It was a defensive stalemate on Friday night at Steele Stadium as Owensboro Catholic suffered a 12-7 loss to Union County. Both teams managed to force some turnovers early and had several goalline opportunities but were unable to capitalize.
Catholic head coach Jason Morris was impressed with his team’s performance on the defensive side of the ball and credited his young players for “stepping up.”
“We’ve had bad luck with senior injuries on a young team; we’re starting seven underclassmen on defense,” he said. “We didn’t play to potential the first two weeks, and tonight, we were much improved. We played physical football; I’m really proud of this team.”
The first score of the game came when Union County (3-0) recovered their own fumble on the 3-yard line and marched it in for a touchdown. The Aces (0-3) responded with 5:36 left in the fourth when Lincoln Clancy entered the game at quarterback and connected with Reid Clark in the endzone. The extra point gave Catholic a 7-6 lead with mere minutes remaining in the game.
The Braves mustered up another touchdown late in the fourth but failed to convert the 2-point conversion, making it 12-7. The Aces rallied late on their final drive, crossing into Union County territory with just over minute remaining, but ultimately turned it over on downs.
Clancy made an immediate impact upon entering the game late, accounting for nearly 100 yards in the air and one touchdown.
“He’s battling a shoulder injury right now, so he’s limited on what he can do,” Morris said. “With the adequate rest, we are hopeful that he’s ready to play an entire game in 2-3 weeks. He’s doing a great job of being a good leader and possessing a great attitude.”
The Aces’ defense came out hot, forcing a turnover on their own 3-yard line with 1:32 left in the first quarter before being forced to punt. Union County fumbled the punt allowing Catholic to recover and march it to the red zone with just under five minutes remaining in the half. A goalline stand by Union County left it tied at 0-0, entering the half.
Catholic will make the short trek to Rash Stadium next Friday to face city-county foe Owensboro.
“Our message is to continue to get better, hopefully playing our best football when district play starts,” he said. “I’m really proud of this team; they continue to show improvement every week. We will be fine.”
