Offensive show powers Aces past Todd County

October 13, 2018 | 1:37 am

Updated October 13, 2018 | 1:37 am

Drew Hartz (12) led the Aces to a 50-7 win over Todd County Central to stay undefeated in district play | Photo by Marc Ray

A cold and rainy night wasn’t enough to slow down a high-caliber Owensboro Catholic offense, and the Aces football team handily defeated Todd County Central 50-7 at home Friday.

It was the seventh consecutive win for the Aces (7-2, 4-0 District 2), who secured home field advantage in the playoffs as they head into a bye week before their final game.

Owensboro Catholic quarterback Drew Hartz came out slinging the ball, ending the night with five touchdown passes and 219 yards. He wasted no time in getting the Aces on the board with a 13-yard pass to Ya Ya Gray on a ball lofted into the back of the end zone. Hartz deflected much of the credit to his team.

“I was making a lot of throws tonight, and there were some tough catches for the receivers,” Hartz said. “They made plenty of plays for me. The line did a great job too, so it was a great night overall for the offense.”

The Aces went on to take a 35-0 lead before Todd County Central was able to get a score. Hartz completed touchdown passes to Nick Mills (12 yards) and Hagan Edge (4 yards) in the first quarter. He kept the momentum going by scoring on a quarterback keeper early in the second, then hit Mills again for a 17-yard touchdown a few minutes later.

The Rebels’ touchdown came just before the break, but the Aces continued their dominance in the second half. They got a defensive touchdown when Sam Harrington recovered a fumble in the end zone. Hartz found Mills for a third time late in the fourth quarter for a 34-yard touchdown to end all scoring.

Aces’ head coach Jason Morris was happy with the team’s efficiency on offense, specifically Hartz and the plethora of receiving threats he possesses.

“We practice the pat-and-go throws every day in practice,” Morris said. “The efficiency showed that tonight. That’s what I am proud of, that we took the practice to the game. Drew is so good at throwing the football accurately down the field. I really feel like we could have run four verticals all night and gotten away with it.”

Hartz was complemented by a strong rushing performance from Williams, who led the team with 18 carries and 146 yards. Mills finished with 129 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions.

The Aces now enter a bye week after wrapping up district competition. In the final game of the season, the Aces host South Warren, who is currently undefeated heading into a tough matchup with a one-loss Bowling Green squad.

Morris said his team is going to approach that game like any other.

“We will just try to keep the same course on game week,” he said. “I’ve got a really good group of seniors who are ready to go on this run, and it’s going to be a fun ride. This year, closing with a team like South Warren is something I really am looking forward to.

Morris said after rolling through the district with relative ease, the Aces are looking forward to another big test.

“Coming out of our district, we don’t feel like we really got challenged, and South Warren is as good of a team as there is in our state,” he said. “I think our kids are going to be ready for that game.”

October 13, 2018 | 1:37 am

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