The best for last: Boyle County visits Frederick Douglass in regular-season ender

Here’s a look at some of the best high school football games of Week 11 beginning Oct. 29, according to high school sports writer Jared Peck. All rankings are according to the Herald-Leader’s Dave Cantrall Ratings.

Games of the week

▪ No. 8 Boyle County (8-1) at No. 5 Frederick Douglass (9-0), 7:30 p.m.: With the exception of a 35-0 win over Scott County that was much closer than the final score indicated, the Broncos haven’t played a truly competitive game since Aug. 20.

So, dialing up the defending Class 4A champion Rebels to get ready for what they hope to be a run to their own Class 5A state championship, looks like a win-win — maybe even if Douglass loses.

“The reason I scheduled this game is to try to hopefully change what’s happened the last three years,” Douglass Coach Nathan McPeek said, referring to Broncos losses in the playoffs — last year in the state semifinals, the year before in the championship. “You hope both teams stay healthy, but Coach (Justin) Haddix and I talked about it this weekend, and we think it’s going to help both teams going into the playoffs.”

Boyle County went undefeated in 2020 on its way to a title, but this year the Rebels lost to Class 2A powerhouse Lexington Christian and had to pull out a nail-biter over district rival Lexington Catholic.

“I’ve felt our schedule matched what we needed this year. Obviously, we’ve played some good people,” Haddix said. “If we don’t play that schedule, we’re not ready for these big games.”

Boyle County already knew it had one of the best quarterback-receiver tandems in the state with Jagger Gillis and Cole Lanter. The two were a big part of their title run last year, but Boyle had one of the state’s top rushers, as well. This year, Gillis has 1,784 yards passing and 20 TDs, while Lanter has 919 yards receiving with 15 of those scoring receptions. They both play offense and defense and are difference makers on each side of the ball.

“Both had a great offseason and they’ve stepped their game up as far as the leadership of our football team on offense and defense,” Haddix said. “It’s funny how each team changes. Last year, they weren’t the main dog, maybe, and now they’ve had to step up and be ‘the man,’ and it’s great to see kids embrace that role.”

While Douglass hasn’t achieved a state title, yet, it has a reputation for churning out some of the state’s top football talent like last year’s co-Mr. Football Jager Burton.

Douglass has Dane Key, one of the nation’s top wide receiving recruits, and 6-foot-6 senior quarterback Samuel Cornett, who has thrown for 1,453 yards and 15 TDs. The rushing attack features Davaun Hart, TJ Horton and Ty Bryant, who’ve combined for 21 TDs. And junior wideout Cameron Dunn has broken a number of big scoring plays opposite Key.

Boyle County with its “Title Town” pedigree backs down from no one, and Haddix says his team is looking forward to the challenge of playing the Broncos.

“I know on paper, maybe, we don’t have a shot. If that’s what everybody wants to think, they can think that,” Haddix said. “We’re just going to show up, play football and we’ll live with what happens.”

▪ Paul Laurence Dunbar (5-4) at No. 16 Bryan Station (8-1), 6:30 p.m.: With all the talk of the Defenders’ tremendous turnaround and success last season, Coach Wes Johnson’s Bulldogs were the ones to win the region crown and earn a state semifinals bid by topping Bryan Station in the playoffs.

But this year, the Bulldogs scuffled with four straight losses after a season-opening win over Class 2A Breathitt County, the final blow coming in a 55-0 rout by Scott County. The other losses came to a resurgent Madison Central and to Class 5A top-ranked Frederick Douglass and Woodford County. Since, the Bulldogs have won four straight.

“It was a brutal run there with teams that are having exceptional years,” Johnson said. “I know a lot of teams go through what we went through at the beginning of the season and they fold. Our kids have stayed resilient and strong and kept it together.”

Dunbar has its record back over .500 and done it thanks in large part to a run game bolstered by the emergence of Drew McConnell on the offensive line alongside the Turley twins, Sam and Sy. That’s helped open holes for Kamarion Robinson who has rushed for 839 yards and 12 TDs and dual-threat quarterback Cole Colony, who has thrown for 1,090 yards and eight TDs and rushed for 629 yards and 10 scores.

“Drew McConnell has just been playing unbelievably,” Johnson said. “He got into wrestling and has transformed his body and really worked on his leverage. Obviously, Kamarion Robinson’s had a great run … the last three games we’ve rushed for over 350 yards — and that’s a testament to that offensive line. Really, we’re riding them.”

▪ No. 25 Scott County (5-4) at No. 17 Lexington Catholic (7-2), 7:30 p.m.: A road loss to No. 15 Ballard only dinged the Cardinals’ Cantrall Rating slightly.

That’s because Scott County remains one of the best teams in the state despite its record (note all of its losses are to current top 25 opponents).

Lexington Catholic has narrowed the gap on district rival Boyle County considerably. A win over Scott County will bolster both the Knights’ RPI and their confidence heading into the playoffs.

▪ Bethlehem (8-1) at Sayre (7-2), 7:30 p.m.: Class A’s No. 3 Eagles and No. 11 Spartans square off in a playoff-worthy tilt a week early.

Bethlehem features a balanced attack with Cooper Stone (1,641 yards, 16 TDs) at quarterback and backfield tandem Zane Wickliffe and Ladarion Montgomery combining for more than 1,400 yards rushing. Bethlehem ranks second in scoring and second in team defense in Class A and has one of the state’s top pass rushers in Luke Popovich.

Sayre quarterback Cole Pennington (1,624 yards, 17 TDs) and wide receiver Jackson Marshall (56 catches for 640 yards and 13 TDs) rank as one of the best tandems in the class.

Rivalry of the week

▪ No. 1 Male (8-0) at No. 6 Manual (7-2), 7:30 p.m.: Dating to 1918 this Louisville public school matchup is dubbed “The Old Rivalry.” The top-ranked Bulldogs have won seven straight in the series and hold an 87-45-6 edge between the two.

Male’s Daniel Swinney ranks among the state’s most prolific rushers, averaging 146 yards per game with 18 TDs. Combine that with top-10 passer Nic Schutte’s 203 yards per game in the air with 19 TDs, much of that to Wisconsin commit Vinny Anthony, and you can see why the Bulldogs are a handful.

Manual counters with Kentucky recruiting target Ja’Waun Northington who’s rushed for 873 yards and 14 TDs in eight games.

Other Lexington games

▪ No. 7 Lexington Christian (9-0) at Henry Clay (1-8), 7:30 p.m.: The Blue Devils finally broke their nine-game losing streak last week, but Class 2A’s No. 1 Eagles will be a tough out. LCA aims for a coveted win over a 6A opponent for the RPI multiplier bonus. That will put an absolute lock on a No. 1 rating and home-field advantage for as long as they remain alive in the playoffs, except for that little game at Kroger Field.

▪ Boone County (3-6) at Tates Creek (2-7), 7:30 p.m.: The Commodores’ record does not reflect how well they have played in many of their games. A win over the Rebels would be a nice tune-up for the district playoffs.

Should be a good one

▪ Johnson Central at Belfry, 7:30 p.m.

▪ St. Xavier at Bowling Green, 6:30 p.m.

▪ Owensboro Catholic at Elizabethtown, 8:00 p.m.

▪ Collins at Great Crossing, 7:30 p.m.

▪ Madison Central at Southwestern, 7:30 p.m.

▪ Mercer County at West Jessamine, 7:30 p.m.