Kroger KSR Hometown Classic: Louisville Shawnee at Jackson County Preview

Last year’s edition of the Kroger KSR Hometown Classic between Louisville Shawnee and Jackson County was such a hit that we’ve decided to do it again. While this game will focus on what happens on the field, it’s the community aspect off the field that makes this such a special matchup.

This newfound “rivalry” between Shawnee and Jackson County sparked during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At the time, Shawnee was desperate to find an opponent. Despite nearly 150 miles separating the two schools, Jackson County stepped up and traveled to Louisville as a fill-in. The 2021 rematch was unfortunately canceled, but in 2022, KSR was able to kick start the inaugural Hometown Classic between the two teams. Although Shawnee won 40-0, there was plenty of mutual respect shared from both sides.

“When they come all the way out here, I’ve never seen another team that has done that,” Shawnee’s Sircory Brookins, who has since graduated, said after last year’s win. “They have my appreciation and my thanks. They have all the respect from me. Yeah, we won, but at the same time, I feel that everybody advanced. They’re going through the same struggle, and they’re going to get it back next week.”

This Friday, Shawnee and Jackson County will meet up for the third time in history, but the venue will switch locations and head to McKee, KY as Jackson County plays host for the first time in this still-young series. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST. As always, KSR will have plenty of boots on the ground to bring you all of the coverage.

Before we dive into what these two teams will bring to the gridiron on Friday night, take a look at how last year’s battle went down. Again, it was the community aspect of this game that made it such a special atmosphere. We’re hoping for a similar environment in Jackson County.

Kroger is dedicated to supporting communities across the Commonwealth. KSR is honored to highlight both Shawnee and Jackson County in the Hometown Classic. Kroger is your hometown, community spot for all your shopping needs. Kroger is also proud to support local schools through Kroger Community Rewards. This includes up to 3.5 million in quarterly gifts to the non-profit of your choice. Sign up using your Kroger loyalty card at Kroger.com/communityrewards. 

Louisville Shawnee Golden Eagles

Playing out of Class 2A, the Shawnee Golden Eagles will take a 1-2 record into Jackson County. Led by third-year head coach Vernon Gibson Jr., Shawnee dropped its first two games of the season to Moore (52-6) and Jeffersontown (28-6) before finally getting in the win column last week with a 32-8 victory over Valley.

Unfortunately, season-long statistics for Shawnee have not been posted. That being said, we have an idea of what the Golden Eagles will bring to the field. Senior quarterback Jarone Henderson controls the offense with weapons such as senior Nathaniel Mitchell and junior Jaymont Ware on the outside. Junior Jaylan Burton was an all-district player on the offensive line last season for Shawnee and is back again for the Golden Eagles.

As for the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Xzaveyer Gibson-Anderson is back after registering 61 tackles last season, which was third-most on the team. Also returning is senior defensive end Jacob Summers, who finished second on the team in 2022 with 91 tackles and a team-high eight sacks. Both were named all-district last season.

Jackson County Generals

As for Jackson County, the Generals will host Shawnee with a 2-1 record on the season. Second-year head coach Nick Sizemore has his squad riding a two-game win streak with dominant back-to-back victories over Knott County Central (59-22) and Phelps (42-0). Jackson County’s lone loss of the season came in the opener against Trimble County by the low, low score of 8-6. The win over Knott County Central in game two of the season broke a winless streak for the program that dated back to Sept. 2021 — and the first at home since 2019.

Statistics have only been made available for the first two games, but the main thing you need to know about the Jackson County offense is that they love to run the ball. Through two games, the Generals had already stacked up 644 rushing yards between four running backs. Senior tailback Ethan Wilson has been doing the bulk of the scoring so far (we do know that he’s recorded eight touchdowns through three games), although the touch distribution is spread relatively equally throughout the backfield. Sophomore Ashton Clemons, who also suits up on defense, is another ball carrier to watch. Jackson County elects to go for two-point conversions after touchdowns as opposed to field goals. The Generals sport a one-dimensional, yet potent offense.

On defense, sophomore defensive end Gage Curtis has been a bruiser for the Generals with 20-plus tackles through two games. The defense as a whole has given up just 30 total points on the season and has come down with three interceptions. Jackson County boasts a respectable secondary that should give the Shawnee quarterback fits.

The Jackson County-Shawnee tradition carries on Friday night.