3 observations: How Spencer County spoiled Bullitt East’s season opener with statement win

With players and fans kneeling before him, Spencer County head football coach Mike Marksbury ended his postgame speech with a question.

"How 'bout them Bears?" he shouted.

Marksbury's team traveled into enemy territory Friday night and derailed Bullitt East's season opener with a 19-16 victory despite being outgained by 89 yards on offense.

The Bears, who trailed for more than three-and-a-half quarters, finally took the lead on a 6-yard touchdown run from senior Camden Cardwell with 5:57 to play in the fourth. Their defense held the Chargers' potent offense scoreless in the second half.

"This was big-boy football," Marksbury said, "and our kids answered the bell."

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Spencer County (2-0) heads home for a Week 3 matchup against Taylor County at 7:30 p.m. Bullitt East (0-1) will host North Bullitt at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Spencer County forced its identity on Bullitt East

You'd be hard pressed to find two more different offenses in the Louisville area than the units that squared off Friday night at Egan Field.

Bullitt East averaged 38.8 points per game in 2021 behind gunslinging quarterback Travis Egan and dynamic wide receivers Nolan Davenport and Camron Brogan.

Spencer County, on the other hand, likes to chew up the clock with a run-heavy playbook showcasing a stable of talented tailbacks: Cardwell, fellow senior Wade Hutt and junior Kellen Marksbury.

On Friday, the Bears made the Chargers play their style of football and eventually clawed their way in front with a nearly seven-minute, 59-yard drive to start the fourth quarter that ended with Cardwell's go-ahead touchdown run. That drive was kept alive, and moved into Bullitt East territory, when the Chargers were flagged for pass interference on a third-and-long with 10:19 remaining in regulation.

Bullitt East had one drive during the final period, and it ended when Kellen Marksbury broke up a pass from Egan to force a turnover on downs with 2:48 on the clock.

“We know how we have to play," said Spencer County senior QB Gabe Bowling, who earned the game ball after completing five of his 10 passes for 64 yards and rushing for a touchdown. "(Bullitt East) has got a lethal offense. We gotta slow them down. We don’t want them to get the ball. We take our possessions and we score with them."

Cardwell led the Bears' ground attack with 107 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Spencer County outrushed Bullitt East (170-108) and owned the time-of-possession battle: 29 minutes to the Chargers' 18.

"Good clock management, it won the game for us," Bowling said.

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How Spencer County shut down Bullitt East’s high-octane offense

Spencer County defensive coordinator Tyler Eldridge was covered in sweat after the final horn sounded but had enough energy to smile when he recounted how his players asked if they could stay late after practice Wednesday to watch film of Bullitt East’s offense.

It took that kind of effort to shut down Egan and the Chargers, who had only three first downs and 65 yards of offense in the second half.

"Our kids battled their butts off," Eldridge said. "That is a really, really, really good offense. They have linemen; they have a good back; they have good receivers (and) a really good quarterback. Before the game, if you had told me 16 points, I wouldn’t have believed you."

Having a methodical offense that kept Bullitt East's weapons off the field for the majority of the fourth quarter certainly helped, too.

"We play complementary football," Eldridge said. "I know people watch our offense and are like, 'What is that old Wing-T stuff?' But, hey, you milk the clock, you run the ball. It works hand in hand, and that’s how you win ballgames."

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Turnovers plague sloppy first half

Bullitt East led Spencer County 16-6 at halftime, but that score would have looked a lot different had the teams not combined for four first-half turnovers.

The Chargers' woes came through the air, with Egan throwing an interception on his fifth pass of the game and again on the opening play of the second period.

That second pick was especially costly, because Egan was getting into a rhythm with his receivers while Bullitt East drove the ball to the Bears' 5-yard line looking to stretch its lead to two touchdowns. Instead, Egan's pass was snatched out of the air by Spencer County senior Brice Roark and downed for a touchback.

Egan finished the evening 17 for 32 with 215 yards and one touchdown, a 26-yard strike to Davenport. He threw a third interception with 6:24 remaining in the third quarter.

The good news for the Chargers: The Bears weren't able to capitalize on any of their takeaways and had two miscues of their own.

Spencer County coughed up a couple of fumbles and nearly surrendered a third in the red zone. The loose ball took several bounces, and a Bullitt East defender got his hands on it with a clear path to the end zone in front of him. The Bears caught a big break, however, when the ball slipped out of the defender's grasp and rolled out of bounds.

"We were just beating ourselves," Marksbury said. "We just needed to stick with what we were doing."

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA football: Spencer County stuns Bullitt East to stay unbeaten