Jak’s Friday Night Lights Preview
By: Jak Lindsey
Moving on to the third round of the KHSAA playoffs, the Owensboro Red Devils will head up I-65 to Louisville this Friday to take on the Ravens of Atherton High School. Looking to make their first semifinal appearance in school history, the Ravens will be sure to lay it on the line against the Devils, who continue to push towards Kroger Field.
Boasting an 11-1 record, head coach Anthony White will look to lead his team to a win against a tough Devil squad. The biggest contributor for the Ravens offensively is junior RB Michael Curry. Since gaining eligibility just five games ago, the junior has rushed for 757 yards and 14 TDs. In Atherton’s first round game against Seneca, he ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Manning the quarterback position for Atherton is junior QuaShawn Thompson. This season, Thompson has thrown 39 completions for 646 yards and eight touchdowns. Be sure to look out for senior WR Sincere Smith, who has hauled in 24 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns thus far. Defensively for the Ravens, first-team all-district LB Tai Shee (senior) leads the team in tackles, recording 75 with 13 TFL and 2.5 sacks. Shee also has one interception on the season. Another great player defensively for Atherton is senior DE AJ Nelson, who has two forced fumbles this season.
After a dominant 31-point victory over a favored South Warren, Owensboro will seek to keep their state title hopes alive in this quarterfinal matchup. Rushing for an astounding 305 rushing yards last game, the Devil offense was on fire. Responsible for most of these yards was running back Evan Hampton, who ran for a season-best 203 yards with three touchdowns. QB Trevor DeLacey also had a strong outing, throwing eight completions for 139 yards and a TD. Dereon Crowe made his presence known, making a spectacular one-handed catch for a 52 yard touchdown. And don’t forget about the Devils O-Line, who have been responsible for almost 500 yards rushing the past two games. On the defensive side of things, senior DB Bradin Fountain led the team in tackles against the Spartans, with eight being solo and one for loss. One of the biggest plays of the night came from senior Ja’Shawn Carr, who had a 98-yard pick six to stop a big South Warren drive. Javion Robsinson also had a great game with 10 tackles.
For those Red Devil superfans looking to make the trip, Atherton High School is located at 3000 Dundee Rd, Louisville, KY 40205. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 PM Central Time. And as always, it’s a great day to be a Red Devil.
