Apollo football will have a chance on Friday night to avenge their loss that came to Central Hardin earlier in the season, as the two will meet again in the opening round of the postseason.
The Bruins had their way with the Eagles in week three, dominating them 51-20. Although the Eagles have struggled at times this year, Head Coach John Edge knows the entire regular season was simply preparation for this Friday night in Elizabethtown.
“We have to play clean and our best football we have played all season,” Edge said. “It’s playoff time and winner moves on…we just need to win.”
The Eagles showed some promise in their previous matchup with the Bruins, only trailing 7-6 at halftime. Senior quarterback Christian Combs led Apollo with 235 yards passing and two touchdowns, as well as adding one on the ground.
The Central Hardin Bruins secured the first seed in the second district of Class 6A. They finished 9-1 on the regular season as their only loss came to Henderson County, a familiar district opponent of Apollo’s.
“Their offensive line is better than any we have faced all year,” Edge said. “They have a really good player in Zak Spurrier…he makes their offense go and we have to prevent him from extending plays with his legs.”
Quarterback Zak Spurrier is a baseball commit for the University of Kentucky. Although his main focus may be on the diamond, he’s put together quite an impressive junior season on the field for the Bruins. Spurrier has accounted for 1,209 total yards and 16 touchdowns so far this season.
Coach Edge also touched on the Central Hardin’s offensive line, who have led the Bruins to 2,839 rushing yards on the season, which ranks first in Class 6A.
This will be a tough matchup for the Eagles, although they’ve shown many improvements throughout the season and seem to be ready cause some problems in the playoffs. The Eagles will travel to Central Hardin as kickoff is set for 8 p.m.
“We have to limit our mistakes if we want to win this game,” Edge said. “No turnovers, no special teams’ touchdowns, and getting them off the field are all keys to winning Friday.”
