For a second straight year, Owensboro Catholic’s season came to a heartbreaking end, with back-to-back losses in the 2A State Championship. The Aces will have a different look in 2025, with a new starting quarterback in Dre’Mail Carothers, who replaces the recently graduated Brady Atwell. The junior appeared in 15 games last year, finishing 39-68 for 701 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Losing Brady was a big part, but I think I can step into the part and do what he has done, or a little more of what he has done,” Carothers said. “The quarterback room looks strong right now with Peyton Morris and me. We are just getting better and better, taking what we learned from Brady, but also just learning on our own and getting used to the environment so far.”
Head coach Jason Morris echoed his QB’s sentiments, calling him a god given talent.
“He is a very blessed kid, and he will tell you that. He is an even better person than he is a quarterback, and he is special,” Morris said. “He can make every throw on the field, is smooth, directs the field, and is a very strong leader. He sat behind an All-State QB for two years, so he has good experience there, and I believe we have done an excellent job of grooming him to this point. He is ready to take the reins.”
Carothers has a variety of weapons around him, including running backs Miles Edge and Jude Evans, and a loaded receiver room consisting of Cam James, Hudson Ebelhar, Andrew Garvin, Xavier Maddox, Noah Grant, Josh James, and Luke Thomas.
A spread offense, the running game will look a tad different with the losses of Vince Carrico and Atwell to graduation, but Miles Edge believes the position group is primed to be even better.
“I think we are going to distribute the ball a lot better throughout the entire team running,” Edge said. “I think Jude Evans and I are ready to run the ball.”
The Aces are led defensively upfront by Caden Conkright and Barrett Evans and they are joined by Reese Simms. Behind them are linebackers Miles Edge, Nicks Sims, Jude Evans, Riley Harville, and Shaiden Mitchell, while Jude Cecil, Cam Woodward, Luke Whitledge, Xavier Maddox, and Hudson Ebelhar will be patrolling the secondary.
“It was a big loss losing Vince Carrico and Rowdy Burns, but I think we’re coming back this year,” Nick Sims said of the linebacker room. “I believe our stack linebackers are really aggressive and really athletic. I think we will be able to play all around the field and accomplish more than last year.”
On special teams, Andrew Garvin enters the season as the starting kicker and is currently in a position battle to also be the punter.
This year the Aces will be in a new district that includes old rivals Hancock County and McLean County as well as Fort Knox.
“For one, it is probably going to be tougher games, and two, they will be closer games, where there is more of a rivalry,” Morris said. “It means more to the kids, there will be more fans, and a better environment altogether. It’s just better for high school football in general as long as the games stay clean.”
The Aces start the season with one of their toughest challenges in a road matchup at Bowling Green on Saturday and will also be traveling to Daviess County, Owensboro, and Meade County. Their home games include matchups against Apollo, Bardstown, and Elizabethtown. In district play, they will host Hancock County on Oct. 3rd, and McLean County on Oct. 24 and travel to Fort Knox on Oct. 10.
