Dunbar ends Lexington Catholic’s 5-year reign as girls soccer district champions
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- Dunbar defeated Lexington Catholic 1-0 to claim its first 43rd District title.
- Both district finalists advance to the 11th Region; Dunbar will host its first-round game.
- Henry Clay beat Frederick Douglass 3-2 in the 42nd final; Mary Oakley earned tournament MVP.
Paul Laurence Dunbar backed up its regular-season upset of perennial overdog Lexington Catholic on Thursday with a 1-0 win over the Knights at Lexington Christian Academy to claim the girls 43rd District Championship for the first time in program history.
Bulldogs junior midfielder Kennedy Morgan headed the corner kick of Mariana Gonzalez past an outstretched defender’s leg and into the net for the game’s only goal with 19:04 left. Morgan’s leap beat onrushing LexCath keeper Bella Bretz to the ball.
“Our corner kicks have gotten really good through the season and it’s been consistent, so I kind of know where the spot is going to be and how to get on the end of it,” said Morgan, who had a similar goal against LexCath to help seal the 4-1 win in the regular season that ended the Knights’ 46-game unbeaten streak against the city’s other eight teams.
Dunbar’s win was one of two girls district soccer finals held in Lexington on Thursday. Tournament host Henry Clay defeated two-time defending 42nd District champion Frederick Douglass 3-2. Both the winners and runners-up from the 42nd and 43rd districts advance to next week’s 11th Region Tournament.
While Dunbar’s win in the 43rd is a first, the Bulldogs beat Lexington Catholic for their only other district crown. That one came in the old 21st District in 1997, years before any of the current players were born.
Dunbar (17-2-1), the Rundell Rankings’ No. 9 team in the state going into Thursday’s game, has been in the 43rd District with the No. 3 Knights (16-4-1) since the last KHSAA realignment in 2012. Until Thursday, Lexington Catholic had lost only three district titles over that span and won the past five in a row.
Though Dunbar won the 11th Region title as a 43rd District runner-up in 2014 and 2018, over the past six years it’s had no district finals or region tournament appearances and two coaching changes.
“It’s super exciting because the last few years, we didn’t even make it out of districts” Morgan said. “This is, honestly, unbelievable.”
Both teams had chances to score throughout, but Dunbar looked more dangerous for much of the game, especially in the second half leading up to the goal.
Defender Lilly Taylor’s takeaway at midfield and rocket shot on goal from about 40 yards out forced a leaping save by Bretz over the crossbar to set up the go-ahead corner kick.
“We got a little lucky here and there, but that was an unbelievable game,” first-year Dunbar coach Jeff Stone said. “It was back and forth. I really enjoyed it just as a soccer fan.”
The win marked the Bulldogs’ 16th shutout of the season, tied for the most in the state with No. 2 Sacred Heart. Taylor, Dunbar’s center back, earned tournament most valuable player honors.
The last time Lexington Catholic lost a district final, a 4-1 defeat to Tates Creek in 2019, the Knights avenged it with a 1-0 victory against the Commodores a week later in the region championship.
“We’ve got to get better. It’s that simple,” Lexington Catholic coach Terry Quigley said. “But we’ve got next week. And we’ve lost this game before and won the region. So, it’s not the end of the world. … I think we can do it.”
As this year’s 43rd District champion, Dunbar will host its Tuesday first-round game in next week’s 11th Region Tournament, which will also include the winners and runners-up from the 41st, 42nd and 44th districts. The tournament draw is scheduled Friday at Scott County, the host of this year’s region semis and finals.
“I think we can use this as fuel to keep us going,” Dunbar senior goalkeeper Joliet Alexander said.
Stone said he believed his team’s inexperience might help it going forward.
“It’s easy for us. We’ve never been there,” Stone said. “I think they’re excited about what they possibly can do, but they also know the 11th Region is a gauntlet. They know somebody’s coming for them.”
Henry Clay recaptures 42nd District title after two-year drought
Frederick Douglass has had Henry Clay’s number over the past two years with five straight wins over the Blue Devils, including two 42nd District Tournament championship games.
But as tournament hosts this season, the Blue Devils snapped that streak with a 3-2 finals win over the Broncos on Thursday.
Freshman forward Mary Oakley scored a pair of goals, helping her earn tournament MVP honors. The first staked Henry Clay to a 1-0 lead in the first half. The second provided a quick response to Douglass’ attempt to get back in the game and put the Blue Devils up 3-1 with 22:22 left to play.
“It really set the tone for the whole game,” Oakley said of her first goal, which she struck home 17 minutes into the contest after an end-line run and pinpoint crossing pass to her by senior Molly Spalding. “It kept our heads up.”
Henry Clay (14-5-1) lost 3-0 to Douglass (17-5-1) at home Sept. 17.
“Douglass is a really tough team, and we have to see them quite often,” Henry Clay coach Haydon Warren said. “I think my girls have shown a lot of character just to take their learning opportunities throughout the season and make the most of them here.”
Gia Mannella, a sophomore forward, doubled Henry Clay’s lead later in the first half as she shook her defender at the top left corner of the 18-yard box and fired a shot through the Douglass keeper’s gloves. The Blue Devils led 2-0 at the break.
In the final game of the regular season Oct. 1, Douglass lost sophomore Laila Hudspeth, its third leading scorer, to a season-ending knee injury. It was the third knee injury of the basketball/soccer standout’s young career.
Douglass coach Megan Adkins acknowledged the injury unsettled her team.
“We’ve barely had time to learn how to play without her,” Adkins said.
Still, Douglass battled back, twice cutting into its deficits Thursday on corner-kick plays.
Ella Flynn headed in Cailyn Preston’s corner kick at the 28:49 mark to cut the lead to 2-1. Then, after Oakley’s goal put Henry Clay back up by two, Preston flicked in a goal off a corner kick with 14:55 left to set the final margin.
“It’s nice to get the win. I know they’re dealing with injuries,” Warren said. “They’re a well-coached team, and they came out and fought really hard and made it difficult on us.”
All-District Tournament Teams
42nd: Ava Castleman, Scott County; Fabianna Herrera and Heavan Dobson, Bryan Station; Lucie Pitman and Hadley Luring, Sayre; Anna Adkins, Sophie Daley and Ella Flynn, Frederick Douglass; Madelyn McGuire, Janie Lakin, Gia Mannella and Mary Oakley (MVP), Henry Clay.
43rd: Mollie Owen, Tates Creek; Jentry Bertram and Brie Cross, Lexington Christian; Addison Reed and Kitty Crovo, Lafayette; Lily Knopp, Harper Ward and Joanna Bryant, Lexington Catholic; Mackenzie Stone, Mariana Gonzalez, Kennedy Morgan, and Lilly Taylor (MVP), Dunbar.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 7:37 AM.
