Cooper quarterback Cam O'Hara took a snap from the 11-yard line with 43 seconds left, rolled to his right and found Isaiah Johnson in the back of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown against Ryle .
"I had an out route, but he told me to run an up-and-out because the corner had been jumping on it all game. So I ran the out and came up and I ended up being open and he just hit me," Johnson said.
The Jaguars' first win over the Raiders since 2015 was a team effort, but O'Hara, who is in his third year as the starter, showed how far he has come in just over a year. In last year's loss to Ryle, he completed 50 percent of his passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, but threw two interceptions and lost a fumble on the snap. In the 2024 edition of the rivalry, he was 26-of-40 for 354 yards and two touchdowns and, most importantly, no turnovers.
"He grew up tonight. I'll tell you, that kid took some hits tonight. But he's a gamer. He just continues to mature, and the big thing is, when things weren't going great for us tonight, he kept his composure," head coach Randy Borchers said.
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O'Hara is bringing a dynamic approach to his junior year
O'Hara's arm isn't the only thing that makes him one of the top quarterbacks in Northern Kentucky. Sure, he threw for 2,018 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a freshman, then improved to 3,361 yards, 47 touchdowns and just seven interceptions as a sophomore.
He has learned to use his legs better, whether he's scrambling or executing a designed run. Against Ryle, he scored the third rushing touchdown of his career. He didn't hesitate on the game-winning score since the Raiders' defensive line had forced him to scramble all night. But more often than not, he found a receiver for a crucial completion.
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"People say I can't run. I know we have a young O-line and coming into this game, they were gonna have some trouble, so throughout the whole week, I'm working on scrambling and getting out of the pocket," O'Hara said.
One of those completions was a 29-yard touchdown to Jaidan Combs. O'Hara twisted and whirled near midfield before finding Combs, who evaded defenders and tip-toed the sideline for the score. After the game, he called his receiving corps "the best in the state".
That connection was a prime example of O'Hara's vision to find an open receiver. He's the kind of quarterback who wants to make a play on every snap, but his improved decision-making has taught him to, at times, throw the ball away instead of forcing a throw that could lead to an interception.
O'Hara has also handled the punting duties for Cooper the last few years. His leg led to another key moment against the Raiders. After shanking his first punt of the night, he had a shot to pin the Raiders deep in their own territory with less than a minute left. He successfully placed the kick at the 15-yard line, but Ryle fumbled it to set up the winning score.
"Someone was actually blocking me. I look over and see the ball thump off his pads. I'm like, 'Oh, shoot!' and started running upfield," O'Hara said.
Lastly, he has shown his ability as a blocker. Part of Keagan Maher's 168-yard performance against Bardstown was a 40-yard touchdown run made possible by O'Hara throwing a block on a jet sweep.
No matter how the game is going, O'Hara's singular focus is winning the game, even as he fills multiple roles on offense.
"He never gets on anyone. He's a great leader by his actions. He's not necessarily a vocal leader for us right now, but man, he keeps that calmness in the huddle. He never gets too high, never gets too low," Borchers said.
A preview of things to come for Cooper?
After storms rolled through Northern Kentucky on Friday afternoon, a breezy, chilly evening almost resembled the conditions the Jaguars played in in the 2023 Class 5A state championship. Beating Ryle was the kind of game Cooper will have to win to get back to Kroger Field, but the Jaguars also got a taste of the weather they want to play in at the end of the season.
"Playing through that wetter field and mystery of what the weather's going to be, it's good to play a solid team like Ryle knowing there's going to be teams that are similar and better than them in the playoffs that we're going to need to take down in conditions like this," Austin Alexander said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'He's a great leader.' Cam O'Hara's arm, mind lead Cooper to rivalry win over Ryle
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