Highlights: Madison Central downs Dunbar; Sayre, LexCath, Douglass, Bryan Station win routs

Madison Central’s season got off to a rough start under first-year coach William Blair.

You wouldn’t know that to see it celebrate its 27-0 road win over Paul Laurence Dunbar on Friday in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs at the Bulldogs’ Jon R. Akers Stadium.

As the team gathered up for its postgame talk, Blair broke into a dance step as he entered the huddle to the laughs and cheers of his players.

“These guys had a tough row to hoe,” Blair said. “They stayed with it. They never let go of the handle and they just kept grinding.”

Junior running back Bryant Mathis rushed for 245 yards and had TD runs of 6, 61 and 43 yards for the Indians, who outgained Dunbar in total yards 428-45 despite missing senior offensive lineman Aiden Howard due to injury.

“The offensive line blocked really good,” Mathis said. “I just hit the holes.”

Madison Central (4-7) also got a 12-yard rushing TD from Elijah Steele, the team’s opening day starter at quarterback who broke both bones in his throwing forearm against Johnson Central. Steele told the Richmond Register that he refused to let the injury end his career and he has been healed up and back in the lineup the last four weeks. It marked his first TD since the injury.

Dunbar (3-8) played without a number of regular starters as well, including quarterback Ethan Teall and wide receiver Harrison Simpson, who both suffered season-ending injuries in last week’s game against Eastern.

“That’s what’s tough about this time of year,” Blair said. “I was telling our guys, “We’re healthy, it’s a new season … It was good for us and our kids. Survive and advance.”

Next week, Madison Central will head to The Farm to face district champion Frederick Douglass, who defeated the Indians 44-7 on Oct. 6.

“Like I said, we’ve been hoeing our rows all (season). Our calluses are there, so we’ll if we can row ‘em on The Farm again,” Blair said.

Sayre 48, Fairview 8: Luke Pennington threw for 184 yards and five TDs, two to Brock Coffman and one each to Kemonte Braxton, Charlie Slabaugh and Grant Barnsten, for the Spartans (11-0), who led 48-0 at halftime.

Travis Smith and Caden Jones had rushing TDs of 30 yards and 39 yards, respectively.

The playoff win was the first for Sayre’s football program. The Spartans will host Paris next week in what could be the toughest second-round matchup in the state. Both have been top-10 Class A teams most of this season.

Bryan Station 43, Lafayette 0: JT Haskins Jr. scored three touchdowns and the Defenders (8-3) shut out the Generals (2-9).

Bryan Station hit the scoreboard early in the first quarter with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Kamani Barbour. The Defenders also got first-quarter scores from Haskins (two catches and a 45-yard interception return) and Kalen Washington (17-yard run). Taeandre Clark added a 5-yard rushing score with four minutes to play in the second quarter.

Frederick Douglass 48, Henry Clay 0: Derion Talbert totaled three scores and the Broncos (6-4) rolled over the Blue Devils (0-11).

Tay Tay Allen got things started for Frederick Douglass with a 3-yard run TD before Talbert added a pair of scores, including a 48-yard punt return, in the first quarter. Dakari Talbert scored early in the second quarter on a 13-yard run. Aveion Chenault caught a 7-yard pass and Derion Talbert added a 20-yard receiving TD before halftime. Pharo Watts scored on an 11-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Lexington Catholic 51, West Carter 0: Jackson Wasik threw for 112 yards and two TDs, including a 70-yarder to Jackson Kreutzer, as the Knights (7-4) dominated.

Tanner Pedroche caught the other TD pass, a 29-yard connection. LexCath also had a 58-yard rushing TD by Alex Rayyan, a punt return TD by Sam Clements and a pick six by Matthew Kern. Aven Blair had a pair of rushing TDs and Finn Wedding tacked on a 39-yard field goal.

Paris 55, Eminence 12: Julius Gregory threw four TD passes as the Greyhounds (10-1) mercy ruled the visiting Warriors (6-5).

Paris’ Jakari Ransom caught two of the TD passes to go with a rushing score. Jayden Holman rushed for two scores while Elijah Webb had a TD run and catch. Gregory connected Fred Carson for Paris’ last score of the game.

Eminence got second-quarter TDs from Blaze Berry and Landon Smither to narrow its deficit to 21-12 before Paris blew the game open.

Scott County 63, Conner 13: The Cardinals (9-2) built on a strong first half to defeat the Cougars (5-6).

