By Jim Mashek – Sporting Times
The third lead change had just taken place.
South Warren was hanging on to a 16-14 lead over Bowling Green when the Spartans sent Eldar Dervisevic into the game to punt from his goal line.
Waiting, at the line of scrimmage, was Bowling Green special-teams ace Tucker Strode.
“Instincts, I guess,” Strode said with a smile.
That’s because Strode blocked Dervisevic’s rugby-style punt, before pouncing on the ball in the end zone for the touchdown, fueling the Purples to a gritty 41-24 victory over South Warren on Friday night.
Bowling Green (7-3) will now face North Bullitt High School in the regional finals. In a season truncated by the COVID-19 public health crisis, the Spartans finish with a 6-1 record.
“Eight turnovers,” South Warren coach Brandon Smith said outside his locker room. “You can’t survive eight turnovers, especially against a good team.”
Tucker and twin brother Tyler Strode are BGHS seniors who understand their roles with the team. Tucker Strode made the heads-up play as Dervisevic roamed to the right before getting the ball of his foot.
Barely.
Strode smothered it and scored the touchdown that put the Purples ahead for good.
“I wasn’t sure if we had a block called or not,” BGHS coach Mark Spader said. “But (Tucker Strode) is a senior, and we love seniors at Bowling Green High School. These kids don’t always look real pretty playing football, but they give great effort.
“It’s a hard working team.”
Tucker Strode’s special-teams breakthrough put the Purples ahead 21-16. South Warren’s Caden Veltkamp then overthrew a receiver over the middle and Bowling Green’s do-it-all Eli Burwash came up with the interception.
The Purples were poised to roll with the momentum.
BGHS senior quarterback Conner Cooper froze the Spartans defense with a play-action fake and lofted a 45-yard touchdown pass to Burwash, extending the Purples’ lead to 27-16. The PAT attempt failed.
No problem.
The Purples came up with another interception before Javy Bunton carried on back-to-back plays, scoring on a 2-yard run with 2:14 left in the third quarter. The Spartans’ Christian Conyers made a sensational play on the ensuing kickoff, breaking several tackles on his way down the right sideline on a 90-yard return for a touchdown.
After a successful two-point conversion, South Warren had cut its deficit to 34-24.
The Spartans would get no closer.
Bunton scored on a 23-yard run with 4:47 left in the game, closing the door on South Warren. The Spartans had knocked off BGHS earlier this year, winning 10-7 on the Purples’ home field.
South Warren’s Brandon Smith has reason to look ahead. The Spartans have gone 26-3 over the last two seasons, but all three losses came at the hands of Bowling Green.
“We’ll reflect, regroup a little bit and get back to work,” Smith said.
Veltkamp threw two touchdown passes in the first half, but Bowling Green took a 14-13 lead into the locker room on Cooper’s 3-yard touchdown run with 3:04 left in the half.
In the second half, however, the Purples capitalized on the opportunities, leaving South Warren scrambling down the stretch.
The Purples were equal to the task.
“It’s the most exciting game I’ve ever been a part of,” Tucker Strode said when it was over. “We’ve got a good program. Guys like playing for one another.”
That’s music to Mark Spader’s ears.
