Lakeland at DLS week 1

[nolebull813]

Mega game. Rematch of the 2009 game where Lakeland won on a 2 point stop. Hope they have the horses to pull out another win this time 

[MarkECannon]

Will Lakeland have a much improved offense this year?  I hope so. The Tarpon Springs QB hopefully is an upgrade.  Just read a preview of De La Salle.  I interpreted it as their team will be as good as they usually are.  Praying Lakeland is much improved and performs like they did against Miami Central last year not like they did in the state championship game.

[Longtime Observer]

The range of possible outcomes for 2025 Lakeland is quite huge at this point. They have many strong pieces returning, with many glaring question marks. For the first time since the transfer free-for-all began ahead of the 2017 season, Lakeland has been on the losing end of many transfer decisions. Some who figured to have a chance to start transferred to Lake Wales (a QB and WR who were mostly underwhelming backups, but would've competed for a spot), while a few more who transferred from their 2024 teams ended up at Lake Gibson (two big lineman from Victory and a couple of decent players from Mulberry). This is likely explained in one of two ways:

1) The team is very angry and motivated to get better and is cutting out the clowns who aren't committed to the program and thus may make large steps of improvement OR

2) the obviously poor approach to offensive game-planning seen last year is indicative of a coaching staff which is in over it's heads and the players are catching on to this and don't want to play there.

Optimistic possible outcome: 

A new OC (yet unannounced publicly) meshes with a new 3*QB to open up the offense in ways not seen at Lakeland since the 1980s, if ever before. The two sophomore WR recruits burst onto the scene and combine with the 6'5" TE to form a formiddable passing attack. The new OL somehow turns out to be serviceable, making for a strong offense. The defense finds at least one imposing DT and the new secondary meshes and does not drop off much from 2024, meaning Lakeland again fields an elite defense. In this scenario, Lakeland WOULD have a shot at knocking off both DLS AND STA for a state title.

Pessimistic possible outcome:

The reason why the new OC is unannounced is because whoever they have is not really any different/better than what they had last year. The new QB is reduced to a mandated, one-read player who ends up looking/playing like the passing QBs we've seen at Lakeland in years past. The young WRs who did relatively little last year (both were freshman; one played JV!) are still underwhelming, with Fuse continuing the Lakeland tradition of WRs with hands of lubricated steel. The OL is as weak as should be expected for a team who only listed two underclassmen-both backups- in the two-deep it submitted to the FHSAA for the state title game. The defense doesn't produce an imposing DT, and the new secondary is noticeably down from last year's excellent group, meaning Lakeland's defense is just OK, but not elite. In this scenario, Lakeland gets beat, possibly soundly, by DLS and can not get past Tampa Bay Tech in the playoffs. (TBT should probably be favored to face STA in a state title game at this point.) 

[Perspective]

No disrespect to any of the other teams on Lakeland's schedule, but this early-season stretch of games could either propel the 'Naughts to another state championship or completely demoralize them:

Aug. 29: at De La Salle (California)

Sep. 5: vs. Lake Mary

Sep. 19: at Miami Booker T. Washington

[nolebull813]

34 minutes ago, Perspective said:

No disrespect to any of the other teams on Lakeland's schedule, but this early-season stretch of games could either propel the 'Naughts to another state championship or completely demoralize them:

Aug. 29: at De La Salle (California)

Sep. 5: vs. Lake Mary

Sep. 19: at Miami Booker T. Washington

The only thing that can propel them to the state championship is….wait for it….winning the state semi finals!!!!! 

[Longtime Observer]

3 hours ago, Perspective said:

No disrespect to any of the other teams on Lakeland's schedule, but this early-season stretch of games could either propel the 'Naughts to another state championship or completely demoralize them:

Aug. 29: at De La Salle (California)

Sep. 5: vs. Lake Mary

Sep. 19: at Miami Booker T. Washington

Really, it's the kickoff classic and DLS that figures to propel or demoralize them. Playing what will likely be the #1 team in the state in front of a big crowd in Orlando and then traveling to the San Francisco bay area is a heck of a pair of games. I think Lake Mary will be down some this year, and BTW will definitely be way down. Even if Lakeland gets blown out in Orlando, they'll be a big favorite vs. the Tornadoes. 

[Longtime Observer]

2 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

The only thing that can propel them to the state championship is….wait for it….winning the state semi finals!!!!! 

Ha, well, as we saw last season, making it to the state championship and winning it are two different things!

[FBGUY1989]

19 hours ago, Perspective said:

No disrespect to any of the other teams on Lakeland's schedule, but this early-season stretch of games could either propel the 'Naughts to another state championship or completely demoralize them:

Aug. 29: at De La Salle (California)

Sep. 5: vs. Lake Mary

Sep. 19: at Miami Booker T. Washington

I see three scenarios here

1. 3-0 beat all three

2. 2-1 one lost to Booker T. Washington 

3. 0-3 loose all three

Are we getting the Lakeland that beat Miami Central 16-8 or the beat down from St. Thomas Aquinas 34-0

[Longtime Observer]

3 hours ago, FBGUY1989 said:

I see three scenarios here

1. 3-0 beat all three

2. 2-1 one lost to Booker T. Washington 

3. 0-3 loose all three

Are we getting the Lakeland that beat Miami Central 16-8 or the beat down from St. Thomas Aquinas 34-0

Lakeland will be heavily favored against both Lake Mary and BTW. This is mostly because both of those teams will be down from 2024. LM lost most everyone except for QB Grubbs, and doesn't figure to be able/willing to recruit/reload at quite the rate of most powers. BTW may be really, really bad. Casual fans may not know who their highly regarded head coach is, or where he is coaching now. But, let's just say his departure to an in-town competitor likely will bode poorly for their roster in 2025 (this is to say nothing of what the new staff may eventually be able to do.)

The three toughest games prior to playoffs- by far and away- for Lakeland will be DLS, The First Academy and the major showdown in Orlando in August.

[FBGUY1989]

3 hours ago, Longtime Observer said:

Lakeland will be heavily favored against both Lake Mary and BTW. This is mostly because both of those teams will be down from 2024. LM lost most everyone except for QB Grubbs, and doesn't figure to be able/willing to recruit/reload at quite the rate of most powers. BTW may be really, really bad. Casual fans may not know who their highly regarded head coach is, or where he is coaching now. But, let's just say his departure to an in-town competitor likely will bode poorly for their roster in 2025 (this is to say nothing of what the new staff may eventually be able to do.)

The three toughest games prior to playoffs- by far and away- for Lakeland will be DLS, The First Academy and the major showdown in Orlando in August.

Yeah Booker T. does have a new coach and replacing someone like Ice is going to be hard. Do you know who reached out to who as far as the matchup with De La Salle and Lakeland.

[Longtime Observer]

6 minutes ago, FBGUY1989 said:

Yeah Booker T. does have a new coach and replacing someone like Ice is going to be hard. Do you know who reached out to who as far as the matchup with De La Salle and Lakeland.

I do not. I've heard DLS sought a major out of state opponent for the early season. And I know the new staff at Lakeland is much more willing to play such games than Castle was. I've heard ESPN has been involved, though I heard that last year in regards to the Central game as well, and it never was televised. That the two played a classic game on ESPN 16 years ago might have helped pique interest.