Friday will be the second time in as many years the Owensboro Red Devils meet the Frederick Douglass Broncos in the KHSAA Class 5A State Semifinals.
Lexington Herald-Leader prep writer Jared Peck has followed the Broncos this season and sat down with the Owensboro Times for a Q&A on the Broncos.
OT: There’s no doubt Frederick Douglass is a good football team, what are the differences from last year’s state runner-up squad?
JP: Douglass is more multi-dimensional offensively now. They had some ability to throw last year, but the QB was more run threat than pass threat. Now with 6-7 transfer from out of state, Samuel Cornett, the Broncos can sling it.
They have receivers like Dekel Crowdus, a UK commit, who spurned some big-time programs, Dane Key, a junior, who’s going to get even more huge offers, and Cam Dunn and Isaiah Allen to catch it. It’s embarrassing, almost.
Oh, and they can still really run it. RB Darius Neal would be a 1,000-yard back, easy, with a full schedule or even if they’d played Montgomery County for more than a quarter. He has 815 yards.
Dunn can lineup back there too and present a different look as a wildcat QB who can also throw it. Dunn broke a 35-yard TD against Southwestern out of the wildcat.
On defense, they don’t have a Walker Parks (Clemson) like guy in the line to bookend with Jager Burton like they did last year, but remain difficult to deal with.
OT: With so many players with college offers on their roster, who are the key guys to look out for?
JP: G Jager Burton (All-American) (Kentucky Commit), Been called the most athletic offensive lineman in the 2021 class nationwide. He’s legit and plays defense, too.
WR Dekel Crowdus (Kentucky Commit). Silly fast. Will come out of the backfield and get end-around runs and wheel-route passes. Can line up anywhere.
WR Dane Key. Plastic man. No. 2 recruit in 2022 class behind Wimsatt with 17 offers, so far, including UK, Oregon, Texas, etc. Made SportsCenter top 10 last year with leaping one-hander in the endzone against Scott County and has made any number of highlight-reel plays. He’s ridiculous. And Crowdus and Key are a punt/kick return house threat.
WR Isaiah Allen. Caught a 52-yard TD pass against Soutwestern.
FS Ty Bryant, a junior and their leading tackler. Has seven offers, including UK, Tennessee, W.Va. and Cincinati.
RB Darius Neal, just named Class 5A 6th District POY by KFCA. Went for 165 and 3 TD and a 47-yard TD catch on a wheel against Scott County. Brother of last year’s big-play maker for Douglass, Devin Neal, now at Baylor.
TE Thomas Howard, 6-3 sophomore with UK offer in hand. Used mostly as blocker, for now.
SS Isaiah Kenney. Sophomore with UK offer in hand.
C/DE Romarion Warner. Getting offers from Morehead State and the like.
LB Connor Farley. getting Morehead and other small-college looks
CB TJ Horton, another sophomore with UK offer in hand.
OT: What weaknesses, if any, have you seen from the Broncos this season?
JP: Southwestern, although that game was played in a bog, showed that the Broncos will give up some yardage. Scott County, Ballard and even Great Crossing had success.
And ball security has been an issue. Eleven giveaways overall with five turnovers against North Hardin in the opener. Had at least one turnover against Southwestern last week (stats aren’t posted for SW).
They also commit a ton of penalties. A ton. They had 17 flags for 219 yards against Scott County. Scott County had 319 yards of offense.
But Douglass has been able to overcome that to this point. They won that game 39-21 and it wasn’t that close.
As a for instance, Douglass had two TDs called back on its first possession against Scott County and scored on the next play on a 3rd and 17 from the 47.
Later, they committed a holding, then a holding with an unsportsmanlike on top the next play, then an illegal block on the next play — giving them a 1st and 35 on their own 21 after starting the drive on their own 46. And Crowdus caught passes of 19 and 30 yards on the next two plays to erase all that and they ultimately scored.
OT: What does Frederick Douglass do well?
JP: Douglass is physically imposing and blazingly fast. Those traits show up on both sides of the ball. They get the ball in the hands of their playmakers quickly and can hit a big play at any moment just like they could last year.
On defense, they have 10 fumble recoveries and 11 interceptions from nine different players. The speed means whatever holes you open don’t stay open long.
OT: What do the Broncos have to do to win Friday night?
JP: Douglass can’t turn the ball over and they have to stay in check emotionally and not give up stupid penalties. With all the options they have, they can trade punches with anyone in a slugfest. They committed five turnovers against Class 6A No. 2 North Hardin and the Trojans still needed a last-second 25-yard field goal to win it.
Douglass won’t go down easy.
