Your guide to the 2022 Lexington high school football season

To put in perspective how difficult winning a state title has been for any Lexington team, consider that there have only been six state champions from Lexington’s nine schools in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s modern era dating to 1959.

But there’s plenty of great football being played, state titles or no. And hope abounds.

Frederick Douglass and Lexington Christian reached state finals in their respective classes in two of the last three years. Lafayette reached two state finals within the last decade. Tates Creek and Paul Laurence Dunbar have each made it to the Class 6A state semifinals within the last four years.

This year, Douglass, LCA, Dunbar, Bryan Station and Lexington Catholic all rank as top-10 teams, according to the Herald-Leader’s preseason polls, and have the potential to make deep postseason runs.

“I think by year-end, we could have as good a team as we’ve ever had,“ Lexington Christian Coach Doug Charles said. “We’re excited.”

Here’s a look at Lexington’s football teams going into the 2022 season.

Frederick Douglass

Ranked No. 1 again this preseason in our Class 5A coaches’ poll, Douglass (13-2, 6-0 in District 6 last year) has nine starters back on one of the state’s toughest defenses in recent years.

“If we stay healthy, I think our defense is obviously going to be our calling card,” Broncos Coach Nathan McPeek said.

Every starting defensive back has big-game experience and holds Division I offers — Ty Bryant (Kentucky commit), Jeremiah Lowe (Michigan offer); Terrion Hicks (Northwestern offer) and Isaiah Kenney (UK offer).

Then there’s the defensive line led by highly coveted Jamarrion Harkless (6-3/315), who has defending national champion Georgia among his offers, and Western Kentucky commit Jalen Hand (6-4/275).

On offense, the Broncos look just as solid in the trenches with Zuri Madison (6-5/277) and Demeco Kennedy (6-2/270), who also have top-flight college offers.

On offense, juniors Cole Carpenter, a Madison Southern transfer, and DuRi Trahan are competing for the starting QB spot.

Devaun Hart led a running back by committee backfield last season with 460 yards and nine TDs and that troublesome backfield combo returns with Bryant and Ball State commit TJ Horton looking to improve on their 2021 numbers.

“I’ve got some personal goals, and I can’t do it without the big men up front,” Bryant said of playing offense. “Hopefully, they block for me great, and I make something happen after that.”

Cameron Dunn had 612 yards and seven TDs receiving last season, second only to Dane Key, who is now at Kentucky. Tylon Webb had 312 yards and five TDs receiving. Dunn and Webb are seniors with Eastern Kentucky offers. Louisville baseball commit Thomas Howard returns at tight end.

Lexington Christian

The Eagles benefit from one of the biggest moves this offseason as sophomore sensation Cutter Boley, a 6-5, 200-pound quarterback from LaRue County, enrolled this summer.

The addition of Boley helps keep expectations high for LCA. The Eagles (14-1, 6-0 in District 4) ranked No. 2 in the Herald-Leader’s Class 2A preseason poll.

Boley, a younger brother of 2016 Miss Basketball Erin Boley out of Elizabethtown, garnered some big-time Division I offers this offseason, including Alabama. Kentucky has offered as well.

“It’s obvious when you see Cutter that he has all the physical attributes,” Charles said. “He can make every throw on the field. … but really what I like most about him is the poise that he carries himself with. The kid is a leader.”

Boley takes the reins of an offense that has been one of the most prolific in the state.

“I’m excited for just being here and being in the offensive system, Boley said. “I have so many weapons on offense, you can’t count them on both of your hands.”

One of those weapons will be former quarterback Drew Nieves, a fifth-year senior who led the Eagles to back-to-back state finals appearances. Nieves had no hesitation when he learned Boley might be coming to LCA. Nieves will line up at wide receiver and in the backfield on occasion in addition to playing safety on defense.

“I was really excited for him to come. I really was,” Nieves said. “Because as much as I love playing quarterback, it was a stressful job. And I think now during practice, I have a lot more fun with my buddies.”

J’Veontae Emerson likely takes over as LCA’s feature back. He had 500 yards and two TDs last season. Junior Parker Chaney and senior Evan Brown figure to be much larger parts of the offense as receivers while continuing to patrol the secondary.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

While there were some stumbles to a 7-6 record, Dunbar went undefeated in its district again, claimed another district title and suffered no loss of reputation as they come into 2022 as Class 6A’s No. 10-ranked team in our coaches’ poll.

“Whatever happened in the past has been great for Dunbar and exciting,” Coach Wes Johnson said. “But whatever this team is going to bring to the table in 2022 is completely different and it’s up to them in terms of their work ethic.”

Dunbar has 12 starters back, seven on offense, including senior quarterback Cole Colony, who threw for 1,289 yards and nine TDs and ran for 847 yards and 12 scores.

“We need to keep the culture rolling,” Colony said. ‘You just have to come in, work hard every day, day in and day out and just continue to help this team get to where they need to be.”

Colony’s effectiveness as a runner might mean some significant playing time for 6-5 junior quarterback Ethan Teall this season, Johnson said. “We’ve got two quarterbacks that can play.”

Dunbar will look to Justin Bayubahe to step up his play in the backfield as the potential feature back after 346 yards and two TDs in 2021. He was among Dunbar’s leading returning tacklers in addition to senior linebacker Mason Hayslett and senior wideout/defensive back Jakobe Biggerstaff.

Bryan Station

Coach Phillip Hawkins’ transformation of the Bryan Station football program goes beyond the first back-to-back 10-win seasons since 1993.

He helped revitalize the team’s fundraising and spearheaded the makeover of both the weight room and locker room. This year, the south end zone features a shiny new scoreboard.

