By Perry Swack
The Swamp – October 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Last Week
Union County lost at Mayfield 36-20
Greenwood defeated Barren County 49-13
First Meeting in this Series (Dating back to at least 1998)
The Braves of Union County stepped in at the last minute and scheduled a trip to Bowling Green to take on the Greenwood Gators Friday night. Greenwood’s game with Christian County had been rescheduled for October 9. This postponement left the Coach William Howard’s club without a game for Week 4. Coach Derek Johns and Union County agreed to come play at Greenwood, meaning the two schools will meet for the first time since at least 1998 (when KHSAA began tracking games).
Many people in the Greater Bowling Green area may be unfamiliar with Union County. It sits in northwestern Kentucky, right on the border of both Illinois and Indiana. Its county seat is Morganfield and the population of the county is around 15,000. The Braves will presumably travel the longest distance for any Gator opponent this season, as Union County High is approximately two hours from Bowling Green.
The Braves rarely play any team from the region, much less from Warren County. The football team played three AAA playoff games against Bowling Green between 1999 and 2004, losing all three meetings. Relatively speaking, the Union County program is an unknown as they take on Greenwood this week. In Class 3A, the Braves are coming off of a 6-6 season in 2019. Coach Johns enters his fifth season at the helm, compiling a 27-20 record through the opening two weeks of 2020. The program won its first playoff game last year since 2013. It hopes to build on that success in 2020.
Preview
Greenwood cruised over Barren County in Week 3, dismantling its former district rival by a score of 49-13. David Odom led the charge again logging 14 carries for 111 yards on the ground, while catching two passes for 70 yards and a score. Quarterback John Morrison completed 9-of-15 passes for 112 yards and two TDs. Senior Sebastian Connell punched in two scores as well. On the defensive side of the ball, Conwell tied with Lofton Howard to lead the Gators with ten tackles.
Odom is averaging 120 yards per game on the ground this season to go along with nearly 40 yards receiving. Conwell leads the team with five rushing touchdowns. Howard, Evan Ellison, and Conwell have tallied 33, 22, and 26 tackles apiece to pace the Gator defense.
Union County sits at 0-2; however, its opening season loss to Crittenden County was to a Rocket team ranked sixth in Class 1A, while its Week 3 loss at Class 2A Mayfield — ranked fifth — was no slouch either. Quarterback Zane Cartwright leads the attack having completed 22-of-44 passes on the year for 282 yards. His top receiver, Daniel Coles, has caught eight passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Kylan Galbreath leads the rushing attack with 36 carries for 117 yards and a score. Galbreath plays both ways, lining up at linebacker on defense, where he has amassed 17 tackles (11 solo) on the season.
Prediction
Greenwood 45, Union County 14
The Gators’ depth will prove to be too much for the Braves on Friday night. I predict Odom will run wild again, racking up over 150 yards on the evening. The Greenwood defense forced two turnovers in Week 3 against Barren County. I expect them to force three against Union County. A Greenwood win would propel them to 4-0 on the season, but the team has yet to get any votes in the Class 5A rankings. A date with district rival Christian County (ranked #11) next Friday will give the Gators a chance at a signature win. The Braves will look to get back on track next week with a winnable home game against Fulton County.
Next Week
Union County hosts Fulton County on October 9 at 7:00pm
Greenwood kicks off district play at home against Christian County on October 9 at 7:00pm
