The Owensboro football program was firing on all cylinders Friday night, annihilating visiting Breckinridge County by a score of 69-6.
The victory propelled the Red Devils to a perfect regular-season record of 8-0 and their first undefeated regular season since 1993.
Forcing five turnovers on the evening, the Owensboro defense extended their takeaways to 19 on the 8-game season. Lopsided possessions have been the cornerstone of Owensboro’s success since day one and head coach Jay Fallin hopes to carry that into playoffs.
“It’s the number one way to increase your likelihood of winning – winning the turnover battle. It’s the number one way to increase your likelihood of losing – losing the turnover battle. It’s definitely something we emphasize,” he said. “We want to run to the football – we think that’s the best way to create fumbles. If we’re where we need to be and can pressure the quarterback, the ball’s going to be off a little bit and we have a great chance to pick it.”
The first of those forced turnovers was a fumble recovered by Sahvon Hines that he took five yards for a score less than a minute into the game. A Javius Taylor pick-6 accounted for another defensive touchdown, while Maurice Morrman added both an interception and a fumble recovery that sparked scores.
Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt accounted for three touchdowns in the air and one on the ground with 99 yards passing and 21 yards rushing, all of which came in the first half. Kenyatta Carbon added one touchdown on 93 yards rushing while Treyvon Tinsley and Khalil Rogers each had one touchdown reception.
A 10-yard sweep to Steven Stevenson and a late-clock connection from Wimsatt to Ben Flaherty extended their lead to 55-0 at intermission.
“It’s hard to be disappointed with our efficiency on both sides of the ball,” Fallin said. “Defensively, I’m thrilled. When you’re scoring defensive touchdowns and experiencing early success on offense, the score can get up there quickly.”
The Tigers organized their best possession with mere minutes remaining in the game, ending the shut-out with a Kiyren Watkins quaterback keeper in the redzone.
Senior night celebrations preceded the game. Fallin was quick to compliment the respect and dedication his seniors gave to the program.
“When these guys came in in 2017, we went 4-7, definitely not a banner year at Owensboro High School,” he said. “They stuck with it, most of them starting as sophomores and we went 10-3, last year 12-2, and now we’re undefeated at the end of the regular season.
“What they’ve managed to accomplish in the four years that they’ve been here speaks to their character as kids. Each one of them has had an impact on us on the field but they’re also great kids, great teammates, and great leaders for us.”
Defensive coordinator Drew Hall was a player when the Red Devils last secured a perfect season some 27 years ago. Fallin and his group are proud of the accomplishment but there’s not doubt they’re eyeing a much greater prize.
“It’s an accomplishment and we’re excited for the guys, but we don’t have much time to reflect on it right now,” he said. “It’s easy to be excited about Bowling Green or a city-county opponent but we want our guys to bring that same level of attention and enthusiasm to a game like this, and I thought we did that – now we have time to get healthy and go on a run.”
Owensboro now has two weeks to prepare for their first postseason game. With the new playoff format, they will likely host the first several rounds at Rash Stadium as they’re leading the RPI in Class 5A.
Owensboro 69, Breckinridge County 6
Scoring Plays
First Quarter
11:01 (OHS) Sahvon Hines recovers a fumble and takes it five yards for a score (PAT good) 7-0
9:08 (OHS) Kenyatta Carbon 65-yard rushing touchdown (PAT no good) 13-0
8:52 (OHS) Javius Taylor returns an interceptions for a touchdown (PAT good) 20-0
4:43 (OHS) Gavin Wimsatt quarterback keeper from the 1-yard line (PAT good) 27-0
4:27 (OHS) Wimsatt connects with Treyvon Tinsley for 16-yard touchdown (Pat good) 34-0
3:11 (OHS) Wimsatt connects with Khalil Rogers for a 33-yard touchdown (PAT good) 41-0
Second Quarter
10:04 (OHS) Steven Stevenson takes a sweep 10 yards for a touchdown (PAT good) 48-0
00:00 (OHS) Wimsatt finds Flaherty in back of endzone as time expires (PAT good) 55-0
Third Quarter
8:46 (OHS) Kasey boone connects with Gus Cecil for a 30-yard touchdown (PAT good) 62-0
0:00 (OHS) Taquan Robinson rushes 3 yards for a touchdown (PAT good) 69-0
Fourth Quarter
1:43 (BCHS) Kiyren Watkins quarterback keeper in the redzone (PAT no good) 69-6