“We’re able to just focus on football instead of providing facilities for kids, finding uniforms for kids,” Hawkins said.

After a district championship in his first season, the Defenders (10-2, 4-1) fell short in the district finals last year. Hawkins brings eight starters back on each side of the ball for a Class 6A team ranked No. 6 in our preseason poll.

“I told people when I got hired that I wanted to turn this into a fancy car and drive it around for a while,” Hawkins said. “And I feel like I’m getting to the fancy car part.”

The fancy car will have to negotiate a demolition derby schedule early with games against Frederick Douglass, defending Class 4A champion Boyle County and Scott County to start — all ranked opponents, all on the road, and all part of the plan.

“How can we progress as a program without playing teams like that?” Hawkins asked, rhetorically. “Our kids will never win those late playoff games until they learn how to compete with those high-level teams.”

Defensive back JT Haskins Jr. is among a number of talented juniors that have been drawing interest from college recruiters. His expectations are high.

“Our first goal is to win a state championship and bring that winning culture back to Bryan Station,” Haskins said. “I know we did well the last two years, but we want to exceed that and make it to Week 15.”

Multi-sport athlete Trenton Cutwright returns at quarterback after being thrown into the fire as a starter last year as a sophomore.

“I definitely feel a lot more comfortable at my position,” Cutwright said. “I think the game’s slowed down a lot for me, and I’m just starting to settle into it, and it’s coming to me naturally.”

Lexington Catholic

Since reaching Class 3A state finals in 2015, Lexington Catholic (9-3, 3-2 in District 5 last season) hasn’t made a deep playoff run since.

While that seems like a pretty big problem for new head coach Bert Bathiany, it’s not his present concern.

“Today, my number one concern was having the best practice possible,” Bathiany said earlier this month. “When you’re building a house, you’ve got to build it brick by brick. If you try to build it all at one time, it’s just never going to work. It’s the same thing when you’re building a football program.”

Bathiany has a pretty good foundation at LexCath, but the Knights will need to replace much of the offensive line and name seven new starters on offense and six on defense. That number includes a new quarterback.

Competing for that spot this preseason are sophomores Justus Wertzler and Matthew Kern, junior Jackson Wasik and senior Lafayette transfer Hayden Dawahare.

LexCath’s running back corps will unquestionably be led by senior Walker Hall, who rumbled for 1,198 yards and 13 TDs last season. Juniors Cannon Mackley and Sam Clements return as the Knights’ leading tacklers.

“We’ve got a lot of potential with this team. A lot of guys have been stepping up,” Walker said.

Sayre

In just three full varsity seasons, Sayre has expanded its roster to 41 players, the most yet for the 5-year-old program and comparable to most Class A foes.

The Spartans (8-3, 1-3) return with a young team after graduating a number of players key to that growth, including standout QB Cole Pennington, now at Marshall.

“We are a much younger team, just five seniors, but we have some talent,” Coach Chad Pennington said. “They’re going to get knocked down. Now, they’ve got to learn how to get back up.”

Taking over at quarterback, sophomore Luke Pennington steps in after starting on defense as a freshman and serving as an understudy to his older brother.

“It’s pretty cool. Last year, behind my brother, (I was) just taking notes mentally, seeing what he can do and then I try to do those things this year,” Luke Pennington said.

Baseball standouts Charlie Slabaugh and Brock Coffman, both sophomores, will be among Pennington’s targets.

Tates Creek

Coach Jonathan Hawks, who’d been in and out of the program over the years but has been at the school as its track and field coach for several seasons, takes over a team that went 3-9 overall and 2-3 in Class 6A’s District 7 last season.

“The biggest thing is that we’re starting to see a mentality change,” Hawks said. “The kids are really holding each other accountable. I just love the passion the kids play with.”

The Commodores return a number of starters, including quarterback Andrew Witherington, wide receivers Ke’shon Douthitt and Marquevion Smith and cornerback Kobe Middleton.

Douthitt likes the team’s response to their new coach and the team’s attitude this preseason.

“I feel like we’re going to compete,” Douthitt said.

Lafayette

Coach Jon Lawson takes over a Generals team that went 2-9 and 1-3 in Class 6A’s District 7 last season. He aims to knock the interim tag off his title with his approach to the game.

During the spring, he went through the halls and got more kids to come out for the team.

“Kids that have never played football before are out here playing right now and willing to learn, put in the work and try to get better,” Lawson said. “I think it’s just great to see the growth of the kids and the energy that’s going on with the school.”

Desmond Hanley, a junior linebacker, will be among the team leaders Lawson will be counting on to help turn the program around.

“The team is doing a lot better,” Hanley said. “There’s a lot more team bonding than there was last year, so, just overall, it’s been great.”

Henry Clay

Despite their 1-10 record and a 1-3 mark in Class 6A’s District 7, the Blue Devils played a number of teams close.

“We’re teaching our guys to compete and we’re trying to get over that hump,” second-year coach Demetrius Gay said. “A lot of games that we were in, we just couldn’t put two halves together.”

Henry Clay has 12 starters back, eight on offense, including its top playmakers, quarterback Blake VanHorn, running backs Jacob Childress and Jayden Bailey, and wideout Walden Cole.

“I’m expecting big things this year, not a repeat of last year or the year before,” Bailey said. “Just flip the switch and have a whole lot better year.”

This story was originally published August 16, 2022 at 7:58 AM.

Jared Peck

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-488-2883

Jared Peck, the Herald-Leader’s Digital Sports Writer, covers high school athletics and has been with the company as a writer and editor for more than 20 years. Support my work with a digital subscription