The Birds led 37-17 at the half, and then led it 58-37 with 6:18 remaining in the game. Cooper almost manages to stage a comeback after nabbing a pick-6 with about 5 minutes remaining. Highlands holds on for the win.

 

 

Defense optional, apparently.

Cannot believe the first onside kick from Cooper with under 10 minutes left in the 4th.  Benke and Giesler run option was unstoppable.  

The score definitely reflects it!

Cooper is passing every down and torching the db’s. Hey, let’s not do anything different the entire game. Maybe all the sudden we’ll stop them. Great plan coach. Good thing the Cooper D was equally bad. 

Idk if Highlands will face another duo/trifecta like tonight of Coopers QB with Alexander & 13 (sorry but don’t know names) but Highlands DB’s need some help back there. Thankfully Benke, Giesler, and crew had a good night offensively. Idk, game just seem like it wasn’t this close. But somehow Cooper made it that way. 

7 minutes ago, TEDFROMVILLAHILLS said:

Idk if Highlands will face another duo/trifecta like tonight of Coopers QB with Alexander & 13 (sorry but don’t know names) but Highlands DB’s need some help back there. Thankfully Benke, Giesler, and crew had a good night offensively. Idk, game just seem like it wasn’t this close. But somehow Cooper made it that way. 

Isaiah Johnson.

36 minutes ago, JUGGSPORTS said:

Cannot believe the first onside kick from Cooper with under 10 minutes left in the 4th.  Benke and Giesler run option was unstoppable.  

At that point in the game in a high scoring game when neither team was really stopping the other, it would be dumb not to try at that point. I believe at that point in the game it was a 14 point game, and Highlands was getting the ball back. You have to try to find a way to create extra possessions for your offense by that point in a game like that, where like it or not neither defense was really doing much to stop the other team. Especially when that other team is running the ball like that and would have taken more time off the clock to still probably go up 21. Now in a normal regular scoring game, you would be correct not to onside kick at that point. However, how the game is being played matters in those decisions, and I see nothing wrong with their choice to onside kick there with how the game was going. 

9 minutes ago, TEDFROMVILLAHILLS said:

Idk if Highlands will face another duo/trifecta like tonight of Coopers QB with Alexander & 13 (sorry but don’t know names) but Highlands DB’s need some help back there. Thankfully Benke, Giesler, and crew had a good night offensively. Idk, game just seem like it wasn’t this close. But somehow Cooper made it that way. 

Isaiah Johnson. 

 

Cooper defense lost a very good, young defensive lineman early in the game and it hurt. Jags kept fighting and made it a game.  Good luck to both teams moving forward. Hope to see the two teams meet again. 

44 minutes ago, JUGGSPORTS said:

Cannot believe the first onside kick from Cooper with under 10 minutes left in the 4th.  Benke and Giesler run option was unstoppable.  

Cooper hadn't stopped Highlands one time prior to that. Holding them to a fg was the only "win" the defense had to that point. I'd have kicked an onside kick every chance I got in the second half. They had to try to steal a possession. 

Birds took the foot off of the gas. Could have done whatever they wanted. Final score was “Fools Gold” for Cooper.

Cooper Qb is legit.  Had some great throws.  Kept his team in the game.  I still question how this team lost to Ryle.  How did they only score 10 points in that loss?  

Benke might be best player in NKY.  I would love to see the stats.. maybe threw over 250.. ran for another 150.  Some schools are missing out on a big time player.  Great athlete!

Geisler might be the best running back in NKY.  Leen for Cov Cath is right there with him.  He is running hard and just seems to be faster this year.  Reminds me of Warrick Dunn from FSU.

Would love to see a rematch.  I feel like Highlands holds a slight edge because they could of just ran the ball tonight and won.  They also could have just thrown it deep to their 4-6 wide receivers and scored that way.

 

1 minute ago, Woody Hayes said:

Birds took the foot off of the gas. Could have done whatever they wanted. Final score was “Fools Gold” for Cooper.

Huh? If they took their foot off the gas, they wouldn’t have thrown a pick 6 at the end of the game. Highlands also couldn’t stop Cooper and gave up 555 yards passing. Quite honestly them not taking their foot off the game at the end is what almost cost them, by trying to pass the ball and throwing the pick 6. 

Cooper had no chance to win that game.

28 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

At that point in the game in a high scoring game when neither team was really stopping the other, it would be dumb not to try at that point. I believe at that point in the game it was a 14 point game, and Highlands was getting the ball back. You have to try to find a way to create extra possessions for your offense by that point in a game like that, where like it or not neither defense was really doing much to stop the other team. Especially when that other team is running the ball like that and would have taken more time off the clock to still probably go up 21. Now in a normal regular scoring game, you would be correct not to onside kick at that point. However, how the game is being played matters in those decisions, and I see nothing wrong with their choice to onside kick there with how the game was going. 

I get it.  I always feel like teams have a better chance kicking it deep with that much time left in the game.