Bowling Green looks to defend title against undefeated Cooper in Class 5A State Final rematch

Can you believe it? A semester’s worth of blood, sweat, and tears meets its final night. The Class 5A title game features an undefeated No. 2 Cooper team taking on the defending state champions, No. 9 Bowling Green.

This Saturday is a rematch of last year’s state finals, where Bowling Green took home the title in a 28-14 win at Kroger Field. The Jaguars seek vengeance for the title (which would be the first in school history), boasting a perfect record and a team of veterans who understand the pain of losing.

It has been Bowling Green’s mission to return to Kroger Field all season long. Their road back has been tougher than usual after a regular season loss to South Warren gave them the second seed in playoffs. Given that, they are more determined than ever to finish what they started.

These teams match up very similarly; extremely effective quarterbacks, depth in receivers, and defenses that can turn over possession quickly. Let’s break down the stats and what we’ll be looking for this Saturday.

No. 2 Cooper Jaguars (14-0)

Cooper’s explosive offense is led by junior quarterback Cam O’Hara. This season, he totals 3,355 yards passing, 49 touchdown pass completions, and averages 239.6 yards per game.

Isaiah Johnson is his go-to guy. Johnson totals 1,209 yards receiving and 23 receiving touchdowns, averaging 86.4 yards per game. Jaiden Combs is another really effective receiver for the Jaguars. He totals 892 yards receiving, eight receiving touchdowns, and averages 63.7 yards per game.

The Jaguars run game gives them an edge coming into the title game. Keagan Maher is dangerous on his feet, totaling 1,433 yards rushing and 22 rushing touchdowns, averaging 110.2 yards per game. With his ability to run and score on top of O’Hara’s arm, Cooper has an air-tight offense.

Defensively, Ryker Campbell is a standout. The junior safety totals 96 tackles and two tackles for loss. North Carolina commit Austin Alexander is another guy the Purples will have to keep out of the pocket The two-way player totals 48 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 12 defensive sacks.

Bowling Green will likely be the toughest defense Cooper has seen this season, but their offensive depth gives them plenty of options to strategize going into this Saturday.

No. 9 Bowling Green Purples (12-2)

Bowling Green’s offense is led by senior quarterback Deuce Bailey. The three-star Missouri State commit totals 3,033 yards passing and 45 touchdown pass completions, averaging 216.6 passing yards per game.

Trevy Barber is the Purples’ leading receiver. The junior totals 1,222 yards receiving, 22 touchdown receptions, and averages 87.3 yards per game. Jaxen Smith is another effective receiver for the Purples, totaling 684 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving. He’s also a rushing threat, totaling 441 yards and six rushing touchdowns.

The Purples’ defense is stacked with athletes, and Montez Trussell is the biggest threat to Cooper’s offense. The junior totals 115 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, and 15 defensive sacks. Malik Coburn is huge for the Purple’s defense as well, totaling 89 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and eight defensive sacks. Guys such as Brandon Gurley and Grayson Newman are sure to cause problems for Cooper’s offense as well.

If Bowling Green can give their offense the most possession time, they will be able to play to their strengths and set their own pace of the game.

All the action will go down Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8:00 p.m. EST, at Kroger Field in the sixth and final state championship game of the 2024 season. You won’t want to miss it.

Score Prediction

*KSR’s Prediction: Cooper 38, Bowling Green 26

**Massey Ratings’ Prediction: Cooper 35, Bowling Green 28

*KSR’s Prediction is an average from five voter predictions.*

**The Massey Ratings is a system created in 1999 by statistician Kenneth Massey that was used to help determine the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) until 2013.**