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'Naughts Win Thriller With Late Touchdown
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Courtesy: TheLedger.com By BRANDT MERRITT | THE LEDGER LAKELAND | An overflow crowd of more than 10,000 was treated to one of the greatest games of the longtime rivalry between Kathleen and Lakeland on Friday night. The Dreadnaughts (10-0) made the final big play in an explosive second half to take a 28-21 lead with less than a minute remaining, then held off the Red Devils to beat their rivals for the 16th consecutive time at Bryant Stadium. "We've had some great ones over the years, but that might go down as our all-time best," Lakeland coach Bill Castle said. Lakeland's Ben McRoy scored the winning touchdown on a screen from Jarred Haggins with 45 seconds left. He bounced inside from the left sideline, crossed the field and raced for a 63-yard score. That came 33 seconds after Kathleen's Javier Rodea missed a 30-yard field goal attempt wide right that would have given the Red Devils their first lead of the game. Kathleen coach Irving Strickland, whose team had to forfeit six games because of an ineligible player and will miss out on the postseason, was emotional after the loss. "It's the best group of kids I ever coached, and it's hard knowing this will be the last game for these seniors," he said. Both teams entered the game 9-0 on the field, but Kathleen was 3-6 after the forfeits. The Red Devils had fought back from a 14-0 halftime deficit to tie it at 21 when Isaac O'Neal hit Carson Varney down the left sideline for a 21-yard score with 3:26 left. They got it back one play later when Terrick Colston intercepted a tipped pass from Haggins at Lakeland's 16-yard line. But Kathleen could only gain 3 yards in three plays before Rodea's missed kick. That set up McRoy's winning score, which was one of many big plays the senior running back had on the night. After Kathleen scored its first touchdown to pull within 14-7, McRoy returned the ensuing kickoff 82-yards for a touchdown. He also had a 49-yard run in the first quarter that set up Rodney Watson's second touchdown to give Lakeland a 14-0 lead. "It was his night," Castle said. Lakeland's defense also had a big night, forcing two turnovers on downs deep in its own territory. The first came in the second quarter when O'Neal was stopped at the goal line on a fourth-and-goal from the 2. The second was in the third quarter when O'Neal was stuffed again, this time on fourth-and-inches from the 7. "We got down there two or three times and couldn't punch it in," Strickland said. "That would have been a difference-maker." Lakeland's defense ended the game with two sacks, one by Xavier Mothersill and the other by Willie Caldwell, to seal the victory. McRoy finished with 92 rushing yards, while O'Neal was 20-of-28 for 232 yards passing for Kathleen. Marcus Cunningham had 83 receiving yards for Kathleen. Lakeland hosts Winter Springs next week in the first round of the 5A playoffs.
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