‘We play for one another’: Bauer, Grandview Heights football seniors seek dream season
Wednesday, August 3, 2025
By Michael Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Cooper Bauer (11), a Princeton commit, is one of a class of 11 seniors looking for a special run in the postseason for the Grandview Heights Bobcats. Photos: Kevin Rouch
Having a stout defense and a strong senior class are often ingredients that make for a stellar season. The Grandview Heights football team’s recipe for a dream season rests on both of those components.
Led by a pair of Division I collegiate recruits, the Bobcats seek to put it all together to make a run at the state tournament – something they’ve only done once as a program in 2015.
Grandview came close last season, but were defeated by Galion Northmor 37-6 in a Division VI, Region 23 final to finish 12-1.
“I think we (don’t have) the biggest team like size wise (or) numbers wise,” said senior defensive end Cooper Bauer, who had 86 tackles, including 27 of them for a loss with nine sacks, a forced fumble and a safety last season on his way to second-team all-state and first-team all-district honors. “But we all love to compete. We play for one another, not just ourselves.”
The Bobcats have been building for this success for a long time.
“The second grade was when me and a lot of my friends started playing football,” Bauer said. “We were good. We played in the Hillard League. I think we might have went undefeated our first year. But we had a lot of good athletes.
“I mean, for as small as Grandview is – even back then – there was a lot of talent. We moved to the Upper Arlington League next year in third grade and beyond. We usually went undefeated or only lost one or two games at UYFA.”
Henry Ohlinger (0), an Indiana commit, has been difficult for opponents on both sides of the football as a running back and linebacker.
Bauer, a Princeton commit, and senior linebacker and running back Henry Ohlinger, an Indiana commit, hope to lead Grandview and are just two of those elements in a class of 11 seniors.
Ohlinger rushed for 1,788 yards and 28 touchdowns and added 63 tackles, including 14 for a loss with nine sacks as a linebacker on defense. He was named first-team all-state and all-district.
“He was blessed with a lot of ability and put in a lot of work to develop it,” said coach Jason Peters, who is in his 19th season. “He didn’t just come in and rest on his laurels – I mean he went to work. He put in a lot of work over the last four years to make himself into a Big 10 football player.”
The Bobcats opened the season with a pair dominating defensive performances, giving up a garbage-time touchdown in a 34-6 win at Briggs in Week 1 and shutout host Whetstone 53-0 last week.
Bauer is one of three defensive players to score a defensive touchdown already this season along with senior Mario Ionno and freshman Adi Kumar. The group has forced eight turnovers and held opponents to just 92 yards of total offense, including only 39 on the ground.
On offense, Ohlinger has 201 yards rushing on 11 carries with a pair of touchdowns and freshman Edward Hastie has 13 carries for 133 yards and a score to lead the offense.
Senior Jack Clifford has completed 7 of 14 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown and junior Mason Jourbert is his top receiver with a pair of catches for 64 yards and a score.
Seniors Owen Nugent (WR/DB) and Danny Main (OL/DL) are also key contributors for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats’ 11 seniors have been playing together since they were young kids. It’s a bond that has been built and cultivated over the years.
Jack Clifford (4) is the steady hand at quarterback for the Grandview Heights Bobcats, as he directs the offense that is already averaging more than 40 points a game.
“They only lost one or two games in middle school, and you knew they were going to be good,” Peters said. “We just knew that if we kept them together and got them developed that they were going to be a special group of kids.”
That wasn’t the case when they got to high school. On a team that was mostly freshmen and sophomores, the Bobcats went 2-8 in 2022. They quickly bounced back, going 7-4 in 2023. The senior class learned through that hardship.
“The class ahead of them was kind of small,” Peters said. “When you play as freshmen, it’s tough. The game is a lot faster. You’ve just got to learn a lot. And they learned a lot and (then) their sophomore year, they hit the ground running.”
Bauer grew up on the field and was a three-sport athlete at Grandview his first three years, also playing basketball and competing in track and field.
Bauer played all over the football field during his career at Grandview, mostly lining up as a defensive end. But he’s also played outside linebacker and middle linebacker on defense as well as tight end and receiver on offense.
His versatility will serve him well at the next level, where Princeton runs a 3-4 defense. Bauer will line up on the line of scrimmage or close to it as an outside linebacker. He plans on pursuing an engineering degree.
“He took every AP class he could his junior year,” Peters said. “He’s just a hardworking kid that goes 1,000 miles per hour all the time. He plays with great technique and is very coachable.”
Owen Nugent (10) has breakaway speed at the wide receiver spot in a potent Grandview Heights offensive attack.