5A Bowling Green (3-5) at 5A Grayson County (4-4)

This will be the Cougars and the Purples 10^th all-time meeting with BG winning the previous 9.  They started playing each other when Kentucky went to 6 Classes in 2007.  They played 4 straight years until Grayson would move to 5A District 3 (teams closer to Louisville) after the 2010 season.  They would get reshuffled together again in 2015 and play 4 more times ending when Grayson would move over to 5A District 1 (Owensboro’s District) in 2019.  They resided there (District 1) for 4 years and now with South moving up to 6A and Ohio County playing no district this year; the Cougars land back in 5A District 2 again.  Those 8 games for Grayson County came at a tough time, as Bowling Green had strong teams during that timeframe.

Grayson County Cougars Information (TP94 Rating:  13.88)

Head Coach Bryan Jones is in his 7^th season in Leitchfield and has done a really fine job building the Cougars program.  The Cougars record since Jones has been the head man is 39 and 25.  The past two years they have hosted playoff games going 10 and 2 in 2023 and 9 and 3 in 2024; very respectable records.  And all teams hope to host a playoff game; do they not!    IMO, they have had good enough teams to take the next step to the Regional Final Round but just been unlucky.  In 2023, they lost their starting QB Kolby Chaffins to injury in the 2^nd Round game vs Fairdale and just couldn’t find traction after Chaffins went down.  Then in 2024, fell to a solid North Bullitt team at home, but Grayson clobbered North Bullitt 34-7 on the road earlier in the season. 

On the negative side, what happened to stud JR RB Kadin Hanshaw?  Really talented guy and one minute he’s there and the next he’s “no longer with the team”.  That’s tough when you are limited in the skills department.  They only have 10 seniors on the team.  That’s tough from a leadership standpoint.

On the positive side, this is a really young team!  While they only have 10 seniors, they have 50 on the roster.  AND I was at a pre-season Middle School football event that Grayson participated in they had a lot of kids there.  So, Coach Jones just needs to keep grinding here.  They should be able to keep grinding and compete with the rest of the district not in purple and gold IMO.  We’ll see. 

Bowling Green Purples Information (TP94 Rating:  69.73)

In their 37^th meeting, the Purples took down the Gators of Greenwood by the closest margin they have ever had in a 17-14 walk-off win over a determined well coached Gators squad.  I haven’t seen the stats for the game yet, but BG wasn’t able to get a sizeable lead early and allowed Greenwood to hang around until the second half and it nearly resulted in the first Gators win of the series.  Congrats to Greenwood on a good game.  For Bowling Green, holding penalties were the biggest issue as multiple times they negated big gains, which I think would have resulted in points for the Purples, but instead made BG punt and kept GW in the game.  SR WR Travey Barber came back for this game, and he had a TD and looked really good.  FR QB Anthony Davis played well, but also has more learning to do, which most FR QBs do.  SR RB Trey Graham had a great game for BG with some clutch runs late to get BG in position ultimately win the game.  BGs defense played well overall.  They did get worn down mid 3^rd quarter but rose to the occasion on 4^th and 1 late in the game to turn the Gators over on downs with about 1:30 to play on the GW 42-yard line.  BG marches down the field and SR Kicker Oliver Gonzolez hits a 27-yard Field Goal as time expires for the 17-14 win and projected District Title. 

Was this more Greenwood getting up for this game and playing their best game of the year or was it more BG sputtering and not finishing drives to win more comfortably as has been in years past?  Maybe a mix of both.  I’m not sure.  But the focus will be on Grayson County now to officially sew up the District Title and then an entertaining game at a very good Franklin County squad.

Game Preview

Grayson County earned a significant 30 to 12 win at home over Warren Central last week to likely earn the #4 seed in 5A District 2.  While that likely means a trip to Rash Stadium Week 1 and a tall test, it allows the Cougars to continue to get that playoff feel and continue to practice into November, and I think that’s a big deal.  Congrats Cougars! 

For the Purples, this is an opportunity to improve execution, especially offensively and get more reps for Davis and Barber to improve chemistry.  BG has to continue to improve from where they have been this season.  This evolution is what BG has done on many campaigns to be a very tough out later in the playoffs.  Still a lot of work to do here. 

Who takes this game in Leitchfield?

I was shocked the way the Cougars held the Dragons this past Friday. Not that I believe Central to be world beaters but I thought their skill group would be able to exploit some matchups and they just couldn’t. Know Hanshaw couldn’t of been let go for performance, he is an extremely talented athlete, if I had to make an assumption I’d say he was a terror in the locker room and probably caused some kind of mutiny against the coaching staff within the players.

