Lakeland High School Football Dreadnaughts 5A State Champions

Clipping the Falcons Wings
by Jordan Thurn

Lakeland beat the Flanagan Falcons 27-7 at home Friday night. “We put up enough points to win the game, we did well,” George Williams Jr, Defensive Cornerbacks coach, said.

“I made a big run for my team to put us on the board,” Ra’Don Dwight, a sophomore, said of his run from the 27 to score with 46 seconds left in the first quarter. His run gave the ‘Naughts the lead, 7-0. 

During the second quarter, the ‘Naughts furthered their lead after the Falcons made a fourth and 15 punt attempt that De’Mon Peeples ran 28 yards to the one yard line. On a hammer play, at first and goal, Timothy Simmons ran the ball one yard with 8:31 left on the clock to score, ending the scoring for the half, 14-0. A hammer is when the team has to drive the ball a short distance for a down or, as in this case, a touchdown.  

On their first possession of the quarter, Braxton Huggins received an 18-yard pass from Isaiah Walker to score with 3:01 left in the third. Caleb Hough missed the kick, bringing the ‘Naughts a lead of 20-0. The Falcons finally responded on their last possession of the third quarter on a fourth and four pass from the 15, Flanagan’s Emonee Spence broke a tackle to make it into the end zone with 20 seconds left on the clock, making the score 20-7.

Simmons closed out all scoring for the night when, during the fourth quarter, he carried the ball three yards to score with 8:38 left in the game on another hammer play. The score was finalized at 27-7.

Lakeland’s Jalen Stevenson had 1 and a half sacks on the night to total 16 yards. Sherby Samplice assisted Stevenson to get a half of a sack.  “I have 35 or 36 career sacks, I need 2 more to break the career record,” Stevenson said. Chauncey Clark set the team’s career sack record in 1999 with 37.5 sacks. 

Hough, a third year starting kicker for the ‘Naughts went three for four for the night on extra point attempts.

The ‘Naughts bring their season record to 3-0. Lakeland takes on the Haines City Hornets next week at home. “We played [them] last year, so we’re kind of familiar with them,” Williams said.