Four years ago, Owensboro Catholic started the season 0-5 — an ugly welcome of high school football for that freshman class. Before the season could spiral out of control, the Aces grabbed the reigns and ripped off seven consecutive wins before bowing out in the third round of the playoffs.
That was just a taste of winning for the class of 2025, who’ve led the Aces to a 28-1 record over the last two seasons, including back-to-back appearances in the 2A state championship game.
A year ago, Owensboro Catholic fell short to Mayfield in the title bout, battling back from an early deficit before falling just short in a nailbiter.
The pain from last year’s loss still weighs heavily on the seniors’ minds, a driving force behind this season’s 14-0 record and return to Kroger Field.
“I think we were so heartbroken after our loss last year,” said senior Vince Carrico. “I haven’t been able to sleep right, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the loss. It will be really good for this community if we can get this win.”
Carrico’s teammates echo his sentiments, and they all have their eyes set on finally getting the job done today against Beechwood (4 p.m. ET kickoff). It’s championship or bust for the seniors, and they’re blocking out the emotions as they prepare for their last-ever high school football game.
“The emotions are running high, but we have to leave it all out on the field and bring it back home,” senior Kail Kabalen said.
Head coach Jason Morris said the staff has been talking with the seniors about not making the game bigger than it is, something that took them to the second quarter against Mayfield to realize.
“At the end of the day it’s just another football game,” Morris said. “It is their last one though, so it just takes ultimate focus to make sure they leave the field, whether we win it or lose it, without any regrets. And they won’t. It’s a team full of seniors who have put in four years of good hard work and turned the culture around in this program like no other. I am super proud of them, and I trust they are going to give a good performance.”
Morris’s trust in his seniors is warranted, being at the helm of one of the most dominant eras in Owensboro Catholic football history. Dating back to the 0-5 start in 2021, the class of 2025 has helped morph this program into one of the best in 2A, compiling a record of 44-11.
Still, the Aces want to prove they can win the big one for the first time in Catholic history.
“We have had lots of ups and downs throughout our four years,” Carrico said. “We started out slow and every year we have gotten a little bit better. We’ve set the standard for this program that we aren’t just a district championship or regional championship team, and that every single year we are a state championship contender. It’s really set the standard for the next generation of Owensboro Catholic.”
Ignoring the emotions and eyeing a state championship, the seniors acknowledged the pride of finishing their high school football careers together.
“It’s been a great career, and I think Vince and I both agree we are ready to end the season as undefeated state champs,” senior Brady Atwell said. “It really means a lot to both of us suiting up together and the rest of the senior class, doing what we can for the community and bringing a lot of people joy. It’s been a lot of fun, and it would mean a lot to us to bring back the first state championship to Owensboro Catholic.”
