(This article first appeared in the October print edition of the Hendersonian.)
HCHS Golf
Both the boys and girls golf teams at Henderson County advanced to semi-state by finishing as runners-up in their respective second region tournaments. For the boys, Jake Hayden shot a 75 to claim a tie for third place. For the girls, Meryl Grogan made headlines by winning the second region individual championship by one stroke with a score of 71. It was the first time a Lady Colonel won the regional title since Grogan’s coach Payton Carter-Knight did so in 2017. Both the boys and girls golf teams’ seasons ended last week at the semi-state.
Football
The Henderson County Colonels sit at 3-3. Senior Avant Baxter has been a steady presence for Henderson County’s offense, piling up 241 all-purpose yards as a runner, receiver and even stepping in as a surprise quarterback through the first five games. Junior QB Brody Belt has had early struggles through the air but showed signs of progress in the loss to Gibson Southern, completing 8-of-13 passes for 124 yards. In the backfield, junior Kingston Shidler powered the Colonels past Henry Clay with 131 yards and two touchdowns, but after he went down with injury, senior Jack Ryan Reusch stepped in. Known for dominating the middle on defense, Reusch also gave Henderson County a spark on offense in Sept. 19’s win against Daviess County, rushing 11 times for 95 yards. Defensively, the Colonels’ secondary has been a bright spot, snagging five interceptions through four games. The Colonels lost Friday night to George Rogers Clark by a score of 34-14.
Remaining Schedule
10/10 Christian County (H)
10/17 Hopkinsville
10/24 McCracken County (H)
10/31 Owensboro
Boys Soccer
The Henderson County boys soccer team owns a 7-7 record (as of Sept. 25), including a 5-1 record in region play, after losing to University Heights on September 25. The Colonels picked up two huge wins in the middle of the month beating region foe Christian County, 9-1, before collecting a 1-0 victory in a heated match over fierce rival, Madisonville North-Hopkins. Thus far, they have scored 37 goals, while allowing 27. Alex Bowley leads the team with 20 goals, while Miles Pryor has a team-high seven assists, along with four goals. Aaden Bugg has 63 saves and three clean sheets on the season. The boys team is scheduled to play Webster County in the district tournament championship at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Union County High School.
Girls Soccer
The HCHS Lady Cols soccer team is 11-6, with a 6-1 record in region play (as of Sept. 25). They suffered a loss to University Heights in early September, accounting for their only region defeat. Henderson’s biggest win came over district rival, Union County. They won 13-0 in a game that saw eight different players score a goal, including hat tricks by McKinley Black and Layla Gugel. They also enjoyed region victories over Hopkinsville and Caldwell County. Black is the team’s leader with 21 goals, while Gugel is second with 11. Alex Rendle leads the way with nine assists. Jersey Gardner has collected 88 saves and seven shutouts. The Lady Cols defense took a major hit when junior captain Annabelle Wilson went down with a season-ending injury in early September. The girls team is scheduled to play in the district tournament championship at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Union County High School.
Volleyball
The HCHS volleyball team continued its remarkable turnaround season with a strong September, sitting at 18-5. Their run included a 10-game win streak, which came to an end on September 24th at the hands of Owensboro Catholic. The Lady Cols are still undefeated in region play. The team had back-to-back statement wins, beating Heritage Christian and Madisonville North-Hopkins each 3-1. The two teams are among the top competitors, along with Henderson, for the regional championship. Evangeline Loffland leads the team with 207 kills, while Ella Whitledge leads the defense with 468 digs. Other team leaders include Gabby Melvin with 30 blocks, Emmy Sword with 79 aces, and Kamryn Raley with 329 assists.
Upcoming Schedule
10/9 Heritage Christian
10/14 Madisonville North-Hopkins (H)
10/16 Crittenden County
Cross Country
The Henderson County Colonels and Lady Colonels cross country teams have competed in three meets so far this season, showing steady improvement on both sides. The boys turned in a standout performance at the Hopkins Central Storm Invitational, placing third out of 11 teams behind a 19:19.70 5K from Ross Plummer. Plummer has since lowered his time to 18:14.50 in his 7th-place finish at the Owensboro Invitational. Christian Smith (19:28.80) and Ian Hancock (19:04.68) have also been key contributors with strong season bests. On the girls’ side, freshman Sophi Gonzalez has led the way for Henderson County, running a personal record of 25:10.92 and finishing 22nd at Owensboro. While the Lady Colonels continue to rebuild, the boys are trending upward and look to be competitive at regionals.
Records and stats are up to date as of September 25. (H) denotes a home game.
