'It's a process.' Cooper football sets its own standard after 2023 state final appearance

The Cooper Jaguars were one of two Northern Kentucky teams that advanced to the 2023 Kentucky High School Athletic Association football state championships. Since they return 100 percent of their offensive production and the majority of their defense, many believe they can return to Kroger Field this fall.

To the casual fan, the Jaguars' roster doesn't present many questions. But there is one key question head coach Randy Borchers has used to challenge his team.

"Are you going to be complacent or are you going to push to get better?" Borchers said.

Cooper has only had one previous offseason where they carried the title of defending state runner-up. It finished 13-2 in 2012 before losing a sizeable amount of senior production and going 3-8 in 2013.

With so many key factors back for this year's team, the Jaguars know they have a large target on their back. They have had to mature on and off the field to prepare themselves for opponents who are also leveling up.

"That's not our endpoint. We don't want to lose again in the state championship, so just building off that and using it as motivation to get better," quarterback Cam O'Hara said.

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The luxury that this team enjoys is that its junior and senior offensive stars have also been its vocal leaders. O'Hara, Austin Alexander , Isaac Brown and Keagan Maher are the keystones of a dynamic offense, and they have had additional chances to improve at seven-on-seven tournaments throughout the offseason.

The Jaguars scored 35 points or more in 10 games last season, averaging 34.8 points per game. Believe it or not, those numbers could increase this season.

Before the season officially gets underway against Bardstown on Aug. 23, Cooper has scrimmages against the defending Class 3A state champion Christian Academy-Louisville and a Simon Kenton squad that is coming off a 5-5 campaign.

For all the fanfare the offense gets, one area in question for the Jaguars is the offensive and defensive lines. They are tasked with replacing two-way contributors Mason Baesel, Lucas Hughes and Jack Lonaker. In 2023, the defense gave up 1,962 rushing yards while the offensive line surrendered 26 quarterback sacks.

"It's a process. We're going to have some good days, we're going to have some bad days. We've just got to continue to coach kids up and continue to get better," Borchers said.

Top returning players (with 2023 stats)

Austin Alexander , senior DL/ TE: 57 solo tackles, 24 assisted tackles, 19 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries 1,138 receiving yards, 19 receiving touchdowns

Isaac Brown, senior DB: 19 solo tackles, five assisted tackles, four interceptions

Ryker Campbell, senior DB/ WR: 39 solo tackles, 20 assisted tackles, five interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 143 receiving yards, 48 rushing yards

Isaiah Johnson , senior WR: 1,372 receiving yards, 21 receiving touchdowns

Keagan Maher , junior RB: 1,204 rushing yards, 309 receiving yards, 22 total touchdowns

Cam O'Hara, junior QB: 3,361 passing yards, 47 passing touchdowns, 65.1 completion percentage

Must-watch games

The Jaguars are playing the same schedule as last year, the result of several non-district home-and-home agreements. The only difference is last year's road games are now home contests and vice versa.

"We feel like we'll hopefully be prepared come district time by playing some different styles of football, and hopefully be able to see where we're weak and continue to improve," Borchers said.

Week 3 vs. Ryle: Cooper hasn't won the Battle of Union since 2015. It's a fact that gives Jaguars fans headaches. Last year, it was three second-half turnovers that doomed the Jaguars after they held a 10-7 halftime lead.

It will be an intriguing matchup this year as Cooper is a year older and returns most of its uber-talented core. Ryle graduated all-time leading passer Logan Verax but returns Landon Lorms, Gavin Lyons, Jacob Savage and Dillon Smith, who all made significant contributions in last year's contest.

"We love the rivalry. Everyone can say what they want. We're just going to do us and play our ball," O'Hara said.

Week 5 vs. Great Crossing: The Warhawks went 2-9 in 2023 but are continuing to build as the program enters its sixth season, and second in Class 6A. A run-heavy offense returns the majority of its offensive line as well as Clayton Shaddix, who ran for 396 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. Shaddix also recorded 68 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and forced three fumbles last year.

Quarterback Jeremiah Clark is more experienced after starting as a sophomore. Leading receivers Mason Euler, Javonte Dean and Hunter Moody also return. On the defensive side, Shaddix, Logan Clayton and Caden Bays will lead a unit that allowed 32.7 points per game in 2023.

Week 6 at Highlands: The Bluebirds and Jaguars played one of, if not the best game of the 2023 season in Northern Kentucky. Highlands emerged with a 58-51 victory in a game that featured over 1,100 yards of total offense. Highlands ran for 424 yards in that game but will have a new look on offense as dual-threat quarterback Brody Benke and running back Cameron Geisler both graduated.

Cooper got revenge in the state semifinals with their third straight road win. This season, a victory in Fort Thomas would give them their third win at Highlands since 2020 and an early leg up in the district standings.

Week 10 at Dixie Heights: It took a touchdown catch from Isaiah Johnson to complete a comeback effort by the Jaguars on Oct. 20, 2023. That was their sixth straight win over the Colonels. Extending that streak to seven and ending the regular season with a win will be a tough task this year.

Dixie returns quarterback Armani Gregg, who threw for 1,776 yards and 22 touchdowns and ran for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. David Anderson only ran for 22 yards against the Jaguars last season, but he is still an explosive back. The Colonels are replacing a large percentage of their receiving corps and passing defense, two areas the Jaguars can certainly exploit.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'It's a process.' Cooper football sets its own standard after 2023 state final appearance