devils advocate

Just on the outside looking in I've felt the staff hasn't put as much emphasis on winning this game the last few years. It's a rivalry game but it doesn't effect either teams playoff picture. Last year Henderson drives like 80 yards with 1 minute left in the game to win it. Ran the same play all the way dwn the field. OHS never adjusted! Anyway I have a friend that has said all year Henderson would beat Owensboro. Guess he was right. Pitiful pitiful showing by the Red Devils.

Guru I simply used a ranking to show how the "national media" view the teams. Since Bowling Green,Elder,& C. Columbus don't actually play it's really all we have to go off of. I actually was at the Trinity @ Bowling Green game the year Dawkins,Quick,etc played for Trinity....Trinity was lucky to get out of there with the win. (And yes I realize Trinity was without their starting QB too) Plus I've seen my share of GCL & GMC games....big time games....I was raised on Pat Mancuso football.

Bowling Green and the FL school Highlands played are both ranked around 220 according to MaxPreps. Elder is ranked around 166. One of Highlands losses is better then Owensboro's lone loss. Not both. Plus Owensboro was never down 20+ points against BG. Highlands has a great tradition but THIS YEAR they don't have a better resume then Owensboro IMO.

Teams from KY seem to always draw Cali teams in this tourney. Or at least end up playing Cali teams. This is the tourney Ballard and Scott Co faced off in the finals once right?

This is the best collection of talent in the 3rd Region maybe ever. But most definitely the best since 1997's class of Brandon Davenport(Morehead St.),Fred McHenry(Northern Iowa),Marc Salyers(Samford),David Phillips(Brescia University;NAIA AA),Kevin Greer(KWC),Bobby Zuerner(KWC),& some others I'm sure I'm missing. The 1992 class was solid as well with James Douglas(New Orleans),Brad Devine(WKU),Daviess Co had a kid that signed with EKU,& Bobby Higgs was a D1 talent but gave up basketball after Owensboro lost in the Semi's of the Sweet 16 to University Heights. I'd also add the class with Tyler Brown and Brock Moorman. And the year Patrick Sparks and Lamar Owen came out. None of those classes have players with the offers Holman,Wright,and Young will end up with though.

I think now that Highlands has a loss Owensboro can make a legit claim for #1 in 4A. They have one loss,42-34, to Bowling Green. With wins @ 2A #4 Owensboro Catholic,@ 4A #4 Madisonville, and @ 5A #3 Warren Central.

Solid list but I'd put Morrow for OHS on the top 10 list before the Harris kid (Harris will be good thgh). Plus I'd take Miller over Holman if we're strictly talking high school production. Holman has the higher ceiling thgh.

My top 3 players would be Eli Wright(Apollo),Justin Miller(O'boro),& Aric Holman(O'boro). In that order. I would say the top 3 teams are Owensboro,Apollo,& I'll say Muhlenberg Co. In that order. (The 3rd spot could've gone to Ohio Co,Owensboro Catholic,or Daviess Co thgh) As far as Apollo goes they have the Moss kid who was getting some D1 interest this summer. He plays PG. Owensboro will be without starting PG Arius Phillips at least the 1st part of the season. He broke his arm in football a few weeks ago. This season will be interesting though....Apollo's new coach, Steve Barker, had O'boro's number while coaching at McLean Co. He'll have much better talent to work with at Apollo. Can't wait til the season tips off.

Congrats! Nashville is a great city!

As an Owensboro fan I have no issue being #2. Now had we beat BG I'd be screaming to be #1. But I also believe I wouldn't have to scream because we'd be #1. Really hoping Highlands & Owensboro make the 4A state finals.

Some names that won't appear on the all-time rushing lists I would add are Artose Pinner(Hop-Twn). Damion Hood(Warren Central). Damon Carter(Henderson County). Daylan Dawkins(Trinity).

Mark Higgs has my vote.

Thanks DF

I read in the preseason that Warren Central returned most of their "D" from last year. I thought they had one of the best defenses Owensboro faced last season.

Thanks PP92!

And I've been to every BG vs Owensboro game since the current series started. This BG team is not as good as the last 3 state title winners and probably not as good as the team that had all the D1 kids back in like 07-08. I would say they're better then the other BG teams during that time span thgh. They are still loaded this year. (Losing the TE was a big blow though.) I definitely will be shocked if they don't win it all again.

From an Owensboro point of view....I think we have a really good team....but we haven't done enough,IMO, to be #1 in 4A.

Owensboro suffered a couple huge losses in the Madisonville game. The word is leading rusher TJ James had a concussion. He was unable to finish the game last week. Then of course Phillips broke his arm. Phillips is a 3 year starter at RB/S/KR and he's been a big part of Owensboro's success since he's been on varsity. He rushed for 582 yards on 77 carries last year with 10 TD's. (7.6 yards per rush.) He also had 20 catches for 262 yards and 5 TD's. (20+ yards per catch.) On defense he was the 3rd leading tackler with 2 INT's. This year he's rushed 31 times for 191 yards. (6+ yards per rush.) And he also has 7 catches for 187 yards. (27 yards per catch.) On defense this year he has 6 pass break ups and 2 INT's. He's scored 5 total TD's. He will be very very hard to replace. As far as the game with Warren Central goes....I'll be pulling for the Red Devils but I don't think they win this game without James and Phillips....history says it more then likely wouldn't happen with them....

Mack-pg Brown-sg Miller-f Hopson-f Morris-f

Wasn't he a good coach at his other schools? Wasn't he at Corbin? Think they made the Sweet Sixteen. Not a state power. I know Owensboro played Scott Co. in the Sweet Sixteen back in the early 90's and he wasn't their coach. Plus I know a lot of coaches that have talented teams that can't put it all together! He's done a heck of a job building that program into a national power!

Coach Hicks is a heckuva coach with limited talent.... so he should be on another level with this roster! They'll be nationally ranked cause a lot is about your tradition as well as talent and schedule. Indiana and kentucky basketball is respected nationally so they'll be there if theyre the #1 team in the state.

UHA with Barnes & Victor; Lex. Catholic with Graves & Fields; Male with Obannon I think;Paducah Tilghman Was ranked after beating UHA(Barnes & Victor) I believe. Kentucky has had quite a few teams ranked over the years.

Add Monie Hudson to the list for '07 too. He's at Southeastern Ill. juco and he was the freshman of the year in their region over teammates Austin Hill, R. Smith, N. Briit(?), and Jerrel Mayo(Russellville).

Does anybody have their schedule for next year? That'll tell a lot!

Just did some homework and found out Jefferey Mclain(Hickman Co. & 3 Rivers Mo. Juco) signed with Murray State! Avgd. 12 & 8 for his juco as a freshman. Congratulations!!! Add him to the list of 2007 graduates.