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Preview: Cooper at Highlands

Cooper WR Isaiah Johnson (photo by: Chris Granger / X: @regnargc)

The rematch is here and this time it is for a trip to the state championship game. Eight weeks ago, Highlands topped Cooper,58-51 in an offensive free-for-all. As great as those offenses were on that Friday evening it has been the defenses that have fueled these teams down the stretch. It has been nine years since Highlands won the last of its 23 state titles. It has been 11 years since the Jaguars made their only appearance in the finals. Will football royalty prevail or will upstart Cooper begin to carve out a new future of success? One thing is for sure this contest will be well worth the $10 ticket.

COOPER JAGUARS (11-2) vs. HIGHLANDS BLUEBIRDS (12-1)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
David Cecil Stadium, Highlands High School
Follow on X: @TSFootball  

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Cam O’Hara makes the Cooper offense go. The sophomore has completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,021 yards with 43 touchdown tosses and just five interceptions. The biggest benefactors on the receiving end of O’Hara’s passes are Isaiah Johnson and Austin Alexander. Johnson has 69 receptions for 1,287 yards and 20 touchdowns. Alexander has reeled in 56 balls for 995 yards and 16 scores. Keagan Maher balances out the Jaguars offensive attack. Maher has run for 1,118 yards and 18 touchdowns. Jack Lonaker and Alexander lead the Cooper defense. Lonaker has registered 138 tackles with four sacks and three takeaways (two FRs, one INT). Alexander has 16 sacks.

Brody Benke is having an amazing season for Highlands. The senior has thrown for 1,773 yards, run for 1,128 yards, has 14 receptions for 208 yards and accounted for 54 touchdowns (26 passing, 22 rushing, six receiving). Bluebirds’ running back Cameron Giesler has 1,263 yards rushing, 19 receptions for 247 yards and 14 touchdowns (11 rushing, three receiving). Carson Class gets it done on both sides of the ball. Class has 10 touchdowns on 33 receptions for 608 yards and two interceptions as a defensive back. Tag-teaming with Benke at quarterback is sophomore Rio Litmer, who has thrown for 1,110 yards and 20 touchdowns.

TEAM TRENDS: The two schools met back in September and they combined for 1,206 yards (659 Highlands, 547 Cooper) of offense and 109 points. O’Hara aired it out for 555 yards with six touchdown passes. Benke threw for 235 yards, ran for 190 yards and accounted for seven touchdowns (five passing, two rushing).

Things sure have changed since then. Cooper has won seven after that loss to the Bluebirds. The Jaguars have allowed just 11.1 points per game during their winning streak.

Highlands has 11 straight victories. Over the last six games the Bluebirds have given up a grand total of 34 points. No one has scored more than seven points on them during that span.

HEAD COACHES
Cooper: Randy Borchers (96-89 at Cooper, 16th year; 104-101 overall, 18th year)

Highlands: Bob Sphire (27-10 at Highlands, third year)

PLAYOFF HISTORY
Cooper: State Runner-up (one) – 2012 (5A).

Highlands: State Champion (23) – 2014 (4A), 2012 (4A), 2011 (4A), 2010 (5A), 2009 (5A), 2008 (5A), 2007 (5A), 2004 (3A), 2000 (3A), 1999 (3A), 1998 (3A), 1996 (3A), 1992 (3A), 1989 (3A), 1982 (3A), 1982 (3A), 1981 (3A), 1977 (3A), 1975 (3A), 1970 (3A), 1968 (2A), 1964 (2A), 1961 (2A) & 1960 (2A).

State Runner-up (six) – 2013 (4A), 2003 (3A), 1995 (3A), 1966 (2A), 1963 (2A) & 1959 (2A).

COOPER’S KEYS TO VICTORY: Benke is going to get his yards, so making sure that no other Bluebirds go off is a must. That is something that Cooper did not do in the first matchup with Highlands. The Jaguars have been very good at forcing turnovers. They will need more of that thievery on Friday night.

HIGHLANDS’ KEYS TO VICTORY: The Bluebirds were excellent against the run in the first meeting between the two schools holding Cooper to -14 yards rushing on seven carries. Making the Jaguars one-dimensional again is going to go a long way towards making this a successful night.

Prediction: Highlands 42, Cooper 35

 

 

 

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