Venice had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They secured a 33-27 W over the Columbus Explorers on Friday. That's more bragging rights for the Indians, who also won the pair's last head-to-head.
Venice got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Gata Wilder out in front who rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown. Wilder showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 62 yards.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Venice, adding 15 points to the final score. All came courtesy of Brunno Reus: he went 4-for-4 kicking field goals for 12 points, and 3-for-3 kicking extra points for an additional three.
Venice didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Merek Borrelli and Winston Watkins Jr.. Another thorn in Columbus' side was Ben Zarkiewicz, who made 15 total tackles (2.0 for loss) and defended a pass.
Venice pushed their record up to 13-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 39.8 points. As for Columbus, the loss snapped their winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 9-4 record.
Venice will square off against Lake Mary at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Lake Mary will roll in looking for their 11th straight win, something Venice surely won't give up without a fight. Columbus does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
