Jim Mashek

GREENWOOD SQUARES OFF WITH BOWLING GREEN ON FRIDAY NIGHT

The Streak hangs over the Geenwood High School football team’s head like so much baggage, an intangible like few others.

But no one has to tell the Gators’ coaches, or their players, that the vast majority of the team’s 33-game losing streak to Bowling Green High School has anything to do with them.

Greenwood is 0-33 lifetime against the Purples, including a 28-10 setback in the KHSAA Class 5A playoffs last season.

Human nature, of course, tells you the Purples figure to be a confident team under the lights on Friday night at El Donaldson Stadium, given their amazing track record against Greenwood and the confidence booster they got on September 30.

That’s when Bowling Green slipped past archrival South Warren High School 28-24, gaining an inside track to the top seed in the KHSAA’s Class 5A, 2nd District.

Greenwood, however, will get a chance to say something about that as the Gators (6-1, 1-0) make the short bus trip down Scottsville Road to square off with the Purples (6-1, 1-0).

The Gators are looking for any edge they can get on Friday night, intent on changing the narrative of Bowling Green week, now and forever.

A victory over the Purples this week could do just that.

Both teams are returning to the field one week after their open date that coincided with Fall Break at Bowling Green ISD and Warren County schools.

“(The Streak) really has nothing to do with most of our kids,” Greenwood coach William Howard said. “The seniors are 0-4, or 0-3 (against BGHS), and that’s about it. Our playoff game with them (last year) was a seven-point game going into the fourth quarter. We’ve been lucky enough to stay relatively healthy this year, which is good, because we don’t have much depth at a handful of positions.

“We were able to get our batteries charged a little bit (after the open date) and we’ve had a good week of practice this week.”

Bowling Green struck for one of its most memorable victories in years, on September 30, as junior tailback Javen Huddleston scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the final minute, lifting the Purples to the 28-24 victory over South Warren, in a matchup between the last two KHSAA Class 5A state championship squads.

Now the Purples have to tangle with a live underdog, a team with something to prove, a team that’s shown steady improvement since Opening Night, a 20-15 setback to Bardstown decided on the game’s final play at The Swamp on August 20.

“We have a great deal of respect for Coach Howard and his Greenwood program,” BGHS coach Mark Spader said. “His players are always prepared, they play hard, and they have a great belief in what they are doing on the field. They have our total focus for this game.”

Greenwood star and WKU commit Lofton Howard, the son of the Gators’ head coach, is one of the most versatile players in the Commonwealth. The rangy 6-foot-5, 215-pound linebacker/tight end leads Greenwood with 97 tackles, including 11 for losses and six sacks, along with a team-high 10 touchdowns — eight on the ground, one on a reception and another on a fumble recovery.

Lofton Howard has been particularly effective as the quarterback in Greenwood’s Wildcat package, while sophomore signal-caller Ryan Huff has made noticeable improvement since succeeding James Salchi as the Gators’ QB. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Huff has completed 59 of 98 passes for 1,057 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Huff has yet to be intercepted this season.

“I think the main thing is we have to focus on our game,” Lofton Howard said. “We can’t let (The Streak) get into our heads or anything.”

Junior Greenwood receiver/cornerback Tel Tel Long believes the Gators have to have a singular focus for Bowling Green and let the intangibles take care of themselves. Long also logs some time at tailback and leads the Gators with 414 yards rushing.

“We’ve got to play a physical brand of football, do the things that we do best,” Long said.

Playing a physical brand of football, BGHS center Isaiah Martin said, has given the Purples the chance to rely on their conditioning when the game’s on the line.

Bowling Green has slipped past Nashville’s Father Ryan Academy and South Warren by a combined five points since its one loss of the season, a 35-21 setback to defending KHSAA Class 4A state champion Boyle County on September 16 on the BGHS campus.

“I’m really proud of our team,” Martin said. “In the second half this season, our conditioning has been a factor. (Greenwood), they’re a good opponent.”

Another one of the Purples’ veteran offensive linemen, senior left tackle Jack Ledogar, believes Bowling Green has learned how to practice better, to make the most of its time on the practice field.

And then put it to good use on Friday nights.

“I think our offensive line just works well with each other,” Ledogar said. “It seems like we know a lot about what the other guy’s thinking. I think we’re practicing better …

“If you look at our game film, our best quarter has been the third quarter all year long.”

Junior BGHS free safety Wick Dotson has given the Purples a steady presence in the secondary. He’s intercepted two passes while recording 30 tackles overall.

“We’ve really got to stop the run and force them to throw the football,” Dotson said.

BGHS sophomore Deuce Bailey has made significant improvement in his second season as the Purples’ starting quarterback. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Bailey has completed 99 of 172 passes for 1,485 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He’s been intercepted just twice.

“The open date came at the perfect time for us,” BGHS coach Mark Spader said. “Our players and coaches took five days off and came back at the end of our Fall Break, rested and ready to jump back into the most exciting part of our season.”

Bowling Green can clinch the district’s top seed with a victory over Greenwood, along with a South Warren triumph over a struggling Christian County squad in Hopkinsville. South Warren (4-3, 0-1) bounced back from its hard-fought loss to the Purples with a 27-13 victory over McCracken County last week in Paducah.

Spader said this year’s senior class has provided the kind of leadership he looks for, both on and off the field.

“I do like our seniors; they have worked hard and successfully led us to this point of the season,” Spader said. ” As with every senior class, we place a great deal of faith in them and continually challenge them with the fact that they have an opportunity to leave a legacy as one of the truly special teams in our program’s history.

“We’ll discover over the next two months if they can achieve their ultimate goals and be one of the greats.”

Kickoff for Friday night’s game at BGHS is at 7 p.m.