Week 9 is here, and Polk County high school football is quickly approaching the final stretch of the regular season. With the season winding down, every game becomes more important as teams look to improve their records, make a push toward the postseason, and finish the year on a high note. As for my picks, I wasn’t quite as hot this past week, going 1-2 after a strong 3-0 performance in Week 7. While last week’s results didn’t go exactly as planned, it’s time to bounce back and get back on track with another week of predictions. With district races heating up and teams running out of opportunities to make their mark, there should be plenty of exciting matchups to keep an eye on across Polk County. With that being said, let’s take a look at three games to watch in Week 9 and see which teams I believe will come out on top. Let’s get into it! To kick it off for this Friday nights matchup we have (6-1) Lakeland at (5-2) Bartow. This will be an amazing district matchup for two of the best teams in Polk County this year. Lakeland is looking to carry on with the momentum they have been carrying all year, and Bartow is looking to take down not only one of the best teams in the county but one of the best teams in the state as the postseason fastly approaches. Lakeland enters this matchup after defeating Sebring 38-3, while Bartow is coming off a thrilling 27-24 overtime victory over Lake Gibson. There are several key things each team will need to focus on if it wants to come away with a win. For Lakeland, the biggest priority will be continuing to do what it has done exceptionally well this season: run the football. Establishing the ground game early will help the Dreadnaughts control the tempo, move the chains, and open up opportunities for the passing attack. On the other side, Bartow will need to protect quarterback Amire Hall, especially against one of Lakeland’s top edge rushers, Santana Harvey. The Yellow Jackets can accomplish this by using tight ends and running backs to provide additional blocking help when necessary. They should also look to incorporate quick passes and running plays to keep Lakeland’s defense from consistently attacking the quarterback. With everything considered, I’m picking Lakeland to win. The Dreadnaughts have been more consistent offensively through seven games, averaging 39.7 points per game. If they can establish their running game early and pressure Hall defensively, I believe Lakeland will have what it takes to earn an important district victory.
Prediction: Lakeland 37, Bartow 20
The next game I would keep an eye on for this Friday night would have to be (7-0) Lakeland Christian Vs. (7-1) American Heritage. This game will be a great matchup as it will be a good challenge for Lakeland Christian to try to keep their perfect season as well maintain their level of dominance that they have played with all season. This will be an even matchup as both offenses have been able to put up big numbers this season as Lakeland Christian has put up 395 points through seven games and for American Heritage, they have 351 points through eight games. Each team is coming off shut out wins as Lakeland Christian won their last game against Deerfield-Windsor 48-0 and American Heritage is coming off a 62-0 win against Belen Jesuit. There are going to be some key things each team will have to focus on if they want to come away with a win. For Lakeland Christian they are going to want to disrupt and Contain American Heritage biggest threat on offense and that is their quarterback Marcus Stracke who has averaged 3.5 touchdowns per game in his last 12 games and is coming off a dominant performance from last game where he threw for 343 yards and 5 touchdowns. For American Heritage they are going to want to slow down the Vikings rushing attack as the Vikings star running back AJ Truedell is averaging 93.7 rushing yards per game and has 14 total touchdowns. I believe that this game will be a shootout where I have Lakeland Christian winning and keeping their perfect season alive.
Prediction: Lakeland Christian 45, American Heritage 40
The last game I would keep an eye one would have to be (4-3) Auburndale Vs. (4-3) Lake Gibson. In this district matchup, both teams are looking to rebound after both teams narrowly lost their games last week where Auburndale lost 16-14 to Osceola and Lake Gibson lost 27-24 against Bartow. In order for each team to rebound and get a win, there are some key things they need to do if they want to come away with a victory. For Auburndale if they want to win, they are going to want to let Teo Edwards lead the passing attack for the Bloodhounds as he has been their star on offense with 496 passing yards, 7 passing yards, and averages 124 passing yards a game. If Lake Gibson wants to win, they need to get wide receiver Stephen Bell involved early as he is one of the Braves biggest offensive weapons. He has recorded 97.6 receiving yards per game and 10 total touchdowns this season. With all things considered I have Auburndale rebounding and getting the win. Week 9 is shaping up to be another important week of high school football across Polk County, with teams looking to build momentum, make statements, and strengthen their position heading into the final weeks of the regular season. With district races tightening and playoff implications growing, there is little room for mistakes as Friday night approaches. The matchups are set, the stakes are rising, and now it is time to see which teams can step up under the lights. I’m looking to carry my momentum into another week of picks and see if I can continue finding the winners in Polk County. Let’s see who rises to the occasion in Week 9!
Prediction: Auburndale 38, Lake Gibson 25
