Coming off a strong win against McCracken County, Daviess County football will hope to stifle Henderson County’s strong ground game once again en route to a First District Championship.
The Panthers are coming off a 55-31 win, in which it took their offense a little bit to get going. McCracken County had gotten an early lead on Daviess County, but a big second quarter push helped the Panthers start their way to victory.
Senior quarterback Joe Humphreys was crucial in the offense’s showcase last week, finishing with 323 yards and three touchdowns on 22-31 passing. Humphreys also had a strong game on the ground, rushing for 32 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
Four different receivers finished with 60-plus receiving yards, while senior Max Dees led the way with 107 receiving yards. Sophomore Luke Floyd was right behind with 74 yards and two touchdowns, while junior Cole Burch had a touchdown as well.
Senior Gunnar Evans also had a strong game in the backfield for the Panthers, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
They will be facing a Colonels team that held off a late comeback attempt against Apollo last week to win 31-26.
Penalties will be a major factor for Henderson County against the Panthers, as that allowed the Eagles to have a chance in the game last week on numerous occasions.
This will be especially important, knowing that they struggled to create continuous momentum offensively against Daviess County in the regular season, falling 38-17.
Head Coach Matt Brannon said that they’ll be able to take what they’ve learned from their first matchup and expand on their offensive prowess. when they face off on Friday
“I believe the first game against Henderson County has taught us a lot about ourselves as an offense,” Brannon said. “They seemed to have a formula that, if not ready for, could slow us down some. Their defensive backfield is athletic enough to play man coverage against us, and it seemed as if they wanted Humphreys to have to make quick decisions. Fortunately for us, we have seen similar looks over the past few weeks and we are more versed to adjusting to this.”
Knowing how potent the Panthers offense can be, Brannon expects the Colonels to try and control possession throughout the game offensively despite their ability to score fast with their dynamic backfield.
“I anticipate Henderson doing whatever is necessary to gain extra possessions and extend their offensive drives for as long as they can,” Brannon said. “They have the ability to score quickly with RBs like Williams and Wright, but I don’t think that’s what they want to do. I also believe that special teams could play a big role in this game, and we must be sharp in all three phases.”
Brannon said they’ve put an emphasis on efficiency this week and limiting mistakes in practice in order for them to come away with a district championship.
“Our focus, as is every week, is to strive to give your best effort every rep,” Brannon said. “We must limit penalties, which has proven to be a challenge for us in some games this year. Teams that want to advance deep into the playoffs have to minimize mistakes and execute at a high level. That is our focus at practice and going into the game this weekend.”
Daviess County will look to defeat Henderson County for the second time this year when they face off at 7 p.m. on Friday.
