Owensboro and Bowling Green have met on the gridiron for decades but Saturday will be the first time the two meet in a state championship. Kroger Field in Lexington will be the site of the KHSAA Class 5A State Championship.
Bowling Green Daily News prep writer Michael Compton has followed the Bowling Green this season and sat down with the Owensboro Times for a Q&A on the Purples.
OT: Bowling Green is always a perennial power but what have they done this season to get to the state championship?
MC: The simplest answer is they’ve played Purples football – the kind of play that has been synonymous with the program’s success. They are a team deep in talent with balance on both sides of the ball. They played a schedule that challenged them and helped define weaknesses, allowing them to make the necessary adjustments needed to have postseason success.
OT: This offense has a lot of weapons with Conner Cooper, Javeius Bunton and Jordan Dingle. What is it they do so well?
MC: They do everything well, which is what makes them so potent. Coach Spader has mentioned how the game has slowed down for Cooper and you can see it with the results. He is capable of beating you with his legs and his arm. His 72-yard touchdown run against Covington Catholic set the tone. But he can also make the throw when needed and it’s not just Dingle. Eli Burwash has been an explosive wideout, while Tyler Strode has also been a go-to wideout in key situations. Then you throw in Bunton, who can be utilized in both the run and passing game, and you see why the Purples have been such a difficult matchup for opposing defenses.
OT: The Purples defense has forced 31 turnovers this season and only allowed 780 rushing yards this season. How are they so dominant on that side of the ball?
MC: Bowling Green has been really good on the defensive side all year, but the ability to force turnovers in the last three games has been at a level I’ve never seen in my nearly 20 years of covering high school football; 20 of those turnovers have come in the last three games, against some really strong quarterback play. The secondary has done a great job of limiting big plays, aided by a pass rush that may not always get to the QB but disrupts his timing just enough to make him rush.
OT: This is the third year under Mark Spader and the furthest they’ve made it in the playoffs during his time at the helm, how has Spader improved an already dominant football culture?
MC: I think his history with the program, dating all the way back to his days as a student assistant under Dan Haley in the 90s, has been a continuation of the culture. That culture has been there since his took over, but two years ago they were in the same district as the eventual 5A champion and last year they lost in the semifinals to the eventual 5A champion. This has been a year where they kind of took advantage of being under the radar and clicked at the time when it mattered most.
OT: What does Bowling Green have to do to win Saturday afternoon?
MC: The defense needs to continue to play at the level they have played in the postseason, with the offense sustaining drives and limiting mistakes. For the Purples the script is pretty simple, keep doing what got you here. If Bowling Green can sustain the level they have played in the last three weeks I think that should be enough for them to win Saturday.
