jester270

Apollo travels to Graves County looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Owensboro and regain some momentum headed into more of their district matchups. Graves County is coming off a 32-28 home loss to Madisonville-North Hopkins, so both teams enter this one needing a response. Graves is exactly what you expect them to be: physical, tough in the box, and willing to make you earn everything. I also would not let the Owensboro loss define Apollo. Defensively, the Eagles did some good things against the run and forced Owensboro to find other ways to move the football. There are pieces there to build from, but they need to mentally move on from that matchup and figure out how they can come 2nd in a very tough district. Offensively, this matchup comes down to one word: TIME. Apollo has athletes on the perimeter, Ross Milburn is a physical runner, and Max Johnson has enough weapons around him to stress Graves' secondary. But none of that matters if the quarterback is constantly under pressure. This needs to be a statement game for Apollo's offensive line. Protect Max, stay ahead of the chains, and give those receivers enough time to win downfield. Graves will try to make this a physical football game. Apollo needs to answer that physicality while using its speed and athleticism to create mismatches. The road trip is the one thing that concerns me. Apollo has to handle the travel, come out with energy, and avoid a slow start. If the Eagles settle in early and Max has time in the pocket, I think Apollo can create a lot of problems for Graves defensively. Key to the game: Apollo's offensive line. If they control the front and give Max Johnson a clean pocket, the Eagles should have chances to make explosive plays.

I'll be watching the Cromwell Media one by Vic Evans and the other guy. They have done an excellent job with their live streams this year. I travel a lot for work and will be out of town tonight, so hopefully I can find a spot that is willing to stream it.

Catholic hasn't given up many points this year outside of Boyle and Apollo, and after rewatching the OC-Owensboro game, I think that score was a little misleading. Owensboro moved the football and had opportunities, but they simply couldn't finish drives and punch it in. Without G'Way, that offense just looks different. They struggle to consistently get the ball to their playmakers, and you can see the frustration when they get behind the sticks or drives start stalling. Walker is the guy that concerns me the most. That kid is going to be a really good football player, and Apollo cannot let him get rolling early. If Owensboro finds success on the ground and stays ahead of the chains, they can make this a game. But if Apollo gets a couple early stops, forces them into obvious passing situations, and puts points on the board, I think the pressure starts mounting pretty quickly on Owensboro. I also believe Owensboro had a player ejected against Graves, so that's another situation worth watching depending on who it was and what the availability looks like this week. You can't have this happen when you are in the position O is in. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Owensboro try to get Ty Ashley more involved offensively. At the same time, they have to be smart with him. If G'Way is already unavailable and Ashley were to get banged up too, then O's backs will be even further against the wall. For Apollo, this is a big measuring-stick game. We've seen what this team can look like when the offense is clicking and the defense gets stops. The question is whether they can put four quarters of it together against a key district rival. If Apollo starts fast, wins up front, and makes Owensboro play from behind, I really like the Eagles' chances. Good luck to both teams. Go Eagles.

Four weeks from a broken collarbone to full contact? Either that dude is Wolverine or somebody is being a little optimistic with the injury report.

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 think Graves County's game against Murray is what makes this matchup interesting. Holding a very good Murray team to 25 points is impressive, even though Graves was only able to put seven on the board. If Owensboro is still without some key defensive players, I'd be a little concerned about Graves finding a way to hang around-especially if they can sustain long drives, shorten the game, and force a couple of turnovers. Winning at Rash Stadium is a tall task under any circumstances, though, and I still expect Owensboro to win comfortably. Graves County's run game does not appear to be as strong as it has been in the past, although playing from behind in several games has probably contributed to that. Owensboro should have the advantage on the ground and needs to lean on it. The injuries make this one harder to predict than a game that should normally be a big Owensboro win. If the Red Devils take care of the football and play disciplined, I think they eventually pull away. But if Graves controls the clock and Owensboro turns the ball over a few times, this could get a lot more interesting than people expect.

Apollo struggled against Muhlenberg last season, but I truly believe the Eagles' linebacker play has taken a big step forward this year. Gunnar Hendrix has added quality depth to the defensive box, while Brayden Mattingly is having a big season at linebacker. If Apollo plays clean football, eliminates the silly penalties, and protects the football, I think the Eagles should win comfortably. The biggest concern is Muhlenberg's run heavy offense. If Apollo struggles with assignment football and allows the Mustangs to sustain long drives, Muhlenberg could shorten the game and keep Max Johnson and Apollo's potent offense standing on the sideline. For Apollo, the formula is simple: play disciplined against the veer, win the turnover battle, and let the offense go to work.

Can anyone explain how Apollo/Hancock called the game for lightning, but OC/O and DC all were able to finish their games?

Is Ashley really next man up?

RZ3 too

I like Apollo pretty comfortably in this one. Hancock is coming off a 28-14 win over Ohio County, but I just think the Eagles have too much firepower offensively. My biggest concern continues to be Apollo's defense. They can score with just about anybody, but at some point you don't want every Friday night turning into a track meet haha. That being said, I don't think the Catholic game falls entirely on the defense either. Four turnovers and giving up a special teams touchdown absolutely killed Apollo. You're putting your defense in some really difficult situations when that happens. Clean up the turnovers, win the field-position battle, and I think Apollo takes control of this game pretty quickly. Hancock will probably find some success offensively, especially if the Eagles continue having issues getting stops, but I just don't see them matching Apollo score for score for four quarters. I'm taking Apollo, and I think they win big. The thing I'll be watching isn't whether the Eagles can score-we already know they can. I want to see if that defense can settle in, get off the field, and give this offense a chance to put somebody away.

Hmmmmmmm.... That math ain't mathin'.

Where are you getting your stats? This is incorrect

Honest question. I haven't heard much from the DC threads this year, but could this game be a little lower scoring than some expect? I understand Owensboro is dealing with a significant number of injuries, especially with key players like Ashley, Green, Hinton, and, of course, G'way unavailable. With that in mind, I'm interested to see what Owensboro's approach is in this one. Is this a game where the Red Devils really emphasize controlling the line of scrimmage and establishing the run game? DC is clearly in one of those rebuilding years, but Coach Q Wallace has never been afraid to get creative. Defensively, he'll bring pressure from different places, and offensively, he's willing to take some risks. We saw that against Apollo last season when Apollo entered as the clear favorite and DC found a way to pull off the upset. So what's the strategy for Daviess County? How aggressive do they get knowing they're a significant underdog? Do they load the box, bring pressure, take chances, and try to create a couple of turnovers or explosive plays that can keep this interesting? Owensboro is clearly the favorite, and I agree with the running-clock predictions. I'm just interested to see how the Red Devils use this game while dealing with so many injuries. Do they simplify things, lean heavily on the run, and try to dominate up front, or use the opportunity to develop some of the younger guys who are being asked to step into bigger roles?

Their offense is very explosive and it has some great similarities compared to the old "Air Raid" days that he helped bring to OC back in the early 2000s. But by the looks of it, Apollo has also established a strong run game this year. This game will be very interesting and has the potential to be a big win for Apollo as long as they can get after OC's QB.