By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Ryle’s football team won the Battle of Union for the ninth consecutive time on Friday, but it’s hard to say who made the biggest plays for the Raiders in their 28-10 victory over city rival Cooper.
Ryle senior quarterback Logan Verax scored two rushing touchdowns and threw a 25-yard TD pass to junior wide receiver Landon Lorms that capped the win. But the Raiders’ defensive unit intercepted two passes, recovered two fumbles and kept Cooper out of the end zone on several plays from inside the 6-yard line.
“They both played pretty well,” Ryle coach Mike Engler said of his offensive and defensive units. “The score is probably not indicative of the game because (Cooper) came ready to play. Our young team just stepped up and made plays when they had to.”
Verax is one of the few seniors among Ryle’s starting players. On the last play of the first quarter, he scored on a 42-yard run and Josh Line kicked the extra point to give the home team a 7-0 lead.
Cooper tied the score with a 64-yard drive in the second quarter. It ended with junior Isaiah Johnson catching a 34-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Cam O’Hara in the end zone and Carson Taylor kicking the extra point.
On their next possession, the Jaguars committed the first of their four turnovers. They got the ball to the 1-yard line, but a penalty moved it back five yards. That’s when O’Hara fumbled a snap under center and the ball was recovered by Ryle junior defensive back Jake Stewart.
The Raiders only turnover came late in the third quarter. The ball popped loose on a botched handoff and it was scooped up by Cooper senior linebacker Jack Lonaker. He was headed for the end zone when he was tackled from behind at the 1-yard line.
But Cooper wasn’t able to get the ball across the goal line on three plays and settled for a 20-yard field goal by Taylor to take a 10-7 lead with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter.
“That was huge,” coach Engler said. “Even though they scored a field goal, the momentum changed. They had that big fumble recovery and we ended up holding them to a field goal. That’s a big defensive stop.”
The Raiders scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Verax, who kept the drive alive after a penalty pushed the Raiders back to the 47-yard line.
On a fourth-down play, Verax completed a 28-yard pass to sophomore Gavin Lyons at the 6-yard-line. Three plays later, Verax scored on a push play into the end zone with 8:50 left on the clock.
A leaping interception by Ryle junior defensive end Dillon Smith set up his team’s next touchdown. He returned it to the 8-yard line and senior running back JR Hayes scored on the next play to make it 21-10.
“The turnovers were awesome,” Verax said. “When Dillon Smith got that interception, it was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. The defense and the turnovers were clutch. You couldn’t ask for a better momentum shift.”
Cooper turned the ball over on downs on its next possession and Verax threw his lone TD pass of the game to Lorms to clinch the win. Verax finished with 163 yards passing and 83 yards rushing.
As he walked off the field after the ninth consecutive loss to his school’s biggest rival, Cooper coach Randy Borchers was asked about his team’s four turnovers.
“We knew we were playing a really good football team and knew we’d have to play mistake-free to win,” Borchers said. “We just didn’t play a good game. You’ve got to give credit to Ryle. It seems to be the story every year — they make the plays and we don’t.”
COOPER 0 7 3 0 — 10
RYLE 7 0 0 21 — 28
R — Verax 42 run (Line kick)
C — Johnson 35 pass from O’Hara (Taylor kick)
C — Taylor 20 FG
R — Verax 1 run (Line kick)
R — Hayes 8 run (Line kick)
R — Lorms 25 pass from Verax (Line kick)
RECORDS: Cooper 2-1, Ryle 2-1.
High school football scoreboard
FRIDAY GAMES
Ryle 28, Cooper 10
Covington Catholic 50, Simon Kenton 12
Beechwood 49, Dixie Heights 48 OT
Highlands 67, Campbell County 35
Lloyd 47, Holmes 8
Conner 34, Lexington Lafayette 7
Lexington Sayre 14, Ludlow 0
Newport Central Catholic 59, Scott 27
Owen County 14, Dayton 6
Holy Cross 21, Grant County 18
Newport 56, Pendleton County 6
Bellevue 32, Riverview East (Ohio) 22
SATURDAY GAME
Brossart at Pineville, 6 p.m.