Apollo travels across town to face Owensboro in a matchup between two teams coming off impressive district wins. The Eagles enter with momentum after a dominant 34-7 victory over Muhlenberg County, while Owensboro is coming off a 49-7 win over Graves County. With both teams playing well, Friday night sets up as a big city rivalry game with important district and playoff implications.

That Apollo offense is hard to stop but the Apollo defense is not very good. I think they will need to commit to running the ball and also will need to win the turnover battle by at least 3. I was super impressed by what OHS did last week against Graves, very dominant performance. Obviously Apollo brings a different challenge but I thought OHS held up very well against the OC passing attack two weeks ago. I am going with Owensboro by 3 TDs.

2 hours ago, 83wildcatFB said:

That Apollo offense is hard to stop but the Apollo defense is not very good. I think they will need to commit to running the ball and also will need to win the turnover battle by at least 3. I was super impressed by what OHS did last week against Graves, very dominant performance. Obviously Apollo brings a different challenge but I thought OHS held up very well against the OC passing attack two weeks ago. I am going with Owensboro by 3 TDs.

This game still worries me a little. I think it's a closer ball game than 3 TDs. The fact we only put 7 on Cath defense and Apollo scored 43 worries me some. I know Catholic scored a lot on Apollo but if you told me they would score 35 on our defense I would have laughed at you.

I agree with @TimeWillTell . Johnson can buy time with legs we saw that last year. Lilipop is dangerous at 6 foot 4. I think Apollo could cause us problems. Can we be efficient on offense? I think we have to continue working packages in with Ashley at QB/Wildcat. I thought that during the Catholic game down on their 5 yard line 3 to 4 times. Being at Rash is in Owensboro's favor but I don't think Johnson will be fazed. A couple turnovers one way or another could turn this one. I'll say O by 7.

2 hours ago, Brown said:

I agree with @TimeWillTell . Johnson can buy time with legs we saw that last year. Lilipop is dangerous at 6 foot 4. I think Apollo could cause us problems. Can we be efficient on offense? I think we have to continue working packages in with Ashley at QB/Wildcat. I thought that during the Catholic game down on their 5 yard line 3 to 4 times. Being at Rash is in Owensboro's favor but I don't think Johnson will be fazed. A couple turnovers one way or another could turn this one. I'll say O by 7.

If we have everyone but Demarcus I feel good, but I think we still have kids out.

Owensboro 42-14.

Apollo 35 Devils 28.

9 minutes ago, Hall77 said:

Apollo 35 Devils 28.

That's a pretty close score. You've played us and Apollo. Can they score on us?

In terms of score OC blasted OHS. In terms of yardage/production, the score is not a good indicator of how close the Aces vs Devils game truly was. Turnovers were a killer also. So using the scores of the Eagles vs Aces and the Devils vs Aces won't do you any good.

Don't know what to expect from the Devils this week. With all the injuries and loss to OC, they have lost a-lot of their lust. If the Devils come amped and ready to play. Executing and taking care of the ball I don't see why they wouldn't win this one going away. A win by 35 or a win by 7 doesn't matter just need to win for good RPI until everyone is back healthy.

However if this becomes a high scoring affair I'd have to give the edge to Apollo. Without Gway at QB O just doesn't have the consistency on offense to win a shoot out.

5 hours ago, TimeWillTell said:

That's a pretty close score. You've played us and Apollo. Can they score on us?

Yes they will stretch you out you have to account for the run and pass at all times and Max is good with his legs.

Owensboro is a more complete team even without their QB. This game will be won or lost in the turnover battle. If O can play a clean game, they win. If they do not, they lose.

I think Apollo has a really good chance to win this one. The biggest difference with the Eagles right now compared to earlier in the season is how much the run game has improved. They're becoming much more balanced offensively, and when you combine that with a quarterback like Max Johnson, it adds a lot of layers to what a defense has to prepare for. He can extend plays with his legs, hurt you in the designed run game, and buy enough time for guys like Lillpop to get open downfield.

I also think Apollo's performance against Catholic deserves some attention. The Aces have been very good defensively, and outside of Boyle County and Apollo, teams haven't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard against them. Apollo showed they can move the ball and score against a quality defense. That's a pretty good indicator of how potent this offense can be when everything is clicking.

To me, the game comes down to Apollo's defense. They don't have to suddenly become dominant. They just have to continue improving. Force a couple turnovers, get Owensboro off the field with some punts, and give Johnson and that offense extra possessions. If they can do that, I really like Apollo's chances.

Owensboro is still Owensboro, and playing at Rash is never easy. But with their injuries and some of the inconsistency they've had offensively, I think this is a great opportunity for Apollo. If it turns into a game where both teams have to consistently score, I actually think that favors the Eagles.

I'll take Apollo in a close one. Eagles by 7.

I like Owensboro.

One thing I have heard from some of my guys is that Demarcus Ganaway Jr. is playing. I was told about 4 weeks ago it was a 6-8 week recovery. I still don't think he should play but it makes me feel a lot better about this game. Also Tee Green is playing. I think we are getting healthy.

LET'S GO!!!!!

20 minutes ago, TimeWillTell said:

One thing I have heard from some of my guys is that Demarcus Ganaway Jr. is playing. I was told about 4 weeks ago it was a 6-8 week recovery. I still don't think he should play but it makes me feel a lot better about this game. Also Tee Green is playing. I think we are getting healthy.

LET'S GO!!!!!

Wow news to me! That's great.