Last year the Purples featured a team that only returned four starters following their triumphant 2011 season. Everyone knew they would still put out a typically strong team, but 2012 was viewed as a window of opportunity, a time when maybe a team's best shot could knock Bowling Green off the mountaintop. The Purples responded with an emphatic "YOU MISSED." Bowling Green ran the table again to push their win streak to 30 straight wins, which included their second win in two years over vaunted St. X. That Bowling Green is the premier program in western Kentucky is a given. But the whispers around the state have now grown much louder that the Purples rather than the Tigers or even a certain program in northern Kentucky might be backing up Trinity for supremacy in Kentucky football.

 

The Purples enter 2013 with 15 returning starters, including 9 on the offensive side of the ball. Four returning senior linemen will protect 2500 yard passer Devin Hayes who will look for All-BluegrassPreps.com WR and recent WKU commit Nacarius Fant. 1,000 yard rusher Blue Tisdale also returns to lead the rushing corps, as will speedster Blake Pillow who supplied last year's highlight on a hook and lateral TD to rescue the Purples against John Hardin. The Purples will have a little more work to do on the defensive side of the ball with 5 starters absent, including the entire D-Line. They'll also be without new Boone County head coach Jeff Griffith, who served as the architect of the Purple defense for the last decade. Veteran coach Mark Spader will step up to fill the defensive coordinator vacancy, and the Purples should still feature that strong "Jungle D" that shows off their talented LB corps, led by All-BluegrassPreps.com LB Lincoln Quick. Bowling Green also returns all but one member of a secondary that led 5A in passing defense last year.

 

For 2013 the Purples beef up an already challenging schedule, and they have proven willing to travel to do so. They have added two games against Tennessee powers, hosting Blackman out of Murfreesboro and traveling to McCallie School in Chatanooga. They also maintain out of district games against Kentucky titans like St. X, Lexington Catholic, and Owensboro. Their visit to St. X on September 6th in particular is a definite “circle the calendar” game for fans of the teams and casual fans alike. The Purples’ schedule features no out of district games against teams that are within 70 miles of Bowling Green. That probably owes to the fact that they've only lost three games since 2004 to teams within that range - only one was out of district and that was in the postseason. Bowling Green’s largest test in-district should come from rival Warren Central, but the Purples have re-asserted their dominance over the Dragons following losses in 2009 & 2010 to the tune of 23 PPG margins of victory in their four meetings of 2011 & 2012. In all, the Purples have won 50 of their last 52 district games.

 

In short, the Purples are poised to take on all-comers this season with a veteran and dominant squad. In the eyes of many it's really less a question of whether they'll be state champions for the third straight year, but rather by how much along the way, and whether they will again be unbeaten. Another 15-0 campaign would take them into the following year with 45 straight wins, staring down history.

 

Players To Watch

• Nacarius Fant - WR - 5'10", 174 lbs - Senior - Fant is worth the price of admission all by himself. The electrifying wideout is not necessarily the fastest WR you'll ever see, but you may never see one with better hands or that is more elusive. Nacarius has a knack for simply not being there when the defense goes to tackle him. He'll catch virtually everything thrown to him. He notched 1,250 receiving yards and 18 TDs in his junior campaign, but also rushed for a TD and was 2/3 passing. It was good enough to earn him a spot on the All-BluegrassPreps.com team.
   
   
  
• Devin Hayes - QB - 6'2", 175 lbs - Senior - Hayes compiled an impressive 2,544 yards passing with 38 TDs in his junior campaign, his first as a starter. While not the runner his predecessor Scooter Hollis was, Hayes is a more polished passer that stands in the pocket with confidence and rarely makes an errant throw. Like Hollis, Hayes is being courted by the Ivy League to play football, and was one of 36 players selected to attend the NFL Wharton Sports Leadership Program which recognizes student-athlete success both on the field and in the classroom.
   
   
  
• Blue Tisdale - RB - 6'1", 185 lbs - Senior - Tisdale is as comfortable running past you as he is running you over. A star on the basketball court as well, he's the old faithful of the BG offense. Hand him the ball, expect to get more than halfway to a first down. His 1,025 yards rushing may seem low, but that is a byproduct of the balanced and powerful Purple offense. If they so desired, he could easily be a 2,000 yard back.
   
