‘We’re dialed up right now.’ Douglass passing tandem helps Broncos snap Corbin streak.
There are times when Frederick Douglass football can be its own worst enemy.
In a 23-13 loss at home to Trinity on Aug. 30, the Class 6A No. 5 Broncos committed four turnovers and their offense struggled to move the ball.
In a 35-28 loss at Manual on Sept. 6, Douglass committed 12 penalties that set it back 209 yards.
Ah, but when Frederick Douglass limits its mistakes and its offense gets going — look out.
That’s what happened to Class 4A No. 3 Corbin on Friday in a 35-14 Douglass win at The Farm.
The Broncos racked up 280 yards of rushing offense and got touchdown passes of 21, 20 and 27 yards from Jaxon Strautman to Aveion Chenault.
The victory not only avenged last year’s 6-0 loss to the Redhounds in Corbin, it handed the visitors their first regular-season loss since Sept. 11, 2020.
“Our defense, man, they’ve always been balling,” said Strautman, a 6-1 junior who started all of last season. “On offense, it’s just getting more experience and trusting the process. When we get down, we know we can bounce back. We try not to let it get to us.”
Strautman overcame a first-half interception to lead Douglass on essentially game-clinching drives to end the first half and start the second. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 123 yards.
“He’s getting better,” Douglass coach Nathan McPeek said. “I loved how he came back from the interception. That’s something we didn’t do in the Manual game. We talked about it at halftime. We came out and had a bad third quarter against Manual and that cost us the game.”
Strautman led a 14-play, 77-yard drive capped by his 2-yard TD plunge with 44 seconds left in the first half. Strautman kept the drive alive with runs of 11 and 14 yards on two third-and-long situations. So it was only fitting that his number was called on the scoring play to put Douglass up 21-7 going into the locker room.
“I just try to capitalize on what the coaches meant to do. It felt good that the offense had the confidence in me to get the ball,” Strautman said. “I knew I was high on energy, and I knew I was getting six no matter what.”
After the Broncos’ defense forced a quick Corbin punt to start the third quarter, Strautman led another scoring drive that featured the most spectacular of Chenault’s three TD catches.
Facing a fourth-and-8 on the Redhounds’ 27-yard line, Strautman tossed a pass over the middle that looked too high for anyone to grab — anyone but Chenault, maybe. Strautman knew he just had to get it in the vicinity of the guy he’s thrown nine TDs to so far this year. Chenault finished with 80 yards receiving.
“(Chenault’s) confidence pours onto me,” Strautman said. “Every time I put the ball in the air, I expect him to make the play. It’s just the trust. We have such a good relationship. … I know where he wants the ball. We’re dialed up right now.”
Corbin (3-1) tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter on a 2-yard run by senior quarterback Kade Elam. Its other score came in the late stages on a short run by Clay Akins to set the final margin.
Douglass (3-2) has already played the defending Class 5A and 6A state champions and has Class 4A champ Boyle County on tap for the regular-season finale on Nov. 1.
That experience against one of the toughest schedules in the state paid dividends Friday, McPeek said, especially for its offense. Senior running back Peyton Smith led seven ball carriers with 80 yards. Every player in the Broncos’ deep backfield got touches. Sophomore Jeremiah Turner scored the game’s other TD.
Next up, the Broncos have a bye week to prepare for No. 2 Male’s visit to Lexington. The Bulldogs lost 24-21 to No. 1 Trinity on Friday on a last minute play.
Other Lexington games
Lexington Christian 42, Lexington Catholic 23: The Eagles (3-2) got two TDs each from Leland Edward and Saxton Howard. Sam Pearson’s 97-yard pick six slammed the door on the Knights (0-5).
Lafayette 28, West Jessamine 7: The Generals (2-3) had massive scoring plays of 84 yards on a pass from Ranson Payton to Triston Taylor, 88 yards on a pass from Payton to Christian Giannone, 87 yards on a CJ Young run and 35 yards on a Zhian Harmon pick six.
Bryan Station 42, Tates Creek 0: Kalen “Jaws” Washington rushed for 135 yards and three TDs for the Defenders (2-3).
Other scores: Sayre 55, Dayton 0; Boone County 14, Paul Laurence Dunbar 13; Madison Southern 30, Henry Clay 0.
