By Ethan Jones
After another week of action-packed high school football, we now head into week 3 of the high school football season. Where we have some good matchups in store for you once again, with that being said, Week 3 is here, and the honeymoon is over. Teams have had a chance to see what works, what doesn’t, and where they need to improve. Now, it’s about putting those lessons to work when Friday night arrives. With statement games and plenty of county pride on the line, there’s no shortage of storylines to follow. With this being said, here are some games that are going on around Polk County that you should watch out for.
Lake Wales at Winter Haven
First off, we have Lake Wales at Winter Haven. These two teams have some history against each other as Lake Wales has the most recent edge against Winter Haven having won the last 3 matchups against the Blue Devils and outscoring them 67-7 in the last 2 matchups. The Blue Devils are hoping to flip the script and have a different outcome this time around. The Highlanders are 1-1 and are coming off a 35-34 loss and are hoping to get back over .500 while the Blue Devils are 1-0 coming off a 44-28 victory at home. Heading into this game we have two great matchups and that is Winter Havens rushing attack vs Lake Wales defense.
This season, although it still being early, Winter Haven has that it is effective at running the ball and being able to oppose their will on opposing defenses while on the other hand Lake Wales has shown that it has the ability to slow down offenses. With that being said, I have Winter Haven coming out with the victory. The reason I have Winter Haven coming out with a victory is for one they are hungry to have a different result this time after two poor performances their last two matchups and another reason being that they can catch Lake Wales while their down, with Lake Wales coming off a 1-1 start they may be still struggling to find their identity.
Prediction: Winter Haven 41, Lake Wales 35
Lakeland vs. Venice
The biggest game on the Polk County schedule this week could very well be Lakeland versus Venice at historic Bryant Stadium. This game will be taking place at the historic Bryant Stadium for Lakelands home opener. This game will be a matchup of two highly regarded programs in the state of Florida where both teams are in the top 10 according to On3’s official top 25 rankings for the state of Florida. Venice will provide a much harder test for Lakeland early in the season after coming off a 47-0 shellacking of a struggling Kathleen team. Venice is coming off a 64-8 victory over SmartEn Sports Academy and so far, this season has shown that they have a high caliber offense averaging 53 points a game and scoring a total of 106 points so far this season.
If you live in Polk County This will be a great opportunity to see how Lakeland will stack up against an elite Florida opponent. I expect this one to be a shootout. One of the biggest reasons I am picking Lakeland is the home-field advantage. The Dreadnaughts are known for having some of the best football crowds in Polk County, and playing at Bryant Stadium could make a difference in a game this close. Lakeland also has an efficient passer in quarterback Kelin Hendrix. In the Dreadnaughts opener, Hendrix completed 11 of 14 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. If he could continue to play efficiently, he could give Venice’s defense plenty to handle. Finally, I believe Lakeland’s defense will make just enough big plays to swing the game in its favor.
Prediction: Lakeland 48, Venice 45
Davenport at Auburndale
My last game that I would suggest watching this Friday would have to be Davenport at Auburndale. The reason why this game is a must-watch game is because it is a great matchup of desperation Vs. Momentum. Auburndale is entering the game with some confidence after a 57-0 win against Ridge Community and Davenport comes into the game looking to respond after a poor performance against Lakewood Ranch where they lost 27-0. Another reason why this game will be worth watching is to see if Davenport’s offense can get back on track and see if they can figure out what they are missing. I predict Auburndale winning this game. The reason why I have them winning this game is because their offense is coming off a great performance and are coming into a game where their opponent is still trying to figure out their offense. Another reason I have Auburndale winning this game is because of the performance of their star players such as their quarterback Teo Edwards who is averaging 61 rushing yards and has already thrown for 4 touchdown passes.
Prediction: Auburndale 42, Davenport 13
And with another big Friday night on tap across Polk County, the only question left is simple: Which teams will rise to the moment, and which ones will leave the field with something to prove?
