Lakeland High School Football Dreadnaughts 5A State Champions

The Final Pass
by Jordan Thurn 

In the first round of 5A FHSAA playoff action, the Naughts took on the Osceola High Kowboys, losing 21-33 after coming off a bye week. “I think the bye week hurt in that we got a little rusty…unfortunately we lost Gilleo to injury, so we better be prepared,” Coach George Williams said before the game. Matt Gilleo, a starting defensive lineman, ended up on crutches after an ankle injury sustained in practice earlier this week. “It’s going to be a very physical game…I think we’re hungry (after a loss to Kathleen) and I think we’re going to show we can play hard,” Williams added.

The Naughts proved their hunger for redemption when James Robinson, a freshman, carried the Kowboys first kickoff back for a 75-yard touchdown run with 11:43 left in the first quarter. Osceola would respond when on a 4th and 17 attempt, when their Daequan Harrison would receive a fake 17-yard field goal pass for a touchdown with 3:07 left in the first. Their following extra point attempt would fail, and the Naughts would hold a lead of 7-6. 

Lakeland’s offense would score first in the second quarter when Xavier Spann went on to gain 24-yards in the Naughts favor to score with 7:28 left in the first half, giving the Naughts a lead of 14-7. Osceola would tie up the game when their Laderrien Wilson would complete a 5-yard drive into the end zone with 3:58 left in the quarter, their Nazayah Brown would complete a 2-point conversion to tie up the game, 14-14. The Kowboys would score again with 28.8 left in the first half when Wilson repeated his performance, a 5-yard drive in Osceola’s favor, taking them into halftime with a lead of 14-20. “[The team needs to] stop them on defense and offense just needs to keep it going. We need to get something going that we haven’t been able to start tonight,” George Madden said.

Kissimmee would dominate the third quarter, stringing together two touchdowns in their first two possessions, one after a 78-yard field goal return by Harrison the first play of the second half, and another by Wilson on a 46-yard run with 7:22 left in the quarter. DC Campbell caught an interception, stifling an Osceola offensive drive after their consecutive touchdowns, running the ball back to the LHS 28. “I just want to win. I’m a junior and I just want to win. I don’t want to see the seniors go out like that, I just play for [them], they don’t want to go home early,” Campbell said after his pick.

Spann would cap the Naughts last scoring drive of the season, receive the ball for a 47-yard gain, carrying it into the end zone with 7:56 left in play to bring about the final score, 21-33.

“It’s been a good year, tonight hurts…you won nine ball games, it always hurts to lose but we have to move on and focus on the seniors. We had a good year, this just wasn’t a good night for us,” Bill Caslte addressed the team after the game.

“It doesn’t feel like my last game, it feels like just the other day we we’re going to camp with the teams and now it’s over. All the time I spent with the o-line, down and dirty and stuff like that, it’s hard to believe it’s all over after one game,” captain, Trenton Pearson said.

After 3-years of reporting for The Bagpipe and lakelandfootball.com, I turn in my pressbox pass. Lakeland football’s been a good start for my journalistic career, but like the seniors on the team, it’s time for me to move on.