The Lakeland Dreadnaughts will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Gaither Cowboys at 7:30 p.m. 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 never let Wesley Chapel get on the board and left with a 35-0 victory. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Dreadnaughts just coasted through the last quarter.
Cameron Fuse
| 10/17/25 vs Specially Fit Academy | 1 |
| 10/03/25 vs Sumner | 3 |
| 09/05/25 vs Lake Mary | 12 |
| 09/19/25 @ Booker T. Washington | 19 |
| 08/29/25 @ De La Salle | 40 |
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. Ahnarri Cooper handled things on the ground, rushing for 85 yards.
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.
Meanwhile, Gaither waltzed into their game on Friday with nine straight wins... but they left with ten. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Bears 56-0. Given the Cowboys' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Bears are ranked 229th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lakeland better keep an eye on Joshua Balloon. He was instrumental in Gaither's win, rushing for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only six carries. Owen Smith was another key player, rushing for 69 yards and one score.
Gaither's defense made their presence known, laying out Isaac Johnson four times. Adarius Norton refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself. Gaither received some extra help from Jacob Aquino, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Lakeland's record now sits at 9-2. As for Gaither, their record is now 10-1.
Everything came up roses for Lakeland against Gaither in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 41-13 win. Will the Dreadnaughts repeat their success, or do the Cowboys have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
