“Not a man of many words,” said Middies Coach Kali Jones, who was listening to the conversation.
Cooper has let his athletic ability speak volumes so far for the Middies, 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the Greater Miami Conference.
This has been the most successful season in recent memory for Middletown, once a perennial power in the GMC.
The defense has surrendered an average of 6.2 points per game, while the offense is averaging 30.8 points. The Middies have outscored their five opponents, 154-31.
Some of that prolific scoring can be credited to quarterback Joseph “JoJo” Ward and Cooper, a 5-foot-10 wide receiver.
In the first five games, Cooper has caught 21 passes for 460 yards and five touchdowns. He’s averaging 92 receiving yards per game, 21.9 yards per reception with a long of 65 yards. He’s the leading receiver in the GMC.
His five scores have come in the last three games against Oak Hills, Colerain and Sycamore.
Cooper is playing for his third high school in four years. He played at Princeton High School as a freshman, then two seasons at Mount Healthy, a Division II school that competes in the Southwest Ohio Conference.
“I love it over here,” Cooper said, adding the Middletown community is more involved with high school athletics.
Jones said Cooper moved into the Middletown district due to some family issues. The coach certainly is happy to have Cooper on his team.
“He works hard on the football field,” Jones said. “He’s very talented.”
He has worked extensively with Jalin Marshall, a former MHS and Ohio State standout who played in the NFL. Marshall has helped develop Cooper’s skills, Jones said.
“We’re seeing a lot of results and they’re very good,” the coach said. “He has committed to the process. We’re very happy what he has done, but we have a lot of work to do.”
While Cooper doesn’t say much, he’s confident in his ability. He’s fast and a great route runner, he said.
“I do it all,” he said. “Nobody can guard me for real.”
The Middies play their home football games on Cris Carter Field, named after the former Middie and OSU great and member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Cooper said he has heard of Carter, and like that wide receiver, he likes to catch touchdown passes.
Scoring is “a great feeling” and Cooper enjoys celebrating in the end zone with his teammates.
After high school, Cooper hopes to play college football. He’s looking for a school where he “feels at home” and offers him the most scholarship money, he said.
He has played football his entire life, and when he was younger, his grandmother, Kenya Flowers, called him “Boogie.”
Then his youth football coach called him “Ace Boogie.”
Now it’s just “Ace.”
Short just like his answers.
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The Journal-News will profile a local high school athlete on Sundays. If you have a suggestion, please forward the athlete’s name and high school to Rick McCrabb at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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