Jim Mashek

(Editor’s note: This series offers a quick look at high school football teams in South Central Kentucky. Coming soon, Warren Central.)

CAM SMITH MOVES INTO STARTING ROLE AS GATORS QUARTERBACK

Greenwood High School’s football team showed significant progress over the course of the 2022 season, winning three straight late in the season — including a 35-21 thumping of traditional power South Warren — before bowing out in regional play.

Greenwood finished the season 9-3 under veteran coach William Howard, and the Gators gave Owensboro High School all it could handle before the Red Devils pulled out a 27-21 victory in Owensboro.

The Gators eliminated Grayson County in first-round play in the KHSAA Class 5A playoffs.

“Our kids played their hearts out up in Owensboro,” Howard said, “but we came up a little short.”

The Gators have plenty of talent at the skill positions, but offensively, they may be a work in progress in the first month of the season. Starting quarterback Ryan Huff moved to Pensacola, Florida, at last year’s Christmas break, and Howard has been evaluating different players at that position as the Gators continue to work in non-contact drills.

Greenwood held a six-team, 7-on-7 workout last week on its practice field, drawing a big crowd that included nearby schools such as Franklin-Simpson, Allen County-Scottsville and Edmonson County.

Senior Cam Smith, a newcomer at Greenwood, is projected as the team’s starting quarterback, but Howard and offensive coordinator Jason Jaggers are looking at younger players at that critical position, too.

The Gators will open their season one week later than most teams in the Commonwealth, scrapping with nearby rival Warren East High School in the first game of the Don Franklin Turf War doubleheader at Barren County High School in Glasgow on August 25.

Barren County will tangle with Trigg County in the nightcap.

“We have a situation where we might have to rely on the running game, early on,” Howard said. “Our kids have bought into what we’re doing. They care about each other.

“It’s a good group of kids.”

The Gators also will miss the likes of Lofton Howard, the son of the Greenwood coach, who has moved on to play at his hometown school, Western Kentucky University. Howard was the Gators’ short-yardage and goal-line quarterback last year, and scored 24 touchdowns — 18 as a runner, three as a receiver, and two on defense — while also leading the team with 76 tackles, including 16 for losses.

Lofton Howard logged time at tight end and outside linebacker, while also contributing in the kicking game. His younger brother, sophomore lineman Griffin Howard, is expected to be the Gators’ starting offensive guard. Greenwood has one returning starter on the offensive line, Andrew Thomas.

“Andrew was our center last year but we’ve moved him to tackle for his senior year,” William Howard said.

Senior Tel Tel Long is entering his fourth season as a Greenwood starter, and he could be used in a variety of roles, much like Lofton Howard last year.

Long led the Gators with 839 yards rushing last season, while scoring four touchdowns on the ground. The talented receiver also the team in receiving. In the spring, Long is a standout for the Gators’ track and field squad.

Long finished the 2022 season with 29 receptions for 391 yards and four touchdowns.

“A lot of us have been playing together since middle school,” Long said.

The Gators have another versatile player in senior linebacker/fullback Gray Price, one of the team’s seven returning starters on defense.

Gray had 65 tackles, including four for losses, while adding 234 yards rushing and four offensive touchdowns. Senior Elmo Stewart is another experienced hand in the Gators’ offense, which incorporates some elements of both the Wing-T and spread formation attacks. Stewart had 20 receptions for 321 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 342 yards and four more scores on the ground.

“I think expectations are going to be high for this team,” Price said. “We’re not going to take anything for granted. Just keep our head down, keep working.”

The Gators remain in the KHSAA’s Class 5A, 2nd District, against the likes of Bowling Green High School — the 5A state runner-up in 2022 — and South Warren, which is expected to be much improved after last year’s 6-6 season. Ohio County is the newcomer to the four-team district.

Greenwood is still looking for its breakthrough victory against Bowling Green, which is 34-0 all-time against the Gators. The Purples limited Greenwood to 205 yards total offense in claiming a 35-7 victory at BGHS last year.

“It’s as tough as any district in the state,” William Howard said. “You just hope to be part of the conversation, and I think we’ve done that over the last couple years.”