Your guide to the 2024 Lexington high school football season

Lexington’s high school football teams keep raising the bar.

This year, five of the city’s nine teams are ranked in the Herald-Leader’s preseason top 10s in their respective classes.

Class 6A No. 3 Frederick Douglass and No. 5 Bryan Station each stood toe-to-toe with No. 1 Trinity in last year’s postseason and each will get a crack at the defending state champions over the first two weeks of the season.

Meanwhile, Tates Creek will be looking to follow up last year’s district title with another winning season potentially at the expense of Henry Clay, Lafayette and Paul Laurence Dunbar.

In Class 3A, No. 3 Lexington Catholic is coming off its first region championship and state semifinals appearance in years.

In Class 2A, No. 3 Lexington Christian’s goals always remain high. That’s the mindset that sent the Eagles to back-to-back state finals in 2021 and 2022.

And in Class A, Sayre enters 2024 at No. 4, a stunning achievement for a small-school program in only its seventh season.

All of Lexington’s nine teams will be tested by some of the toughest schedules any of them have seen in years.

Consider Frederick Douglass will face Class 5A No. 1 Bowling Green in the season opener followed by Class 6A No. 1 Trinity. They also have Class 6A No. 4 Male, No. 5 Bryan Station, No. 6 Manual and Class 4A No. 1 Boyle County and No. 3 Corbin on their calendar.

Meanwhile, Bryan Station takes on three defending state champions in the first three weeks — Trinity, Boyle County and Bowling Green.

The season shouldn’t lack excitement.

Here’s a look at all nine Lexington teams ordered according to their approximate finish last year and some of the top games on their schedules. Player honors and stats are from the 2023 season. Quotes are coaches’ comments.

Bryan Station

Coach: Phillip Hawkins (fifth season).

H-L preseason rank: No. 5 in Class 6A.

Last season: 11-4. District and region champion; state runner-up. Lost 41-20 to Trinity in the state finals.

Standing out: Kalen “Jaws” Washington , sr., 5-9/210/RB (three-star recruit); Jordan Haskins, so., 5-11/180/DB (multiple Division 1 offers, including Kentucky); Demond Green, so., 5-10/180/WR (two kickoff return TDs last season); Kamani Barbour, jr., 5-10/175/WR (Eastern Kentucky offer); Keelan Adams, sr., 5-10/200/LB (leading returning tackler); James-Michael “JD” Davis, sr., 6-1/175/QB/WR, will begin the season at quarterback.

Jordan Haskins says: “I’m very excited. I’m ready to get back to Kroger Field. … This year, we have a young team, but also we have a lot coming back.”

Notes: Last year marked Bryan Station’s first state finals appearance since 1999. The Defenders return six starters on offense, including Washington (1,311 yards and 16 TDs).

▪ Jordan Haskins is the youngest son of defensive coordinator JT Haskins Sr. His older brother, JT Haskins Jr., is a freshman at Ohio.

▪ Hawkins believes his offensive and defensive lines are the biggest he’s had yet on the Northside.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Trinity; Aug. 31 at Boyle County; Sept. 6 vs. Bowling Green (at Lexington Christian); Sept. 13 vs. Ballard; Oct. 19 at Henry Clay; Nov. 1 at Central Hardin.

@HLpreps forecast: District runner-up to Douglass; state title contender.

Frederick Douglass

Coach: Nathan McPeek (fifth season).

H-L preseason rank: No. 3 in Class 6A.

Last season: 8-5. District and region champion; lost 14-7 to Trinity in the state semifinals.

Standing out: Cedric Works, sr., 6-4/220/DE (four-star Kentucky commit); Peyton Smith, sr., 5-10/200/RB (4,621 career rushing yards; EKU commit) Derion Talbert, sr., 5-9/165/WR (2023 leading scorer; Ball State commit); Aveion Chenault, sr., 6-3/ 215/WR (three-star Western Michigan commit); Jaxson Strautman, jr., 6-0/195/QB (18 TD throws in 2023); Kaden Clay, sr., 6-2/215/LB (Southern Illinois commit); Logan Busson, sr., 6-2/215/LB (Bucknell commit). Jackson Dialls, sr., 6-6/305/OL (Western Kentucky commit); Lovell Martin III, sr., 6-1/285/OL (multiple college offers).

Strautman says: “It’s exciting to see how we do compared to this competition. No matter what the record is by playoff time, I know this tough schedule is going to make us better.”

Notes: Works enrolled at Douglass just ahead of the start of school as a transfer from Clayton, Ohio. When he becomes eligible, he will be the second highest rated recruit in the state behind Western Hills’ Javeon Campbell, according to the 247Sports Composite Index.

▪ Douglass returns nine starters on offense and five on defense.

▪ McPeek’s biggest concerns lie in a talented but inexperienced secondary and a lack of depth on the offensive line.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 24 vs. Bowling Green (at Western Kentucky University); Aug. 30 vs. Trinity; Sept. 6 at Manual; Sept. 20 vs. Corbin; Oct. 4 vs. Male; Oct. 19 vs. Bryan Station; Nov. 1 at Boyle County.

@HLpreps forecast: District and region champion; state title contender.

