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

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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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Cooper’s Christian Brown (76) started 14 games as a sophomore. He will be a leader on the offensive and defensive lines this year.

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….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/process-cooper-football-sets-own-020037734.html

Author : Cincinnati.com | The Enquirer

Publish date : 2024-07-26 02:00:37

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