Tonight marks the first round of the playoffs, with Apollo, Hancock County, Owensboro, and Owensboro Catholic all hosting home games. In other action, Daviess County and McLean County are both on the road.
Apollo (5-5) (Class 5A, District 1) Vs. Barren County (5-5) (Class 5A, District 2)
For the second straight year, Apollo finished the regular season 5-5, but this time around clinched homefield for the opening round of the playoffs. Moving into the playoffs, Head Coach John Edge wants to see his team eliminate committing silly penalties, an issue that plagued the Eagles in their season finale.
Edge and his team are also aware of the numerous weapons on Barren County’s offense.
“Jaxson Byrd is a great player on both sides of the ball, and he can make plays on offense,” Edge said. “Their QB, Briggs Harris, makes a lot of plays on his feet, and Braxton Coomes is a great linebacker who can play the pass well. John Meyers has done a great job with this team and will have his team ready.”
Daviess County (5-5) (Class 6A, District 2) @ Hopkinsville (6-4) (Class 6A, District 1)
A year after only winning one game, the Panthers finished the regular season 5-5. They are fresh off a thrilling win over rival Apollo and enter the playoffs in high spirits.
“Practice this week has been pretty good and efficient,” Daviess County Head Coach Quadarius Wallace said. “The guys have done a great job of picking up the game plan and executing throughout practice.”
Tonight, they travel to Hopkinsville with a focus on needing to know where James Bradley is at all times.
“Bradley does a little bit of everything for them and plays safety on defense,” Wallace said. “He is a playmaker. They are a spread offense, but are very balanced. That is something where we have to put them in situations where we dictate what they want to do. We will need to win first downs.”
Wallace wants to see his offense establish the run early so it can open things up for Jace Hunt and Hunter Corbin. He also acknowledged that they need to eliminate penalties.
Hancock County (7-3) (Class 2A, District 2) Vs. Caldwell County (6-4) (Class 2A, District 1)
Entering the playoffs on a three-game winning streak, Hancock County has outscored its opponents 138-26 over that span. Finishing second in the district, tonight the Hornets host Caldwell County.
McLean County (5-5) (Class 2A, District 2) @ Crittenden County (7-3) (Class 2A, District 1)
Battling injuries, the Cougars finished the season on a high note, running all over Ohio County 44-7. A run-heavy offense, the Cougars had four different players finish with at least 400 rushing yards, with Aden Bolden leading the charge, scoring a team-high 11 touchdowns.
“We will need to be sound in the secondary,” McLean County Head Coach Zach Wagner said. “We have several players out due to injury, so backups will be playing key roles for us. We need them to come through.”
Owensboro (8-2) (Class 5A, District 1) Vs. Grayson County (4-6) (Class 5A, District 2)
After starting the season 0-2, the Red Devils have found their footing – winning eight straight, clinching the district, and home field through the first four rounds.
“Grayson poses a good threat in the box, where we’d have to come out and execute from the jump,” Owensboro Head Coach DaMarcus Ganaway said. “The last three games, we’ve scored on the first play on offense, and that kind of jump-started us. So, we hope to keep the momentum going.”
Tonight, they host Grayson County, and Ganaway wants to see his team execute early and take the fight to their opponent.
“Their offensive line is good up front, so we need to win and control the line of scrimmage,” Ganaway said. “Defensively, in the box is where I think it’s been good for us the last few weeks. “Secondary-wise, we match up well because of our team speed and athleticism.”
Owensboro Catholic (9-1) (Class 2A, District 2) Vs. Fort Campbell (4-6) (Class 2A, District 1)
The Aces enter the playoffs first in 2A RPI, securing them homefield through the first four rounds. 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 are as focused as I have seen this group of boys really all year,” Owensboro Catholic Head Coach Jason Morris said. “They know we have a chance to make a deep playoff run and they are excited about it.”
Dre’mail Carothers has stepped up in his first year as the starting quarterback, throwing for 2,624 yards and 33 touchdowns. Tonight, they host Fort Campbell, whom they shut out 50-0 a year ago.
“Fort Campbell is similar to how they have been in the past since we’ve had to play them in our district the last two years, but not this year,” Morris said. “They are a spread team that likes to play through their QB. They have a wide receiver and running back who are very capable, and we will have to play well to win tonight.”
