Harold Hogg once again carried the load, scoring four touchdowns and helping the Eagles escape with a comeback win that sealed a postseason berth for Apollo.
By edging Marshall County 35-28 on the road Friday night, Apollo picked up their first district victory. The Eagles locked up a spot in the playoffs, and they will close out district play next week when they host Daviess County in the first game ever at the new Eagle Stadium.
“It was big for the kids,” said Apollo coach Phillip Hawkins. “It would have been a disaster to go down and potentially lose out on the playoffs. It makes next week a little bit more important. We’ll regroup and practice hard and try to win Friday.”
Hogg led the way on offense with 280 yards on 24 carries. While the junior running back was helping lead the offense in the absence of quarterback Damian Lovinsky, the Apollo defense came up with plays down the stretch to help secure the win.
The go-ahead score came with 57 seconds to play when backup quarterback Chase Rhinerson connected with Brandon Husk for a 73-yard touchdown. The Eagle defense closed out the win with a goal-line stand.
Husk finished with three catches for 92 yards, while Rhinerson went 7-for-12 with 172 yards.
After a 14-14 tie at the half, the Marshals (2-6, 0-4) opened the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns before the Eagles (3-5, 1-2) scored three of their own over the final 15 minutes.
Hogg scored on a 3-yard run late in the third quarter, then tied the game on a 22-yard scamper early in the fourth after an interception by Malik Wilson.
Hogg also had a pair of first-half scores — a 55-yard run in the first minute and a 50-yard run at the end of the first quarter. Marshall County scored once in each of the first two quarters to stay even through halftime.
“I feel like we lost ground defensively,” he said. “Offensively we scored when we needed to. We only punted one time, but we didn’t get the ball a lot. They chewed the clock up.”
Hawkins said he’ll take the win, and he was proud of his team for not giving up.
“They’ve got some fight in them,” he said. “We’re still heading in a positive direction.”
Stay up to date on all your local sports coverage by following @OwensboroSports on Twitter and by liking us on Facebook.
