By Jim Mashek – Sporting Times
Bowling Green High School’s football team kept things pretty simple in its final home regular-season game on Friday night against Greenwood.
Line up, knock somebody off the ball, get the ball carrier in the open field.
The BGHS defense, meanwhile, brought the heat and didn’t break.
Bowling Green rolled to a 43-0 victory over the Gators on Friday night, scoring all of its points in the first half to earn its fifth victory against a single defeat.
Greenwood, which failed to reach 100 yards total offense, dropped its second straight game, falling to 5-2 overall and 0-2 in Region 1, District 2 play.
“They controlled the game up front,” Greenwood coach William Howard said.
The Purples’ Davis Fant intercepted the first pass thrown by Greenwood quarterback James Salchli, scoring on a 17-yard return with 11:02 left in the first quarter.
“We kind of got behind the eight ball with that pick six,” Howard said.
The Purples scored on their first offensive possession, as senior quarterback Conner Cooper guided a 62-yard touchdown drive, with Javy Bunton scoring on a 2-yard run. The PAT was blocked, however, and BGHS led 13-0.
The Purples were just getting started.
“That’s the second game in a row that we had really good (offensive) tempo,” BGHS coach Mark Spader said, “and controlled things up front.”
The Purples’ offensive line — tackles Trapper Hewitt and Austin Anderson, guards Ken-Yae Cofer and Jackson Littlefield, and center Christian Johnson — opened big holes against the Gators and got Javy Bunton and the other BGHS backs into the open field.
Johnson said the Purples have worked hard on their execution since their only loss of the season, a 10-7 setback at the hands of South Warren earlier this month. Now Bowling Green has to get ready for a road trip to play Trinity, the No. 1-ranked KHSAA Class 6A team in the state, on Friday night in Louisville.
“I think we can give them a run for their money,” he said.
Spader said in an uncertain season with COVID-19 that any opportunity to play is a blessing.
“We want to play at a high level,” he said. “We take it one day at a time and try to keep going. It’s like I told the kids, ‘They’re the No. 1 6A team in the state. We like to measure ourselves against the best.'”
Cooper fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to Will Vale with 6:38 left in the first quarter, and Bunton added a two-point conversion to make it 21-0.
Howard began using both Salchli and Dalton Howard at quarterback, a move necessitated after starter John Morrison was injured in this month’s 25-24 victory over Christian County.
In the second quarter, Cooper scored on a 15-yard run and hit tight end Jordan Dingle for another touchdown pass. But the big highlight was Bunton’s 60-yard touchdown run, a dive to the left side before Bunton bounced it outside on his way to the end zone.
“Ken-Yae (Cofer) pulled out and took a guy out,” Bunton said, “and I just followed him into the hole. That was probably our most efficient game as an offense all season.”
Cooper agreed.
“We just went out and executed the game plan,” he said. “Now it’s time to get ready for Trinity.”
Greenwood will play host to John Hardin on Friday night.
“We’ve just got to find a way to play better,” William Howard said.
