By Jim Mashek
Sporting Times
Bowling Green High School coach Mark Spader used a familar formula to
get to the KHSAA Class 5A semifinals in 2019.
The Purples scheduled aggressively outside Region 1, District 2 and
didn’t hit their stride until October. They’d go 9-4 overall, reaching
the 5A semifinals before falling on the road against eventual state
champion Covington Catholic.
“A lot of teams don’t want to come to our place,” Spader said.
So the Purples are willing to travel. They’ll do it again this season,
Spader’s third at the helm. They’ll venture to Louisville for their
first two games, at St. Xavier and Pleasure Ridge Park, with former
BGHS coach Kevin Wallace leading St. X into opening night against the
Purples on September 11.
“It’s another tough non-district schedule,” Spader said, “but we feel
like it best prepares us for the playoffs.”
BGHS returns seven offensive starters, including quarterback Conner
Cooper and top-flight tight end prospect Jordan Dingle. The Purples
also have running back Javy Bunton back for his senior year, and
Bunton had 1,020 all-purpose yards (760 rushing, 260 receiving) and 12
touchdowns last season.
Cooper improved as the season progressed and completed 106 of 171
passes for 620 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for seven TDs,
while splitting the QB duties with departed teammate Max Payne.
Dingle, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior tight end, has multiple offers
from Power Five conference schools. Dingle had a team-high 474 yards
receiving, catching 35 passes and scoring five touchdowns. Dez Wilson,
who also took some snaps at quarterback last season, is back with 39
catches for 462 yards and five TDs.
Spader also has experience on the offensive line. Jayran France and
Ken-Yae Cofer are back for their third and final seasons as starters,
and they’ll be joined by Christian Johnson, who made eight starts last
season. Spader and his coaching staff are looking to use their
experience on the offensive line to their advantage.
The Purples are one of the few KHSAA teams currently scheduled to play
nine games, after the COVID-19 delay. They added McCracken County late
in the summer and will play during the fall break week.
“If you can’t be flexible right now, after everything we’ve seen,
you’re in trouble,” Spader said.
Spader has some question marks on defense, but he has a steady leader
in 6-foot, 205-pound inside linebacker Rece Jones. Jones was credited
with a team-high 159 tackles last season. He’s joined by three other
returning starters — defensive end Bridger Knee, defensive back Dylan
Echols and safety/punter Eli Burwash, who is headed to Western
Kentucky on a baseball scholarship.
The Purples have numbers, depth and tradition. They’ll likely miss
cornerback/return man Vito Tisdale, who had four interceptions last
season and signed with the University of Kentucky, and safety Evan
Spader, who had 75 tackles and three picks last season.
Bowling Green knocked off district rival South Warren in October,
winning 14-3 on the Spartans’ home turf. The Purples completed the
sweep of South Warren with a 20-13 victory at BGHS, the second of
three postseason victories until Spader’s squad ran into the Covington
Catholic buzz saw.
“It’s like (KHSAA commissioner) Julian Tackett says, the 2020-21
school year will be like no other,” Spader said. “You have to put your
health and safety of your kids first … I think we have the potential
to be a pretty good football team.”
Spader is 18-7 in his first two seasons with the Purples.
