Gators and Purples to do battle across three sports on Thursday
By Perry Swack
Bowling Green and Greenwood will renew their rivalry on the pitch and on the hardwood this Thursday as girls soccer and volleyball face off at The Swamp. Boys soccer will battle at The Pit. With three games going on simultaneously, use this primer to help you decide which game(s) to attend. 2012 soccer girls
Soccer – Lady Purples @ Lady Gators – 7:00 PM
If seeing history is your cup of tea, you might consider heading to Greenwood as the Lady Gators and Lady Purples look to gain the upper hand in the 14th District. BG manager Lisa Correa currently has 389 career wins, one shy of South Oldham’s Cy Tucker (390) for second all-time among womens’ soccer coaches in Kentucky high school history. The two bitter rivals have split the last six meetings, including two district titles for Greenwood and two region titles for Bowling Green.
Three players have scored at least eight goals this season for the Lady Gators, led by senior Avery Buser (15) and sophomore Caroline Drexel (14). The Lady Purples also have three players with at least eight, led by freshman Reagan Wheeler with ten.
Volleyball – Lady Purples @ Lady Gators – 7:00 PM
Prior to the 2021 season, Greenwood had defeated Bowling Green in thirteen-consecutive volleyball matches. The Lady Purples managed to win only four sets against their crosstown rivals in those matches. However, in 2021 the script flipped. BG ran off seven-straight match wins with Greenwood winning only four sets in those matches. Now flanked with a new coach in Nicole Whitson, the Lady Gators defeated the Lady Purples in their first meeting of 2023. Led by the senior duo of Aubrey Packer (27 kills) and Samantha Whittinghill (25 assists), GHS got back into the win column over BG.
With a win Thursday, Greenwood would take a likely insurmountable lead in the 14th District standings heading into the final month of the season. Bowling Green will look to counter with sophomore Amirra Bailey, whose 222 kills ranks her in the state’s top ten. Makenna Kerrick and Ella Moss have combined for nearly 500 assists on the season and will hope to play a major role against the Lady Gators on Thursday.
Soccer – Gators @ Purples – 7:00 PM
Affectionately known as El Clasico, Bowling Green invites Greenwood to the newly-renovated Pit for a match between the two most-storied programs in 4th Region soccer history. The two clubs put on a show at The Swamp in August as the Purples won a five-goal thriller, 3-2. Bowling Green sits tied for second in district play with Warren Central at 2-2, while Greenwood is in last at 0-4. Despite the winless record, the Gators have three losses by one goal against 14th District competition.
Andy Alfaro leads the attack with 15 goals in 2023, while Carlos Hercules has tallied ten assists. Braden Widener leads Bowling Green with seven goals. The Purples have allowed only 14 goals in ten games. The two rivals are 6-6 against one another in their last twelve matches. Expect another thriller at The Pit.
