Showdown in Title Town: Douglass set to take on everyone’s No. 1 — Boyle County
Frederick Douglass travels to Title Town (aka Danville) on Friday to face undefeated Boyle County, a team many Kentucky high school football observers believe is the best in the state regardless of class.
The four-time defending Class 4A champions rank No. 1 in their division in the latest Kentucky media poll, but also top the statewide rankings generated by Calpreps.com, MaxPreps.com, the Courier Journal and KSR’s prep top 25.
And thanks to a convincing win over Lakewood, Ohio’s nationally ranked St. Edward program on Sept. 7, Boyle County (9-0) ranks No. 13 in the entire nation by both the SCLive/SI.com top 25 and MaxPreps.
But how does a rural school in with an enrollment roughly half the size of Lexington’s Frederick Douglass compete at such a high level year after year?
“I think the culture separates them,” Douglass coach Nathan McPeek told the Herald-Leader on Tuesday. “They have families — dads, moms, grandparents — people who just know the Boyle County culture. It starts there.”
The Boyle County legacy began at the turn of the century under legendary coach Chuck Smith and has continued under current coach Justin Haddix, who has yet to lose a state championship game in black and gold. The Rebels have 12 state titles, the sixth most in KHSAA history.
“And they have really good players,” McPeek said. “You look at Montavin Quisenberry and Demauriah Brown — and they have some really strong kids who get in the weight room just like we do. Obviously, they’ve won 29 games in a row for a reason.”
Quisenberry, a 5-foot-9 senior who recently flipped his college commitment choice from West Virginia to Kentucky, ranks as one of the leading candidates for this season’s Mr. Football award due to his undeniable impact on games as a playmaker on offense, defense and special teams. He has more than 1,000 combined yards and 21 touchdowns this season.
Brown, another senior with offers that include West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, leads the Rebels in rushing with 826 yards and 11 TDs.
Douglass is no slouch, though. The Broncos (6-3) rank as the No. 6 team in Class 6A and rank as the No. 9 team statewide by MaxPreps and KSR. Their only losses have come against the traditional powers of the state’s class for the biggest schools — media No. 1 Male, No. 2 Trinity and No. 3 Manual.
With an impressive stable of running backs led by sophomore Dakari Talbert and senior Peyton Smith, Douglass has racked up more than 2,000 yards rushing in nine games and has accomplished players in the other skill positions with junior Jaxon Strautman at quarterback and seniors Aveion Chenault and Derion Talbert at receiver.
This game has been the regular season finale for both teams each of the last three years with Boyle County winning two games in Lexington and Douglass beating the Rebels in Danville in 2022 on the way to its Class 5A state championship.
That 2022 loss is where Boyle County’s 29-game win streak begins.
It’s unlikely that a win or loss to Boyle would hurt Douglass in the KHSAA’s RPI standings that are used to seed the later stages of each year’s postseason. But a win over Douglass could boost Boyle County, who inexplicably is the RPI No. 3 in Class 4A behind Paducah Tilghman and Franklin County thanks to its quirky formula.
Regardless, the matchup has the potential to improve both teams if everyone remains healthy.
“Some coaches don’t want to play a tough game this week. They want to play a lesser opponent,” McPeek said. “I view it the opposite. If you’re playing well or not playing well, you’ve got things you need to clean up. We got them in ‘22 pretty good. Last year, they got us pretty good. … I think we both used it for our benefit going into the playoffs.”
Games involving Lexington teams on Friday
▪ Bryan Station at Central Hardin, 7:30 p.m.
▪ East Jessamine at Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.
▪ Frederick Douglass at Boyle County, 7:30 p.m.
▪ Lexington Catholic at Scott County, 7:30 p.m.
▪ Paul Laurence Dunbar at Eastern, 7:30 p.m.
▪ Raceland at Lexington Christian, 7:30 p.m.
▪ Sayre at Bethlehem, 7:30 p.m.
▪ Southwestern at Henry Clay, 7:30 p.m.
▪ Tates Creek at West Jessamine, 7:30 p.m.
