It was quite the one-week turnaround for the Apollo football team, who ended a three-game skid that had them heading in the wrong direction. The Eagles bounced back from their biggest loss of the season in convincing fashion by rolling past Meade County for a 49-28 home victory Friday night.
Apollo head coach Phillip Hawkins was all smiles after the game and had nothing but praise for his team.
“That was about as complete of a game as we can play,” he said. “The kids have really bought in, and that’s what I’ve been working on. I’m hoping what they learn from this is what we’re telling them is real. When these kids figure out to put the team in front of themselves, they’re pretty good.”
It was an all-around effort for the Eagles (2-3), who started the scoring when Malik Wilson returned a Meade County fumble 40 yards for a touchdown. Apollo doubled their lead on the next possession when Damian Lovinsky hit Geoffrey Johnson for a 60-yard touchdown.
The Green Wave (2-2) finally found the endzone in the second quarter when their touchdown and 2-point conversion cut the deficit to six points.
The Eagles distanced themselves further with a pair of short rushing touchdowns. Harold Hogg carried one in from four yards out with 4:15 left in the quarter, and Lovinsky’s 2-yard run in the final minute pushed the lead to 28-8 at the half.
“I probably would like to have thrown a little more, but you take what they give you,” Hawkins said, “ and then you do smart things with the ball.”
After Meade County added a touchdown with 5:45 to play in the third quarter, Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards for his second score.
The Green Wave responded with another trip to the endzone, but Apollo once more had an answer to maintain control. Lovinsky added another 2-yard touchdown with a keeper up the gut, giving the Eagles a 42-22 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
The final push for Meade County came when they cut the deficit to 42-28 with 8:12 to play. Apollo put the game out of reach for good when Harold Hogg scored on a 52-yard run a few minutes later.
“I don’t think there’s been a question this year about some of the weapons,” Hawkins said of the versatility in scoring options. “We’ve clearly got the weapons. Every week we line up with teams that look like us but maybe aren’t as athletic as us. But we haven’t been able to get them bought in until now.”
Apollo will stay home next week when they open district play by hosting McCracken County in the final game at Eagle Stadium.
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2019 football coverage is presented in part by Drew Cunningham, agent at State Farm.