Bowling Green on the other hand, I won’t rib them for playing the Gators within 3 points, the defensive gameplan that Coach Chaffin had put together gave the Freshman Davis fits all evening. This is a perfect game to set up an end of the year showdown with the Flyers, get the rhythm going again, but can I see some better tackling? Would love to see that Jungle D come back alive, the offense has struggled and they’ve been hearing it all season but the physicality and intensity of the Purples D has been lacking and if the hopes are still a trip to Lex they’ll have to pick it up.

Purples 48 Cougars 13

The Park City Daily News article this week is from October 2010.

It is the closest game between these two teams.  Bowling Green traveled to Leitchfield (just like they are doing this Friday) and wound up in a battle.  The game was 27-20 BG at the half, but Grayson County tied it up less than 3 minutes into the 3rd Quarter.

BG had two big defensive plays that proved to upend the Cougars 41-27.

BG JR RB Hunter Neveras had 136 yards rushing, 187 yards receiving and 3 TDs for BG.

Grayson County QB Hunter Gary had 113 yards rushing and 3 TDs, 143 yards passing and 1 TD, all while punting and playing safety!  Wow!

Can Grayson County keep it within 14 points on Friday?

The_Park_City_Daily_News_2010_10_02_B5 (1).pdf

 

BG big!!! BG will be ready to make a run now that Barber is back. 

Beautiful night in Leitchfield!

Senior Night for the Cougars!

Grayson County is young with very few seniors  

Cougars in all Navy with orange trim and numbers. 
Purples in Purole pants and numbers, white jerseys and gold helmets. 
45 minutes on the clock. 

Wow they had legit fireworks to introduce the Cougars on the field  Awesome  

BG receives. 
BG ball at midfield. 
1st Incompkete to Barber. 
2nd Graham runs for 8. 
3re Graham runs for first down. 
1st. Jaxen Smith screen. TD Purples. 
BG 7

GC 0

10:51 1Q

Grayson County receives. And fumbles. Recovered by Burton. 
BG ball on GC 25

1 pass complete to Nottmeier. 
1st. Pass complete to Kirkwood. TD Purples. 
BG 14

GC 0

10:27 1Q

GC to receive. And will start at the GC 26

1st Nice option wide right for a first down. 
1st QB runs for about 5. 
2nd run until middle for 6. First down. 
1st QB run for 2. 
2nd Pass over middle complete for first down. 
1st and 10 from BG 39. Run for 5. 
2nd QB run for no gain. 
3rd receiver open but Incompkete. 4th down. 
4th. Mudd runs for a first down. Scratch that. Measurement coming. First down GC. 
1st at BG 29. Run for 5

2nd run up the middle for first down. 
1st run in the middle for 3

2nd run first down. 
1st at BG 1. No gain. 
2nd TD run. 
Great drive GC. 
Poor defense BG. 
xP is no good. 
14-6 BG

1:05 1Q

BG receives. BG ball on BG 33

1   Incompkete pass. 
2 Graham for 9. 
3. Graham runs for a first down. 
1st run for first. But hold BG. 
End of 1. 
BG 14-6

BG ball 

1st and 20 from BG 35

Burton runs for 8

2nd pass Incompkete. 
3  complete to Kirkwood for about 10. 
But BG lines up to punt. 
Grayson Counry runs it back. Unbelievable!

GC goes for 2. Run is no good. 
BG leads 14-12. 
10:57 2Q

BG to receive. 
BG ball on BG 40

BG Player down. Injury timeout. 
10:51 2Q

Smith runs for 1

2nd Jaxen Smitu runs for a first down. 
1st pass Incomplete. Grounding called. 
2nd Barber short then runs for near first down. 
3 Smitu for first down. 
1 Incomplete but he was wide open. 
2nd Hraham runs for a first down. 
1st Jaxen Smith catch and run. TD BG

BG 21

GC 12

8:50 2Q

Grayson County receives and starts at GC 33. 
1st run for 2 or 3. 
2nd QB runs for first down. 
1st Motion on GC. QB fumbles but gets on top of it. 
2nd and long. Timeout GC

2nd and about 21. QB fumbles again. 
3rd and about 30. Short pass complete. 
4th and GC to punt. 
BG ball at GC 45

4:14 2Q

BG 21-12

BG ball at GC 45

1 Graham runs for 10 or 12. First

1 down. Barber no gain. 
2nd illegal shift BG

2nd and 16. Pass Incompkete. 
3rd Barber catch and run for a first down.  
1st. Injury timeout GC player.  
1st and 10 at GC 22. Jaxen Smith to the goal line. 
1st Jaxen Smith TD run. 
BG 28

GC 12

2:17 2Q

GC gets ball at GC 30

2:10 in half

1 run for 1. I would call TO here. 
2 short run

Timeout BG #1

3rd and 9. 1:14 to play

eun for 8  No they say first down  wow  

1 Poor tackling BG  First down GC at BG 35

34 seconds to play in half  

28-12 BG