Lafayette forced to forfeit football game against Frederick Douglass citing illnesses

Citing a vast number of varsity players out with illness this week, Lafayette has forfeited Friday night’s scheduled high school football game against Frederick Douglass.

“I’m missing about 20 of my starters,” Lafayette Coach Jon Lawson told the Herald-Leader Thursday morning. “Even if they were healthy on Friday, they wouldn’t have the capacity to play because they’ve been out all week, not having been at school with whatever sickness has been going around.”

The illnesses go beyond the starters, Lawson said. And with a game against Douglass, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, Lawson said it would not be fair to put freshmen and junior varsity players in that situation.

“Yesterday was the final straw. We had seven text and say they couldn’t come to practice and we had to send three home yesterday because they were hacking,” Lawson said. “We just realized we were just missing way too many varsity players to be able to play, especially against a quality team like Douglass. We don’t want to injure any of our younger kids. … That’s just not where we want to be, right now.”

Since Douglass was founded in 2017, the Broncos have dominated their fellow Fayette County public schools and gone undefeated, 26-0, against Lexington competition. In the last three meetings between Douglass and Lafayette, the Broncos have won 43-0, 40-0 and 50-0.

Earlier this year, Lawson was named interim head coach at Lafayette after the departure of Eric Shaw and the decision by one-time Lafayette assistant coach Ethan Atchley (now at Frankfort) to step back from his announced hiring.

The Generals have faced a top-flight schedule in their first two games, losing 37-8 to Class 4A powerhouse Johnson Central and 43-6 against Class 5A top 10 Scott County. Despite the losses and this week’s unfortunate events, Lawson believes his team is stable and ready to improve after five consecutive losing seasons.

“The team has taken on the challenge of moving forward. We know that it’s a process. We know we need to continue to work hard to get better,” Lawson said. “Hopefully, we’ll be prepared next week to go to battle again.”

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