Highlights: Douglass falls to one of nation’s best; LCA, Sayre, Mercer, Franklin Co. roll

Frederick Douglass exited what is most likely the toughest five-game stretch in its football program’s seven-year history with a 28-19 loss to Indianapolis powerhouse Cathedral at home on Friday.

But Broncos coach Nathan McPeek said he wasn’t discouraged by his team’s 2-3 record and told his players he still believed they could contend for a Class 6A state championship.

“You’ve got to stay positive,” McPeek said. “I don’t know that anybody in the state’s playing the people that we’re playing. … We’re going to deal with some adversity and I thought we took some steps in the right direction when we faced adversity tonight.”

That belief checks out if you consider that one of the No. 4 Broncos’ two wins came against a No. 5 Trinity team that demolished No. 1 St. Xavier 45-10 in Louisville on Friday. The Broncos’ other losses have come on the road to national No. 25 Archbishop Hoban of Akron, Ohio, and Class 4A No. 2 Corbin.

Cathedral (3-3), a 21-time Indiana state champion who entered the season ranked among the nation’s 100 best teams by High School Football America, is led by Danny O’Neil, a three-star quarterback committed to Colorado, perhaps the most talked about college program in the nation right now.

O’Neil showed flashes of his talent with a 57-yard pass over the middle to Devaughn Slaughter to help the Fighting Irish take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and with a 38-yard TD run at the start of the third quarter that put the Irish up 21-10 and quickly capitalized on the Broncos’ fumbled kickoff return.

“It’s been preached all week that we needed to play a complete game and that’s a great opponent to go up against,” O’Neil said. “There’s a lot we couldn’t replicate with our scout team with their speed and size. We knew coming in that they were going to be a very fast team.”

After giving up a touchdown on Cathedral’s opening drive, Douglass’ defense settled in and began to assert itself. The Broncos sacked O’Neil three times and had eight tackles for loss against the Irish, including a third quarter safety that helped flip the momentum.

On the Broncos’ ensuing possession, sophomore quarterback Jaxon Strautman connected with Derion Talbert on a 31-yard pass play that got Douglass to the 1-yard line. Logan Busson pounded in the touchdown to help cut their deficit to 21-19 with 6:34 left in the third quarter. Strautman threw for 274 yards and had a 31-yard TD pass to Aveion Chenault late in the second quarter that helped cut the Broncos’ deficit to 14-7. Cooper Ranvier nailed a 34-yard field just before halftime to make it 14-10.

But despite recovering a fumble and forcing a punt on Cathedral’s next two third quarter possessions, Douglass could not mount a drive to take the lead. Cathedral’s defense stopped Douglass on downs early in the fourth quarter, setting up a seven-play, 63-yard drive by the Irish that was capped by Jalen Bonds’ second touchdown run of the game to set the final margin.

Douglass has a bye week before it embarks on its district schedule where it will face Madison Central and George Rogers Clark at home around a highly anticipated matchup at No. 6 Bryan Station on Oct. 14.

Injury update: Senior quarterback Cole Carpenter underwent successful surgery on his throwing elbow on Friday and is likely to miss most if not all of the season, McPeek said. Carpenter struggled throwing in preseason and his elbow issue did not respond well enough to rest and therapy.

“He had some elbow inflammation,” McPeek said of the Eastern Kentucky commit who helped lead the Broncos to a Class 5A state championship last year and threw three TD passes in the title game. “It’s going to take some time to get his arm where it needs to be, but everything went well.”

Other Friday games

Boyle County 56, Lexington Catholic 21: Montavin Quisenberry scored four touchdowns in the Rebels’ home victory over the Knights.

Quisenberry and Avery Bodner each contributed a score in the first quarter to give Boyle County (6-0) an early lead. Lexington Catholic (2-4) tied the game in the second quarter with a pair of touchdowns from Jackson Kreutzer and Joaquin Pereira before Jackson Wasik gave the Knights their only lead with a QB keeper early in the third.

Quisenberry and the Rebels answered with a touchdown on the following kickoff return, then quarterback Sage Dawson threw TD passes to Geordon Brown and Bodner. Quisenberry ran for two additional scores in the fourth quarter, and the Rebels tacked on a final TD in the last minutes of the game to ice it.

