For the second consecutive season, Henderson County enters the Class 6A state playoffs coming off back-to-back losses, with a familiar first-round opponent standing between the Colonels and another potential postseason run.
The Colonels (4-6) will travel to face Meade County (3-7) Friday night, hoping to replicate last year’s playoff success after closing the regular season with losses to McCracken County and Owensboro.
The circumstances are similar to a year ago, when Henderson County suffered consecutive losses to the same two opponents before defeating Meade County 42-7 in the opening round of the playoffs.
Henderson County Head Coach John Elliott acknowledged the similarities but said his team’s attention quickly shifted toward the postseason following Friday’s loss to Owensboro.
“We’re flipping the script quickly. It’s kind of eerily the same as last year,” Elliott said. “We talked a little bit about the Owensboro game and showed them some film of some mistakes we made, but we flipped the script pretty quickly. On Monday, we were all Meade County.”
Last season, the Colonels followed their first-round victory over the Green Wave with a second-round win against McCracken County, advancing to the regional championship before falling to South Warren.
That postseason success offers a familiar blueprint for Henderson County, although Elliott knows the Colonels will have to address some of the issues that have troubled them in recent weeks.
Meade County has experienced its own struggles this season but has shown signs of improvement from a year ago. After finishing the 2025 regular season 2-8 and averaging just 9.4 points per game, the Green Wave improved to 3-7 this fall while increasing their scoring average to 15.6.
The Green Wave won two of their final three regular-season games, defeating Daviess County and Central Hardin before falling to Bullitt East in their finale. Both of those victories came against opponents Henderson County also defeated earlier this season.
Elliott expects Meade County to emphasize its ground game, using formations that have become less common in today’s high school football.
“They’re a run-oriented team. They will line up in two backs, which you don’t see a lot anymore. They’ll even get into the I-formation with a tight end,” Elliott said. “They will line up to run the football. There’s no question about that.”
That approach presents a challenge for a Henderson County defense that has struggled to contain opposing rushing attacks in recent weeks.
The Colonels surrendered 321 rushing yards against Owensboro in their regular-season finale, and Elliott acknowledged that improving against the run will be critical to their chances Friday.
“We’re going to have to defend the run, and we haven’t really done a very good job with that lately,” Elliott said. “We’re going to have to get better in a hurry on that.”
Despite their recent struggles, the Colonels have shown offensive firepower throughout the season, averaging 31.8 points per game behind senior quarterback Brody Belt. Belt has thrown for 1,782 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 529 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Belt’s primary target has been sophomore Jackson Loveless, who has recorded 46 receptions for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior Hezekiah Harris has added 420 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, while senior Christian Haygan has contributed 281 receiving yards and three scores.
Running backs Jack Dalton and Kingston Shidler have provided additional production on the ground, combining for 647 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
On the defensive side, sophomore Parker Shappell leads the Colonels with 61 tackles, while defensive end Haygan has recorded six sacks. Haygan’s ability to set the edge and infiltrate backfields could be especially important against Meade’s run.
Friday’s contest will be another road playoff matchup for the Colonels, who won twice away from home during last year’s postseason. Elliott said the familiarity with Meade County should help his team prepare, although the Green Wave have made adjustments since their previous meeting.
“We watched last year’s matchup for some personnel things, but they’re doing some things differently that fit this year’s team better,” Elliott said.
Should Henderson County advance, it would face the winner of McCracken County and Central Hardin in the second round, potentially setting up another rematch with the Mustangs.
Elliott acknowledged the possibility of another postseason run resembling last year’s but emphasized that his team’s immediate focus remains on Friday.
“That’s the goal,” Elliott said. “It’s almost eerie how it aligns up again this year, but McCracken right now is in the back of our minds… Everything’s been focused on Meade.”
The Colonels and Green Wave are scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. CST on Friday in Brandenburg.
