Owensboro Senior takes the new balanced offensive attack out for a spin…

With football season virtually upon us, and the opener for many teams across the Commonwealth of Kentucky just one week away, Owensboro Senior decided to takes it new shiny offensive balance out for a little test drive. Unfortunately, Warren East had to suffer from a display which left Red Devil fans exhilarated and Raider fans, perhaps, concerned. First of all, lets get the unimportant thing about a preseason scrimmage out of the way. The Red Devils won the game-like scrimmage 35-7. The score is really meaningless as the import of a scrimmage is not winning it but coming out of it with some idea about what kind of team you can expect going forward. I think the early returns are very positive for a team which, in 2017, suffered through an uncharacteristic 4-7 record, a first round exit from the playoffs, and managed to throw for only 887 yards during the regular season versus running for 2,766 yards.

If there is one thing Coach Fallin had to be seeking coming into the 2018 football season, it is how to achieve more offensive balance for his Class 5A, District 1, Red Devils. After all, being one dimensional may work at some levels of football but this is Kentucky 5A football and a defense has to think your beating them over the top is a possibility. During the offseason, the Red Devils benefitted from Will Warren’s transfer over to Senior and gaining eligibility to lead the offense in 2018. The 6-2, 210 pound QB, who was starting at Owensboro Catholic over Catholic’s QB Drew Hartz, until injured, didn’t disappoint any Red Devil onlookers last night as he threw for over 200 yards passing and looked sharp doing it.

All-State RB, Imonte Owsley, ranked the 29th best Kentucky football player in the Class of 2020, exploded with 4 TDs scored and well over 100 yards rushing on the evening. Sophomore All-State LB, Austin Gough, ranked number one among 2021 Kentucky football prospects commonwealth-wide, pitched in nearly 50 yards rushing in only 5 carries with a TD of his own. Gough was his usual stud at the linebacker position, contributing 10 or so tackles on the evening. The utilization of Gough in the offensive backfield to complement his defensive play will be a dimension for which opposing, first district coaches will have to game plan. Gough is one of the most explosive, quick, and speedy, both specially and direct line, for a player his size (6-2, 205 pounds) you will see anywhere in the Bluegrass.

Now absolutely none of this is very surprising to KPGFootball as we have ranked Owensboro Senior in the top 5 of every preseason poll for Class 5A which we have either published or in which we have participated. Owensboro is a team with too many talented athletes and young players to struggle very long. Senior’s ability to dominate a Raider team which won 6 games a year ago, was a tough out in the playoffs, and has a dominate, star player along both fronts in Matt Mellancamp and a near, 1,000 yard rusher returning in Thomas Maxey, Class of 2019, makes the domination of Warren East even more impressive. I know Red Devil fans are excited about the football team as it approaches its opener on August 17, against highly regarded, Class 4A, District 1, Madisonville North-Hopkins at Rash Stadium in Owensboro, Kentucky. North-Hopkins returns two 1,000 yard, plus, ball carriers in Aaron Miller and Jariah Hightower from 2017, together with one of the most imposing lines of scrimmage, offensively and defensively, about which the 4A classification can boast.

Reporting for KPGFootball, this is Fletcher Long reminding all of you ballers out there that #WeGotUCovered and to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE.