By Perry Swack – Sporting Times Reporter
Wide Receiver/Tight End
There seems to be no question that the highest-rated recruit among all wide receivers and tight ends on the field Saturday will be wearing purple and gold. However, does the talented Jordan Dingle push the Purples ahead of the Red Devils when it comes to pass-catchers? The UK signee is Bowling Green’s leading receiver in 2020. The tight end has caught 36 passes for 473 yards and two touchdowns. His 36 receptions rank him eleventh in Class 5A. The loss of Dez Wilson to a season-ending injury in Week 2 forced the Purples to reinvent their offense a little bit; however, other players have stepped up in their star receiver’s absence. Senior Tyler Strode is second on the team with 24 receptions, good enough for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Will Vale (12 catches, 161 yards, TD) is the only non-senior among the Purples’ top six pass-catchers. Eli Burwash and Javy Bunton – both running backs – are also talented receivers in their own right, catching a combined 45 passes for 607 yards and six scores.
Owensboro has two wide receivers ranked among 5A’s best. Treyvon Tinsley is ranked sixth among pass-catchers with 42 receptions, eighth in receiving yards with 602, and third with ten touchdowns. Fellow wideout Ben Flaherty is ranked sixth with an average of 19.7 yards per catch. The senior has 24 receptions for 473 yards and eight touchdowns. Steven Stevenson also has 24 receptions for 342 yards and two scores, while sophomore Khalil Rogers has recorded 26 catches (second on the team) for 334 yards and two TD. Running back Ethan Avery has caught 23 passes for 238 yards and three scores. This quintet of pass-catchers has each caught at least 23 passes, an outstanding number across the Commonwealth. This balance across the board at wide receiver is a major reason why the Red Devils have scored the second-most points (521) across all six classes and are third overall in points per game (47.4). This ability is why I have to give the edge to Owensboro.
EDGE: Owensboro
Offensive Line
We have spent the last few sections highlighting the talented skill position players for both Bowling Green and Owensboro. It is no secret that each offense has had great success running, passing, and scoring the football. However, those players are not able to put up the numbers that they do without the big guys up front blocking and paving the way. So now we jump into the section where we take a look at each offensive line. We do not have many statistics to base our assessments on, outside of the statistics that their respective offenses put up.
Owensboro has a veteran offensive line filled with a number of seniors. Seniors Justin Millay, Zach Humphrey, Logan Palmer, and Levi Madwell each play major minutes and have helped the Red Devils build arguably the state’s top offense. Underclassmen Trey Miller and Jerrick Williams have also contributed to OHS’s offensive prowess. The Red Devil offensive line has protected Gavin Wimsatt (and Kasey Boone) to the tune of 2,310 yards and 29 touchdowns. On the ground, the line has blocked its way to 1,567 yards and 32 touchdowns. The squad is averaging 210 yards per game through the air and 142.5 yards per game on the ground.
Bowling Green offensive line coach Cy Williams also has a talented, experienced bunch. The Purples consistently use five seniors along the offensive line – Christian Johnson, Ken-Yae Cofer, Trapper Hewitt, and Jayran France, and Jackson Littlefield. Sophomore Austin Anderson rounds out the crew. Anderson and Littlefield block Conner Cooper’s blind side at left tackle and are joined by France at left guard. Johnson snaps the ball and center, while Cofer (RT) and Hewitt (RG) lead the charge on the right side. The Purples’ offense is averaging 162.4 yards per game through the air and 154 yards per game on the ground. Due to Bowling Green’s slightly higher average on the ground, coupled with the Purples’ slightly harder scheduled, I will give the edge to Bowling Green when it comes to the men in the trenches.
EDGE: Bowling Green