   
  
• Lincoln Quick - LB - 6'2", 205 lbs - Senior - Quick will be a three year starter his senior year, the defensive anchor spanning the talented Class of 2012 with the Class of 2014. Offenses may find themselves thinking there are three of him as he is everywhere on the field. Bowling Green's "Jungle D" is perfectly suited to a linebacker like Quick who shoots through the gaps so that quarterbacks and running backs find themselves facing him before they've even had a chance to think about their next move. Lincoln compiled 69 solo and 27 assisted tackles last year, good enough to be the leading returning player by nearly 40 tackles.
  

Great article DragonFire. This coming from a Warren Central fan. How classy is that? Bowling Green has a chance to push the program to a new level this year. They are already getting some national exposure. They are ranked #1 in the state and 24th nationally by CalPreps in their preseason poll. Being ranked above Trinity tells us that this isn't much of a poll, but we will take it.

Last year the Purples featured a team that only returned four starters following their triumphant 2011 season. Everyone knew they would still put out a typically strong team, but 2012 was viewed as a window of opportunity, a time when maybe a team's best shot could knock Bowling Green off the mountaintop. The Purples responded with an emphatic "YOU MISSED." Bowling Green ran the table again to push their win streak to 30 straight wins, which included their second win in two years over vaunted St. X. That Bowling Green is the premier program in western Kentucky is a given. But the whispers around the state have now grown much louder that the Purples rather than the Tigers or even a certain program in northern Kentucky might be backing up Trinity for supremacy in Kentucky football.

 

The Purples enter 2013 with 15 returning starters, including 9 on the offensive side of the ball. Four returning senior linemen will protect 2500 yard passer Devin Hayes who will look for All-BluegrassPreps.com WR and recent WKU commit Nacarius Fant. 1,000 yard rusher Blue Tisdale also returns to lead the rushing corps, as will speedster Blake Pillow who supplied last year's highlight on a hook and lateral TD to rescue the Purples against John Hardin. The Purples will have a little more work to do on the defensive side of the ball with 5 starters absent, including the entire D-Line. They'll also be without new Boone County head coach Jeff Griffith, who served as the architect of the Purple defense for the last decade. Veteran coach Mark Spader will step up to fill the defensive coordinator vacancy, and the Purples should still feature that strong "Jungle D" that shows off their talented LB corps, led by All-BluegrassPreps.com LB Lincoln Quick. Bowling Green also returns all but one member of a secondary that led 5A in passing defense last year.

 

For 2013 the Purples beef up an already challenging schedule, and they have proven willing to travel to do so. They have added two games against Tennessee powers, hosting Blackman out of Murfreesboro and traveling to McCallie School in Chatanooga. They also maintain out of district games against Kentucky titans like St. X, Lexington Catholic, and Owensboro. Their visit to St. X on September 6th in particular is a definite “circle the calendar” game for fans of the teams and casual fans alike. The Purples’ schedule features no out of district games against teams that are within 70 miles of Bowling Green. That probably owes to the fact that they've only lost three games since 2004 to teams within that range - only one was out of district and that was in the postseason. Bowling Green’s largest test in-district should come from rival Warren Central, but the Purples have re-asserted their dominance over the Dragons following losses in 2009 & 2010 to the tune of 23 PPG margins of victory in their four meetings of 2011 & 2012. In all, the Purples have won 50 of their last 52 district games.

 

In short, the Purples are poised to take on all-comers this season with a veteran and dominant squad. In the eyes of many it's really less a question of whether they'll be state champions for the third straight year, but rather by how much along the way, and whether they will again be unbeaten. Another 15-0 campaign would take them into the following year with 45 straight wins, staring down history.

 

Players To Watch

• Nacarius Fant - WR - 5'10", 174 lbs - Senior - Fant is worth the price of admission all by himself. The electrifying wideout is not necessarily the fastest WR you'll ever see, but you may never see one with better hands or that is more elusive. Nacarius has a knack for simply not being there when the defense goes to tackle him. He'll catch virtually everything thrown to him. He notched 1,250 receiving yards and 18 TDs in his junior campaign, but also rushed for a TD and was 2/3 passing. It was good enough to earn him a spot on the All-BluegrassPreps.com team.
   
   
  
• Devin Hayes - QB - 6'2", 175 lbs - Senior - Hayes compiled an impressive 2,544 yards passing with 38 TDs in his junior campaign, his first as a starter. While not the runner his predecessor Scooter Hollis was, Hayes is a more polished passer that stands in the pocket with confidence and rarely makes an errant throw. Like Hollis, Hayes is being courted by the Ivy League to play football, and was one of 36 players selected to attend the NFL Wharton Sports Leadership Program which recognizes student-athlete success both on the field and in the classroom.
   
