Avon Park and Lake Placid are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2016, but not for long. The Red Devils will square off against the Dragons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Avon Park put up the most points they have all season on Friday. They claimed a resounding 60-6 win over Discovery. The victory was nothing new for the Red Devils as they're now sitting on three straight.
Jabhari Payne
| 10/17/25 vs Discovery | 149.3 |
| 10/03/25 @ Ida Baker | 94.8 |
| 09/19/25 @ Frostproof | 94.5 |
| 08/29/25 vs DeSoto County | 75.7 |
| 09/12/25 vs Hardee | 59 |
Jabhari Payne was the offensive standout of the game as he threw for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also punched in one rushing score. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passer rating (149.3). Tayvion Jones was in the mix too, providing Avon Park with two TDs.
Avon Park's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Daron Carpenter, Dylan Lanier, and Eric Wilson, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, while Lake Placid put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for DeSoto County. The Dragons simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Bulldogs 42-0. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Dragons' offense, which had struggled in the games prior.
Avon Park better keep an eye on August Stivender. He was instrumental in Lake Placid's win, throwing for 162 yards and four touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Stivender's passing game has become a key predictor of the Dragons' success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. Damarcus Brown helped Stivender out on the ground, picking up 38 receiving yards and one score, while also rushing for 62 yards on only seven carries.
Lake Placid's run defense was locked in: DeSoto County could only muster 1.1 yards per carry. The Dragons' ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.4.
Lake Placid didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jarion Halliburton, Zerrian Wyche, and Damarion Bullard picked up one apiece.
Avon Park's record now sits at 5-3. As for Lake Placid, their record is now 3-4.
Avon Park took a serious blow against Lake Placid when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 50-20. Can the Red Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