Scott County delivered first-half scores from Jacob Fryman (5- and 10-yard runs), Timmy Emongo (71-yard run, 94-yard kickoff return), Kanye Garrett (1-yard run), Buddy Collins (55-yard punt return) while Conner got a 3-yard run TD from Emmanuel Ekpe.

Wyatt Hatfield scored for the Cougars on a 17-yard run before Fryman (5-yard run), Jayden Fields (3-yard run) and Antonio Frye (42-yard run) piled it on for the Cardinals.

Dixie Heights, 60, Woodford County 14: The Colonels (5-6) took control of the game in the second quarter by scoring 46 unanswered points against the host Yellow Jackets (6-4) the rest of the way. Armani Gregg connected with Hudson Blank on a pair of TD passes and threw another to Nolan Goetz.

Perhaps the most damaging score of all came from Brach Rice’s 60-yard rushing TD late in the second half after Woodford stopped the clock with 18 seconds left hoping to save time for its own score. It was Rice’s second TD of the game.

Woodford got a rushing TD from Leland Taylor and a TD pass from Justus Wertzler to Omani Jointer.

Mercer County 35, LaRue County 19: Denim Griffieth scored on a pair of TD runs, including a 45-yarder to start the second half, as the Titans (10-1) were never threatened.

Thaddeus Mays threw a TD pass to Jacob Sanford and had a TD run of his own. Myles Haygood also scored for Mercer.

Madison Southern 49, Harlan County 6: The Eagles (7-4) won their fifth straight game and got their touchdowns from seven players.

Ethan Moore, RJ Blair and Brayden Hall each had a TD reception from Alex Craven while Preston Williams added a 36-yard TD run and Braeden Kelley scored from 14 yards out. Moore also had a pair of interceptions. Zach Smith also scored for Madison Southern.

Franklin County 56, Doss 0: The Flyers’ Christian Moore rushed for 92 yards and two TDs and DuRi Trahan had touchdown passes to three receivers as the Flyers (11-0) rolled. Jayquan Crawford and Ethan Hurst added rushing TDs. Gavin Hurst, Jaizon Collins and Jacob Taylor caught the scoring passes. Hurst also had a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Cooper 42, Collins 8: Cam O’Hara threw for 173 yards and four TDs as the Jaguars (9-2) jumped on the Titans (6-5) early to get the 100th win of Coach Randy Borchers’ career.

O’Hara had a pair of TD passes to Isiah Johnson in the second quarter and hit Austin Alexander and Jaiden Combs for scores before the first half was over. Malachi Ewell and Keagan Maher each had rushing TDs for Cooper.

Collins freshman quarterback Kade Goodin managed a late TD pass to Quinten Wooten to avoid the shutout.

Southwestern 56, East Jessamine 20: The Warriors (8-3) racked up 392 rushing yards and got two TDs from Owen Campbell and one each from Braxton Walters, Christian Walden, Colton Goff, Kaeden Flores and Logan Haynes in their rout of the visiting Jaguars (2-9).

Male 49, Great Crossing 15: Colton Smith connected with Max Gainey on five TD passes, including two of more than 50 yards as the Bulldogs (10-1) dismissed the Warhawks (2-9) after ceding two early leads to the visitors.

Smith also found Antonio Harris in the end zone during a run in which Male scored six straight TDs to turn a 9-7 second quarter deficit into a blowout win. Great Crossing led early with a Jack Herald field goal and then a Jeremiah Clark TD run. They didn’t score again until the fourth quarter on a short TD by Ethan Harris.

Bell County 62, Magoffin County 27: Daniel Thomas rushed for 336 yards and four TDs for the Bobcats (10-1). Kaleb Miller and James Neal added rushing TDs while Elijah Hampton and Hayden Dameron each caught a TD pass from Blake Burnett. Magoffin’s Dayson Burnett threw for a TD and ran for another. Russell Cruz had the TD catch and a kickoff return touchdown for the Hornets (4-7).

Covington Catholic 49, Greenup County 12: Evan Pitzer threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another and the Colonels (11-0) defeated the Musketeers (6-6).

Covington Catholic got scores from Pitzer, Braylon Miller, Noah Johnson, Andrew Bessler and Evan Vinson, plus two 10-yard-plus rushing TDs from Owen Leen. Kaleb Dionne scored both of Greenup County’s TDs.