Lexington Catholic

Coach: Nick Baisch (second season).

H-L preseason rank: No. 3 in Class 3A.

Last season: 9-5. District and region champion; lost 43-8 to Christian Academy-Louisville in the state semifinals.

Standing out: Jackson Kreutzer, sr., 6-3/185/WR (top wideout with 872 yards and 9 TDs); Kaylib Nelson, sr., 5-10/160/WR (state champion sprinter at 100 and 200 meters); Brady Wasik, jr., 5-11/190/LB. (led defense with 88 tackles); Matt Kern, sr., 6-3/200/ATH/DB (“will line up all over the field”); John Moses, sr., 5-10/195/LB (second leading tackler).

Baisch says: “We are looking to build on what we accomplished last year. Our strength will be in our offensive skill group and defensively in our linebacking core. Our concern will be the line of scrimmage as we graduated 10 from the line.”

Notes: Last year’s region championship was the first for the Knights since 2015.

▪ LexCath must find a new signal-caller to replace Centre signee Jackson Wasik, a two-year starter at QB who threw for 2,785 yards and 31 TDs last season.

▪ LexCath has lost four of its last five games to in-city rival Lexington Christian.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 at Highlands; Sept. 6 at Corbin; Sept. 20 vs. Lexington Christian; Sept. 27 vs. Boyle County; Nov. 1 at Scott County.

@HLpreps forecast: District champion and region title contender.

Lexington Christian

Coach: Doug Charles (sixth season).

H-L preseason rank: No. 3 in Class 2A.

Last season: 11-2. District champion; lost 58-36 to Mayfield in the region finals.

Standing out: Hunter Adams, sr., 6-2/225/LB (three-star recruit with offers from UK, EKU) Mac Darland, jr., 6-2/210/RB/LB (led team with 88 tackles); Saxton Howard, sr., 5-11/175/QB/WR (top returning receiver who will see time at quarterback); Hayes Preston, sr., 6-3/260/OL (Air Force commit); Trefor Thomas, sr., 6-4/250/OL (Navy commit); Brooks Kerwin, sr., 6-3/275/OL (multiple college offers); Jake Darby, sr., 6-4/295/OL (offers include EKU); Jackson Dillow, sr., 6-0/185/DB (game-saving interception against Christian Academy-Louisville last season).

Charles says: “It is pretty rare to have a class of four offensive linemen that all may go on to play at the Division 1 level and all get along as well as our four get along. … Our aspirations are to be playing our best football at the end of the season!”

Notes: LCA graduated 13 seniors who’ve gone on to play college ball at some level, including UK signee Cutter Boley. In Boley’s wake, LCA has not settled on a single successor. Three QBs could see action in Week 1, Charles said.

▪ LCA’s past two seasons have ended in tough road losses at Mayfield.

▪ Cam Gardner, a former Kentucky football graduate assistant, takes over as defensive coordinator. Former UK players Jacob Hyde and Cornell Burbage have joined his staff.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 24 vs. Boyle County (at Western Kentucky University); Aug. 31 vs. Franklin County (at Boyle County); Sept. 6 vs. Pikeville; Sept. 13 vs. Christian Academy-Louisville; Sept. 20 at Lexington Catholic; Nov. 1 vs. Raceland.

@HLpreps forecast: District champion and region title contender.

Sayre

Coach: Chad Pennington (seventh season).

H-L preseason rank: No. 4 in Class A.

Last season: 12-1. District champion; lost 42-27 to Raceland in region finals.

Standing out: Brock Coffman, sr., 6-0/175/WR/DB (three-star recruit with offers including Maryland) ; Luke Pennington, sr., 5-11.5/185/QB (50 TD passes last season, Dayton commit); Charlie Slabaugh, sr., 6-1/185/RB/WR/LB (top returning tackler, Columbia baseball commit); Caden Jones, jr., 5-9/155/DB (second leading returning tackler); Wyatt Moore, jr., 6-5/275/OT.

Chad Pennington says: “We have to understand as a team that what we’ve done in the past has no bearing on what you’re getting ready for in the future. We have a lot of new faces, so it’s a brand new team with different sets of challenges. … We have 51 kids on the roster this year, so hopefully we can really use our substitutions to our advantage to stay fresher.”

Notes: Last season’s district championship was the first football trophy in school history.

▪ Five starters return on offense and six on defense.

▪ The Spartans lost four of their five starting offensive linemen to graduation.

Schedule highlights: Sept. 6 vs. Ludlow; Oct. 18 vs. Frankfort; Oct. 25 at Eminence; Nov. 1 at Bethlehem.

@HLpreps forecast: District champion and region title contender.

Tates Creek

Coach: Jonathan Hawks (third season).

Last season: 8-4. District champion; lost 43-10 to Bryan Station in the second round.

Standing out: Luke Cooper, jr., 6-3/180/WR (leading receiver, 735 yards, 10 TDs); JT Cooper, jr., 6-3/183/WR (second leading receiver, 459 yards, 3 TDs); BJ Evans, jr., 5-10/210/RB (scored 5 TDs for Lexington Christian last season); Darnell Burnside, jr., 6-2/175/QB (transfer from Frederick Douglass); Stephen Jones, sr., 5-11/185/DB (second leading tackler) De’Trell Johnson, sr., 6-2/200/LB (47.5 tackles. 2.5 sacks).

