The Lake Nona Lions scored first but ultimately less than the Winter Haven Blue Devils in their game on Thursday. They took a serious blow against the Blue Devils, falling 41-13. While losing is never fun, Lake Nona can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 238th, while Winter Haven is ranked 118th).
When it comes to explaining why Lake Nona lost, one person who can't be blamed is Josh Perry. Despite the final result, he only rushed for 69 yards and and a rushing score.
Winter Haven can attribute much of their success to John Kostuch, who threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns while completing 89.5% of his passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Winter Haven also got help from Cassidy Ervin who showed off his sure hands for 80 receiving yards.
Lake Nona's loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their overall record down to 4-5. The slump could be explained by some tough opposition over that stretch, namely Winter Haven, Dr. Phillips, and Boone. As for Winter Haven, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 6-3.
Lake Nona will head out on the road to face off against Evans at 7:00 p.m. on November 3rd. That game will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Jermaine Hardy and Perry. As for Winter Haven, they will be playing at home against Auburndale at 7:30 p.m. on November 3rd. Auburndale will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
