St. Xavier travels to Bowling Green for Top 25 showdown in regular-season finale

In the 2023 regular season send-off, No. 11 St. Xavier (6-3) is headed south to face No. 19 Bowling Green (7-2) as both teams gear up for the start of next week’s playoffs.

These two teams have remained in KSR’s Top 25 all season long and are expected to make promising postseason runs. The star-studded rosters will surely make for a good matchup to cap off the Kentucky high school regular season. Let’s break down the stats they’ve accumulated so far this year to see how they stack up.

St. Xavier Breakdown

Although sitting on a 6-3 record, the Tigers have had a successful season. The powerhouse has competed against some of the best in the state, including Male (20-10 win), Trinity (45-10 loss), DuPont Manual (37-36 loss), and the like. St. Xavier also lost 31-21 to Cincinnati (OH) Elder. Led by senior quarterback Trevor Havill, St. X has proved their offensive efficiency all season. Havill totals 1,250 yards passing and averages 139 yards per game along with 19 touchdowns, nine of those rushing.

Senior running back Davis Yates is the leading rusher for the Tigers. He’s got 704 total yards paired with nine touchdowns. Junior Immanuel Gray follows with 477 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Through the air, Havill’s go-to is sophomore Marlon Harbin III, who has 538 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Junior Cameron Hollaway is the Tigers’ next top option with 241 yards and four touchdowns. Senior defensive end Tyler Neal leads the Tigers on the other side with 56 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. Senior safety Daniel Crum follows with 41 total tackles and two tackles for loss.

Bowling Green Breakdown

Junior quarterback Deuce Bailey recently became the all-time leading passer in Bowling Green High School history. On the season, he’s got 2,547 yards total and 34 touchdowns (four rushing), averaging 283 yards per game and a 73% completion rate. He leads the Purples offense quite successfully and has been the key leader for Bowling Green.

Trevy Barber has also been shining all season. With 775 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns, the sophomore has been the go-to guy for Bailey and company, having a huge hand in their success so far this season. Junior Christopher Sweeney is another dependable receiver for the Purples, totaling 419 yards and five touchdown receptions.

Sophomore Jaxen Smith leads in rushing with 370 yards and seven total touchdowns. Sophomore Montravion Graham is another dependable running back with 272 yards and six touchdowns, followed by senior Javen Huddleston who has tallied 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the season.

Linebackers Max Buchanon (Sr.), Jayden Axson (Jr.), and defensive back Grayson Newman (Jr.) are huge on defense for the Purples and have been all season. They combine for 177 tackles in total. Newman has also recovered a pair of fumbles for touchdowns. They are super efficient when the Purples need a stop.

A Top 25 matchup with 75-degree weather in late October? Name a better combination. The game kicks off at 6:30 P.M. Central Time later tonight.