Football season continues to roll on, and week four is highlighted by another city-county matchup as Apollo hosts Owensboro. Owensboro Catholic will travel to South Spencer, while Daviess County takes a trip to Ohio County.
ABOUT THE MATCHUPS:
OWENSBORO (2-1) at APOLLO (1-2)
Last meeting: Owensboro 40, Apollo 0 (2018)
Owensboro’s defense has shut opposing teams down in all three games so far, allowing only 17 total points — third-fewest of any 5A program. Kobe Skortz has a team-high nine solo tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks, but the Red Devils truly use a team approach on the defensive side of the ball.
Offensively, quarterback Gavin Wimsatt and running back Ethan Avery are steadily improving as they fill into their roles in the backfield. Wimsatt is a dual threat, the mobility to evade pressure and a powerful arm that can hit a trio of quick receivers.
Wimsatt now has 510 passing yards and six total touchdowns, while Avery continues to grind on the ground and leads the team with 39 rushes for 138 yards and three touchdowns.
Apollo’s offense is a step ahead of their defense and can strike both through the air and on the ground. Quarterback Damian Lovinsky has been a little inconsistent throwing the ball, but he leads the team with five rushing touchdowns and is second with 233 yards.
Harold Hogg has been a workhorse at running back, taking 55 carries for 369 yards and three scores.
The Eagles’ defense, though, has struggled to stop opponents. They’ve allowed 150 points so far — the most of any 6A team — but have been making personnel changes as they look for answers. Jarrod Gray leads with 27 solo tackles, and Logan Weedman has a team-high four sacks.
DAVIESS COUNTY (0-3) at OHIO COUNTY (2-1)
Last meeting: Daviess County 53, Ohio County 6 (2018)
While Daviess County has taken a big step back from last year, Ohio County is trending in the other direction.
The Panthers have yet to score more than 18 points this season after averaging 32 in 2018 and scoring less than 20 only twice. The Eagles, meanwhile, already have 107 points in 2019, besting the 100 total they scored in 11 games a year ago.
The Panthers are relying on verteran linemen on both sides of the ball, but overall they are an inexperienced team that has to continue to improve and find consistency. The Eagles have had trouble on defense, but a dual-threat offense has proven tough to stop.
Though the DC offense has struggled, Shane Riley has found success as the lead running back. He’s rushed 56 times for 411 yards and four touchdowns, accounting for nearly half the team’s total offensive yardage through three games.
The Eagles’ offense has started the season hot, and most of the production has come from quarterback Dezmond Randolph and running back Q Daryius McHenry. Randolph has thrown for 606 yards and seven touchdowns. McHenry has added 62 carries for 572 yards and seven scores to go along with nine catches for 219 yards and four touchdowns.
OWENSBORO CATHOLIC (2-1) at SOUTH SPENCER (0-3)
Last meeting: Owensboro Catholic 50, South Spencer 0 (2018)
After a pair of relatively dominant victories, the Aces couldn’t get much going in last week’s loss to Owensboro. They’ll look to get back to their high-flying offense this week against a South Spencer team that has been outscored 126-26 so far this year.
If the offensive line can give quarterback Drew Hartz time in the pocket, he’s got the vision and arm strength to connect with a plethora of Aces receivers anywhere on the field. Last week Hartz was limited to 162 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, though he threw for 666 yards and nine scores with no picks combined in the first two games.
The Aces also have playmakers in the backfield and out wide in Hagan Edge, Jackson Staples, Dre Thruston and Braden Mundy, who can be dangerous on special teams.
The defense is led by Chris Boarman with 12 tackles, and as a unit they’ve recovered three fumbles and recorded four interceptions. If they can continue to create those opportunities, the Aces won’t have much trouble bouncing back for a win this week.
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2019 football coverage is presented in part by Drew Cunningham, agent at State Farm.
