FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT WEEK.
BGHS IS TWO VICTORIES AWAY FROM KHSAA’s ‘CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND’
It’s familiar territory, playing for a KHSAA regional football championship, at Bowling Green High School. But it wasn’t always that way.
“I remember the first one, in 1991. It was my first year on the coaching staff,” sixth-year BGHS head coach Mark Spader said after Wednesday’s practice at El Donaldson Stadium. “Some people kind of expect them around here, but you can’t take them for granted … it’s a big deal.
“We went years and years without winning one.”
That’s the narrative heading into the KHSAA Class 5A regional round, which serves as the quarterfinals in determining a state champion.
IN ITS FIRST TWO POSTSEASON GAMES.
BY QB DEUCE ELLIOTT (LEFT) AND DB WICK DOTSON.
Bowling Green has been on top of its game in the first two weeks of the playoffs, boat-racing two visiting squads, Owensboro’s Apollo High School — a 48-6 rout on November 3 — before last week’s 51-3 shellacking of visiting Graves County.
After a somewhat nomadic start to the season, the Purples are getting used to playing at home.
They’ll be on their home turf for the fifth straight week, and for the sixth time in seven games, when Bowling Green (9-3 overall) plays host to Louisville’s Fairdale High School (7-5) in a regional championship game on Friday night.
Win this one, and the Purples will again play at El Donaldson Stadium for a chance to return to the KHSAA’s “Championship Weekend” at Kroger Field in Lexington. The winner of Friday night’s BGHS-Fairdale game will be paired against Owensboro High School (8-4) or Louisville’s Atherton High School 11-1 in the state semifinals.
The Purples seemed poised to make another run at the school’s eighth state championship, but they’re careful not to put the cart ahead of the horse.
“One day at a time,” said senior BGHS offensive lineman DeMarcus “Hollywood” Elliott.
The Purples are squaring off against the upstart Fairdale Bulldogs in this game, and Fairdale has recovered from a 1-4 start to make a run to the regional round. The Bulldogs eliminated Grayson County, 41-22, last week to get to the quarterfinals.
FOR 2,956 YARDS AND 35 TOUCHDOWNS.
“They’re a little like Graves County, but with more speed,” BGHS coach Mark Spader said. “They run the ball out of a spread formation. They’ll go right at you. They’ve got two running backs that are very good. We’ve done a better job stopping the running game, but our defense is going to have to be up to the challenge.”
Fairdale’s Xavier Burks has carried the ball 113 times for 918 yards and 11 touchdowns, and teammate Leedrick Washington isn’t far behind, with 753 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns himself. Senior quarterback Jarrel Mason has passed sparingly (40-for-77 passes, 604 yards, 4 TDs, seven interceptions), but the Bulldogs seem to have hit their stride with six wins in their last seven games.
“They’re definitely a running team,” Spader said.
BGHS senior defensive back Wick Dotson said the Purples’ defense understands the task at hand.
“We really need to play a physical game against a team like (Fairdale),” Dotson said. “That’s what you want in the playoffs.”
Of course, it’s the BGHS offense that has commanded headlines since August.
HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT WEAPON.
SHOWED STEADY IMPROVEMENT.
While the possibility of a second matchup against crosstown rival South Warren has vanished — Owensboro upset the Spartans, 53-22, last week at Owensboro’s Rash Stadium — the Purples have flourished behind junior BGHS quarterback Deuce Bailey, who’s in his third season as the team’s starter.
Bailey has completed 196 of 282 passes (66 percent) for 2,956 yards and 35 touchdowns, while adding five rushing touchdowns. He’s only been intercepted four times.
“I think we’re in a good place,” Bailey said. “The intensity has picked up. We’re playing an athletic team, with a lot of good defensive players. We’ll be ready.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
EIGHT OF THEIR LAST NINE GAMES.
