Owensboro advanced to the second round of the postseason on Thursday, extending its winning streak to seven games with a strong 56-14 win over the Colonels at home.
The Red Devils got off to a rough start in their opening drive, as they ended it with an interception after senior quarterback Kasey Boone took a shot to the endzone. Resulting in a touchback, Christian County almost made them pay moments later with an 80-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Deameion Leavell to senior Elijah Underhill.
However, an illegal shift brought them back to the 15, where Owensboro was able to force a four and out to take back over offensively. Following a couple short gains the Red Devils were able to find the endzone, as sophomore Deion Winstead hit the sideline and took a handoff 41 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead following the PAT with 8:13 left in the first quarter.
Owensboro then started picking up steam, quickly stopping Christian County and getting back on the board through the air. It was Boone who hit senior Khalil Rogers on a screen pass, then using some nifty moves to cut back and take off down the sideline for a 33-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 5:30 left in the first quarter.
The defense got right back to work less than 30 seconds later, getting a 30-yard pick six from junior Javion Robinson to make it 21-0. The Red Devils perfectly executed a squib kick shortly after, recovering it to set them up for a 20-yard touchdown from Boone to senior Ethan Pendleton later in the drive to go up 28-0 with 3:29 left in the first quarter.
Senior Jeremiah Goodwin was all over the quarterback defensively on the following drive, helping stifle the Colonels once again and get the Red Devils back on offense. Owensboro nearly got its second touchdown of the night from Winstead until a flag brought it back, but the very next play freshman Evan Hampton took a pitch 21 yards to the house for a touchdown.
The following PAT was wide left however, leaving the Red Devils in charge 34-0 with 1:27 left in the first quarter. Goodwin got right back to work during the ensuing drive for the Colonels as they were at the one-yard line set up for their first score of the game, as the senior forced a fumble which Owensboro recovered to take over at the eight.
The Red Devils were unable to capitalize though, as Boone rolled out to his left later in the drive and a throw got away from him and was intercepted for the second time on the night. Christian County couldn’t make anything of the turnover however, as it was a quick four and out that resulted in Owensboro receiving a punt to take over at the 32 up 34-0 with 8:23 left in the first half.
But it wasn’t until the 5:24 mark in the second quarter that the Red Devils got back on the board, as they charged downfield and got a five-yard touchdown from Boone to Pendleton to take a 41-0 lead. Owensboro kept its foot on the gas as well to close out the quarter, getting a 47-yard rushing touchdown from Winstead that took them into halftime up 48-0.
Christian County showed some signs of life late in the third quarter, blocking a field goal attempt by the Red Devils and getting a 64-yard touchdown reception from Underhill the very next play. Following a two-point conversion it was 48-8 with just over a minute to go in the third quarter, but Owensboro bounced back in the fourth on a 20-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Trevor DeLacey to senior Braydon Pogue to make it 54-8 with seven minutes to go after a missed PAT.
The Red Devils surrendered a kickoff return for a touchdown on the following drive and then failed to recover an onside kick shortly after, but it was too little too late as Owensboro secured the 54-16 win to advance to the second round of the postseason.
Head Coach Jay Fallin was proud of the way his team came to play, noting that they were sharp for the vast majority of the game on both sides of the ball.
“We told these guys all week that these guys are much much more athletic than what we’ve been used to facing in the first round the last few years, so we were going to have to come out and play well” Fallin said. “I thought early we did. I thought there was a point in the second quarter where we kind of lost concentration and we didn’t execute like we did at the start of the game, but I thought as long as the starters were in there we played the way we needed to play.”
Fallin was thrilled with the way the Red Devils executed defensively, as the starters held the Colonels scoreless and limited Leavell to 160 yards on 7-18 passing and a touchdown while forcing an interception.
“I think they had 14 yards at halftime and then they went backwards on the one series that they had in the second half,” Fallin said. “I think our starting defense held them under 10 yards of offense and had a touchdown too. Obviously at this point it’s clear to anyone who has watched us that defense is our kind of our calling card this season and those guys came out and played well again tonight.”
Goodwin played a major part in Owensboro’s ability to stifle Leavell and Christian County, putting constant pressure on him with his ability to get around their offensive line quickly. Fallin said that this type of play has become expected of the senior linebacker, as his IQ on the field helps him excel.
“Jeremiah’s as good a defensive player I’ve ever coached,” Fallin said. “He’s just dynamic and hard to block. He does a lot of different things and he’s just very savvy and understands football.”
On the offensive side Winstead stepped in to take the first string snaps at running back with senior Kenyatta Carbon out, rushing for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. The sophomore running back said it was his preparation and teammates that helped him excel in a new role this week.
“I knew how to stay locked in throughout the week in practice and watched film to do what I needed to do,” Winstead said. “They were stacking the box a little bit for the run game, so I just had to read the hole and do what I do. The linemen were a big part of what I did today. All love to them.”
Fallin is proud of the way he Winstead stepped up in the first round of the postseason, saying that he knew what he’s able to do out of the backfield and was happy to see him take advantage of his chances.
“I thought he did a great job,” Fallin said. “I thought he did a very nice job of carrying the ball tonight, but we’ve always known that’s what he was capable of doing. He’s just been sort of buying his time behind somebody that’s a little older and waiting for his opportunity. He got it tonight and made the most of it.”
While Boone had the pair of interceptions under center, he still had a strong game with 154 passing yards and three touchdowns on 12-20 passing. Pendleton had a pair of receiving touchdowns on the day, while Pogue and Rogers had one each.
Hampton had a rushing touchdown and 43 yards on five carries behind Winstead, while DeLacey came in for Boone late and dished out a touchdown and 27 yards on 3-4 passing. The Red Devils also celebrated another impressive offensive feat at halftime, recognizing senior kicker Andrew Lanz for becoming the all-time leader in PATs in program history with his 192nd against Grayson County on Oct. 21.
He came into the game with 194 on the season, sitting him at 9th all-time in the state of Kentucky. Lanz hit the 200 mark with six made PATs on the night, putting him amongst some of the best in the Commonwealth in high school football history.
He’ll look to continue to add onto his impressive resume as Owensboro seeks to go on a long postseason run, starting with their second round matchup on Friday, Nov. 11. The Red Devils will get to host the winner of Greenwood and Grayson County, as Fallin and company know that their preparation in practice has to continue to be at a high level in order to continue moving forward in the postseason.
“It’s the playoffs now,” Fallin said. “We gotta get our best effort every day in practice and be the best team we can possibly be. We’ll get in there and watch the film this weekend and see what we did well and what we need to do better.”
