‘Their running back’s an animal.’ Owensboro runs over Woodford County
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Owensboro dominated Woodford County 49-6 at Rash Stadium, clinching Kroger Field trip.
- Senior Evan Hampton rushed for 174 yards, four TDs, and strengthened Mr. Football case.
- Owensboro defense forced turnovers, extended win streak to 12 and faces Pulaski.
The Class 5A state semifinal between Owensboro and Woodford County at Rash Stadium on the Red Devils’ turf on Friday night promised to be a shootout.
Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, it was nearly a shutout as Owensboro rolled to a 49-6 win that not only cemented the Red Devils’ first trip to Kroger Field since 2020, it burnished the application of senior running back Evan Hampton for this year’s Mr. Football.
Hampton, a 6-foot, 208-pound three-star recruit who made headlines in July when he flipped his commitment from Louisville to Vanderbilt, rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns on five carries and grabbed a 51-yard TD pass from quarterback DaMarcus Ganaway Jr. in the rout.
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He immediately distributed credit all around when asked about the effort.
“It says everything about my offensive line. They’re the ones who opened everything up for me this week,” Hampton said. “All of the praise and all the glory goes to them. Praise the offensive coordinator who drew up the plays in order for me to be successful tonight. It’s a team game, you know, and we’re going to go play at Kroger Field next week.”
Hampton scored a 44-yard TD on Owensboro’s first play of the first half, a 48-yard TD on its first play of the second half and had the TD reception and another 50-yard TD run in between as the Red Devils (12-2) blistered Woodford County’s defense with big play after big play.
Last week, Hampton rushed for 326 yards, breaking a school record set by former Kentucky Wildcat Mark Higgs in 1982. After Friday’s game, Hampton, unofficially, has a Class-5A best 1,835 yards rushing with 28 TDs to go with 280 yards receiving and three more scores.
Owensboro coach DaMarcus Ganaway Sr. backed Hampton for the Mr. Football award, presented annually to the state’s top senior by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association at the end of each season.
“He’d better be front-runner,” Ganaway Sr. said of Hampton’s Mr. Football chances with a smile. “But I think it’s just that he’s focused every week on taking care of business, and he gives it all to the guys up front. So I’m proud of him. It’s a combination of everybody on the team doing what they’re supposed to do that allows a talent like him to excel.”
Hampton acknowledged he’s thought about Mr. Football but said he doesn’t dwell on it.
“I don’t want to say anything about it. That’s just not me,” Hampton said. “But, you know, it’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to win that award. And I hope it works out.”
Woodford County (12-2), which led Class 5A by scoring an average of 43.8 points per game, struggled against Owensboro’s defense and fell behind 14-0 early in the first quarter as an attempt to go for it on fourth down in its own territory backfired on its first offensive series. and a Woodford punt on the next series set up Hampton’s TD catch. More misfortune followed.
“We got out of character. A lot of stuff we did tonight we haven’t done all year,” Woodford County coach Dennis Johnson said. “We couldn’t stop the bleeding. … Give them credit. They’re a good football team. Their running back’s an animal. And they made plays. I thought their defense was good. I didn’t know they were that good.”
When Woodford did put offensive plays together, like it did late in the first quarter after an Owensboro fumble, Foxx Coons’ passes were picked off by Red Devils defenders. Ty Ashley’s interception at the Owensboro 6-yard line eventually led to Hampton’s third TD. About midway through the second quarter, Kalil “Tre” Shemwell intercepted another Coons pass two steps into his own endzone and took it the other way for a 101-yard pick-six.
“It might have been 103 or 105 (yards). All I know is that I got the job done,” Shemwell said. “I just thought ‘Run.’ Run as fast as I can. All I think when the ball is in my hands is just ‘Go.’”
A 30-yard TD pass from Ganaway to Kingston Dillard set the mercy rule running clock in motion with 3:29 left in the first half. Woodford avoided the shutout when Ty Ashley took a mishandled throw by Owensboro’s backup QB out of the air and ran it in to set the final margin with just over three minutes left.
The Red Devils (12-2) began the season with a pair of embarrassing losses to St. Xavier and Christian Academy-Louisville. They’ve won 12 straight since.
“I’m just so incredibly proud of this group,” Hampton said. “Considering how we started those first two weeks, and to be in the position that we are in now, it’s just a testament to our coaching staff and our players’ determination in order to keep going when things are hard.”
Owensboro’s Ganaway Sr., in his first season with the Red Devils, was an all-American wideout at Kentucky Wesleyan before a coaching career that included stints at Ohio County and one season at an Indiana school. Ganaway succeeded longtime Owensboro coach Jay Fallin, a former teammate of his at Kentucky Wesleyan.
“I’ve got a great coaching staff, and I’ve got great players, as well,” Ganaway Sr. said. “We’re doing what we’re supposed to do. I just want to finish the job. It’s been 39 years since we had a state championship at Owensboro in football.”
Next, Owensboro will face Pulaski County in next week’s Class 5A championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday at Kroger Field.
Friday’s other Class 5A semifinal
Pulaski County 17, Atherton 0: The Maroons’ defense smothered the visiting Ravens, allowing only 65 yards of total offense and six first downs, which helped touchdown runs by Winston Ford and Will Adams and a 28-yard field goal by Bryson Mounce stand up for the win.
Atherton (12-2) did not get a first down in a first half they trailed 10-0 on the Ford TD and field goal.
Under second-year head coach Travis Burns, Pulaski County (12-2), returns to the Class 5A state finals for the first time since 2016, which was the last of four straight appearances under former coach John Hines. The Maroons won it all in 2014.
KHSAA Football State Championships
At Kroger Field, Lexington
FRIDAY’S FINALS
Class A: Raceland vs. Kentucky Country Day, noon.
Class 2A: Lexington Christian vs. Owensboro Catholic, 4 p.m.
Class 4A: Boyle County vs. Franklin County, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY’S FINALS
Class 3A: Murray vs. Christian Academy-Louisville, noon.
Class 6A: Trinity vs. South Warren, 4 p.m.
Class 5A: Pulaski County vs. Owensboro, 8 p.m.
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 8:53 AM.
