The regular season ends tonight and the local slate of games is highlighted by the city-county game with Daviess County hosting Apollo. Elsewhere, McLean County is home to, while Hancock County, Owensboro and Owensboro Catholic are all on the route.

Apollo 4-5 (Class 5A, District 1) @ Daviess County 1-8 (Class 6A, District 1)

The game will have no impact on playoff seeding, but that won’t make it any less important for the longtime rivals.

“We have to finish strong,” Apollo head coach John Edge said. “It’s a rivalry game, and a win can give us momentum heading into the playoffs. We’ve only beaten Daviess County once since 2012 and the kids look forward to that game.

For the Panthers, it’s been a tough year, but the team is looking to put everything together to achieve a city-county victory.

“We have to convert on first downs, believe in what we call and trust it,” Daviess County head coach Anthony Payton said. “The kids have worked really hard this year.”

Payton knows his team will have to make Apollo QB Maxwell Johnson uncomfortable in the pocket and prevent him from deploying.

The Eagles offense has found its rhythm recently, having to punt just once in each of their last two games. But Edge said he knows the offense isn’t perfect and has worked with them to eliminate the stupid penalties.

Owensboro 4-3 (Class 5A, District 1) @ Henderson County 4-5 (Class 6A, District 1)

Quick notes: Fresh off winning the district, the Red Devils begin their regular season finale against longtime rival Henderson County. Owensboro has dominated the rivalry as of late, having won last year 34-6.

Head Coach Jay Fallin said: It’s a very old rivalry, and we haven’t lost to them since 2014. It’s almost always a good and competitive game. Over the years, teams have consistently been good at the same time and this has resulted in some very competitive matches over the last fifteen years.

They are run first and are hit to the QB. They are now on their third QB of the season. He can run and has an impressive arm. They are big and aggressive from the start. Henderson is tough and well-coached on defense. They are aggressive and fly towards the ball.

This game is important for momentum and RPI. We have to play better defense than last week. We need to get off the field quicker.

Owensboro Catholic 7-0 (Class 2A, District 2) @ North Hardin 7-2 (Class 6A, District 2)

Quick notes: A win tonight would all but guarantee the Aces home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and mark their second straight undefeated season in the regular season. Last week, the Aces improved to 9-0 after beating Campbell County 50-0. Quarterback Brady Atwell threw for over 200 yards and five touchdowns.

Head coach Jason Morris said: We expect Friday night to be a full house and a great environment. It’s our first home game in almost a month. The kids know the implications of our RPI and winning this game will guarantee the number one seed for the playoffs.

We are two very similar teams. Both run spread offenses and take what the defense gives. Defensively, they run a four-man front as a base, but will switch to a three-man front when needed. I expect them to fight back on different fronts based on what works for us.

Josiah Hope is their star defensive tackle and we need to set up some special storylines to make sure he is blocked. He looks his size, can run, is big and explosive. He’s also athletic enough to be an edge rusher as well. Similar to Hope, wide receiver Ronald Lunz is also being noticed across the country. He lines up in the slot but also outside.

We need to improve our approach in space and it will be crucial not to give up yards after contact. Every game we have a stupid turnover, and we need to eliminate it.

McLean County 4-3 (Class 3A, District 1) vs. Marshall County 3-6 (Class 5A, District 1)

Quick notes: The Cougars are on a three-game winning streak thanks to their running game. Last week, Kamden Walters and Aden Bolden combined for over 200 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Tonight, McLean County hosts Marshall County, who they beat 38-17 a year ago.

Head coach Zach Wagner said: We will be significantly undersized compared to Marshall’s offensive and defensive fronts; we have to be strong in execution and technique.

Marshall employs spread formations, but likes to run power schemes and throw to the perimeter for his big receivers to get the ball into space. Their offensive line and defensive line are massive compared to us in size.

We need to be able to get positive yardage on the first try and not fall behind. Defensively, we can’t compete in the secondary.

Hancock County 7-1 (Class 3A, District 1) @ Grayson County 7-2 (Class 5A, District 4)

Quick notes: A week after a loss to Union County, the Hornets bounced back by blowing out Hopkins County Central. Quarterback Dylan Morris, who has been dangerous with his arm all season, scored two rushing touchdowns. Tonight they travel to Grayson County, which the Hornets narrowly lost to a year ago, 15-14.

Head coach Bob Eubanks said: We just have to stay focused this week and continue to improve as we finish the season and head into the playoffs.

Grayson is a very good team. They like to establish the run and will also play action and start to keep you off guard. Our style of play will be balanced; we want to be able to take what they give us, either on the ground or by air.

Kadan Hanshaw is their RB who is very good. As a team, they covered nearly 2,500 meters. Hanshaw and their QB Kolby Chaffins are their primary rushers and will be difficult to contain.