   
  
• Blue Tisdale - RB - 6'1", 185 lbs - Senior - Tisdale is as comfortable running past you as he is running you over. A star on the basketball court as well, he's the old faithful of the BG offense. Hand him the ball, expect to get more than halfway to a first down. His 1,025 yards rushing may seem low, but that is a byproduct of the balanced and powerful Purple offense. If they so desired, he could easily be a 2,000 yard back.
   
   
  
• Lincoln Quick - LB - 6'2", 205 lbs - Senior - Quick will be a three year starter his senior year, the defensive anchor spanning the talented Class of 2012 with the Class of 2014. Offenses may find themselves thinking there are three of him as he is everywhere on the field. Bowling Green's "Jungle D" is perfectly suited to a linebacker like Quick who shoots through the gaps so that quarterbacks and running backs find themselves facing him before they've even had a chance to think about their next move. Lincoln compiled 69 solo and 27 assisted tackles last year, good enough to be the leading returning player by nearly 40 tackles.
  

 

2013 BG schedule

 

Lex Cath

Bryan Station

Lou. St. X

Owensboro

McCallie Tn 2012 record 5-6

Barron County

Logan County

Warren Central

Grennwood (BG,Ky)

Blackmon (Tn) 2011 record 8-4

 

Where's the beef? :popcorn:

As always great work DF!

Oops!

Catholic right out of the gate should be a good indicator as to where BG is.

Last year the Purples featured a team that only returned four starters following their triumphant 2011 season. Everyone knew they would still put out a typically strong team, but 2012 was viewed as a window of opportunity, a time when maybe a team's best shot could knock Bowling Green off the mountaintop. The Purples responded with an emphatic "YOU MISSED." Bowling Green ran the table again to push their win streak to 30 straight wins, which included their second win in two years over vaunted St. X. That Bowling Green is the premier program in western Kentucky is a given. But the whispers around the state have now grown much louder that the Purples rather than the Tigers or even a certain program in northern Kentucky might be backing up Trinity for supremacy in Kentucky football.

 

The Purples enter 2013 with 15 returning starters, including 9 on the offensive side of the ball. Four returning senior linemen will protect 2500 yard passer Devin Hayes who will look for All-BluegrassPreps.com WR and recent WKU commit Nacarius Fant. 1,000 yard rusher Blue Tisdale also returns to lead the rushing corps, as will speedster Blake Pillow who supplied last year's highlight on a hook and lateral TD to rescue the Purples against John Hardin. The Purples will have a little more work to do on the defensive side of the ball with 5 starters absent, including the entire D-Line. They'll also be without new Boone County head coach Jeff Griffith, who served as the architect of the Purple defense for the last decade. Veteran coach Mark Spader will step up to fill the defensive coordinator vacancy, and the Purples should still feature that strong "Jungle D" that shows off their talented LB corps, led by All-BluegrassPreps.com LB Lincoln Quick. Bowling Green also returns all but one member of a secondary that led 5A in passing defense last year.

 

For 2013 the Purples beef up an already challenging schedule, and they have proven willing to travel to do so. They have added two games against Tennessee powers, hosting Blackman out of Murfreesboro and traveling to McCallie School in Chatanooga. They also maintain out of district games against Kentucky titans like St. X, Lexington Catholic, and Owensboro. Their visit to St. X on September 6th in particular is a definite “circle the calendar” game for fans of the teams and casual fans alike. The Purples’ schedule features no out of district games against teams that are within 70 miles of Bowling Green. That probably owes to the fact that they've only lost three games since 2004 to teams within that range - only one was out of district and that was in the postseason. Bowling Green’s largest test in-district should come from rival Warren Central, but the Purples have re-asserted their dominance over the Dragons following losses in 2009 & 2010 to the tune of 23 PPG margins of victory in their four meetings of 2011 & 2012. In all, the Purples have won 50 of their last 52 district games.

 

In short, the Purples are poised to take on all-comers this season with a veteran and dominant squad. In the eyes of many it's really less a question of whether they'll be state champions for the third straight year, but rather by how much along the way, and whether they will again be unbeaten. Another 15-0 campaign would take them into the following year with 45 straight wins, staring down history.

 

Players To Watch

• Nacarius Fant - WR - 5'10", 174 lbs - Senior - Fant is worth the price of admission all by himself. The electrifying wideout is not necessarily the fastest WR you'll ever see, but you may never see one with better hands or that is more elusive. Nacarius has a knack for simply not being there when the defense goes to tackle him. He'll catch virtually everything thrown to him. He notched 1,250 receiving yards and 18 TDs in his junior campaign, but also rushed for a TD and was 2/3 passing. It was good enough to earn him a spot on the All-BluegrassPreps.com team.
  
