It was another year of incredible sports stories in Owensboro-Daviess County. From incredible team and individual performances at the high school level to amazing accomplishments by adults in various sports, plus a handful of other uplifting stories, here’s your 2023 Owensboro Times Sports Wrapped. Stories were selected based on a mix of website views, social media interaction, and staff picks.
- Catholic football’s remarkable season falls just short of state title
The Aces used an incredible season to advance to their first championship game since 2010, with the duo of Brady Atwell and Tutt Carrico setting state records along the way. It was an electrifying title matchup powered by high-octane offenses, highlight-reel plays, and new state records, but Catholic fell just short of their first championship in team history. - Apollo baseball reaches Final 4 of state tournament
The Eagles won their first region title since 2015, then picked up their first state tournament victory since 2011. They didn’t stop there, etching themselves in the history books as the fifth team to reach the Final 4 in program history. They lost 2-1 to Shelby County in the state semifinals. - Red Devils fall in state semifinals; reach 800-win milestone during season
After a 1-3 start, the Owensboro football team looked mighty impressive and made a deep playoff run that ended with a loss to rival Bowling Green in the state semifinal game. Along the way, the Red Devils won their 800th game in the history of the program, joining an exclusive club of just 7 schools in Kentucky and 45 schools in the country to reach that milestone. - Daviess County wins Boys’ district title for 10th year in a row
The Panthers have been the top local team for a decade, literally. They won their 10th district title in a row, then advanced to the Elite 8 for the 8th consecutive year before falling to St. Xavier 3-0. - Apollo’s Ashby and Stockdale bring home gold at state track meet
In the state track meet, Apollo’s Travis Ashby brought home the gold in the 1600M run, while Kaidhyn Stockdale claimed gold in the adapted shot put and discus. Stockdale has won the 3A adapted shot put state title 3 years in a row. He later represented the United States in the World Abilitysport Games in Thailand, where he earned 3 gold medals. - KWC men’s basketball shocks Louisville in exhibition win
The Panthers utilized a team effort to upset Louisville 71-68 in an exhibition game at the KFC Yum Center. - 50 years of community and hoops: The Owensboro Dust Bowl legacy
The Owensboro Dust Bowl has been a staple for the community for half a century. Many of the leaders who played an instrumental role in creating and growing the tournament are handing the reigns over to a younger generation. Several of those individuals recently reminisced about why the event became so popular, and why it’s important to keep it going for years to come. - DC softball 4-peats as region champions
After edging out a win to claim the 3rd Region title for the 4th straight season, DC advanced to the Elite 8 before their season ended with a 1-0 loss. - Apollo baseball field renamed in honor of former coach Mantooth
Apollo High School’s baseball field has been renamed to honor legendary former coach Bob Mantooth, whose No. 15 was retired by the baseball program in 2019. - Lady Aces basketball returns to state
The Owensboro Catholic girls’ basketball team secured a spot at Rupp Arena for the first time in 3 years. They narrowly beat Bowling Green in the first round before losing to Sacred Heart in the Elite 8. - Owensboro advance to Sweet 16
After winning the region for the time since 2018-19, the Red Devils lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds in the first round of the Sweet 16. - Daviess County’s Jones named NFHS Cheer Coach of the Year for KY
Daviess County High School’s Kitty Jones was recently named the 2022-23 Cheerleading Coach of the Year in Kentucky by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSH). - Aces players, coach set history for program
Owensboro Catholic had a trio of record setters this season, with Brian Griffith now the all-time leading scorer, Parker Griffith notching a single-game record for made 3s, and Tim Riley now the all-time coaching wins leader. - Local teams finish cheer seasons with a bang at nationals
Local teams ended their competition seasons at nationals. DCHS and BMS earned top-five finishes, while AHS and OHS ended their seasons in the semifinals. - Wimsatt’s 2 TDs help Rutgers top Miami for bowl win
A pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, a former Owensboro High School star, helped lift Rutgers to a win college football bowl win over Miami. The Scarlet Knights secured their first winning season since 2014. - West Louisville Elementary School creates first competitive elementary cheer team in DCPS
West Louisville Elementary School became the first elementary school in DCPS to have a competitive cheer team this year. - Wilkerson to join Yankees staff as assistant hitting coach
Owensboro native Brad Wilkerson made his return to Major League Baseball — this time as a New York Yankee as the team’s assistant hitting coach. - Owensboro and Apollo celebrate 30 years of girls’ soccer
Owensboro and Apollo celebrated the 30-year anniversary of their girls’ soccer programs. - Owensboro native Bivin climbs coaching ranks, lands spot on LSU football staff
After climbing the college football coaching ranks for nearly a decade, Owensboro native Harris Bivin finally caught his big break, joining Louisiana State University (LSU) as the Assistant Director of Football Operations. - Owensboro native Tichenor caddying at The Masters
A leap of faith, as Owensboro’s Chris Tichenor calls it, brought him to the pinnacle of golf, as he is got to caddy for pro golfer Taylor Moore at The Masters in Augusta. - Merchant caps undefeated pro pickleball season with gold medal at Nationals
Owensboro’s own professional pickleball player Altaf Merchant capped off an impressive 59-0 season with a gold medal performance at the USA National Championships in Texas. - Local women complete coveted Abbott World Marathon Majors
One of the most coveted awards in running is the Six Star Medal, which signifies the completion of the six major marathons across the world. The Abbott World Marathon Majors were introduced in 2016, and approximately 11,00 runners have accomplished the feat. Owensboro’s Jennifer Falloway and Vicky Payne are now on that list. - Owensboro native Young tastes victory at Daytona 500 as car chief, thankful for hometown support
Owensboro native Travis Young joined Ricky Stenhouse Jr, the No. 47 car, and the rest of the JTG Daugherty Racing team as champions of the Daytona 500.
