In 2014, former Red Devil quarterback Nick Locher helped lead Owensboro to their first state championship appearance in 14 years.
On Saturday, he will be cheering on his alma mater as OHS hits Kroger Field for the KHSAA Class 5A State Championship against Bowling Green.
Locher was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Red Devils and finished with 38 total touchdowns during his senior season. He threw for 1,508 yards with 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions while also rushing for 810 yards and 19 scores in his final year at OHS.
He said it’s an exciting time for his former school as he already has a bond with many current players.
“I am ecstatic for the players and coaches at Senior High to be going back to the state championship,” he said. “Last year I had the pleasure of coaching the freshman and running backs at OHS under coach (Jay) Fallin. The relationships I formed with the players and coaches have led me to follow this team more than any other OHS team before. Those kids are special and the coaches work their tails off. It’s always great to see people where you’re from succeed because where you’re from means something.”
During that last trip to the state final, which was held at Houchens Stadium in Bowling Green, the Red Devils took down Breckinridge County (49-0), Warren East (35-13), Madisonville-North Hopkins (29-28) and North Oldham (27-24) en route to the Class 4A State Final where they fell to Highlands in a 49-42 thriller.
Locher said it was a special time and that they got to accomplish something not many football teams get to.
“Everybody who’s played at Owensboro High School has dreamed of playing and winning a state championship. Yet, out of the dozens of great football teams to wear the red and black, only a handful have got that opportunity and even less have come out victorious. What I remember more than anything about that trip to the finals was the sense of pride, togetherness and enthusiasm that our team brought to the school system, alumni and the city as a whole.”
Locher is now a defensive graduate assistant for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and said his advice for the Red Devils this week is to play loose but also expect to win the game.
“The discipline and determination it takes to get to a state championship is evident more in 2020 than perhaps any other year of the KHSAA,” he said. “Getting to this point proves they have what it takes. All they have to do now is continue to make plays and finish. If there’s ever a moment where you feel victory is slipping away then your leaders have to pull the troops together and inspire one another. That’s the only regret I ever had in regards to falling short in 2014. Always remember that players win games.”
Owensboro junior quarterback Gavin Wimsatt and Locher have similar styles when it comes to moving up the field as both could use their arm as well as their legs to put points on the board.
For Locher, Wimsatt’s skillset begins with what he does away from the field.
“I think great quarterbacks have the ability to get others to gravitate towards them and that’s what I’ve always noticed about Gavin more than any of his physical abilities,” he said. “Of course he can run, throw, and punt with the best of ‘em but his success is largely credited to his work ethic, leadership, and desire to win. He has shattered almost every record in school history with still another year under his belt and I hope he can be the first quarterback to lead OHS to the promise land since 1986.”
Joe Prince led the Red Devils to their last state championship appearance before resigning in early 2015, paving the way for Jay Fallin to take the reigns of the program.
Fallin also moved past Gordon Powers on the all-time wins list with the victory Friday to put him at 59 wins in five seasons at the helm.
Locher said both coaches have helped make him who he is.
“Both individuals have had a significant impact on OHS football that I think at times have been under-appreciated by some,” he said. “Jay has done a tremendous job at Owensboro High School. He’s provided the perfect mixture of building on what coach Prince built while also progressing the program forward in certain areas that were in need of advancement. Jay has been a personal mentor of mine over the years and was a role model to many of us on that 2014 team. I’m thrilled to see him excelling as the head football coach.”