• Devin Hayes - QB - 6'2", 175 lbs - Senior - Hayes compiled an impressive 2,544 yards passing with 38 TDs in his junior campaign, his first as a starter. While not the runner his predecessor Scooter Hollis was, Hayes is a more polished passer that stands in the pocket with confidence and rarely makes an errant throw. Like Hollis, Hayes is being courted by the Ivy League to play football, and was one of 36 players selected to attend the NFL Wharton Sports Leadership Program which recognizes student-athlete success both on the field and in the classroom.
  
• Blue Tisdale - RB - 6'1", 185 lbs - Senior - Tisdale is as comfortable running past you as he is running you over. A star on the basketball court as well, he's the old faithful of the BG offense. Hand him the ball, expect to get more than halfway to a first down. His 1,025 yards rushing may seem low, but that is a byproduct of the balanced and powerful Purple offense. If they so desired, he could easily be a 2,000 yard back.
  
• Lincoln Quick - LB - 6'2", 205 lbs - Senior - Quick will be a three year starter his senior year, the defensive anchor spanning the talented Class of 2012 with the Class of 2014. Offenses may find themselves thinking there are three of him as he is everywhere on the field. Bowling Green's "Jungle D" is perfectly suited to a linebacker like Quick who shoots through the gaps so that quarterbacks and running backs find themselves facing him before they've even had a chance to think about their next move. Lincoln compiled 69 solo and 27 assisted tackles last year, good enough to be the leading returning player by nearly 40 tackles.
  

 

:popcorn:

Great article DragonFire. I love reading some of the regular poster's analysis of the teams they follow closely.

As great as many on here claim Highlands to be, I for one don't see them better than BG this year.

2013 BG schedule

 

Lex Cath

Bryan Station

Lou. St. X

Owensboro

McCallie Tn 2012 record 5-6

Barron County

Logan County

Warren Central

Grennwood (BG,Ky)

Blackmon (Tn) 2011 record 8-4

 

Where's the beef? :popcorn:

 

As great as many on here claim Highlands to be, I for one don't see them better than BG this year.

 

 

This should get real interesting!

I would say that Highlands and BG have the same objective this season and neither has much concern for the other...

This should get real interesting!

 

Nah, in spite of the childish baiting, hopefully the Highlands fans will allow this thread to be about BG. They should be very, very good this year.

Nah, in spite of the childish baiting, hopefully the Highlands fans will allow this thread to be about BG. They should be very, very good this year.

 

Nothing childish about it and I wasn't baiting anyone. When someone tells me the schedule is "beefed up" I was expecting a schedule that would give the Purples some competition. After looking at the BG schedule , after the first 3 games, it should be a "walk in the park" and a running clock in the 2nd half for the remainder of the schedule. The Purples are ranked 24th nationally, wouldn't you expect them to be playing better teams?

 

Your right, this thread is about BG, and that's what I'm talking about. :idunno:

Nothing childish about it and I wasn't baiting anyone. When someone tells me the schedule is "beefed up" I was expecting a schedule that would give the Purples some competition. After looking at the BG schedule , after the first 3 games, it should be a "walk in the park" and a running clock in the 2nd half for the remainder of the schedule. The Purples are ranked 24th nationally, wouldn't you expect them to be playing better teams?

 

Your right, this thread is about BG, and that's what I'm talking about. :idunno:

 

Beefing up is a comparative term. The Purples have six out of district games (obviously they have to play the four district games). Three of them are repeat opponents from last year. The three they dropped were Allen County-Scottsville, Henderson County, and Lafayette. They picked up Bryan Station, McCallie School, and Blackman. Personally, I feel they improved their slate. Playing Tennessee schools poses a different challenge, and though McCallie School did have a losing record, they are a private school playing in Tennessee's private division, which is much tougher. And BG is going to Chattanooga to play it.

 

On a personal note, as good as BG is, if they running clock Warren Central, I'll be surprised and disappointed. Not saying it can't happen, but I don't think it will. I suppose I don't have to ask what you think will happen two weeks after that when Highlands plays them.

For a reference, since the CalPreps ratings have been mentioned:

 

(2012 National Ranks From CalPreps)

Dropped From BG's Schedule

Henderson County (1789)

Lafayette (1937)

Allen County-Scottsville (7838)

 

Added To BG's Schedule

Blackman (TN) (842)

McCallie School (TN) (1057)

Bryan Station (2218)