For nearly four decades, the Owensboro community has waited for another high school football team to climb the mountain and bring a championship trophy back home. This weekend, the city isn’t sending just one hopeful contender to Kroger Field. It’s sending two.
For the first time ever, both Owensboro High School and Owensboro Catholic High School are competing on the same championship weekend, turning Lexington into a showcase of Owensboro football and the talent that has defined the city’s gridiron identity.
“I think this is a great representation of Western Kentucky football, especially in the city of Owensboro,” Catholic running back Miles Edge said. “It just goes to show how much talent we really have in the area and the great football programs that are here.”
The Aces are back in the 2A title game for a third consecutive season. After falling to Mayfield in 2023 and Beechwood in 2024, they’ve clawed their way into yet another shot at the program’s first state crown.
Meanwhile, OHS returns to the 5A title stage for the first time since their gritty battle with Bowling Green that ended in defeat in 2020. Now, after dominating the competition for the better part of the last 3 months, the Red Devils are knocking on the door of their first program title since 1986.
Despite the near-misses, the local support has never wavered. This weekend, that support goes into overdrive. Donatos is streaming both games, Hide and Timber is packed with red-and-green gear, and the community seems united in a way it rarely gets to be when both teams suit up.
“I feel like both of us playing this weekend has brought a lot of people together,” Owensboro Catholic quarterback Dre’Mail Carothers said. “Because when we play Owensboro, everything’s divided. But I feel like, seeing two teams, everything will come together. The community will love and show support for both teams.”
That unity has already begun. Both schools spent the week walking through elementary schools, taking photos with students, and shaking hands. The Aces hosted a pep rally on Wednesday afternoon, while the Red Devils will pack their North Gym on Friday at 7 p.m.
“Football brings the community together, maybe more so than any other sport,” Owensboro High School Athletic Director Todd Harper said. “… We love touring the elementary schools. The players will always remember this, and we are hoping to inspire the elementary kids. Show them that OHS athletes who went to their schools, so hopefully they can continue on with that tradition.”
Rivals on the field, allies off of it — that’s been the theme behind the scenes.
“Everybody is excited,” Owensboro Head Coach DaMarcus Ganaway said. “There is no animosity, and everyone is talking about supporting each other’s teams. Our boys actually went to the end of the Beechwood game on Friday. There is a lot of support because these kids grow up together.”
Two teams. One city. Two chances at history.
For the first time ever, Owensboro enters championship weekend united — and on the verge of something unforgettable.
