KSR Game of the Week: No. 22 Madison Central vs. No. 14 Frederick Douglass in district showdown

Another important district matchup will take place under the lights this Friday in Lexington.

The No. 14 Frederick Douglass Broncos will play host to the No. 22 Madison Central Indians for the KSR Game of the Week. These Class 6A schools have met a handful of times over the last few years, but Frederick Douglass has won them all. The Broncos are 6-0 against Madison Central dating back to 2017, two of those wins coming in the state tournament. Can the Indians break that streak this week?

On3’s computer-generated Massey Ratings won’t be expecting it, calling for a 34-14 beatdown in favor of the Broncos. Kickoff at Frederick Douglass High School on Friday is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Here’s what you need to know about both teams.

No. 22 Madison Central Indians (4-2) | 6A

Led by third-year head coach William Blair, Madison Central is building off last season’s 7-5 finish. The Indians have faced a challenging schedule thus far, picking up wins over Scott County and Great Crossing while coming up short to Johnson Central and North Laurel. Madison Central, which comes into this game off a bye week, runs the Wing-T offense, relying heavily on the rushing attack.

Leading the charge is junior Corinthian Barnes, who racked up 611 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through his first six games. His 101.8 rushing yards per outing rank fourth among all Class 6A players. Barnes is aided in the backfield by junior QB Carson Herbst, who has 374 rushing yards and five touchdowns of his own. Herbst has only thrown the ball 20 times this season, completing nine of them for 216 yards and three scores through the air. All three passing touchdowns have gone to senior Christian Lawson. Seniors Queintsee Compton (206 YDs, 1 TD) and Daveionne Debruce (161 YDs, 1 TD) also pitch in on offense. Madison Central averages 30 points per game, which ranks sixth in 6A.

On defense, junior Liam Dailey has recorded 70 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks (second-most in 6A) through six games — all team-highs. Senior Derek McElwee isn’t far behind with 55 tackles and four tackles for loss, while junior Colten Johnson checks in with 51 tackles. Lawson also suits up on defense, having tallied a pair of sacks and a tackle for loss. Herbst plays both sides of the ball, too — he has eight tackles and two interceptions. The Indians boast the 6A’s best scoring defense, holding opponents to just 11.2 points per outing.

No. 14 Frederick Douglass Broncos (3-3) | 6A

Head coach Nate McPeek, now in season six as head coach, has Frederick Douglass riding a hot streak after a tough start to the schedule. The Broncos started the season 0-3 with losses to Highlands, Trinity, and DuPont Manual — teams all currently ranked among KSR’s top six in the state. Since then, Frederick Douglass has rattled off three straight wins over Tates Creek, Corbin, and Male, outscoring those three by a combined score of 82-14. But Madison Central will be the biggest test in several weeks.

While Frederick Douglass will throw the ball more than Madison Central, the Broncos also live through the rushing attack. Freshman QB Jayden Guzman has thrown for 549 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions on 45-86 passing. But more often than not, Douglass is going to run it. Junior Dakari Talbert is the one to watch: 594 rushing yards and six touchdowns. His 99 yards per game on the ground rank fifth in 6A. Juniors Jermiah Tuner (144 YDs, 2 TDs) and Carter Ross (84 YDs, 2 TDs) will receive some carries, as well. Senior Terry Cayson (182 YDs, 3 TDs) and sophomore Kane Bell Pointer (156 YDs, 2 TDs) are Guzman’s top targets in the passing game.

Defensively, junior Tacori Fields has posted a team-high 56 tackles along with two forced fumbles, while junior LaMonte Brown leads the Broncos with two sacks and three tackles for loss. Junior Demond Green is up to 20 tackles and three tackles for loss. Five different Douglass players have recorded a sack this season. Junior Cionne Conn is second on the team in tackles (41) and first in interceptions (two). Considering the Douglass offense only manages 20.5 points per game, the defense, which allows just 16.7 points per game, has done an excellent job of keeping them alive, especially as of late.

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