Owensboro played host to Ohio County Friday night at Rash Stadium but they didn’t do so for very long, as the contest lasted just one hour and forty-five minutes with the Red Devils flexing their muscles on both sides of the ball.
Scoring early and often, Owensboro triumphed by a final score of 57-7. The win pushed the Red Devils to 3-0 while the Eagles dropped to 1-2 on the year.
Ethan Avery opened the scoring in the game as the senior capped a 91-yard opening drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. The Red Devil drive was led by star quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, who connected with senior wideout Steven Stevenson on three separate plays, while also completing a pass to familiar target Treyvon Tinsley. Avery chipped in with a couple of short runs, along with fellow running back Austin Gough.
After the Owensboro defense held Ohio County to a three-and-out, Wimsatt managed to find Stevenson on a big fourth down inside Eagles territory for a 26-yard gain. Moments later Avery scored his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time scampering into the end zone from 12 yards out for a 14-0 lead.
Following another three-and-out for Ohio County, Austin Gough punched in his first of two touchdown runs on back-to-back drives. Gough, a senior who specializes on the defensive side of the ball, was the subject of high praises from Red Devils head coach Jay Fallin.
“Offensively, we put ourselves behind the sticks with some penalties that we need to clean up, but we managed to convert every time we needed to,” Fallin said. “Austin was very effective in the goal-line package tonight. He is one of the tools we have in that package, and we often use it in short-yardage situations, even in the middle of the field. We love to see him running behind his pads and taking advantage of his carries. You really can’t say enough about that kid, he has the heart of a champion and plays great on both sides of the ball.”
Two touchdowns from Gough saw the score jump up to 28-0 in favor of the home team. On the ensuing drive, a mishandled Eagles’ snap was scooped up by Tramel Barksdale and returned for a touchdown to push the lead to 36-0, as Owensboro tacked on a two-point conversion.
Q’Daryius Jennings provided the Eagles with their lone highlight of the night when he returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown on the very next play to cut the lead to 36-7.
That 29-point margin was the closest the game would be for the rest of the evening, as Owensboro jumped back on track via a 23-yard touchdown reception for Tinsley with 1:15 to go in the second quarter. At the break, it was all Owensboro by a score of 43-7.
In the second half, both teams conceded to playing 10-minute quarters in hopes of protecting their players from needless injury with the lead out of reach for the visitors.
Even with a shortened half, Owensboro managed to tack on another 14 points. First, Javonte McHenry ran back another defensive scoop-and-score for the Red Devils. The scoring concluded with a Taquan Robinson rushing touchdown a minute into the final period.
In total, the Red Devils combined for 370 yards from scrimmage with 244 of them coming through the air. In the second half, Wimsatt and the starters gave way to sophomore quarterback Kasey Boone and a team of reserves, something Fallin said was important.
“What we want for our young guys is to function at a high level when they come into the game,” Fallin said. “The young guys did a great job tonight, and we are really high on Kasey Boone. He looked really good throwing the ball. Across the board, the young guys did a good job of managing to slow the tempo of the game down, whereas we usually play at a pretty high speed.”
The Eagles will look to rebound next Friday when they take on Graves County at home. Owensboro will play a rare Thursday night game on the road at Muhlenberg County next week with kickoff also scheduled for 7 p.m.
Owensboro 57, Ohio County 7
Scoring Plays
First Quarter
(OHS) Ethan Avery 3-yard run (PAT good) 7-0
(OHS) Avery 14-yard run (PAT good) 14-0
(OHS) Austin Gough 1-yard run (PAT good) 21-0
Second Quarter
(OHS) Gough 2-yard run (PAT good) 28-0
(OHS) Tramel Barksdale 17-yard fumble return (Two-point good) 36-0
(OHIO) QDaryius Jennings 80-yard return (PAT good) 36-7
(OHS) Gavin Wimsatt 23-yard pass to Treyvon Tinsley (PAT good) 43-7
Third Quarter
(OHS) Javonte McHenry 53-yard fumble return (PAT good) 50-7
Fourth Quarter
(OHS) Taquan Robinson 2-yard run (PAT good) 57-7
