The Highlands Bluebirds and Cooper Jaguars football teams came into the season with high expectations and have lived up to them.
Therefore, it is not a surprise the District 6 rivals are meeting for the second time this season with a lot more on the line when they battle for a spot in the Class 5A state championship game Friday at 7 p.m. The only difference from the regular season meeting is the site changes to David Cecil Memorial Stadium in Fort Thomas.
Highlands (12-1) entered the playoffs with the highest rating in the RPI in Class 5A and earned the right to play host to four playoff games as the result. The Bluebirds have outscored their three playoff opponents, 113-14. They’ve won 11 in a row.
Cooper (11-2) knocked off Collins at home before taking out two district champions in Scott County, 49-21 and Southwestern, 24-14 last week. The Jaguars needed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull out their seventh straight win.
“Obviously when you play good football teams, you’re going to get better,” said Randy Borchers, Cooper head coach. “We feel like we’ve played two really good teams on the road and to come away with victories, it’s allowed us to see the character of our team and it’s really allowed our team to see they can compete with anyone.”
Highlands won an epic 58-51 battle over Cooper on Sept. 22 on Longbranch Road in Union. The teams combined for exactly 1,200 yards of offense in their respective spread formations and could put up similar numbers.
“(Cooper) is really good,” said Hayden Sphire, Highlands Offensive Coordinator. “We knew coming out of last season we were going to play two times. We knew we had the potential to make a run and we knew they had the potential to make a run so we knew we would probably meet up again at some point. That game in the regular season was the best thing that could have happened for both of us. We felt like we were in control of that game for 44 minutes. Then we make one mistake, it sparks their flame and gives them confidence coming out of that game. But at the same time, our kids aren’t happy that we let them out of that trap. Both teams have something to prove.”
Highlands has displayed balance all season rushing for 3,117 yards and passing for 3,058 behind a solid offensive line. Quarterback Brody Benke has led the way completing 109-of-167 passes for 1,773 yards, 26 touchdowns and just four interceptions and rushed for 1,128 yards on 144 carries and 22 touchdowns.
Cameron Giesler leads Highlands with 1,263 yards rushing on 152 carries and 11 touchdowns. Giesler constantly gives senior tight end Luke Schneider credit for opening holes for him.
“I’d say our counters are working out well on both sides of our line really,” Schneider said. “Our guards are kicking out guys and I’m just filling in gaps. Cam is running hard. If we keep blocking well, we’ll have something going for us.”
North Laurel did force Highlands to throw the ball more and the Bluebirds heeded the call, Benke throwing for 154 yards and a touchdown. Carson Class leads Highlands with 33 catches for 608 yards and 10 touchdowns with Adam Surrey hauling in 35 catches for 561 yards and five touchdowns. Fifteen different players have catches for Highlands.
“I was telling some of the parents, booster people the other night after the game and this is not a knock to any player, but when we got here, it really felt like I had to make the right, perfect call for us to make first downs,” Hayden Sphire said. “Now I feel like I can make the call that may not be the best call. But these guys are going to execute it and pick up more yards. They make my job really easy. The football IQ and the stuff we’re getting from film has been a game changer.”
The 4-2-5 Cooper defense has given up 1,626 yards rushing all season and 1,556 passing. The Jaguars limited Southwestern’s Wishbone and spread rushing attack to 154 yards and Scott County’s Wing-T attack to 201.
“It’s assignment football,” said Ryker Campbell, Cooper sophomore defensive back. “You have to rely on everyone to do his job, trusting your teammates and feeling like they can make the big play whenever they need to. It’s about relying on each other as a team.”
Borchers pointed out turnovers have worked out well for Cooper in those two games. The offense did not turn the ball over in either game. Defensively, Cooper picked off two passes and recovered two fumbles at Southwestern after intercepting two passes and recovering one fumble at Scott County.
Jack Lonaker leads Cooper with 138 tackles, including seven for a loss and Austin Alexander has 69 tackles with 18 sacks. Campbell and Isaac Brown lead the Jaguars with four interceptions apiece and Mason Baesel has a team-high four fumble recoveries.
“We have to find ways to be able to at least manage the line of scrimmage and find ways to get turnovers,” Borchers said. “We’ve been preaching that all season, especially in the playoffs. We have to create ways to get them off the field and get the ball back.”
Cooper has thrown the ball well all season as quarterback Cam O’Hara has completed 206-of-300 passes for 3,021 yards, 43 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Isaiah Johnson leads the way with 69 catches for 1,287 yards and 20 touchdowns and Alexander has 56 for 995 yards and 16 touchdowns. Alexander torched Scott County with five receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
“For us to be successful defensively, we’ve got to have all 11 pursuing the football,” said Bob Sphire, Highlands head coach. “Once the ball comes out of the quarterback’s hands, we all have to be running to the spot where it’s going because they’re hard to get down after the catch. Our guys have done a really good job of tackling in space and we’ve done a really good job of pursuing the ball.”
In the regular season loss to Highlands, Cooper rushed for a negative-14 yards, so the Jaguars have placed an emphasis on rushing the football and sophomore Keagan Maher has responded with three games of 100-plus yards. Maher has rushed for 1,118 of Cooper 1,470 rushing yards on 158 carries for 18 touchdowns.
“It’s definitely improved by a significant amount,” Noah Reichel said of Cooper run blocking. “I think we’re finally clicking up front just being able to hold the block. We want the skill guys to be able to do their thing.”
The Highlands 3-4 defense has allowed 1,072 yards rushing and 2,333 passing making a lot of teams one-dimensional. But Highlands linebacker Christian Stojkovic agreed success one play does not guarantee it on the next play.
“Coach Sphire talks about this all the time,” Stojkovic said. “After the play, you give a little clap and forget about that play, move on to the next play. We have to be ready because anything could happen on any play. We have to be giving 100 percent effort every play. We can’t take plays off. Earlier in the year, we took a play off and they had a 60-yard touchdown. This is the biggest game any of us have had in our lives.”
Senior Nate Welch leads Highlands with 89 tackles and Ethan Grimm is second with 60. Carson Shelton leads the Bluebirds with three fumble recoveries and Griffin Taylor has a team-high three interceptions.
The teams have played each other on a yearly basis since 2015, but this marks the first playoff meeting between the two. Highlands leads the all-time series, 7-2.