17 minutes ago, BillNye said:

If the same Apollo team that played Daviess shows up, I like the Purples by a wide margin. 

If it's the one that played OCath tough and dropped 40 on MNH in a win, then I see a competitive game. I'll still lean Purples, but it's hard for me to wrap my head around some of Apollo's results.

Apollos inconsistency is frustrating. But I’d say BG struggles with consistency this year too. If BG plays a 1st half like they did against Grayson with the holding penalties and lackluster defense they could find themselves down in the 1st half to a hungry/motivated Eagles squad. Ultimately BG’s physicality will be too much for the Eagles to compete with for 48min. As long as BG doesn’t look forward to Atherton too soon they should win this game comfortably.

4 minutes ago, Devils Fan said:

Apollos inconsistency is frustrating. But I’d say BG struggles with consistency this year too. If BG plays a 1st half like they did against Grayson with the holding penalties and lackluster defense they could find themselves down in the 1st half to a hungry/motivated Eagles squad. Ultimately BG’s physicality will be too much for the Eagles to compete with for 48min. As long as BG doesn’t look forward to Atherton too soon they should win this game comfortably.

Don't limit it to just Grayson, the Purples have had untimely penalties and struggles in multiple areas this year.

Although they only gave up one defensive score to Grayson, the other was on special teams. I think the inconsistencies between both teams should have a bit of context. BGHS is going through their ups and downs against cream of the crop teams in the state. Hard for me to fathom, even in this down year, the Purples struggling with Muhlenberg County, Daviess County, etc.  Apollo's highs are playing OCath strong and beating MNH. BG's highs are playing CAL strong and beating Greenwood. So where does that leave us? Guessing. Bowling Green has so much youth at key positions they are the definition of unpredictable. Freshmen and sophomores are going to inevitably make freshmen and sophomore mistakes. I don't know the reasons for Apollo's inconsistency, but if either team thinks or attempts to just "show up" like they have in some of these games this year.... well, that's just asking for a rough Friday night to end your season.

21 hours ago, BillNye said:

I don't know the reasons for Apollo's inconsistency, 

Apollo doing Apollo things.

Edited November 12, 2025Nov 12 by theguru

On 11/12/2025 at 10:24 AM, 1stand3rdNoOuts said:

Apollo doing Apollo things.

What do you mean by "Apollo things"? 

I hate that Max will likely have to miss this game with the injury.  I would've liked to have seen what he could do against Bowling Green.  That said, JT is plenty capable.  He was electric in his start against Owensboro Catholic.  He put Apollo on his back, making some incredible throws outside the pocket.  He came in with zero reps last week and threw 2 TD's against Barren.  I believe Badger will go.  Landon Bratcher has had a big time season and Eli Williams is coming off his best game of the year.  While it will take a monumental effort, Apollo does have some special talent on the offensive side that could keep them in it.

The defense has been better late in the season but this is a massive step up in class for Apollo.  They will need to find a way to get some stops to keep it close.  I really like Apollo's secondary but I worry about the run defense against the Purples.  It will take their best effort of the season to keep this one close.  Coach Edge will have a great game plan.  It will come down to the kids executing it.  We are going to learn a little more about where Bowling Green is on Friday.

1 hour ago, jester270 said:

What do you mean by "Apollo things"? 

Being inconsistent.

1 hour ago, ApolloFan98 said:

I hate that Max will likely have to miss this game with the injury.  I would've liked to have seen what he could do against Bowling Green. 

Very sorry to hear this.  He is an outstanding QB.  Injuries are the worst part of the game IMO. And all teams deal with them to some degree unfortunately.

If Apollo shows up with their A-game, this one is going to be much closer than people expect.

Everyone keeps talking about Max Johnson’s injury — fair — but JT Edge at QB is not a downgrade to panic over. He nearly beat OCath on the road, he’s tough, smart, and brings that old-school Apollo edge. Give him a full week as QB1, and this offense stays dangerous.

And the receivers? When healthy, Badger, Bratcher, Williams, and Tutt are one of the better groups in western Kentucky. They stretch the field in every direction, and JT just needs to get them the ball. They can create chunk plays on anyone.

