The Greenwood football team will take the long way home in 2023.

With renovations to the field still being completed, Greenwood opens the season with four straight road games – starting with a bowl game at Allen County-Scottsville on Friday. The home opener finally comes in week five when Warren Central visits on Sept. 15.

The Gators then close with five out six home games, the only road tilt a few miles down Scottsville Road to district rival Bowling Green.

It’s a challenging start to the season, but one Greenwood coach William Howard thinks his team can handle – especially after a strong 2022.

“It’s always good to have a home game and have your fans around, the familiarity and that,” Howard said. “This is a veteran group. I think they will respond fine. It was something I did personally because I knew they were going to be pushing to get finished. They are still going to be pushing to get finished with week five our first home game.”

Offensively, senior Tel Tel Long led Greenwood in rushing last season and will look to build off a 157-yard game in last year’s season-ending loss to Owensboro in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs.

“It was the best game I had all season, so it gives me high hopes going into the next season,” Long said. “The way we lost and how close we were really motivated me in the offseason to work harder.”

Howard said he hopes to get Long – who led the Gators in receiving – even more involved in the passing game this season, utilizing his ability to use his breakaway speed in open spaces.

Long will have company in the backfield with seniors Elmo Stewart and Gray Price also returning. Stewart will also be a big factor in the passing game.

The biggest shoes to fill will be Lofton Howard, who was the leader on defensive and a big part of the offense – specifically at the goal line.

“It’s got to be the next guy up,” Howard said. “Whatever tackles he made, somebody else has got to make them this year.”

Dawson Drake was second on the team in tackles last year, while Price, Stewart and Long were also key contributors on the defensive end that return this season.

There is plenty of experience in place looking to build off last season’s 9-3 record. Greenwood’s three losses came to two teams that finished state runner-up in their respective classes and an Owensboro team that finished in the semifinals of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Owensboro loss was a bittersweet end to the season, a nailbiter that left the Gators motivated going into this season.

While that could serve as motivation, Howard said ultimately it is a new start and a new team, looking to once again battle for a district title with Bowling Green and South Warren and a deep postseason run.

“I think there are a lot of great things we accomplished last season, but that season is over,” Howard said. “It’s a new team, a new group of young men. A lot of them were a part of it, but it is a new team every year. You have to continue to do the things you do.

“… I think these gentlemen know how close we were and how good of a team we had last year. We just want to have people to continue to talk about Greenwood football like they have the last couple of years.”

Greenwood 2023 schedule

•Aug. 19 – vs. Hopkinsville

#Aug. 25 – vs. Warren East

Sept. 1 – at Owensboro Catholic

Sept. 8 – at Logan County

Sept. 15 – Warren Central

Sept. 22 – South Warren

Sept. 29 – Ohio County

Oct. 13 – Franklin-Simpson

Oct. 20 – at Bowling Green

Oct. 27 – Union County

• at Allen County-Scottsville

#at Barren County{&end}