By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
LEXINGTON — Points scored off turnovers was a major factor in Bowling Green’s 28-14 win over Cooper in the Class 5A state championship game played on a rainy Saturday night at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field.
Two of Bowling Green’s touchdowns came in the first half after the Purples recovered fumbles on punt returns that put them just 34 and 19 yards away from the end zone. But three pass interceptions and one fumble recovery by Cooper’s defensive unit resulted in zero points.
On the last two takeaways, the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs at the Bowling Green 27- and 16-yard lines.
“We just didn’t make plays when we needed to,” said Cooper coach Randy Borchers. “You play a really good football team, you can’t leave points off the board. We just left way too much off the board tonight.”
Both teams finish the season with a 12-3 record. Bowling Green has now won eight state championship games with two coming against Cooper.
The Jaguars were making their first appearance in the state finals since 2012 with mostly underclassmen in the starting lineup on both offense and defense.
The only seniors in the mix were two-way starters Jack Lonaker, Lucas Hughes and Mason Baesel.
Lonaker, who plays offensive guard and middle linebacker, made a team-high 10 tackles, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in his final game as a three-year starter.
“The defense did everything we ask and then the offense just didn’t have it,” Lonaker said. “We just didn’t pull through as a team and that’s how it is. That’s why we lost.”
Bowling Green finished with 311 total yards. Junior quarterback Deuce Bailey completed 16 of 28 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns to compensate for his three interceptions. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 70 yards on seven carries.
Two of Bailey’s three touchdown passes in the first half capped drives of 34 and 19 yards after the Purples recovered fumbled punts.
His other TD pass was a 43-yarder to wide receiver Trevy Barber streaking down the middle of the field.
Cooper got on the scoreboard with an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the second quarter.
During that series, sophomore quarterback Cam O’Hara completed 3 of 7 passes for 76 yards, including a 24-yard strike to junior wide receiver Isaiah Johnson in the end zone.
Interceptions by Hughes and Lonaker halted Bowling Green’s next two possessions. But the Jaguars were not able to get a first down after either of those turnovers and trailed, 21-7, at halftime.
“We mirrored each other a lot coming into this game,” said Bowling Green coach Mark Spader. “Their defense grew as the weeks went on and ours did as well. Ours just played better tonight and gave us a chance to win.”
Bailey’s third pass interception came early in the third quarter, but Cooper turned the ball over on downs at the Purples’ 27-yard line. On his team’s next possession, Bailey picked up 35 and 22 yards on quarterback keepers. Those big gains led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Jaxen Smith that put Bowling Green ahead, 28-7, with 3:35 left in the third quarter.
Cooper responded with another 80-yard scoring drive that included 45 yards in penalties called against Bowling Green’s defense. On a fourth-down play at the 11-yard line, O’Hara was scrambling to avoid being sacked when he zipped a pass to junior Austin Alexander in the end zone to make it 28-14.
On the next play from scrimmage, a Bowling Green pass receiver fumbled and Cooper defensive back Ryker Campbell recovered the ball at the 33-yard line. The offense moved it to the 16, but an incomplete pass on a fourth-down play gave the ball back to the Purples.
Late in the fourth quarter, Cooper’s last scoring opportunity was snuffed out by an interception. O’Hara ended up completing 22 of 47 passes for 220 yards to offset his negative-52 yards rushing due to six sacks.
“They decided tonight to bring a lot of pressure, especially on third down, which we had seen and worked at.” Borchers said. “At times, they brought more (pass rushers) than us and we thought we could get rid of the ball a little quicker than we did and took some sacks. We just didn’t play a very good offensive game tonight.”
This is the 45th consecutive season that one or more Northern Kentucky football teams reached the state finals. Those teams compiled a 49-22 record in state championship games, including losses by Cooper and Covington Catholic this weekend.
The last time Northern Kentucky went without winning at least one state title was 2015 when Beechwood and Newport Central Catholic lost in the Class 1A and Class 2A finals.
BOWLING GREEN 14 7 7 0 — 28
COOPER 7 0 0 7 — 14
BG — Matthew Klein 31-yard pass from Deuce Bailey (Braden Widener kick)
BG — Trevy Barber 43-yard pass from Bailey (Widener kick)
C — Isaiah Johnson 24-yard pass from Cam O’Hara (Carson Taylor kick)
BG — Jaxen Smith 8-yard pass from Bailey (Widener kick)
BG — Smith 1-yard run (Widener kick)
C — Austin Alexander 11-yard pass from O’Hara (Taylor kick)
RECORDS: Cooper 12-3, Bowling Green 12-3
Football state championship games
FRIDAY
Class 1A — Pikeville 21, Raceland 0
Class 2A — Mayfield 53, Owensboro Catholic 48
Class 4A — Boyle County 41, Covington Catholic 0
SATURDAY
Class 3A — Christian Academy-Louisville 41, Bell County 16
Class 6A — Louisville Trinity 41, Lexington Bryan Station 20
Class 5A — Bowling Green 28, Cooper 14