Owensboro returns a handful of key players but will otherwise be relying on a fairly inexperienced squad in 2023. Head Coach Jay Fallin hopes a challenging first few games will prepare his team for a deep postseason run, something OHS has become familiar with after four straight trips to the 5A semifinals or better.
Fallin said there’s excitement as the Red Devils prepare to officially kick off the season this Friday with a road game at Christian Academy-Louisville, which outscored opponents 727-109 en route to an undefeated 3A state title a year ago.
“You spend all summer preparing and working,” Fallin said. “We have a couple of scrimmages under our belts now, but we’re very much excited for the first real game against a great opponent. … We’re inexperienced in a variety of positions, but we’re talented and we’ve got kids that work hard and it matters a lot to them. Once we get a little bit of experience and seasoning, I think we’ll be a really good team.”
A handful of players return for OHS on the offensive side of the ball. Fallin noted the Red Devils will be anchored by senior linemen in Jax Lindsay and Jerrick Williams, both of which have started games since they were freshmen.
The receiving corps was depleted by graduation, with OHS losing players that accounted for about 1,300 of the team’s more than 1,600 receiving yards and 16 of the 17 touchdowns through the air.
The only returning starting receiver is Blake Kimbrell, who tallied 212 yards and one touchdown on 14 catches.
“We’re expecting big things out of him,” Fallin said.
In the backfield, OHS lost a pair of playmakers in Kenyatta Carbon and Jeremiah Goodwin, who combined for more than 1,600 of the Red Devils’ 2,300 rushing yards and 27 of the 50 touchdowns on the ground.
Stepping up will be junior Deion Winstead and sophomore Evan Hampton. Winstead finished second on the team last year with 50 carries for 546 yards and 11 scores, while Hampton added 10 rushes for 123 yards and six touchdowns.
Fallin said the quarterback to start the season will be Trevor DeLacey. In limited minutes across eight games last year, DeLacey completed seven of nine passes with six touchdowns and one interception. He also carried the ball eight times for 25 yards and three scores.
“He got in and performed when his number was called, which was admittedly limited,” Fallin said. It matters a great deal to him. He works very hard at it. He knows the playbook front to back, and studies film. He’s earned the opportunity.”
Defensively, Fallin said three linebackers will return to lead the charge.
“Eli Hampton started several as a freshman last year as an inside linebacker. Dereon Crowe and Ethan Gough all have started a lot at inside linebacker and are back for us this year,” Fallin said. “Up front and on the back end we’ll be inexperienced, but we’ve got some experienced linebackers, and that’s gonna go a long way.”
Winstead and Crowe the top returning tacklers for OHS with 57 and 47, respectively. Winstead added three picks, one that he returned for a touchdown. Crowe had a pair of fumble recoveries, including one that was returned for a score.
The Red Devils are wasting no time facing tough competition this season. After the opening-round game at CAL, they’ll return home for a rivalry matchup against Bowling Green, which finished as the 5A state runner-up a season ago.
OHS then travels across town to play Daviess County and returns home the next week to face Owensboro Catholic.
District competition — featuring a handful of new teams — kicks off with road games at Graves County and Apollo, followed by home contests against Marshall County and Muhlenberg County. District play wraps up at Madisonville, and the regular season ends at home against Henderson County.
“Every game matters now with RPI. That’s been the case for 4 years now. But they really matter when it gets to the district,” Fallin said. “So the idea is you want to be playing your best football when you get to the district games. We’ve got a very tough front-loaded schedule. Three of the first four teams we play could compete for a state championship in their classification, and two of them likely will.”
Fallin said there’s no doubt OHS wants to end the season with a state title, but to do so they have to focus on improving each week.
“The day-to-day goal is just getting better every single day so we can be the best team we can possibly be and try to win as many games as we can,” he said.
Full schedule:
- August 18 at Christian Academy-Louisville
- August 25 vs. Bowling Green
- September 1 at Daviess County
- September 8 vs. Owensboro Catholic
- September 15 at Graves County
- September 22 at Apollo
- September 29 vs. Marshall County
- October 5 vs. Muhlenberg County
- October 20 at Madisonville-North Hopkins
- October 27 vs. Henderson County
