The Red Devils will look to grab their third straight win over a city foe on Friday, while Owensboro Catholic hopes to bounce back from a tough road loss.
Despite a slow start Owensboro was able to grab a 24-14 win over Daviess County in week three, where the defense was the key to success. While forcing multiple turnovers into touchdowns against the Panthers, the Red Devils also got a standout performance from senior Kenyatta Carbon who ran for 156 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
Senior quarterback Kasey Boone also had a decent day under center, throwing for 123 yards on 8-12 passing to go along with a touchdown and an interception. Head Coach Jay Fallin said that their focus is to continue to improve this week, in hopes of putting together a complete game in which they execute well in all three phases of the game.
“Against Apollo we played well on offense and struggled to get stops defensively,” Fallin said. “Against Daviess County, our defense played well but we never found a rhythm offensively. Special teams has been the most consistent phase of the game for us thus far.”
This includes game planning for a couple of key players, including the man behind Owensboro Catholic’s offense in sophomore quarterback Brady Atwell and a hard-nosed defense.
“They are a very well-coached, gritty, disciplined team that plays very hard and physically,” Fallin said. “Brady Atwell is a super-talented young quarterback and has great arm talent and the ability to escape the pocket and run. The defense is anchored by Tutt and Vince Carrico.”
Fallin wants his team to take advantage of all scoring opportunities and not leave points on the field, while avoiding penalties and negative plays with another chance to compete and improve under the Friday night lights.
On the other hand, the Aces are coming off of a tough 33-29 loss against Union County and looking to return to form in front of their home crowd. Sophomore quarterback Brady Atwell threw for 161 passing yards on 14-29 passing, while also rushing for 13 yards and two touchdowns on five carries.
Junior Elijah Blair had the other pair of touchdowns on the day, going along with his 45 yards on six carries. Despite the end result Head Coach Jason Morris was happy with his team’s play last week and wants to see them take another leap forward against the Red Devils.
“I am expecting to continue to improve off last week’s performance and give ourselves the best opportunity we can to get a win,” Morris said.
The Aces coaching staff has kept its eye out on a few key players for Owensboro, specifically Jeremiah Goodwin, knowing that he can change the game by dominating the middle of the field defensively. With such a strong well-rounded defense, Owensboro Catholic will have to take care of the ball in order to come out on top.
“Owensboro is very big and athletic on the offense and defense lines. This is what makes them click,” Morris said. “Third and fourth down conversions along with limiting turnovers will be keys to winning”
Morris said that Owensboro Catholic is really focusing on finishing this week, wanting to maximize every opportunity and put opponents away when they build a lead. If they can do so while having an emphasis on good tackling and taking advantage of playmaking opportunities, the Aces feel like they are poised for a tough road win at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
