The Lakeland Dreadnaughts will challenge the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lakeland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 40-13 win over Ponte Vedra. Winning may never get old, but the Dreadnaughts sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Cameron Fuse
| 11/14/25 vs Wesley Chapel | 168 |
| 12/05/25 vs Ponte Vedra | 95 |
| 10/31/25 vs The First Academy | 46 |
| 09/26/25 @ Lake Gibson | 43 |
| 10/23/25 vs Kathleen | 42 |
Lakeland found their leader in sophomore Ahnarri Cooper, who rushed for 87 yards and three touchdowns. The Dreadnaughts also got help from Cameron Fuse, who showed off his sure hands for 95 receiving yards.
Lakeland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 342 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, St. Thomas Aquinas humbled Riverdale with a 45-13 victory. The final result isn't all that surprising considering St. Thomas Aquinas' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked second, while Riverdale is ranked 99th).
Lakeland better keep an eye on Mason Mallory. He was instrumental in St. Thomas Aquinas' win, throwing for 203 yards and three TDs while completing 75% of his passes, and also punching in one score on the ground. What's more, Mallory racked up 146.5 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September. Another player making a difference was Jaden Desir, who rushed for 75 yards and one touchdown on only five carries.
Lakeland's record is now 12-2. As for St. Thomas Aquinas, their record now sits at 13-1.
Thursday's game might be decided on the ground. Lakeland has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 172.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like St. Thomas Aquinas struggles in that department as they've been averaging 206.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Lakeland took a serious blow against St. Thomas Aquinas in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, falling 34-0. Can the Dreadnaughts avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
