By Ethan Jones:
With another week of action-packed football, we are now moving fast through the season as we head into Week 4. The early-season excitement is still there, but the stakes are beginning to rise. Teams have a better idea of who they are and what they need to improve on. Some teams are riding momentum, while others are looking to bounce back. For a few, Week 4 is a chance to make a statement.
With another Friday night of football ahead, Polk County has plenty of intriguing match-ups on tap. Some teams are looking to stay hot, while others are desperate to get back on track. Every game brings a new storyline and another opportunity to prove something. So, with that being said, Week 4 is here. The question is simple: Which Polk County teams will rise to the moment, and which ones will leave Friday night with even more questions to answer?
To kick it off, games to keep an eye on this week, we have is the (1-1) Lakeland Dreadnoughts at the (2-1) Osceola Kowboys. The Dreadnaughts are coming into the game off a heartbreaking loss to the Venice Indians in double overtime. They are looking to get back on track to get back over .500. For the Kowboys, they are coming into the game after a 17-9 victory over a solid Lake Mary squad, who is currently ranked No. 30 in the state.
In this game, if Lakeland wants to win, they will need to focus on Osceola’s rushing attack that is averaging 218 yards a game with the help of senior running back Javontay Barnett who averages 100 yards a game and a physical defense that is only allowing 11 point a game with the help of players such as Colton Carter who averages 9.5 tackles per game. Despite Osceola’s strengths, I have Lakeland coming away with a close victory on the road.
My prediction: Lakeland 24, Osceola 17.
The next game to keep an eye on is the (2-0) Auburndale Bloodhounds at the (2-1) Bartow Yellow Jackets. If there is one team in Polk County that has been making a statement early in the season, it is Auburndale. Auburndale is coming off a 50-0 beat down of Davenport and as for Bartow they are coming off a 28-6 win against Haines City.
Each team has some key things they need to focus on if they want to win the game. For Auburndale, if they want to win the game, they need to focus on keeping their offense rolling. As of late has not been a problem after scoring 107 points and allowing zero points in the process. That is about as hot of a start as you can ask for.
For Bartow, if they want to win, this goes without saying but they will need to slow down Auburndale’s offense. They may have a good chance at doing that since they are allowing on average 7 points against them a game.
One player I would have my eyes on is Auburndale quarterback Teo Edwards. Edwards enters the game with 582 passing yards and seven touchdowns. If he gets comfortable early, Bartow could have a long night ahead.
Expect this one to be competitive, but I am still taking the Bloodhounds to keep their perfect start alive.
My prediction: Auburndale 42, Bartow 32.
The last game to keep an eye out for would have to be (2-1) Lake Wales at (1-1) Lake Region. Lake Wales is coming into this game after a 41-14 victory over Winter Haven, while Lake Region is coming off a 25-0 victory over Fort Meade. Both teams are coming into Friday night with momentum, but only one will be able to leave with another win.
But in order for one of them to do that, here are some things that each team has to do. For Lake Wales, if they want to win the game, they need to stop Lake Region’s pass rush as Lake Region is averaging 4.0 sacks a game as well as 65.0 tackles a game.
For Lake Region, if they want to win the game, they will need to limit what Lake Wales can do on offense as Lake Wales so far this season has averaged 36 points a game and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
With this being said, I see Lake Wales winning this game. The reason I have them winning this game is as stated earlier, is their offense and what they have been able to produce every game. For Lake Region, they are going against a team that is ranked in the top 25 in the state of Florida.
My prediction: Lake Wales 45, Lake Region 13.
As Week 4 gets ready to kick off, the stakes are starting to rise across Polk County. From Lakeland looking to bounce back against Osceola, to Auburndale trying to keep its perfect start alive against Bartow, there are plenty of teams looking to make a statement Friday night.
At this point in the season, every game means a little more. Teams are starting to find their identity, the competition is getting tougher, and there is less room for mistakes.
So, when Friday night arrives, who will rise to the moment, who will protect the home turf, and who will leave the field with something to prove?
