Frederick Douglass caps undefeated season with 37-6 victory over Boyle County

The #2 ranked Frederick Douglass Broncos (10-0) traveled to Danville on Friday night and made a statement against the #7 ranked Boyle County Rebels (8-2) in what was the final Kroger KSR Game of the Week of the regular season. In a matchup with postseason momentum on the line, Frederick Douglass dominated on offense and defense; the Broncos were in complete control of the game at all times, winning 37-6 to cap off the undefeated season.

Douglass Flips the Script, Jumps All Over the Rebels Early

In last season’s matchup that saw Boyle County embarrass the Broncos at the Farm, Douglass got themselves into an early hole they were unable to climb out of. This time, things would be different. After forcing a 3-and-out on Boyle County’s opening drive, three-star Ball State commit T.J. Horton took the first carry of the night 60 yards for his 12th rushing touchdown of the season. Talk about an electric start.

Boyle County was rattled early. Nothing was working for the Rebs on the ground or through the air, and things would get even worse. A Sage Dawson forced pass would be picked off by three-star ’24 DB Jeremiah Lowe (who picked up an offer from Kentucky after the game) to give the Broncos the ball at the opposing 30-yard line. A Cooper Ranvier field goal would give the Broncos an early 9-0 lead.

After forcing yet another 3-and-out, junior QB Cole Carpenter would step up and make one of his most impressive throws of the season. After beating his man on one-on-one coverage, Carpenter lobbed a dime up to senior receiver Tate Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown, his 14th passing score of the season. This was arguably his second-best pass of the night, as a pass to senior receiver Cameron Dunn that fell incomplete due to defensive pass interference may have been even better. Carpenter has improved in every game this season and looks to be hitting his stride when his team needs him.

.@Cole_Carpenter6 hits @TaJohnson_ in stride for SIX more! Broncos not messing around tonight. @kroger

FDHS 16 | Boyle 0 | 11:53 2nd pic.twitter.com/CH60OYtYMT

— Daniel Hager (@DanielHagerKSR) October 28, 2022

Welcome to the Ty Bryant Show

After allowing a Boyle County trick play touchdown right before the half, the Broncos held a 16-6 lead at the intermission. Knowing that Dawson, the Rebels’ starting quarterback, had gone down in the first half, Frederick Douglass knew they needed to capitalize and mount an unsurmountable lead on the shorthanded Rebels.

This they did, as they drove all the way down the field in three minutes and scored thanks to three-star Kentucky commit Ty Bryant‘s eighth rushing touchdown of the season. The Mr. Kentucky Football candidate left two Boyle defenders laying on the turf as he crossed the goal line and into the arms of his teammates.

After Cole Carpenter’s second touchdown pass of the night, Bryant would find the endzone for his second score and ninth of the season.

Ty Bryant again! Frederick Douglass leads Boyle County 37-6 with just under 6 minutes to go pic.twitter.com/etcYWFk4dU

— Anthony Wireman (@awireman) October 29, 2022

“I use it as motivation honestly,” Bryant told KSR about Mr. Kentucky Football chatter last month. “Of course, I want my stats but it’s about the team. One thing that I’ve never been able to do is win a state championship. If I can win a state championship, that’s going to cap off my year better than anything else will.”

After receiving offers from other schools such as Tennessee, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Louisville, Bryant committed to the University of Kentucky last August. When he signs his letter of intent in the coming months, he’ll join Dane Key in becoming the second Wildcat legacy player to come from Frederick Douglass. Bryant’s father, Cisco Bryant, played at Kentucky under coach Jerry Claiborne from 1983-1985.

Coach McPeek Proud of His Guys, Looks Forward to Playoffs

“We have really good players that work really hard all year. I don’t think a lot of people really realize the work that we put in with them throughout the whole year,” Coach Nathan McPeek said after his team’s victory Friday night.

As Coach McPeek’s third regular season at Frederick Douglass comes to an end, his record sits at 20-2 (excluding COVID-19 cancellations). Sure, that regular season success is great; but all that matters now is finally bringing home that elusive state championship.

“You know, the product is pretty consistent. We all know we haven’t won the state championship yet. At the end of the day, that’s a good expectation. We know that it’s a pressure program, and I like that. We’ve got five more weeks. We’ve got to take care of the first one and build off of that. Anything can happen in the playoffs.”

Douglass will host 2-8 Conner in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs next Friday night to begin their quest for championship gold.