Football Game Preview: Gaither Cowboys vs. Lakeland Dreadnaughts + Official Tickets

The Gaither Cowboys will take on the Lakeland Dreadnaughts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Gaither is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past Winter Springs 56-0. The victory was familiar territory for the Cowboys, who have now won ten matchups in a row.

Joshua Balloon produced another solid effort rushing for 86 yards and two scores on only six carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Owen Smith, who rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown.

Another reason for the win was Gaither's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. In that department, Adarius Norton was the leader with two. Gaither received some extra help from Jacob Aquino, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Meanwhile, while Lakeland put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Wesley Chapel. The Dreadnaughts breezed past the Wildcats to the tune of 35-0. Given the Dreadnaughts' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked seventh, while the Wildcats are ranked 220th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Lakeland found their leader in sophomore Cameron Fuse, who picked up 140 receiving yards and three TDs. Those 140 receiving yards set a new season-high mark for Fuse. Another rusher making a difference was Ahnarri Cooper, who rushed for 85 yards on only eight carries.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Lakeland proved: they limited Wesley Chapel to a paltry 1.6 yards per carry. The Dreadnaughts' ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.4.

Gaither's record now sits at 10-1. As for Lakeland, their record is now 9-2.

Gaither was taken down by Lakeland 41-13 in their previous meeting back in November of 2024. Can the Cowboys avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.