Garrard County Set to Host Lawrence County in Golden Lion Bowl Showdown
Garrard County High School is set to host the Lawrence County Bulldogs on Friday night in a marquee matchup to cap the second night of the 2025 Golden Lion Bowl. The game, scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. kickoff, marks the first-ever meeting between the two Class 3A programs despite years of competing within the same classification.
The Golden Lions enter the contest riding the momentum of last week's season-opening road victory over North Bullitt and will now look to extend their six-game home winning streak. Garrard County was undefeated at home in 2024 during its first season at the newly opened stadium. The current streak is the sixth-longest in program history, with the all-time mark set between 1989 and 1992, when the Lions won 15 straight at home.
Lawrence County arrives in Lancaster with a 1-0 record after dispatching Martin County 35-7 on the road last Friday. This week’s contest will be the Bulldogs’ second consecutive road test to begin the season. Though the teams have never faced each other on the field, there are notable off-field connections between the programs. Garrard County assistant coach Jeff Hester student taught at Lawrence County following his collegiate playing days at Morehead State, working under then-head coach Billy Goldsmith. Goldsmith’s son, Boone, now serves as a fellow assistant with Hester on the Golden Lions coaching staff.
Garrard County’s win over North Bullitt marked the first time since 2017 the program began a scheduled season with a victory. While the Lions also opened with a win during the pandemic-altered 2020 season, the traditional schedule has often proven more difficult. Still, Garrard has been consistent in home openers, claiming three wins in their last four, including a narrow 23-20 victory over Middlesboro in last year’s edition of the Golden Lion Bowl.
Since the program’s inception in 1964, Garrard County has posted a 169-137-3 home record across three different venues — Leavell Field, Dyehouse Stadium, and the current GCHS stadium. The Lions have also had significant past success at home, with other notable winning streaks including a 13-game stretch from 1993 to 1995 and three separate seven-game runs, most recently spanning the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Friday’s matchup follows the opening game of the Golden Lion Bowl, which will feature Lincoln County facing off against Estill County. The Patriots hold a 10-1 all-time series advantage over the Engineers, though the two sides have not met since 1990. Both Lincoln and Estill will be making their first appearances on the turf at Garrard’s new stadium but have plenty of experience in Lancaster. Lincoln County leads the all-time series in Lancaster 11-6 but has lost the last three, while Estill County is 3-5 in previous road games at Garrard, last playing there in 2022.
With historic ties, competitive tradition, and early-season momentum on the line, Friday night’s clash between Garrard County and Lawrence County is expected to deliver a compelling chapter in the ongoing Golden Lion Bowl tradition.
(HISTORICAL DATA PROVIDED BY DANIEL HOPKINS]