By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After making it to the Class 5A championship game the last two years, Cooper’s football team needs to upset a familiar opponent to continue their run of playoff success this season.
Cooper is considered the underdog for Friday’s 7:30 p.m. home game against Scott County in the second round of the playoffs. Both teams have an 8-3 record, but Scott County was No. 5 and Cooper was No. 9 in the final Class 5A Ratings Percentage Index that will be used to seed playoff teams in the next round.
This is the fourth consecutive year the two teams have met in the playoffs. Scott County won a first-round game in 2022 and Cooper won second-round matchups the last two years behind a balanced offensive attack featuring quarterback Cam O’Hara and running back Keagan Maher.
O’Hara threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns in each of the two previous games against Scott County. Maher rushed for 161 yards and 2 TDs last year and 153 yards and three TDs in 2023.
The two seniors enter Friday’s game with O’Hara the all-time leading passer (10,962 yards) and Maher the all-time leading rusher (4,016 yards) for the Jaguars.
Scott County’s team is averaging 93 yards passing and 320 yards rushing per game. The Cardinals have scored 46 of their 61 touchdowns on the ground with Skylar Way and Timmy Emongo as the leading ball carriers.
Cooper’s defense allowed more than 400 rushing yards in a 59-24 loss to Louisville Manual on Sept. 19. The Jaguars have won six straight games since that setback and their last two opponents, South Oldham and Simon Kenton, rushed for 118 and 139 yards.
Football coach recognized for young team’s success
Holy Cross enters the second round of the Class 1A football playoffs with a perfect 11-0 record after finishing 3-8 last season. Curt Spencer will receive an award from the Kentucky Football Coaches Association for leading the Indians’ incredible turnaround.
Spencer was voted Class 1A, District 4 Coach of the Year by members on the association. Holy Cross won the program’s first district title and ended the regular season ranked No. 7 among Class 1A team in a statewide poll of media members. The fact that the Indians have 22 underclassmen on their 27-player roster enhances their accomplishment.
One of the underclassmen is Charles Oglesby, a junior running back and linebacker voted District 4 Player of the Year. In his first season on the Holy Cross roster, Oglesby has rushed for a team-high 834 yards and 12 touchdowns. On defense, he has 45 tackles and two interceptions, including one he returned for a TD.
Brossart junior Beckett Meersman was voted Lineman of the Year in District 4. His team will also be playing in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs on Friday.
Newport Central Catholic, Highlands, Cooper and Ryle swept KFCA awards in their respective districts. All of the players and coaches will receive plaques during the state championship games to be played Dec. 5-6 at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field.
One of the Player of the Year awards went to Ryle senior Jacob Savage in Class 6A, District 6. In the current Class 6A statewide statistics, Savage’s per-game averages rank second in points (14.7), sixth in rushing (99.0) and 10th in tackles (9.1). This is the second consecutive year that Savage has been named the district’s top player.
The KFCA is expected to announce statewide winners in each of the six classes and the senior named Mr. Kentucky Football sometime in December.
KENTUCKY FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Class 1A — District 3
Player of the Year — Eddie Bivens (Newport Central Catholic). Lineman of the Year — Will Sandfoss (NewCath). Coach of the Year — Stephen Lickert (NewCath).
Class 1A — District 4
Player of the Year — Charles Oglesby (Holy Cross). Lineman of the Year — Beckett Meersman (Brossart). Coach of the Year — Curt Spencer (Holy Cross).
Class 2A — District 5
Player of the Year — Tyler Fryman (Beechwood). Lineman of the Year — Lucas Tillery (Owen County). Coach of the Year — Steve Tarter (Bracken County).
Class 3A — District 5
Player of the Year — Kaleb Evans (Lloyd). Lineman of the Year — King Lee (Bourbon County). Coach of the Year — Kyle Niederman (Lloyd).
Class 4A — District 5
Player of the Year — Tayden Lorenzen (Highlands). Lineman of the Year — Max Merz (Highlands). Coach of the Year — Bob Sphire (Highlands)
Class 5A — District 5
Player of the Year — Cam O’Hara (Cooper). Lineman of the Year — Noah Reichel (Cooper). Coach of the Year — Randy Borchers (Cooper)
Class 6A — District 6
Player of the Year — Jacob Savage (Ryle). Lineman of the Year — Bo Gay (Ryle). Coach of the Year — Mike Engler (Ryle).
Notre Dame graduate leads college volleyball team in digs
Notre Dame Academy graduate Kamden Schrand is the starting libero on the University of Louisville volleyball team that’s ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division I by the American College Volleyball Coaches Association.
Schrand has a team-high 366 defensive digs in 88 sets for the 20-4 Cardinals. The 5-foot-7 junior is averaging 4.16 digs per set, which ranks second in Atlantic Coast Conference statistics. Louisville is second in the conference team standings, one win behind No. 3 Pitt and No. 5 Stanford.
In her final high school season, Schrand was named 2022 Defensive Player of the Year by the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association after helping Notre Dame win its second state championship in three years.