling Green a 13-0 halftime lead. The visitors had 150 yards at the break, but nearly half of it came on Cooper’s long scoring run.
Late in the third quarter, Bowling Green’s fifth pass interception put the ball at the CovCath 17-yard line. Three plays later, Cooper scored his second touchdown on a 4-yard run to make the score 20-0.
A fumble by Jacob ended the Colonels’ first possession in the fourth quarter. They got the ball back with less than seven minutes remaining, but they turned it over on downs.
Jacob completed 16 of 37 passes for 107 yards. He also picked up 50 of his team’s 100 rushing yards. CovCath’s defensive leader was senior linebacker Luke Stegman with nine solo and three assisted tackles.
Bowling Green finished with 260 rushing yards. Bunton picked up 149 yards on 20 carries and Cooper had 123 on 12 carries to offset nine tackles for a loss made by CovCath’s defense. Cooper also completed 5 of 13 passes for 56 yards.
Senior safety Dylan Echols had eight solo tackles and three interceptions for the Purples, who will be in the state championship game for the first time since 2016.
Beechwood will make its first appearance in the Class 2A state final after pulling out a 35-34 win over West Carter on Friday. Newport Central Catholic lost to Paintsville, 21-7, in a Class 1A semifinal game.
COVCATH 0 0 0 0 – 0
BOWLING GREEN 7 6 7 0 – 20
BG – Cooper 72 run (Fratus kick)
BG – Bunton 1 run (kick failed)
BG – Cooper 4 run (Fratus kick)
RECORDS: CovCath 10-2, Bowling Green 9-2
STATE SEMIFINAL SCORES
Class 1A
Paintsville 21, Newport Central Catholic 7
Kentucky Country Day 27, Williamsburg 7
Class 2A
Beechwood 35, West Carter 34
Lexington Christian 48, Murray 13
Class 3A
Ashland Blazer 10, Belfry 3
Elizabethtown 39, Christian Academy-Louisville 20
Class 4A
Boyle County 55, Hopkinsville 0
Franklin County 20, Johnson Central 12
Class 5A
Bowling Green 20, Covington Catholic 0
Owensboro 28, Frederick Douglass 27
Class 6A
Louisville Trinity 31, Louisville St. Xavier 0
Louisville Male 49, Lexington Dunbar 6
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES AT UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
Friday, Dec. 18
Class 1A – Paintsville vs. Kentucky Country Day, 11 a.m.
Class 2A – Beechwood vs. Lexington Christian, 3 p.m.
Class 4A – Boyle County vs. Franklin County, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 19
Class 3A – Ashland Blazer vs. Elizabethtown, 11 a.m.
Class 5A – Bowling Green vs. Owensboro, 3 p.m.
Class 6A – Louisville Trinity vs. Louisville Male, 7 p.m.