Two dominant signal callers in Brody Brenneman and Marcus Stracke are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Lakeland Christian Vikings will be playing in front of their home fans against the American Heritage Stallions at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Lakeland Christian blew past Evangelical Christian, posting a 49-7 victory. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 174th, while the Sentinels are ranked 389th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
AJ Truedell
| 09/05/25 @ Fort Meade | 219 |
| 08/29/25 vs Zephyrhills Christian Academy | 187 |
| 10/10/25 @ Evangelical Christian | 146 |
| 09/12/25 vs Frostproof | 87 |
| 08/22/25 vs NSU University | 73 |
| + 2 more games |
Lakeland Christian can attribute much of their success to AJ Truedell, who rushed for 146 yards and three scores on only ten carries, and Devonte Howard, who picked up 130 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. The Vikings are undefeated when Truedell posts 80 or more rushing yards, but 1-2 otherwise. Drew Cruz got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Lakeland Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Joseph Bustos and Howard. Howard got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Lakeland Christian, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Cruz, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for American Heritage on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew St. John Paul II Academy out of the water with a 47-6 final score. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 28-0.
American Heritage's win came from a few key players Lakeland Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jamar Dean, who rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries. Miles Rose was another key player, picking up 136 receiving yards and one TD.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something American Heritage proved: they limited St. John Paul II Academy to a paltry 1.9 yards per carry. The team can thank Carter Wasko for the heroic effort on defense: he. American Heritage didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.5.
American Heritage's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for five sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as five different players picked up one apiece. Another thorn in St. John Paul II Academy's side was Wasko, who picked up a sack, forced one fumble, and made 14 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Lakeland Christian pushed their record up to 5-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.0 points over those games. As for American Heritage, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Lakeland Christian has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like American Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 175.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Lakeland Christian strolled past American Heritage in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a score of 40-26. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Stallions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
