WCHS boys’ lose tough one to Frederick Douglass

HUNTER PENN scored 13 points and came down with seven rebounds in the Jackets’ 59-50 loss at Frederick Douglass Saturday. (Photo by Piper McCoun)

The Woodford County boys’ basketball team lost a hard-fought battle on the road to the Frederick Douglass Broncos last Saturday, 59-50. The loss dropped the Jackets to 6-7 on the season. The Broncos have been a strong contender in the 11th Region since the school was established in 2017. “We were all excited and knew we just had to play with pride,” said Hunter Penn, Jackets’ senior forward. The first quarter started out slowly for WCHS, with the Broncos’ senior forward Dashawn Jackson racking up three 3-pointers. The first period ended with the Jackets down, 21-10. The Jackets came back in the second quarter with the energy they needed. A collective effort on the offensive end gave the Jackets momentum, with back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from freshman Tyler Doyle, senior Cayden Walton, and junior Logan Taylor. Penn said, “We played strong defense and were able to get some early steals and dictate the pace of the game.” Penn opened up the third quarter with a basket, followed by a 3-point-and-1 play from Doyle, cutting the margin to 30-28. The pace remained steady, with the teams trading baskets until the end of the quarter, which ended with the Jackets down 42-39. The Jackets put up 16 points in the third, which was their highest scoring quarter of the game. With a few minutes left, the Jackets were down 46-45 with a few minutes remaining. The Broncos went on a 7-2 run, bringing the score to 53-47 with a minute left in the game. After freshman guard Jasper Johnson narrowed the deficit to 55-50, the Jackets called a timeout with 30 seconds remaining. The Broncos made their free throws, and the 32-minute battle ended with Frederick Douglass. Regarding limits on attendance during games this season, Penn said, “The audience helps boost the energy when we make big plays and brings us back into the game. The capacity limit does affect the game, but at the end of the day, we just focus on ourselves and play hard. With everything going on in the world, we are lucky to be playing and to have an opportunity to compete and win.” The Jackets lost at Scott County High School Monday, 73-59, putting the WCHS boys at 6-8 on the season. Other sports notes The Woodford County girls’ basketball team will face Owen County at home Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Madison Southern away on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Woodford County Swim and Dive team hosts a meet Wednesday, Feb. 17, against Montgomery County and Lexington Christian Academy. Dive begins at 4 p.m. and swim begins at 6:30 p.m. The Woodford County wrestling team will compete in the Warhawk Duals Saturday, Feb. 13, at Great Crossing High School in Scott County.