Unbeaten Central Bucks West rolls into District 1 semifinals behind QB Cooper Taylor

Twenty years from now, Central Bucks West quarterback Cooper Taylor will have an all-time tale to tell.

Last week, Taylor helped the undefeated Bucks (12-0), who were missing several starters because of injuries, knock off two-time defending district champ Garnet Valley, 28-27, in overtime of the Class 6A District 1 quarterfinals.

Taylor, a 6-foot, 190-pounder, rushed for 186 yards, scored four touchdowns, intercepted a pass, made two touchdown-saving tackles, blocked a critical extra-point attempt in overtime, and then rushed for the game-winning touchdown.

He may have done everything except park cars, tear tickets, and sell sodas.

“He just had that refuse-to-lose mentality,” CB West coach Rob Rowan said in a phone interview.

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“It was probably one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of,” Taylor said after a practice this week. “Probably the best game. It was just everyone doing their job.”

The victory avenged losses from previous seasons and set up Friday’s semifinal with rival Central Bucks South at 7 p.m. at West’s War Memorial Field.

And to think, Taylor wasn’t even supposed to be the Bucks’ starting quarterback this season. Now, he has propelled himself into recent CB West lore.

“His maturation in the program has been a special thing for me to watch,” said Rowan, now in his sixth season. “I think he’s cemented himself in my tenure as absolutely one of the best players, but also one of the best individuals to come through the program.”

Taylor, who will play linebacker at Division III Washington and Lee next year, was a freshman when he lost the starting varsity quarterback spot to Ganz Cooper, who also was a freshman at the time.

As a result, Taylor — after practicing with the varsity team all summer — played freshman football.

“I was definitely upset when it happened at first, but it was probably the best thing,” Taylor said. “I’m happy it happened because this whole experience has been amazing.”

Instead of sulking, Taylor used that season to truly learn the position. Before that, he says he had no idea how to read a defense or run an offense.

Taylor credits then-quarterbacks coach Tom Butts, now the head coach at Hatboro-Horsham, for teaching him how to be a quarterback.

Still, Taylor didn’t get a chance to apply what he learned on the varsity field until this season after Cooper, a three-year starter, suffered a torn ACL about a week before this season began.

“I was definitely like, ‘Oh, my God. Now, I’m the quarterback,’” Taylor said. “I knew there would be a lot of pressure. But my teammates, coaches, and family all had so much confidence in me and that really helped.”

It also helped that he rushed for a 62-yard touchdown on the team’s first play this season, a play he said made all the pressure fall away.

Perhaps Taylor’s ascension at quarterback also sparked the Bucks’ resilience this season.

Entering last week, several key contributors, including track star and Naval Academy recruit Conor McFadden, were out with injuries.

Rowan said players such as senior defensive end Jack Williams and junior running back Ryan Clemens, who rushed for 139 yards and kicked the game-winning extra point last week, stepped up.

“What happened on Friday night was just a group of guys who’ve dealt with a tremendous amount of adversity leading up to that week,” Rowan said.

Later, he added: “We’ve developed a program where every guy on this roster gets coached, and they get coached hard. When it’s their turn, the expectation doesn’t change.”

Few shoulder the expectations that Taylor carries. He rarely comes off the field.

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In addition to quarterback, he also plays defensive back, where he has started since he was a sophomore, earning first-team all-conference honors as a junior.

He also is the holder on the field-goal team. In fact, the only position group he isn’t a part of is the kickoff squad.

All of that responsibility, and still Taylor took on even more.

Rowan said he has watched each week as Taylor’s confidence and leadership have evolved.

“He’s just such a special young man,” Rowan said. “The way he carries himself, the belief he has in himself is really unique at the high school level. The way he leads. The way he practices. He’s a quiet guy, but he assumed a leadership role, got out of his comfort zone, and excelled in that role.”

Friday marks the first time West and South will play for a chance to play in the district finale.

In October, the No. 1-seeded Bucks trampled the No. 5-seeded Titans, 40-29. South slipped past Coatesville, 21-20, in the first round and knocked off Spring-Ford, 35-19, last week.

“It’s a huge game,” Rowan said. “The fact that it’s at home is a pretty neat thing.”

Later, he added: “CB South is a tremendous team. I have the utmost respect for what coach [Tom] Hetrick does. They’re a really sound football team and they have some dynamic playmakers.”

Taylor says the strength of his team is its resilience, its speed, and its tenacity. You’re not likely to hear excuses about injuries, no matter the outcome.

“There’s no, like, ‘Oh I’m second-string,’” Taylor said. “It’s more, ‘next man up.’ That’s what makes our team so great.

“This group of kids I’m playing with is the closest team and has the best relationships. There’s no one else I’d rather be playing with on a Friday night than with these kids.”

Whether or not he’ll author another all-time performance is unclear. One thing is almost a certainty: Taylor will be exhausted by game’s end, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s pretty exhausting, but it’s worth it,” he said. “I know that when my time is up, in 20 years, I’m going to feel like that was the greatest time of my life and that I gave it my all.”