Series History: Warren Central leads 7-5

Series at Owensboro: Owensboro leads 5-2

 

Owensboro has won three of the last four meetings between the two schools, but they have met only once since 2000. All of Owensboro's wins over Warren Central have come at Rash Stadium. Warren Central has not won at Rash since a 28-10 decision in 1997.

 

Warren Central and Owensboro have not met since the 2008 playoffs. At the time, that was a matchup of two teams going in very different directions. The Dragons were stumbling to the end of a very ugly 3-8 campaign, still their worst showing since 1995. If not for the grace of six classes, it would have almost certainly been their first missed playoffs since 1998. Meanwhile Owensboro had won a region title the year before, went on to defeat Bowling Green in the second round to advance to their region runner-up finish in 2008, and appeared to be trending upward. While Owensboro has been respectable in the interim, last year was their first trip back to the region finals since 2008, while Warren Central has now played for three straight region titles, albeit winning none.

 

Yet this year very much resembles the makeup of that 2008 game, though Central hasn't cratered as bad as that 2008 team did. Owensboro is riding relatively high. They're 5-1 with their only loss being an understandable one to Bowling Green. They are favorites in every remaining game with the possible exception of their closer against Henderson County. They are considered the favorite to win their 4A region. Meanwhile Warren Central has gotten out to only a 3-3 start, having lost to every good team and beaten every bad team they've seen so far. Their three remaining games following this one are Bowling Green, Logan County, and Highlands. The first and third are almost literal guarantees to be losses, the middle an almost literal guaranteed win. That makes this game against Owensboro the swing game between a 4-6 or 5-5 finish, in either case their worst finish since 2008. For the Dragons it's an exercise in maintaining momentum and continuing to improve, and perhaps a mental game in finding out if they can beat a team that isn't down on its luck. For Owensboro it's continuing to defend their home turf where only Bowling Green has won in the last 1.5 seasons and maintaining their own strong momentum.

Warren Central 29-26.

I look for the Red Devils to keep rolling along, OBoro 28 WCen 13

I'm cautiously optimistic. I wish it were not at Rash though.

 

The common opponent factor is hard to ignore, though I wish Central had the opportunity to play Madisonville now rather than when they did. That was an avalanche of unforced errors.

This will be a very close game. Central has shaken off those early games and even though the competition lately hasn't been great, I think they have used that to their advantage to make some changes and those changes seemed to have worked. Owensboro is always good at home, but I think the Dragons need it more. If they don't turn it over in the 2nd half they win. Central 22- Owensboro - 18.