LEXINGTON, Ky. — On a wet, foggy Friday night at Frederick Douglass, the Broncos turned to their ground game — and Dakari Talbert delivered in a big way.
Talbert rushed for 256 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries, leading Frederick Douglass to a 28-17 victory over Male on Oct. 2. The win keeps the Broncos perfect at 6-0 on the season, while Male falls to 3-3.
The Broncos didn't need much through the air. Instead, they leaned on Talbert and an offensive line that helped Frederick Douglass pile up 304 rushing yards on 44 attempts, an average of 6.9 yards per carry.
Talbert accounted for nearly 85 percent of the Broncos' rushing production.
He got started early.
With 9:19 remaining in the first quarter, Talbert took a handoff and raced 24 yards for a touchdown, putting Frederick Douglass ahead 6-0. The extra point was blocked, but the Broncos had established the tone they would carry throughout the night.
Male struggled to generate much offensively early. The Bulldogs finished the night with just 84 total yards, including only 29 rushing yards. Male converted just 2 of 12 third-down opportunities.
Frederick Douglass extended its lead in the second quarter.
Talbert broke loose for another touchdown, this time from 11 yards out, with 7:47 remaining in the first half. The Broncos then converted the two-point attempt on a Carter Ross run to take a 14-0 lead.
Male answered with a long scoring drive.
Bryson Flowers capped an 80-yard, nine-play drive with a 5-yard touchdown run at the 4:26 mark of the second quarter, cutting the Frederick Douglass lead to 14-7.
Flowers was Male's primary offensive weapon, finishing with 32 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
The Broncos carried that 14-7 advantage into halftime.
Male ties it, but Talbert answers
The game took a dramatic turn early in the third quarter.
Frederick Douglass moved 45 yards on its opening possession and appeared to be threatening to extend its lead. But Male's Ja'Ron Combs intercepted Jayden Guzman and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 14-14 with 10:18 left in the third quarter.
The Broncos didn't panic.
After Male's kickoff, Frederick Douglass quickly regained possession when TK McIntosh fumbled a punt return, with Kadon Williams recovering for the Broncos at the Male 22-yard line.
Four plays later, Talbert was in the end zone.
He carried the ball 13 yards to the Male 9, then finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving Frederick Douglass a 21-14 lead with 6:53 remaining in the third quarter.
Male couldn't respond, and the Broncos carried their seven-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
Talbert puts it away
Frederick Douglass opened the fourth quarter with another long scoring drive.
After moving across midfield, Talbert broke through the Male defense and sprinted 36 yards for his fourth touchdown of the night with 10:27 remaining.
The touchdown put Frederick Douglass ahead 28-14 and gave Talbert four rushing scores for the game.
Male added a 28-yard field goal by Reece Varisco with 1:22 remaining, but the Bulldogs could get no closer.
The Broncos closed out the 28-17 victory and remained unbeaten.
Broncos dominate on the ground
The final statistics showed just how heavily Frederick Douglass controlled the game with its rushing attack.
The Broncos finished with 323 total yards, compared with 84 for Male. Frederick Douglass rushed for 304 yards while Male managed only 29. The Broncos also produced 13 first downs to Male's seven.
Behind Talbert, Carter Ross added 58 yards on seven carries, including a 37-yard run.
Frederick Douglass' passing game was limited to just 19 yards, with Guzman completing 4 of 12 attempts. But the Broncos didn't need to throw the ball often as their rushing attack consistently moved the chains.
Defensively, Lamonte Brown led Frederick Douglass with eight total tackles, while Peyton Mayo and Thurman Wade each recorded six. Wade also recorded a sack, and the Broncos finished with 10 tackles for loss and two sacks as a team.
For Male, Camden Chee led all defenders with nine tackles, while Bryson Flowers recorded eight tackles and a tackle for loss. Combs finished with four tackles in addition to his 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Frederick Douglass controlled the ball for 24:46, slightly more than Male's 23:14, but the difference came in what the Broncos did with those possessions. They repeatedly leaned on Talbert and the running game to keep Male's defense on the field.
On a night defined by rain, fog and a physical ground game, Frederick Douglass found the formula it needed.
Talbert ran for 256 yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos ran for 304 yards. And Frederick Douglass left the field still unbeaten at 6-0.
Frederick Douglass 28, Male 17.
Source: Official Frederick Douglass vs. Male box score, Oct. 2, 2026.