Led by another explosive passing attack, the Owensboro Catholic football team picked up another dominant district win by rolling past McLean County 55-21. The Aces used a dynamic run game to complement their aerial assault in Friday’s road victory.
Drew Hartz led the charge for the Aces (6-1, 2-0 Class 2A District 2), accounting for six of their eight touchdowns and nearly 400 yards in the air. The veteran quarterback connected with Hagan Edge for three touchdowns, while Braden Mundy caught two and Jackson Staples had one.
Catholic head coach Jason Morris credited the Cougars (3-4, 1-1) with making the Aces uncomfortable in the early phases of the game.
“We were misaligned for about three plays in the first half,” he said. “When you get misaligned and then miss a tackle, they have the athletes to go on and score, and that’s what they did.”
The Cougars struck first when they recovered a fumbled punt in Aces territory after going three-and-out on the first possession. On the ensuing play, running back Landon Capps took a direct snap up the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown, his first of two.
“They have some fast kids,” Morris said. “Overall, I’m happy with my defense and the way they made adjustments and managed to shut them down in the second half.”
The Aces (6-1, 2-0 district) retaliated quickly with two touchdowns of their own to take a 14-7 lead. The first was a 62-yard rush up the middle by Dre Thruston with three minutes left in the first quarter, while the second was a wheel route pass from Hartz that Staples converted into a 39-yard touchdown early in the second.
Capps’s second touchdown came less than two minutes later when he converted an option play into another 40-yard touchdown.
Hartz connected with Edge two more times in the second quarter to extend the Aces’ lead to 28-13 with 4:47 left. The first was a scramble situation where he threw across his body nearly 30 yards to the back of the end zone, and the second was a screen pass that Edge took 38 yards, breaking several tackles while en route to paydirt.
The Cougars returned the favor with a 63-yard touchdown run up the middle by Zach Clayton with 2:32 left in the half, but it was their last score of the evening.
Catholic finished the half with a screen pass from Hartz to Mundy that he took 33 yards down the sideline for a 35-21 halftime lead. The duo connected once more for a touchdown just 21 seconds into the second half, this time a 70-yard pass down the sideline.
The Aces’ final two touchdowns came on a 10-yard rush up the middle by Thruston and a 9-yard pass from Hartz to Edge.
“Offensively, we still have to catch the ball more consistently,” Morris said. “Drew had another good night, we just have to continue to make plays for him. Edge has been a special player all year long and Mundy has big-play potential. Thruston keeps getting better every week, giving us a stronger presence with our running game.”
Mundy tallied 132 receiving yards while Edge and Staples added 121 and 76, respectively. Thruston led the ground attack for the Aces with 105 yards rushing.
Catholic now enters their bye week and will return to the gridiron on Oct. 18 when they take on Hancock County at Steele Stadium.
Stay up to date on all your local sports coverage by following @OwensboroSports on Twitter and by liking us on Facebook.
__________
2019 football coverage is presented in part by Owensboro Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.