Defensively, moving “Hot Rod” Dillard to inside linebacker changed everything. The whole unit is faster, more physical, and more disciplined. Pair him with Edge in the front seven, and Apollo suddenly has a defensive identity that can keep them in games.

BG is still BG — talented, disciplined, and experienced — but Apollo has the formula to make this a four-quarter fight. If they win matchups on the outside, let JT use his legs, keep BG behind the chains, and play clean football, this gets real interesting.

Apollo isn’t the favorite, but if they land the first punch?

We might be sitting on a Friday night classic.

I don't think JT is a downgrade at all.  It just forces him to go both ways and he becomes the most important player on both sides of the ball.  That could be tough against an opponent like Bowling Green.  If anyone on the team can do it, it would be him!

https://stfanclub.com/

To me, this game has upset written all over it. Apollo has a solid offense that can put some points up. BG is still BG, but, they're a little down on the offensive side of the ball this year, both through the air and on the ground. I see this game being in the 20's for both sides. The winner will need to win the turnover and penalty games. If Apollo comes out on top in those 2 categories, they'll have a great chance of pulling this game out. 

1 hour ago, jeff jackson said:

To me, this game has upset written all over it. Apollo has a solid offense that can put some points up. BG is still BG, but, they're a little down on the offensive side of the ball this year, both through the air and on the ground. I see this game being in the 20's for both sides. The winner will need to win the turnover and penalty games. If Apollo comes out on top in those 2 categories, they'll have a great chance of pulling this game out. 

Putting 14 on Graves County and only 19 on Barren County last week tells me everything I need to know about this “solid” offense the Eagles have. I’ve listened to chatter all week about how Apollo has a chance to win this football game and I’m about tired of hearing it. I’ve been down on the Purples this year but not this low, I was expecting this sort of talk by round 3.

Bowling Green is going to roll them IMO. I’d be surprised if this is closer than three scores. 

25 minutes ago, TheBallCoach said:

Putting 14 on Graves County and only 19 on Barren County last week tells me everything I need to know about this “solid” offense the Eagles have. I’ve listened to chatter all week about how Apollo has a chance to win this football game and I’m about tired of hearing it. I’ve been down on the Purples this year but not this low, I was expecting this sort of talk by round 3.

You’re basing everything on Apollo scoring 19 on Barren County, but you’re ignoring the biggest detail: that was Round 1, and JT Edge stepped in cold after not taking a single QB rep since Week 3 against Owensboro Catholic. Most teams would crumble in that situation, but Apollo didn’t—they adjusted on the fly, leaned on grit, and still won a playoff game. Now Edge has a full week of QB1 reps, and the offense finally has its real firepower back: Bratcher, Badger, Williams, and Tutt are all healthy. This is not the patched-together unit you saw last Friday; this is Apollo at full strength. And defensively, the move of Hot Rod Dillard to ILB changed everything—they’re faster, more physical, and taking away lanes that used to be wide open. Bowling Green hasn’t seen this version of Apollo at any point this season. So no, the talk isn’t delusional. It’s recognizing health, momentum, adjustments, and timing. If BG walks in expecting the same Eagles team from the regular season, they’re in for a rude awakening. Apollo feeds off being doubted, and this week they get their chance to prove it. 

20 minutes ago, TheBallCoach said:

Putting 14 on Graves County and only 19 on Barren County last week tells me everything I need to know about this “solid” offense the Eagles have. I’ve listened to chatter all week about how Apollo has a chance to win this football game and I’m about tired of hearing it. I’ve been down on the Purples this year but not this low, I was expecting this sort of talk by round 3.

My head scratcher for Bowling Green is the Catholic game and the Greenwood game. I just don't see how BG can be a 5-A contender and get beat by Owensboro Catholic. The other game vs. Greenwood is a mystery. Last second field goal to win, right? That's what the 102.7 reported this week. 

Good Luck to both teams. Neither teams are going to see us at Rash so I'm not worried about this game. We will win state this year.