KSR Game of the Week: Danville looks for massive statement win at No. 19 LCA

After years of losing, the Danville Admirals football program is looking to return to greatness. Friday night presents a massive opportunity.

Danville will make the short drive to Lexington for a district showdown with the No. 19 Lexington Christian Academy Eagles in the KSR Game of the Week. The Admirals, who own 11 state championships but none since 2017, are off to a terrific start this season under a new head coach. But LCA is the top-ranked team in Class 2A and will be a heavy favorite when Danville comes to town. On3’s Massey Rating predicts a 42-6 blowout win for the Eagles.

Kickoff at LCA on Friday is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Here’s what you need to know about both teams.

Danville Admirals (7-1) | 2A

Danville is experiencing a resurgence under first-year head coach Steve Stonebraker. The Admirals went winless in both 2023 and 2024 before bringing Stonebraker on board. He has them off to a red-hot 7-1 start in Class 2A, even if the competition hasn’t been among the state’s top tier. Danville’s lone loss this season came over a month ago against Lincoln County, 35-32. Otherwise, they’ve outscored opponents 238-66 in their seven wins.

Under center, Danville is led by a freshman quarterback, Dillon Cruver, who has thrown for 893 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions on 57.1 percent passing. But the running game is where the Admirals live and breathe. Another freshman, Jayvian Meaux, is the team’s bell cow, having racked up 1,305 rushing yards (tops in Class 2A) and 22 touchdowns through eight games. He’s also caught a TD through the air. Junior pass-catcher Trinden Sellers is Cruver’s top target with 19 catches for 349 yards and four touchdowns. Danville’s 33.8 points per game rank 10th in the class.

Defensively, the Admirals have totaled eight double fumble recoveries, five interceptions (one returned for a TD), and 29 sacks. Seniors David Shelton and Sasha Wade have posted eight and six sacks, respectively, which rank among the top five in the class. Freshman Braiden Ford leads all Danville defenders with 68 tackles. The Admirals’ defense is holding opposing teams to just 12.6 points per outing, a number that ranks 4th in the class.

No. 19 Lexington Christian Academy (4-3) | 2A

This isn’t the first time this season that KSR has set up shop at Lexington Christian Academy for the Game of the Week. The last time we made our way out there, the Eagles won a tight one in the Holy War against Lexington Catholic, 28-21. Since then, head coach Oakley Watkins has led his team to a pair of blowout wins over W.E.B. DuBois and Shawnee — this coming after a 1-3 start that saw them lose to three straight top 10 opponents.

Sophomore Nash Whelan is the do-it-all man on LCA’s offense. Not only has he thrown for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns (to just three INTs) at quarterback, but he’s also run the ball 79 times for another 571 yards and 10 more scores. Whelan’s go-to receiver is senior Tyler King, who has hauled in 435 yards and six touchdowns through the air. LCA’s offense ranks 14th in the class with 31.3 points per game.

The Eagles’ defense has been solid this season outside of a 47-7 loss to Christian Academy-Louisville. LCA has totaled 10 sacks, five interceptions, and four fumble recoveries while giving up 24.6 points per contest, a top 20 mark in the class. Sophomore Thomas Sizemore (51 tackles) and junior Aiden Lyons (47 tackles) control the team’s defense. Senior Logan Mays leads the way with five sacks, one of the top figures in the class.

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