Tonight marks the first round of the playoffs, with Owensboro Catholic, Owensboro, and Hancock County all hosting home games. In other action, Apollo, McLean County, and Daviess County are all on the road.
Apollo 5-5 (Class 5A, District 1) @ South Warren 9-1 (Class 5A, District 2)
It was a turnaround season for Apollo, more than doubling their win total from a year ago, finishing the year 5-5 and fourth in the district. The trio of Maxwell Johnson, Niles Board, and Landen Bratcher has become a focal point of the Eagles’ offense and will be heavily leaned on in their first-round playoff matchup with powerhouse South Warren.
“South Warren will have a difficult time covering our playmakers with linebackers, and if they don’t it means they will load the box and bring the house,” Apollo head coach John Edge said. “We’re fast enough to get by them.”
Edge expects South Warren to ground it out with running back Kayden York – a strong and fast runner as the focal point. Defensively, the Eagles will have to keep an eye on defensive end Colton Veltkamp at all times.
“He’s committed to Georgia State and one of those kids you need to prepare for,” Edge said. “They will mix up their schemes and fronts and you have to be prepared to keep up with your own tempo.”
Edge wants to see his team convert on third downs, become more consistent on special teams, and stop the run on defense. If they accomplish all three, he believes they will be in a strong position to move on. He also said they cannot afford to turn the ball over, because South Warren will capitalize – something they were able to do in their game against Bowling Green.
“Our kids are excited for the playoffs and we’re coming off of two wins,” Edge said. “We have a good group of kids and playmakers. Defensively, our team can compete with the best of them. We competed well against the top teams on our schedule.”
Daviess County 1-9 (Class 6A, District 1) @ North Hardin 7-3 (Class 6A, District 2)
It was a bumpy first year for Daviess County under new head coach Anthony Payton, but his team’s spirits are high entering the playoffs.
“We will play like we belong despite what our record shows,” Payton said. “The guys are starting to realize the hard work is starting to pay off. They are hard-working kids, and I am proud of them.”
It will be an uphill battle for the Panthers, facing off against a North Hardin squad they lost to earlier in the year 35-6. In that game, the Trojans threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns and added 74 yards on the ground.
“I am expecting North Hardin to do what they do,” Payton said. “They had some big plays on us earlier in the year, some double moves. They have exceptional receivers and some dudes on their defense are being highly recruited. North Hardin is not going to make things easy. They like to take shots down the field, and they will run it. It’s hard to run on their defense. They press the slots and are long and rangy.”
The Panthers will need to execute on offense, specifically once they enter North Hardin’s territory. This has been an issue for them all season long.
“I want us to put four quarters together,” Payton said. “We were close to doing that against Apollo, but we came up short. We need to start fast, finish strong, and execute.”
Hancock County 8-2 (Class 3A, District 1) Vs. Franklin-Simpson 5-5 (Class 3A, District 2)
With QB Dylan Morris leading the show, Hancock County’s offense has been a machine, scoring 40 or more points five times this season – leading them to an 8-2 record and the second seed in the district. For the second straight year, they will face Franklin-Simpson in the first round. A year ago, the Wildcats emerged victorious 35-8.
McLean County 7-3 (Class 3A, District 1) @ Adair County 9-1 (Class 3A, District 2)
The Cougars finished the season on a four-game win streak, most recently outlasting Marshall County 30-14. All season long McLean County has relied on their run game, spearheaded by quarterback Ayden Rice and running back Aden Bolden.
“We need to continue to get better and to play physical football building on our last couple of weeks,” McLean County head coach Zach Wagner said. “We must attempt to keep their speed in front of us on defense and offensively we cannot get behind the sticks on early downs.”
Sitting at 7-3 and third in their district, the Cougars travel tonight to Adair County, who finished 9-1 on the year and secured the second seed in their district.
“Adair is a balanced offense,” Wagner said. “They have a high-powered run game coupled with deep threat capabilities. Lane Grant at running back is an explosive player with 4,000 yards on his career and Solomon Stonebraker is the school’s leader in receiving yards.”
Owensboro 7-3 (Class 5A, District 1) Vs. Ohio County 0-10 (Class 5A, District 2)
After starting the season 1-3, the Red Devils have found their footing – winning six straight, clinching the district and home field through the first two rounds.
“It’s win or go home and we need to bring our best stuff,” Owensboro head coach Jay Fallin said. “We’re getting down to the deadline of opportunities to get better. It’s Week 11 so we know who we are but we are going to add some wrinkles.”
Tonight they host Ohio County who finished the season 0-10. Despite not winning a game, Owensboro isn’t overlooking their opponent and is instead focused on shutting down their run game – a strength of the team. Fallin said Ohio County QB Ayden Farris is an impressive athlete, elusive, and capable of getting loose.
“We need to make sure we eliminate the little mistakes and that we drive home the focus that it’s about us and being the best version of us possible,” Fallin said.
Owensboro Catholic 10-0 (Class 2A, District 2) Vs. Crittenden County 4-6 (Class 2A, District 1)
For a second straight year, Owensboro Catholic has finished the regular season undefeated, compiling a record of 10-0. Fueled all season long by last year’s loss in the 2A state championship, the Aces have their eyes set on finishing the job this time around.
“We’re excited for the playoff run and excited to get started,” Owensboro Catholic head coach Jason Morris said. “We’re happy with where our team is at. Mentally and physically we’re the healthiest we have been in five to six weeks.”
Quarterback Brady Atwell has been the driving force for the Aces, throwing for 2,425 yards and scoring 46 total touchdowns. Tonight, they host Crittenden County, whom they shut out earlier in the year 51-0.
“They are a spread team who will try to exploit us through the passing game,” Morris said. “They run multiple defensive fronts including a 3-3 stack. North Hardin’s outside receivers are good, and we have to keep them in front of us. Their QB does a good job of running the offense, is a capable runner and is great at distributing the ball.”
While no team is ever perfect, Morris wants them to be as close as possible and to eliminate any mental mistakes.
