By JON WEBB
GLASGOW — Jeff Richey compared Barren County football’s upcoming game with Bowling Green to an approaching hurricane last week. Now the storm has arrived.
The Trojans will close out their regular season Friday when the face the 7-2 Purples on Senior Night.
Bowling Green comes into the game boasting an average 34-point margin of victory in its wins and have only lost by a combined 17 points in its two defeats.
Although Richey said he’s tried to downplay the game, he knows the players realize the magnitude of the matchup.
“A kid that’s an athlete, they keep up with their competitors. They read the media. They hear. They know what the rankings are,” he said. “Bowling Green is a powerhouse team and has been for decades. It’s not like they've shown up this week.”
Barren definitely showed up last week.
Thanks in part to a five-touchdown, 286-total-yard performance from quarterback Colton Phelps, Barren beat winless Ohio County 41-20 to bring its record to 2-2 after a four-week losing streak that began with a 21-7 loss to Bullitt Central on Aug. 28.
Tyler Hughes and Jess Hunt — the teams’ leading receiver — also added touchdowns.
Bowling Green didn’t enjoy a similar success.
The Purples lost to Warren Central 18-10 to fall to second in district standings behind 9-1 Grayson County, a team they beat 42-14 earlier in the season.
Richey knows a win on Friday could go a long way in shaking up the district. He said Barren’s main job is go into the game without fear and attempt to “put a little doubt in (Bowling Green’s) mind.”
“Warren Central went in as a big underdog and found a way to stay the course,” he said. “We saw what can happen if you're not intimidated. (The Purples) have a size advantage, a speed advantage and a numbers advantage. I could go on and on, but what we need to do is realize it's senior night and it's an opportunity to go out and earn some respect.
“We just look at it as a great opportunity. Everything to gain, nothing to lose.”
Barren’s had plenty to lose since it and Bowling Green became district rivals in 2007. In the two games since, the Purples have held the Trojans to just nine points and have won by an average of more than 50 points.
Bowling Green’s defense has done much of the same to its 2009 opponents.
Coming into Friday, Bowling Green has allowed only 86 points this season, which averages out to less than 10 points per game. Owensboro Catholic (21), Grayson County (14) and Warren Central (18) are the only teams that have put up double digits on the Purples.
After reviewing film of the Central game, however, Richey said he noticed a few holes in the defense of which Barren could take advantage. More than anything, he said Central found much of its success simply by coming out and being the more aggressive team.
“I told my kids I don't want any fear of failure,” he said. “Just play aggressively and play to win.”
Richey said Bowling Green will serve as a tune up for Barren’s first-round district tournament matchup with Christian County - a team Richey said mirrors Bowling Green in size and speed.
This week, however, the focus is on Bowling Green and trying to close out the season - and the careers of Barren’s seniors — with a gargantuan upset.
“It would be the biggest win in school history without a doubt. Definitely the biggest win of my coaching tenure,” Richey said. “You know, at this point in the season we’ve worked on every technique we can work on to get ready.
“Now with the final game, all the chips are on the table. Let's go.”