Sayre 47, Nicholas County 2: Brock Coffman led the Spartans (5-0) with four touchdowns, two via pass plays from Luke Pennington, one on a 53-yard punt return and another on a 40-yard scoop and score. Coffman and Robbie Jenkins each had interceptions in the rout of the Blue Jackets (2-4).

Charlie Slabaugh led Sayre in receiving with 128 yards and had TD plays of 40 and 37 yards while also leading the team in tackles with 11. Pennington completed 9 of 13 passes for 203 yards and four TDs and rushed for another score.

Lexington Christian 56, Shawnee 0: Brady Hensley ran for three touchdowns and caught another in the Eagles’ shutout of the Golden Eagles.

Following Parker Chaney’s 31-yard touchdown reception, Hensley rushed for a pair of TDs (4 and 22 yards), as well as caught a 5-yard TD pass from quarterback Cutter Boley in the first quarter. Jackson Dillow returned an interception for a 64-yard score early in the second quarter before Chaney caught a 17-yard TD pass and Hensley ran for a 2-yard score. BJ Evans rushed for a 5-yard TD in the third quarter.

Boley threw for 118 yards and three TDs.

Simon Kenton 43, Paul Laurence Dunbar 14: The Pioneers (3-2) outrushed the Bulldogs (1-5) 223 yards to 46 in their road victory.

Simon Kenton strung together three rushing touchdowns from Durell Turner (60 yards), Tysin Weaver (4 yards) and quarterback Brady Lee (5 yards) to open the first quarter with a 22-0 lead. Dunbar quarterback Ethan Teall rushed for a 3-yard TD to put the Bulldogs on the board, but Lee (2-yard TD run) and Nathan Kitchens (6-yard TD catch) extended the Pioneers’ lead to four scores before the half.

Kitchens also grabbed a 17-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. John Martin caught a 45-yard Dunbar TD reception in the fourth quarter for the final scoring play of the game.

Ballard 42, Tates Creek 6: The Bruins (4-2) overwhelmed the Commodores (3-3) for four quarters for their first back-to-back wins of the season.

Ballard saw first half touchdowns from Maurice Stephens (32-yard catch), Journey Wyche (68-yard run) and Demari Edelen (30-yard run). The Bruins also tallied three scores in the second half, with a 66-yard TD run from Edelen in the third quarter and a pair of rushing touchdowns from Wyche (1 yard) and Larry Irvin (10 yards) in the fourth.

Tates Creek wide receiver Thomas Siegler caught a 19-yard TD reception late in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout.

Scott County 56, Collins 26: The Cardinals (5-1) rode a five-score second quarter to a victory over the Titans (4-2).

Ellis Huguely (7 yards) and Timmy Emongo (74 yards) rushed for a pair of touchdowns to open the first quarter for Scott County before Collins’ Michael Schramm caught a 20-yard pass from quarterback Kade Goodin to put Collins on the board. The Cardinals then picked up second quarter TDs from Jacob Fryman (1- and 6-yard runs), Huguely (25-yard catch), Emongo (19-yard interception return) and Cristian Rodriguez (6-yard fumble recovery return). Schramm caught a 14-yard TD pass and Joshua Lainhart scored on a 55-yard interception return for the Titans before halftime.

Emongo ran for a 33-yard TD in the third quarter to cement Scott County’s win. Antwon Delaney rushed for a 10-yard Collins score late in the fourth quarter.

Mercer County 42, Madison Southern 6: The Titans (4-1) bounced back from last week’s loss to Southwestern with a dominating win over the Eagles (2-4) in Berea. Denim Griffieth rushed for three TDs, Ashton Drakeford added two more and Mercer also got a TD pass play from Cornelius Mapp to Jacob Sanford. Drakeford and Landon Yates also had interceptions.

Franklin County 50, Shelby County 0: The Flyers (5-0) smothered the host Rockets (2-4) in part by returning three of their four interceptions for touchdowns, including pick sixes of 86 yards by Gavin Hurst, 36 yards by Jeremy Walters and 69 yards by Hunter Gotshall. Duri Trahan threw TD passes to Jacob Taylor and Jaizon Collins while Christian Moore and Jayquan Crawford added rushing scores.

