'Bringing it back to 1800': Coach Ganaway reflects on OHS' championship football season

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Owensboro High School set off a major celebration on its side of Kroger Field on a chilly Saturday night after winning the first state football championship in 39 years.

The Red Devils finished a sensational 2025 season with a 13-2 record, and they did indeed bring back the big Class 5-A state championship trophy to 1800 Frederica St.

The team spent several minutes celebrating with their fans behind their bench at the Kentucky football stadium, joining in with their people, and losing themselves so much in those moments they had to be called over and reminded to go get their freshly won state championship trophy.

“What you saw there was 39 years of fans, of alumni who were hungry, after having had opportunities before and getting close,” OHS coach DaMarcus Ganaway Sr., said Monday. “There were a lot of alumni in the mix, some former players still connected, some parents of kids on the team. They wanted it for themselves, for their kids, for the program, for their school. The celebration had been coming for 39 years. You saw lots of tears, lots of hugs. That’s what it’s all about with the community aspect of it.”

The Red Devils talked all year about “bringing it back to the 1800” which is Owensboro High School’s address on Frederica Street. There were coaches wearing sweatshirts, hoodies and other gear with 1800 in big red numbers.

“That was more about establishing an identity behind the brand,” Ganaway Sr. said. “The boys took on saying ‘1800’ every time we broke things down (team huddles). On our journey to earn home field advantage in the playoffs, it really became big for us. If teams were going to play us in the state playoffs it was going to go through 1800.”

Now, 1800 has another big piece of hardware to add to their championship trophy case.

Ganaway helped lead the Red Devils to a long-awaited state championship in his first season as head coach. He was still trying to absorb that fact on Monday, as players were handing in equipment.

“I don’t even know how to put it in words,” Ganaway said. “Immediately after the game, everybody was celebrating, all the texts and phone calls, we got back late, I woke up on Sunday thinking it was Saturday. I had to turn around get equipment turned in, have coaches meetings. Now that it’s slowing down some it was a combination of hard work and trust to win this, carrying on the tradition was already there. We already knew we had a great program.”

From what the KHSAA recognizes, Owensboro has won three state championships, in 1974, 1986 and now in 2025.

The great OHS program had great players in leading roles, and a strong senior class that provided good leadership.

These were the numbers running back Evan Hampton finished with in his senior season. Hampton was the Most Valuable Player in the Class 5-A championship game, and that bodes well for his chances at being named Kentucky Mr. Football. He’s already the Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year.

Hampton ran for 2,035 yards on 173 attempts, which was 11.7 yards per carry this season. He added 288 receiving yards and had 34 total touchdowns.

Those numbers were tremendous by themselves, but they were made even more phenomenal because he only had 41 rushing yards against St. Xavier and 15 rushing yards against Christian Academy-Louisville. OHS started 0-2 after losing to St. X 38-7 in Louisville and CAL 35-0 at Rash Stadium.

In five playoff games, Hampton went for 94, 76, 326, 266 and 108 yards, which totaled 870 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Hampton ended his OHS career with 5,259 rushing yards and 82 touchdowns. He should hit the KHSAA all-time rushing list with that yardage.

Junior quarterback DaMarcus Ganaway Jr., stepped into the starting role very well for OHS, where he also put up major numbers. Ganaway threw for 2,706 yards with 36 touchdowns and five interceptions. Ganaway hit 70.5% of his passes this season.

Kingston Dillard caught 58 passes for 1,294 yards and 18 touchdowns.

There were record numbers put up by OHS guys in the state championship game.

Tre Shemwell had an 84-yard punt return for a TD that was the longest in state championship game history.

Chadyn Morris made a 41-yard touchdown catch that was called on social media the longest receiving touchdown for OHS in a state championship game.

Ganaway Sr. said he was glad this championship ride included his son the quarterback.

“Our relationship is special already; this year we treated football and practice like every day at home,” Ganaway Sr. said. “Since he was born, I’ve either been in training or coaching. All of his younger years, I have been a trainer and coach, him joining the squad and jumping in with that, it was kind of seamless. I gave his coaches all the trust in working with him, and I didn’t want them thinking I was looking over their shoulders. He’s my kid, he’s got talent but he puts in the work. This was sweet because I know how much work he’s put into it.

“When we look back on it years from now, we will realize how special this was.”

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