Bunning, Dougherty Leave Marks on Blue Raider Program |
| Lindsey Wilson Photo. Lindsey Wilson center Lou Bunning (with ball) prepares to snap the ball during a game this season. The 2015 Highlands alum helped the Blue Raiders average 40.3 points per game this season. Lindsey Wilson lost in the national semifinals of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics football playoffs finishing 12-1 this year. |
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| Lindsey Wilson Photo. Blue Raider kicker Jared Dougherty (right) sets up to kick the ball during the season. The 2016 Highlands alum led Lindsey Wilson with 93 points this past season. |
The 2015 and 2016 Highlands graduates played key roles leading the Bluebirds to the last of 23 state championships in 2014. They ventured to play for the Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders from the Mid-South Conference of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics down in Columbia, Kentucky with the opportunity to help raise the standards. They helped a program that revived in 2008 do just that.
The NAIAs sixth-ranked Blue Raiders completed the best season in school history with a 12-1 season. They finished the regular season 10-0 including a 7-0 mark in MSC play, qualified for the NAIA playoffs and drove all the way to the national semifinals before losing 34-24 to Marian University out of Indianapolis (Indiana). That marked the furthest the Blue Raiders have driven in the playoffs.
"Winning is contagious, and knowing how to win and what the process looks like is a very valuable commodity," said Chris Oliver, Lindsey Wilson Head Coach. "Lou ended up being a captain, and Jared served on our leadership council as well. I have no doubt that their experiences at Highlands helped set the foundation for their ability to move into leadership roles at LWC."
Lindsey Wilson led most of the national semifinal game. The Blue Raiders jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Knights took the lead for good with 1:14 left in the game. Marian wound up losing 40-38 to Morningside College (Iowa) in the NAIA national championship game.
Over the past four seasons, Lindsey Wilson finished 41-7. In 2017, Lindsey Wilson also went undefeated in the regular season. The Blue Raiders lost in the national quarterfinals, 34-29 to Southern Oregon University in Columbia.
"Coming in as a freshman, you work at something for four and a half years," Bunning said. "To go out with the best team in program history is something you have to proud of as a student-athlete. Being able to do it with Jared is even more important me. Coming from the same school, it's been really cool to do everything we've done with him."
Lindsey Wilson wanted to make amends for the 2018 season. The Blue Raiders finished 7-3 that year including 4-2 in the MSC missing out on the playoffs.
Dougherty described it as a similar feeling to his senior year at Highlands in 2015 when the Bluebirds started the season 1-5. But that team reeled off seven straight wins to capture the last district and region championships for Highlands before losing 41-31 to Pulaski County in the state semifinals finishing the season 8-6.
"Going into my senior year, all of us seniors got together and we were like, 'You know. This isn't Blue Raider football. This isn't the standard that was set ahead of us," Dougherty said. "We felt like we needed to raise the bar a bit. That was something cool to be a part of because all the guys that I know will still be there know where the bar is set. Now they know where they need to get and the next step after that is the only national championship. That's where Lou and I agree. We didn't come out with one or more rings. But the guys behind us will see what hard work and dedication will get you."
Bunning broke his leg in 2018, but came back for a strong redshirt senior season at center. Bunning helped the Blue Raiders average 40.3 points, 278.3 yards passing and 165.7 yards rushing per game.
Bunning said blocking for player such as junior quarterback Cameron Dukes and junior running back Jaylen Boyd helped out. Dukes completed 249-of-394 passes for 3,394 yards, 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions and Boyd led the team in rushing with 168 carries for 1,119 yards and 12 touchdowns. Dukes also scored 12 rushing touchdowns.
"I think that was the story not just for me, but for our whole offensive line unit," Bunning said. "Our left guard had foot surgery in the off-season. Two of our tackles had knee surgeries. Everybody was injured in 2018. To come back and have the year that we had, it was really cool to be part of that. Everybody stayed healthy on the o-line for the most part. It was really cool to be able to play a full season with that group of guys. Having the success we did was really awesome to add on to that."
Bunning graduated from Lindsey Wilson in December with dual degrees in Criminal Justice and Communications. He's going to Western Kentucky University to pursue his Master's Degree in Recreation and Sports Administration Discipline. He's hoping to volunteer with the Hilltoppers program.
Dougherty finished the season leading the Blue Raiders with 93 points scored. He made 11-of-13 field goals with a season-long of 47 yards and 60-of-65 extra-point attempts. His career-long came from 48 yards as a sophomore.
Dougherty also excelled at punting and kickoffs. Dougherty had 87 kickoffs for a total of 4,843 yards for an average of 55.7 yards per kick with 16 touchbacks.
Dougherty also punted the ball 32 times for 1,347 yards for an average of 42.1 yards per kick with a season-long of 73 yards. He booted 10 punts 50 yards or more including six inside the 20-yard-line with only two blocked and three touchbacks.
"We take special teams very seriously at Lindsey Wilson compared to any other school in the NAIA really. It was either a directional kick," Dougherty said. "I had to make sure I got it out in time. In the first two years, I struggled with it. But the last two years, the more consistent you are and if you can flip the field position and help your defense or if you're offense gets stopped, you get out there and hit that field goal, it not only keeps our momentum going with us. But that team is seeing we got it back behind the 50. We didn't put them in field goal range. (Coach Oliver) always wanted me to be prepared because he knew I was a weapon that some teams didn't have. He was always willing to let me go out there and show everyone I'm the best in the Mid-South Conference."
Not everything worked out for every recent Highlands player that signed to play at Lindsey Wilson. But Bunning and Dougherty made the best of the situation.
"I would say to make sure that you love it. If you don't love playing football and you're more interested in playing in front of a bunch of fans and that kind of stuff then maybe it's not for you and it isn't for everybody," Bunning said. "But if you love football and you want to give it you're all for four or five more seasons then I highly recommend it. I enjoyed my experience playing. I'd do it all over again if I could."
Dougherty said many players may dream of going to places such as the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky or the University of Cincinnati to enjoy the party lifestyle. But Dougherty learned some valuable life lessons at Lindsey Wilson.
"I think being at Lindsey Wilson not only made me mature, but it made me learn how I'm going to have live on the outside world with things like doing laundry, making my own food, being time conservative," Dougherty said. "You have weight lifting then you have football practice. You have to juggle several things at once."
Dougherty majored in Business with an emphasis in Accounting. He said he may continue with grad school or if things do not work out to continue playing at the next level.
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