George Rogers Clark 45, Montgomery County 14: The Cardinals (4-2) delivered the 100th win of coach Joe Chirico’s career. Sam Clements threw three TD passes, including a 47-yarder to Clay Turley on Clark’s first play from scrimmage. Clements’ other TD throws went to Trey Davis and Hayden Heath. Davis also had a 40-yard pick six and Heath scored on an 11-yard run to go with a 6-yard score by Ashton Tackett. The Indians (2-4) got a 50-yard pass play from Jacob Gumm to Braylone Nester and a 44-yard TD run by Elijah Banks.

West Jessamine 32, Garrard County 17: The Colts (4-2) got a pair of big plays in the second half as Greer Horne broke a 71-yard TD run and Connor Mason returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown to put away the Golden Lions (1-5). West Jessamine QB Gabriel Smith had a TD run and a 35-yard TD pass to Eli Nickell. For Garrard, Justin Parsons threw TD passes to Hayden Elleman and Malachi Simmons in the first half.

Madison Central 30, Great Crossing 17: Bryant Mathis ran for three touchdowns in the Indians’ (1-5) first win of the season, a victory over the Warhawks (1-5).

Great Crossing struck first, with a 32-yard touchdown run from Zach Morris and a 43-yard Jack Herald field goal in the second quarter. Madison Central answered with a Cody Morrison TD reception and a trio of rushing touchdowns from Mathis.

The Warhawks added a 4-yard TD run from Jeremiah Clark in the fourth quarter, and Madison Central kicker Peyton Guilbault kicked a late 30-yard field goal.

Covington Catholic 61, Holmes 0: Quarterback Evan Pitzer threw for 226 yards and four TDs in the Colonels’ shutout of the Bulldogs.

Pitzer connected with Braylon Miller (55 yards), Oliver Link (72 yards), Ben McEvoy (32 yards) and Donovan Bradshaw (15 yards) on first half scoring receptions. McEvoy also rushed for a 28-yard score in the first quarter.

The Colonels (6-0) later recorded touchdowns runs by Noah Johnson (50 yards), Dylan Gaiser (56 yards), Charlie Ink (60 yards) and Mason Brandner (59 yards).

Trinity 45, St. Xavier 10: Freshman quarterback Zane Johnson threw for 249 yards and four touchdowns in the Shamrocks’ (3-3) rivalry win over the Tigers (3-2).

Johnson threw a pair of TD passes to Luke Sasser (12 and 31 yards) and Clint Sansbury added a 47-yard rushing TD in the first half. St. Xavier quarterback Trevor Havill rushed for an 8-yard keeper and kicker Logan Zoeller nailed a 31-yard field goal for the Tigers’ lone points of the game.

Trinity picked up scores in the second half from Sansbury (12-yard run), Jake Castelluzzo (13-yard catch), Jeremiah Lynn (41-yard catch) and a 26-yard field goal from Carson Hilbert.

Bell County 46, McCreary Central 7: Daniel Thomas rushed for 188 yards and three TDs, including breakaway scoring runs of 51 and 35 yards in the first half, as the Bobcats (5-0) routed the Raiders (0-5) in their first district game of the season. Quarterback Blake Burnett also had a TD run of 55 yards to go with a 58-yard pass play to Elijah Hampton and a 96-yard interception return for a score.

East Carter 34, West Carter 28: The Raiders (3-2) scored 21 points in the second quarter on the way to victory over the Comets (1-4) in the Battle for the Barrel.

Following an even first quarter with scores from East Carter’s Landon Yoak (41-yard run) and West Carter’s Dwaylon Dean (5-yard run), East Carter got a trio of scores from Yoak (3-yard run), Gabe Roberts (6-yard catch) and Ryland Pfau (84-yard kickoff return).

Dean rushed for a 17-yard Comets TD before the half, and a 1-yard TD in the third quarter. West Carter also added a 26-yard touchdown reception from Kale Back in the fourth quarter before Yoak ran 4 yards for another Raiders touchdown.

Pulaski County 41, South Laurel 6: The Maroons (2-4) scored 41 points in the first half of their victory over the Cardinals (4-2).

Pulaski County dominated the first quarter with TDs from Zak Anderson, Kyle Wethington (7- and 60-yard catches) and Kasen Brock (2-yard run). The Maroons added a pair of scores from Dekker Wheeldon (4-yard catch) and Brock (2-yard run) in the second quarter.

Zach Collier rushed for a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to prevent the shutout.

‘An unbelievable moment.’ Lafayette snaps 19-game losing streak with win against Moore.