Eagles fall in second round of 5A state high school football playoffs
By DRUW GIAMALVA, Sports Editor
CLAY — The Douglas Eagles magical 2026 season came to an end on Friday night in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs when the No. 2 seeded Eagles entered Cougar Stadium to take on the No. 1 seeded Clay-Chalkville Cougars in a 56-0 defeat. The defending Class 6A champs had an all-around game as they scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams to end Douglas’ phenomenal season.
“That’s the defending 6A champions for a reason,” said Douglas head coach Brandon Lyles. “Them moving down to 5A definitely didn’t make it easy for us but I am proud of what our guys accomplished. These guys have a lot to be proud of and they never quit. They kept fighting regardless of the score and that’s a testament to these seniors who have fought through a lot. I’m so proud of them.”
Douglas ends their season with a 10-2 record. The 10 wins achieved this season is the most in Douglas school history.
“We’ve got a lot of guys coming back in the right spots,” Lyles said. “We still need to fill the spots that are left behind by these seniors. They have created a legacy that nobody has had at Douglas. It’s a challenge to the younger guys that are standing on the sideline tonight. We’ve got a lot of work to do but our kids are hungry to come back next season.”
The second round matchup between the Eagles and the Cougars began with Clay-Chalkville on offense. The Cougars would have a slow start as Douglas’ Keilan Green would make a big play to stop a run by Clay-Chalkville’s Cayden McGhee. The Cougars rebounded quickly as quarterback Cornelius Eldridge Jr. would find Kaleb Amerson for a first down. Clay-Chalkville would put up the first score of the ballgame with a 31-yard touchdown by McGhee to go up 8-0.
After forcing the Eagles on a three-and-out on their first possession of the game, the Cougars special teams would block the attempted punt by Douglas. Clay-Chalkville’s Leland Johnson would recover the fumble and return it for a touchdown to put the Cougars ahead 14-0.
The Cougars would continue to make big plays as Jamario Yadao would intercept a Douglas pass and would return it for a touchdown to go up 21-0.
To close out the first quarter, the Cougars would score again as McGhee would find the end zone from 10-yards out to take a 28-0 lead into the second quarter.
After a slow offensive start, the Douglas offense started to pick up the pace as quarterback Baker Lyles would produce a first down run for the Eagles. A facemaskpenalty would put Douglas closer into scoring range but a big-time sack by Clay-Chalkville’s Anton Whitt would push the Eagles back and force a punt. After two more scoring possessions in the second quarter, the Cougars would lead 42-0 at halftime.
To start the second half, the Cougars would continue their dominance as Aaron Robinson would rush for his second score of the night from 34-yards out. The final score would be a touchdown run by General Wilcher. Clay-Chalkville would go on to advance to the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs with the 56-0 win over Douglas.
The Douglas Eagles will return to the field in 2027.
Douglas quarterback Baker Lyles looks for an open receiver. Lyles, a junior, will return for his senior season in 2027 with the Eagles. DRUW GIAMALVA l The Leader
