Owensboro will look to recreate its success against Grayson County from its first matchup when they meet in the first round of district playoffs on Thursday.
The Red Devils are currently on a nine-game winning streak, with their only loss coming in their season opener.
Owensboro ended its regular season with a strong performance against Henderson County, winning 55-18.
Senior Kasey Boone had a strong performance against the Colonels, throwing for 174 yards and four touchdowns on 10-15 passing.
Junior Khalil Rogers (four receptions, 77 yards, one touchdown) and senior Eli Early (two receptions, 48 yards, two touchdowns) were his primary targets, combining for 125 yards and three touchdowns on the night.
Senior Tramel Barksdale had a monster game out of the backfield, rushing for 174 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Meanwhile, Grayson County is on a two-game losing streak entering the postseason, falling to Owensboro and Hart County.
The Cougars struggled against the Red Devils in their previous matchup, falling 58-7.
Head Coach Jay Fallin said that their execution defensively will be key once again in the second matchup between the two.
“We were opportunistic on defense and special teams in our first game, scoring two defensive and two special teams TDs,” Fallin said. We need to focus on executing every snap and avoiding mistakes.”
Coming into the first round of the playoffs Owensboro isn’t completely healthy, but Fallin doesn’t expect much of a drop-off.
“We do have some guys out this week for injury, so we will have to fill those holes with young guys,” Fallin said. “We have every confidence in them.”
With younger guys stepping into new roles, Fallin is hoping to add even more experience to their upperclassman-filled roster with this game.
“More experience, specifically playoff experience,” Fallin said. “This game will be our 12th postseason game since our seniors entered the program in 2018. Experience matters in November.”
This experience will be key if the Red Devils hope to make a long postseason run, as maturity and execution are the top priorities for them entering their matchup with Grayson County.
“We are in the playoffs now, so each week could be our last if we don’t bring the appropriate mindset and focus,” Fallin said. “So often, in big playoff games it is the team that concentrates and executes at a higher level that wins, rather than the team who “makes big plays.”
Owensboro will look to move to 10-1 and make its way to the second round of district playoffs with a win against Grayson County at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
