Riding a seven-game winning streak, Daviess County will look to hand McCracken County a loss for the second time this season in the first round of district playoffs.
The Panthers have been unstoppable as of late, winning its last six games by at least 21 points.
Their most recent win was a 58-14 victory over Warren East at home.
Senior quarterback Joe Humphreys was dominant once again, passing for 376 yards and four touchdowns on 22-29 passing. He also ran for 36 yards and two touchdowns on five carries.
Senior Max Dees was his primary target, racking up 101 receiving yards on four catches. Junior Bryson Parm was close behind with 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five catches.
Senior Gunnar Evans was the leading rusher on the night, going for 66 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
McCracken County closed out the regular season with a strong performance against Christian County, winning 54-24.
The Mustangs made their living through the air in that game, as junior Pryor Lamb threw for 163 yards and four touchdowns on 13-21 passing.
Senior Zack Masek was his primary target, earning 85 yards and a touchdown on five catches.
Senior Jeremiah Hughes also dominated in the backfield, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.
Hughes had 144 rushing yards in the previous matchup with Daviess County, while Lamb threw for 137 yards and a touchdown on 11-23 passing to go along with an interception.
Knowing the severity of the game with it being the playoffs, Head Coach Matt Brannon has insisted all week long for his players to underestimate the Mustangs despite the last game.
“This is a win or go home situation and our players understand that,” Brannon said. “We also have delivered the message that McCracken County (regardless of their record) is a quality program that has owned this district over the last decade. We must never underestimate our opponent regardless of what happened last game.”
While the game was a blowout quick at McCracken County, Brannon expects different schemes from them and knows that awareness on both sides of the ball will be crucial.
“Although the game was out of hand early in the second half, I have no doubt that Coach Clark will make some adjustments to their scheme and make the necessary changes to slow us down on offense and try to find some weakness in our defensive alignments,” Brannon said. “Adjustments will be key in this game.”
Entering the postseason, Brannon said that in order to go far his team has to be strong in every facet of the game and treat this matchup like it’s their last.
“The message to the team is simple, 5 steps to a state championship, and we cannot get there without pouring everything that we have into our preparation, practice, execution and effort on Friday night,” Brannon said. “This is the most important game of our season, and we have treated it that way all week.”
Daviess County will host McCracken County at 7 p.m. on Friday.
