BROCK, GREENWOOD BACKS OVERPOWER APOLLO DEFENSE
OWENSBORO — The Greenwood High School football team had a lot on its mind, Thursday evening, making the hourlong bus ride from Bowling Green to Apollo High School, a KHSAA Class 6A squad looking for some momentum going into the state playoffs.
Instead, the Eagles found a brick wall.
Greenwood 20, Apollo 0.
Greenwood was intent on running the football, in the driving rainstorm that forced both teams to change their offensive strategies. It proved to be a nod from the football gods, as the Gators racked up 389 yards rushing in their impressive victory over the Eagles.
Simply put, Greenwood dominated.
“Their offensive line did a good job, got a push, and their backs have very good speed on the outside,” Apollo coach John Edge told the Owensboro media. “They also played very well, defensively … We got shut out. They came in here and ran the football down our throats.”
They did.
Greenwood offensive tackle Zach Simpson said the Gators’ seniors got together after a subpar performance in a 38-8 loss to Bowling Green High School just two weeks ago. Greenwood is now 0-32, lifetime, against Bowling Green, but the Gators (7-3) get another shot at their crosstown rival Purples, next week in the first round of the KHSAA Class 5A playoffs.
“We talked about that game, talked about it in the locker room,” Simpson said. “We decided we had to play more physical, we had to run the football, we had to be able to play in bad conditions …”
Bad conditions.
Oh boy, he ain’t kiddin’ …
As the Gators milled around the field before kickoff, it was a beautiful night. A little crisp. But the forecast called for showers, possibly heavy rain. Edge kept his team in the locker room until right before kickoff, and neither team could do much in the game’s first three or four possessions. Greenwood had one drive killed on a false start on a third-and-1 play, but the Gators defense was answering the bell, keeping Apollo quarterback Christian Combs on the run.
Against the run, middle linebacker Paul Smith and the aggressive Greenwood defense took the fight to the Eagles, beating the blocks and getting to the ball carrier in droves.
A slight rain started falling midway through the first quarter, but after the fourth or fifth punt everything changed.
The sky opened.
It started raining in buckets, and in this era of COVID-19, me being a senior citizen and all, I prefer to work the game on the field. Besides, I’m also taking photos with my trusty Android cell phone. After a couple minutes, though, I was soaking wet, so I grabbed my work bag and headed for the safety of the concession stand, beyond the visitors’ end zone with an overhang that can keep you relatively dry.
Which means, kinda storta.
Greenwood linebacker Paul Smith anchored an impressive defensive effort, particularly against the run. Combs could never get comfortable in the pocket, and the Gators’ defensive backs were on top of their game. Apollo managed just 77 yards total offense in the entire game.
That’s when the Gators looked like they were in their element.
They mauled the Apollo defense. Marquese Tressel had a couple long runs in the early going, and in their first trip to the red zone, Tel Tel Long capped a quick drive with a 3-yard touchdown run in the final moments of the first quarter.
Apollo’s offense, meanwhile was going nowhere.
The Eagles never got in the red zone.
Not once.
That’s music to the ears of fourth-year Greenwood coach William Howard, an erstwhile WKU defensive lineman intent on establishing his own kind of football culture at The Swamp.
“It was good to be able to run the ball, when they stacked the line like they did,” Howard said via text message on his way back to Bowling Green. “Early on, it was hard to keep drives alive with some mental breakdowns we had on the offensive side of the ball.
“We shared the ball pretty well, running the football, but (senior back Jaylen) Brock was the one who broke some long runs for big yards. Most of it was 3 yards and a splash of water.
“Playing in those kinds of weather conditions isn’t always fun, but it’s a lot more memorable when you win.”
Brock had most of his team-high 189 yards rushing in the second half, when the Gators took control of the game. Trussell finished with 111 yards, and Long added 89. Senior quarterback James Salchli pretty much directed traffic, but he did throw for a 2-point conversion, finding Greenwood tight end Luke Ratliff in the end zone.
The heavy rain started falling in the second quarter. And … it … would not quit. Not until the fourth quarter, anyway.
I was able to take refuge inside the concession stand at halftime, wringing excess water out of my blue jeans onto some paper towels and warming up with a couple complimentary cups of coffee. Laurie and the Apollo concession workers were really helpful and accomodating.
The Gators did have some fun in the second half. They were clearly the better team, at least on this night, and they could enjoy it before turning their focus to a first-round KHSAA Class 5A playoff game against Bowling Green. As Paul Smith, the senior Greenwood linebacker put it, earlier in the week, the memories are just part of the journey, and nothing is guaranteed.
“I’ve heard some of my older teammates phrase it from time to time,” Smith said. “My brother, Aaron, was a fullback and linebacker at Greenwood a few years ago. They tell me, ‘You’ve only got so many games left, and the rest of your life to heal … as far as effort goes.
“That’s the way I’m looking at the next couple weeks.”
The Gators have their wind at their back going into next week’s rematch with Bowling Green, the defending KHSAA Class 5A state champions. The Purples (5-4) are playing host to their former coach, Kevin Wallace, and the second-ranked St. Xavier Tigers on Friday evening. Kickoff is a little early, at 6:30 p.m.
I’m expecting a lot of the Gators to be there.
