Football Recap: Strong Effort on D from Jesse Barker Jr. and Murphy Connelly Leads South Lake over Tavares

South Lake won the last time they faced Tavares and things went their way on Friday too. The Eagles walked away with a 23-12 victory over the Bulldogs. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.

The critical scores for South Lake came from Rome McKinnond, Tre Kelly, and Joseph Robinson.

South Lake didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Tavares to a completion percentage of just 31.6%. The team can thank Ahvioume Scott for the heroic effort on defense: he. South Lake wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 60%.

Jesse Barker Jr.

Total Tackles

08/29/25 vs Tavares	12
08/22/25 @ Nature Coast Tech	8
11/15/24 @ Durant	7
11/01/24 vs Leesburg	7
10/25/24 vs Lake Minneola	7
+ 3 more games

South Lake's defense also made the game a nightmare for the opposing QB, racking up eight sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jesse Barker Jr. and Murphy Connelly, who racked up five sacks between them. Barker Jr. is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last eight games he's played dating back to last season. South Lake received some extra help from McKinnond, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

South Lake's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Tavares, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.

Looking ahead, South Lake will welcome The Villages Charter at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Tavares, they will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on George Jenkins at 7:30 p.m. on the 12th.