Hawks says: “We’ll have a mixture of young and experienced players on the field. Our strength is speed at our skill positions.

Notes: Tates Creek won its first district title and had its first winning season since 2019 in Hawks’ second year in charge.

▪ Five starters return on offense, including twin brothers Luke and JT Cooper. Four return on defense.

▪ The Commodores must replace a three-year starter at quarterback after the graduation of Thomas More signee Andrew Witherington. Tates Creek also graduated its top rusher and leading tackler.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Eastern; Sept. 13 vs. Frederick Douglass; Sept. 20 at Bryan Station; Sept. 27 vs. Ballard; Oct. 11 vs. Paul Laurence Dunbar.

@HLpreps forecast: District champion; second consecutive winning season.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Coach: Wes Johnson (seventh season).

Last season: 3-8. Lost 27-0 to Madison Central in the first round.

Standing out: Moses Mafuta, sr., 6-3/260/LT/MLB (four-year starter); Zach Lubbe, sr., 6-0/275/C (the “anchor for our football team”); Steven Estep, sr., 6-2/190/QB (“really worked to grow into the quarterback position”); Connor Norseworthy, jr., 6-1/170/WR (top returning wideout with “great hands and speed”); Laz Bowman, sr., 6-0/175/S and Anthony Flynn, sr., 6-3/230/LB (top two returning tacklers).

Johnson says: “We all know that success happens in the trenches and we have a lot of senior leaders in that group. I believe that we can vie once again for a district championship.”

Notes: Seven starters return on offense, five of them on the offensive line. Four starters return on defense.

▪ Expect a more conservative and deliberate offense than the past few seasons.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Conner; Aug. 30 at Woodford County; Oct. 11 at Tates Creek; Oct. 18 vs. Henry Clay; Oct. 25 vs. Lafayette.

@HLpreps forecast: District title contender with winning season within reach.

Lafayette

Coach: Jon Lawson (third season).

Last season: 2-9. Lost 43-0 to Bryan Station in the first round.

Standing out: Jackson Stephens, sr., 5-10/165/S (top returning tackler); Jackson Grantz, so., 5-10/180/WR/DB/K; Christian Giannone, sr., 5-11/170/WR/DB; Triston Taylor, jr., 5-7/150/RB/WR; Kendon Wilson, so., 6-3/265/OL.

Lawson says: “There is a lot to be excited about. We are going to be very young, but many of our young players got significant playing time last year

Notes: The Generals snapped a 19-game losing streak last season and followed that victory up with a win over Henry Clay.

▪ Five starters return on offense, three on defense.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Fleming County; Sept. 20 vs. West Jessamine; Oct. 11 vs. Henry Clay; Oct. 18 vs. Tates Creek; Oct. 25 at Paul Laurence Dunbar.

@HLpreps forecast: Generals should continue to improve under Lawson; winning season possible.

Henry Clay

Coach: Demetrius Gay (fifth season).

Last season: 0-11. Lost 48-0 to Frederick Douglass in the first round.

Standing out: Luke DiNardo, sr., 6-1/195/TE/LB (top returning receiver and tackler); Rohan Taylor, sr., 5-8/150/QB (returning starter); John Bayley lll, sr., 6-5/310/OT; Brady Pullins, sr., 6-3/265/C; Will Ballard, sr., 5-9/170/S.

Gay says: “We have great senior leadership and we look to improve every game we play.”

Notes: Six offensive starters and three defensive starters return.

▪ Blue Devils are looking to break a losing streak that has stretched to 15 games.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Oldham County (at Lafayette); Aug. 30 vs. Cooper; Sept. 6 at Great Crossing; Sept. 13 at George Rogers Clark; Oct. 4 at Bryan Station; Oct. 11 at Lafayette; Oct. 18 at Paul Laurence Dunbar; Oct. 25 vs. Tates Creek; Nov. 1 vs. Southwestern.

@HLpreps forecast: Blue Devils face an extremely difficult schedule, but they should be able to end the losing streak.

Lexington games via streaming

There are a number of options to watch Lexington teams from home if you can’t make it to a game.

▪ Lexington Christian and Lexington Catholic home games are streamed by PrepSpin.com, which also does an occasional game of the week featuring other Central Kentucky teams if both the Eagles and Knights are on the road.

▪ Lexington public schools Bryan Station, Frederick Douglass, Henry Clay, Lafayette, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Tates Creek will all be featured this season by Glicod.com and also have their games on NFHSNetwork.com.

Glicod will have four local games on opening day Friday, Aug. 23: Oldham County vs. Henry Clay at 6 p.m.; Eastern at Tates Creek and Trinity at Bryan Station at 7:30 p.m.; and Fleming County at Lafayette at 8:45 p.m.

On Saturday, Aug. 30, Glicod will also have Frederick Douglass vs. Bowling Green from Western Kentucky University’s Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium.

▪ Sayre will stream its games this season via its hudl.com channel.

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