In 2004 the Bowling Green Bobcats didn’t win a single game. Five years later, the Bobcats are one win away from a perfect season and a State Championship.
Bowling Green head coach Jimmy Tucker, who took over the program following the 0-10 campaign in 2004, compared his team to the Dallas Cowboys of the early 1990s following last Saturday’s win against Priory High School. Like Tucker, Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson took over a bad team and won just one game in his first year as the head coach. A few years later, Dallas won the Super Bowl Champions. In the locker room after the game, Johnson gathered his team and exclaimed, “How ’bout them Cowboys!.” After beating Priory and locking up a trip to the Dome, Tucker echoed Johnson when he cheered, “How ’bout them Bobcats!”
At 3:15 p.m. today at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Bowling Green will try to complete the program’s turnaround. Taking on the defending Class 3 State Champion Cassville Wildcats, the Bobcats will be playing for its first football State title in school history. In fact, prior to the playoff run this season, Bowling Green hadn’t even won a playoff game. Bowling Green hasn’t lost a game since Nov. 5, 2008. The Bobcats have railed off 14 straight wins this season and one more would make them undefeated State champs.
Tucker said he thought this senior-laden team had the right pieces make some noise this season.
“We only lost three seniors last year, so I knew we would be pretty good,” Tucker said. “I figured we had a chance to go 10-0 and I thought we could win our District and win some playoff games — after that I wasn’t sure.”
The road to the Dome has been paved thanks to a balanced team. The Bobcats have an offense that can score and defense that is capable of keeping points off the board. The Bobcats offense has garnered most of the attention by putting up video game numbers. In 14 games, Bowling Green has scored 489 points, or 34.9 points per game. Six times this year the Bobcats have cracked the 40-point barrier.
Unlike a lot of high school teams, the Bobcats don’t go to the air when they are forced to. Bowling Green likes to pass and does it early and often. Operating out of the spread-option style system popularized in the NCAA, quarterback Ryan Cox has been able to pick apart opposing defenses. Thanks to an offensive line that gives him time to pass, Cox has a fleet of receivers to choose from. Against Priory, Cox threw the ball 32 times, completing 22 of them for 330 yards and a touchdown. He hit six different receivers in the game. Cody Spegal, Blake Robbins and Matt Brown each had at least 70 yards receiving.
When Cox isn’t in the game, the Bowling Green offense is just as potent. The rare cases that Cox is on the sideline, the Bobcats go with a Wildcat offense. The offense, best known as the offense used by the Miami Dolphins, features a running back at quarterback and multiple running backs. Brothers Jeff and Zach Pease made the Wildcat go for the Bobcats and can put points on the board. Against Priory with time running out, Jeff Pease iced the game for Bowling Green with a 45-yard run.
Defensively the Bobcats are just as stout. Through 14 games, the Bobcats have given up 120 points, or 8.5 a game. Eight times this year, Bowling Green held the other team to seven points or less.
Cassville heads to the Dome on a 13-game wining streak. After losing its first game of 2009, the Wildcats have run the table to St. Louis. Like Bowling Green, Cassville can score. The Wildcats have scored 446 points this season and have been held under the 20-point mark just once since its season-opening loss. On other side of the ball, Cassville has allowed 155 points this year.
Kickoff for the game will be at 3:15. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Midwest.
|
|
|
In 2004 the Bowling Green Bobcats didn’t win a single game. Five years later, the Bobcats are one win away from a perfect season and a State Championship.
Bowling Green head coach Jimmy Tucker, who took over the program following the 0-10 campaign in 2004, compared his team to the Dallas Cowboys of the early 1990s following last Saturday’s win against Priory High School. Like Tucker, Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson took over a bad team and won just one game in his first year as the head coach. A few years later, Dallas won the Super Bowl Champions. In the locker room after the game, Johnson gathered his team and exclaimed, “How ’bout them Cowboys!.” After beating Priory and locking up a trip to the Dome, Tucker echoed Johnson when he cheered, “How ’bout them Bobcats!”
At 3:15 p.m. today at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Bowling Green will try to complete the program’s turnaround. Taking on the defending Class 3 State Champion Cassville Wildcats, the Bobcats will be playing for its first football State title in school history. In fact, prior to the playoff run this season, Bowling Green hadn’t even won a playoff game. Bowling Green hasn’t lost a game since Nov. 5, 2008. The Bobcats have railed off 14 straight wins this season and one more would make them undefeated State champs.
Tucker said he thought this senior-laden team had the right pieces make some noise this season.
“We only lost three seniors last year, so I knew we would be pretty good,” Tucker said. “I figured we had a chance to go 10-0 and I thought we could win our District and win some playoff games — after that I wasn’t sure.”
The road to the Dome has been paved thanks to a balanced team. The Bobcats have an offense that can score and defense that is capable of keeping points off the board. The Bobcats offense has garnered most of the attention by putting up video game numbers. In 14 games, Bowling Green has scored 489 points, or 34.9 points per game. Six times this year the Bobcats have cracked the 40-point barrier.
Unlike a lot of high school teams, the Bobcats don’t go to the air when they are forced to. Bowling Green likes to pass and does it early and often. Operating out of the spread-option style system popularized in the NCAA, quarterback Ryan Cox has been able to pick apart opposing defenses. Thanks to an offensive line that gives him time to pass, Cox has a fleet of receivers to choose from. Against Priory, Cox threw the ball 32 times, completing 22 of them for 330 yards and a touchdown. He hit six different receivers in the game. Cody Spegal, Blake Robbins and Matt Brown each had at least 70 yards receiving.
When Cox isn’t in the game, the Bowling Green offense is just as potent. The rare cases that Cox is on the sideline, the Bobcats go with a Wildcat offense. The offense, best known as the offense used by the Miami Dolphins, features a running back at quarterback and multiple running backs. Brothers Jeff and Zach Pease made the Wildcat go for the Bobcats and can put points on the board. Against Priory with time running out, Jeff Pease iced the game for Bowling Green with a 45-yard run.
Defensively the Bobcats are just as stout. Through 14 games, the Bobcats have given up 120 points, or 8.5 a game. Eight times this year, Bowling Green held the other team to seven points or less.
Cassville heads to the Dome on a 13-game wining streak. After losing its first game of 2009, the Wildcats have run the table to St. Louis. Like Bowling Green, Cassville can score. The Wildcats have scored 446 points this season and have been held under the 20-point mark just once since its season-opening loss. On other side of the ball, Cassville has allowed 155 points this year.
Kickoff for the game will be at 3:15. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Midwest.
