Lakeland edges Venice in tightly contested Class 4S state championship game

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For doubters of the metro-suburban classification that went into place this year, the game between Venice and Lakeland showed a lot of football fans why the system is here.

From before the game kicked off until the game ended, fans from both sides were loud and proud to support their teams in the Class 4S State Championship Game at DRV PNK Stadium.

At the end of it all, Lakeland (14-0) needed just one score in the third quarter to seal the deal and relied heavily on the defense to come away with a 21-14 victory over Venice (9-4), a team that won the Class 8A State Championship last year, capping off head coach Bill Castle’s 47th season as the Dreadnaughts’ head coach.

VENICE STARTS HOT BUT LAKELAND MAKES IT A GAME LATER ON

If the Indians were looking to make a statement early, they did on just the second play of the game when Zachary Pleuss’ first pass of the game when Elliot Washington intercepted the pass for the Indians, giving them great field position at the Dreadnaughts 27-yard line.

From there it was the Venice show when Brooks Bentley kept it himself for 20 yards to get the first points of the game.

2022 @FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Quickly we have a VENICE TOUCHDOWN with a Brooks Bentley 20 yard keeper!@VeniceIndianFB 7, @LHSDreadnaughts 0 – 10:42 1st Q #flhsfb @HSFBamerica @countypolk https://t.co/jCe8jEm2j1 pic.twitter.com/xDs4kzmLXG

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

Lakeland, known for its long, methodical drives orchestrated putting together a 72-yard drive together taking almost seven minutes off the clock that would be aided with a 21-yard keeper by Pleuss along with short methodical carries between D’marius Rucker and Markell Johnson being the workhorses for the Dreadnaughts rushing attack.

Johnson would complete the drive with a three-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7 with 3:49 to go in the first quarter.

2022 @FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

TOUCHDOWN LAKELAND! Markell Johnson with the 3 yard rushing TD!@VeniceIndianFB 7, @LHSDreadnaughts 7 – 3:49 1st Q #flhsfb @HSFBamerica @countypolk https://t.co/jCe8jElutt pic.twitter.com/MMLC7JiBKf

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

Venice would go three and out on their next drive and Lakeland proceeded to work things downfield before attempting a Calum Muldoon 37-yard field goal that was short and went to the left giving Indians the ball back.

38 yard field goal attempt no good for Lakeland. Venice ball! #flhsfb pic.twitter.com/5FzBZ34ElN

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

From there Venice proceeded to march downfield aided by 15 yards of free yards when the Dreadnaughts were penalized for being offsides three times on the drive. The drive would get a huge lift from one of only three passes that Bentley completed all game with Keyon Sears catching the 31- yard pass to get things down to the Lakeland four-yard line.

With first-and-goal, Venice pushed ahead with Alvin Johnson III scoring from four yards out to put the Indians up 14-7 with 7:31 left before half.

2022 @FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

TOUCHDOWN VENICE! Alvin Johnson with the 4 yard run! @VeniceIndianFB 14, @LHSDreadnaughts 7 – 7:31 2nd Q #flhsfb @HSFBamerica @countypolk https://t.co/jCe8jElutt

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

Lakeland would struggle on their next drive following the Venice touchdown and punted the ball back to the Indians, however, the Dreadnaughts’ defense stood up and forced a three-and-out on the Indians with 2:03 left before half.

In typical fashion, Lakeland started to put together another methodical drive that would take up the rest of the clock with 10 plays that would be capped off with a Pleuss pass to Omarion Mixon from eight yards out on a no-huddle option as the Dreadnaughts were seeking points knowing Venice would be getting the second half kickoff.

The touchdown tied the game up 14-14 going into the locker room at the half.

2022 @FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

TOUCHDOWN LAKELAND! On the last play before half Zachary Pleuss finds Omari Mixon for an 8 yard TD @VeniceIndianFB 14, @LHSDreadnaughts 14 – HALF #flhsfb @HSFBamerica @countypolk https://t.co/jCe8jED5l1 pic.twitter.com/QLjHmodt2g

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

LAKELAND FORCES ISSUE AND WINS THE SECOND HALF

Venice getting the second-half kickoff, the Indians were looking to put together a drive and make a statement that they were not going to let this one get away from them. They started doing that with some short gains through the efforts of Johnson, getting all the way down to the Dreadnaughts’ 32-yard-line before a Larry Jones III sack would help end the drive. That would be topped off with Bentley throwing an incomplete pass to Sears on fourth down to give the Dreadnaughts the ball back.

Larry Jones III for @LHSDreadnaughts comes up with a big sack on 4th down and the Dreadnaughts will get the ball on turn over on downs. #flhsfb pic.twitter.com/rixU1VaMOk

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

However, with the ball in hand, Lakeland had an almost costly mistake when Rucker fumbled the ball on the first play from scrimmage that would be recovered by Jaquvaious Washington.

For the Indians though, they could do nothing with the turnover after Jones got in the backfield to get another sack on Bentley, getting the ball back on a turnover on downs with 6:15 left to go in the third quarter.

That is where the Dreadnaughts would get the final points of the game with an eight-play, four-minute drive that would be guided with Pleuss finding Mixon for a 29-yard reception with Pleuss getting his second rushing touchdown of the game from six-yards out to take a 21-14 lead.

2022 @FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

TOUCHDOWN LAKELAND! Zachary Pleuss in with the QB keeper from 6 yards out!@LHSDreadnaughts 21, @VeniceIndianFB 14 – 2:13 3rd Q #flhsfb @HSFBamerica @countypolk @H2_Recruiting https://t.co/jCe8jED5l1 pic.twitter.com/EJLoX3Wk5b

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

After that, it would become a back-and-forth defensive chess match that would see Venice try to convert twice on fourth down on their final two drives getting denied by the Dreadnaughts’ defense both times and Lakeland taking the final seven-plus minutes on the clock and running it out to get the victory and the Class 4S State Championship.

2022 @FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

LAKELAND WINS THEIR 8TH STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND IT IS WIN 474 FOR BILL CASTLE! @LHSDreadnaughts 21, @VeniceIndianFB 14 – FINAL #flhsfb @HSFBamerica @countypolk @H2_Recruiting https://t.co/jCe8jElutt pic.twitter.com/wKg0zrKfk9

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2022

CASTLE MAKES HISTORY

Head Coach Bill Castle made history this season breaking Corky Roger’s win record of 465 wins earlier this season, now sitting at 474 wins after the win.

Castle also ranks second now as the head coach with the most titles won in one school with eight state championships, just behind Rogers’ 10 that he won at Bolles (Jacksonville).