The wins keep on coming for the Kentucky Spartans. Their latest victory came in Saturday’s league championship game, and the Spartans will now advance to a bowl game with the potential for another national title on the horizon.
After a dominating 2018 campaign that ended with a national championship, Kentucky switched to a more competitive league — the Universal Football League — for 2019. Saturday’s 30-15 win over the Missouri Cyclones moved the Spartans to 12-0, though the season isn’t over yet.
They’ll play in at least one bowl game, then will wait to see if they get an invite to the national tournament.
Several former local standouts have been with the team for a few years, including Owensboro Catholic graduate and current Spartans quarterback Evan Harvey.
“Being back-to-back league champions is awesome,” Harvey said. “Watching our team grow over the last few seasons and being a part of accomplishing something that no team at any level has done in Owensboro is a great feeling.”
Harvey helped lead a strong offensive attack in the win over the Cyclones. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Rameen Lindsey — named game MVP — rushed for 102 yards, while Erik Washington added 80 yards and a touchdown.
The Spartans first possession ended with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Brooks, but the extra point was missed. Jamal Hill caught a 3-yard touchdown pass on the ensuing drive for Kentucky.
The Cyclones got a touchdown before halftime, and neither team scored in the third quarter. A field goal by Harvey in the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 16-7.
After a 10-yard touchdown catch by Brelin Dixon and a 12-yard rushing score by Washington, the Spartans held a 30-7 advantage. The Cyclones added a late score but Kentucky held on for the win.
Co-owner and Spartans defensive back Matthew Douglas said this league championship means just as much as the one in 2018.
“It’s just as satisfying as the first one,” he said. “We as semi-pro players risk our bodies for the love of the game and through this game you become family members with 55 other guys. The new league brought on new challenges but I think we showed were ready for anything thrown our way.”
Harvey, one of a handful of players who have been with the team for an extended time, said all the wins are only part of what the program is about.
“When our core group of guys joined the Spartans a few years ago,” he said, “we set out to accomplish three main goals: win a league championship, win a national championship and create an organization that would be more than a football team, but a part of our community.”
Between finding ways to support local organizations with their games, bringing home a national championship and growing the careers of local players to allow them to play professionally in European leagues, Harvey said the Spartans have had plenty of tangible success.
“But, more than that, we have brought together 60 men in our community to create a family that we hope will continue to grow in the years to come,” he said. “I feel like we absolutely accomplished all three of those goals and it has been a pleasure to be a member of the Kentucky Spartans organization.”
