FLORIDA TOP 25 PREVIEW: No. 10 Lakeland Dreadnaughts team preview

With the 2022 high school football season here we are previewing the Top 25 teams in our Florida Top 25 rankings that we have already debuted on Varsity Sports Network’s Florida Gridiron Report last week. Rankings for the Florida Top 25 will be updated each Wednesday night on the Florida Gridiron Report and on FloridaHSFootball.com along with all classification rankings.

NO. 10 LAKELAND DREADNAUGHTS

Head Coach: Bill Castle, 46th year

Classification & District: 4S-7

2021 Record: 9-2

Key Athletes: QB Zach Pleuss, Sr; WR Tyler Williams, Sr; CB Cormani McClain; DT Guerlins Milfort, DE/LB Larry Jones, Sr; WR Daidren Zipperer, Sr; RB DonAres Johnson, Sr; LB RJ Kelly, Sr; LB Ro’lijah Hardy, Sr; DB Dontay Joyner, Sr, DB Shadarion Harrison, Sr; DB Brayshon Williams, Jr

2022 Schedule

Kickoff 7:30 PM ET unless noted

* – Denotes District Game

Fri. 8/26 (Week 1) – @ Clearwater

Fri. 9/2 (Week 2) – Largo

Fri. 9/9 (Week 3) – Winter Haven

Fri. 9/16 (Week 4) – Kissimmee Osceola

Fri. 9/23 (Week 5) – BYE WEEK

Fri. 9/30 (Week 6) – Lakeland Lake Gibson*

Fri. 10/7 (Week 7) – @ Bartow

Fri. 10/14 (Week 8) – @ Lakeland George Jenkins*

Fri. 10/21 (Week 9) – Clearwater Academy

Fri. 10/28 (Week 10) – @ Lakeland Kathleen*

Fri. 11/4 (Week 11) – St. Petersburg Lakewood

Season Outlook: The Dreadnaughts are looking for much improvement in 2022 after losing two games last year – both to Lake Gibson – that cost them the district championship and knocked them out in the first round of the playoffs. With a plethora of transfers that have come in over the offseason, the Dreadnaughts are considered the favorite by many in the Sunshine State to win the Class 4S State Championship, but there are a host of other teams that will have their say in the process of who will get to play for a state championship in 2022. Lakeland will have a chance to get redemption in 2022 against Lake Gibson in district play as part of an all-Lakeland district in District 4S-7.