Last week’s Border Bowl had outcomes on opposite ends of the spectrum for the four local high school football teams. While Owensboro and Apollo’s big wins proved they can play with anyone, the losses by Daviess County and Owensboro Catholic may not tell the whole tale.
The Panthers lost one of their star players on the opening kickoff, and the team was never quite able to shake that shock to get rolling offensively. The Aces, meanwhile, had arguably the toughest matchup of the weekend in defending Indiana 3A state champion Evansville Memorial.
Both the Red Devils and Eagles will try to keep perfect seasons going tonight, and both of the 5A programs will face 2A opponents.
Highlighting Week 3 will be Owensboro taking on Owensboro Catholic. Apollo hosts McLean County, while Daviess County hosts John Hardin.
ABOUT THE MATCHUPS
Owensboro (2-0) at Owensboro Catholic (0-2)
The Red Devils have twice gotten off to a slow start, but a high-powered offense has propelled them to a pair of wins. It’s not all about the offense, though, as the defense has proved they can stand firm when they need to most. Last week, Owensboro overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to beat Evansville Reitz 35-34, and the game was sealed with a fumble recovery by Ethan Avery late in the game.
In two games, quarterback Will Warren has thrown for over 500 yards total with eight touchdowns. He’s got a talented running back lining up behind him in Monte Owsley. Owsley is a big-play threat both on the ground and through the air. Last week alone, he amassed 265 total yards and three scores.
The Aces won’t lay down just because they face a high-scoring offense. Both opponents so far — Daviess County and Memorial — are teams that can score in a hurry. OCHS hasn’t backed down yet, and the biggest challenge is they simply don’t have as many players on the roster. Playing several guys both ways wears the team down, head coach Jason Morris said, but said in both losses the team has fought until the end.
The team has a few weapons in the backfield, so they’ve spreading the ball around. Out wide, quarterback Drew Hartz has a pair of receivers in Ya Ya Gray and Nick Mills that can break free if they get a step on the defense. In the backfield, the Aces have been able to rely on a steady dose of Von WIlliams to get them down the field.
Apollo (2-0) vs. McLean County (2-0)
Under new head coach Phil Hawkins, the Eagles are 2-0 for the first time since 2009. He’s got big plans for the team this season — one big goal for Apollo is “win 10” — but he knows the program has to take it one week at a time. Last week, Hawkins said beating a talented Evansville Mater Dei team was about turning the corner. Tonight, they’ll have to knock off a Cougars squad that is coming off a 21-14 win over Trigg County.
Leading the charge for the Eagles will be Mariano McKenzie, who had 22 carries for 227 yards and a touchdown last week. His productivity was no surprise — he had 177 rushing yards and two scores the week before — and the team will continue to lean on him. Quarterback Colby Clark has a handful of receivers to choose from, but they’ll look to feed McKenzie and get the ground game established early. The Cougars have a stingy passing defense, giving up only 107 yards so far this year, though McKenzie could have success against a rush defense that’s given up 271 yards.
Daviess County (1-1) vs. John Hardin (1-1)
The Panthers underperformed last week according to head coach Matt Brannon. Star receiver Marquel Tinsley was knocked out of the game on the opening kickoff, and Brannon said it was a big hit to the team. The offense struggled to stay on the field, and the defense wore down against a run-heavy Evansville Central team. They’ll have to adjust accordingly to a game plan without Tinsley tonight when they face John Hardin, who lost 31-0 last week to North Hardin.
Panther quarterback Joey Cambron had an off day against Central, throwing three interceptions with only 10 completions for 78 yards. He and receivers like JQ Fletcher and Alex Nalley will need to get a rhythm going early, as the Bulldogs have only allowed 138 passing yards all season. Versatile running back Landon Newman may also have to get creative — John Hardin has given up only 206 rushing yards — though he proved that’s not a problem in week one when he totaled 229 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.
