After the KHSAA State Football Playoffs were pushed back a week, local teams are ready to hit the field today as they start their trek for a state championship.
There are two games in the city Owensboro hosts Breckinridge County while Owensboro Catholic hosts McLean County. Apollo hits the road to take on McCracken County while Daviess County is also on the road at Henderson County to take on the Colonels.
Apollo @ McCracken County
7 p.m., Marquette Stadium
The Apollo Eagles are looking for their first playoff win since 2005 but they’ll have to go through an opponent they’ve already lost to this season in the McCracken County Mustangs.
McCracken got the better of the Eagles in Week 3 as the Mustangs grabbed q 45-21 win at home behind four touchdown passes from Pryor Lamp and 179 yards and two rushing touchdowns from Hunter Bradley.
For Apollo in the loss, Damian Lovinsky threw for 216 yards and a score while also rushing for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Lovinsky and fellow senior Harold Patterson have led the way on the ground for Apollo as this season as the duo has combined for more than 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Eagles.
The Eagles and Mustangs hit the field at 7 p.m. in Paducah.
Daviess County @ Henderson County
7 p.m., Colonels Stadium
The Daviess County Panthers hit a rough patch in the middle of their season when they had a three-game losing streak but Matt Brannon and his quad grabbed a 56-14 win over Warren East in their final regular-season game to give them some momentum going into their match with Henderson County tonight.
The Colonels knocked the Panthers out of the playoffs last year and had their number earlier this season in a 66-43 decision where quarterback Ben Dalton ran for a program record 302 yards and four touchdowns while Jordan Wright (153 yards, touchdown) and Jaheim Williams (107 yards, 3 touchdowns) also had big games for Henderson.
Joe Humphries threw for 215 yards and three scores in the game for the Panthers while Bryson Parm ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Decker Renfrow hauled in five catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns while Isaiah Tomes had the other Humphries touchdown on a 49-yard score.
Henderson County hasn’t lost since Week 1 against Hopkinsville but Daviess County is hoping to end the Colonels’ season at home.
Breckinridge County at Owensboro
7 p.m., Rash Stadium
The Owensboro Red Devils are coming off of their first perfect regular season since 1993 as they’re 8-0 heading into tonight’s matchup with Breckinridge County.
OHS cruised by the Red Devils 69-6 in their final regular-season game behind three passing touchdowns from Gavin Wimsatt and rushing touchdowns from Wimsatt, Kenyatta Carbon, Taquan Robinson and Steven Stevenson.
Khalil Rogers, Treyvon Tinsley, Gus Cecil and Ben Flaherty all hauled in touchdown catches in the blowout victory over the Fighting Tigers.
Owensboro has the top RPI in 5A going into the postseason, which means as long as the Red Devils keep winning, Rash Stadium will be lit up on Friday’s nights until the state championship at Kroger Field.
OHS and Breckinridge kickoff at 7 p.m.
McLean County @ Owensboro Catholic
7 p.m., Steele Stadium
After starting the season 4-0, the Owensboro Catholic Aces are 5-3 as they host McLean County in the first round of the KHSAA Class 2A State Playoffs tonight at Steele Stadium.
Catholic dropped its regular-season finale 10-0 to Apollo on the road but the Aces can carry a 37-0 win over tonight’s opponent into the postseason as they cruised by the Cougars in Week 4.
McLean hasn’t played since its loss to the Aces as the Cougars had its last four games canceled due to Covid-19. Prior to the loss to Catholic, McLean was 3-0 with wins over Muhlenberg County, Butler County and Hopkins County Central.
The Aces have been led by Braden Mundy (383 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns, 437 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns) while Hunter Monroe (495 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns) has also gotten the job done on the ground.
Coach Jason Morris said alignment will be key when they take the field tonight against the Cougars.
