Lake Wales secondary boasts swagger, confidence as lockdown unit
LAKELAND — They call themselves "The Seatbelt Crew." They strap 'em up and lock 'em down.
Philipp Davis coined that nickname for the Lake Wales secondary, and it shows the confidence and swagger the unit brings when the players take the field.
While senior Jaremiah Anglin Jr. has been getting most of the attention as the No. 3 player on The Ledger's Super 16 list, the other four players in the rotation are getting attention and form a formidable unit.
The Highlanders posted a shutout last week, a 33-0 victory over Zephyrhills, and the secondary of Anglin, Philipp Davis, Xavier Marlow, Carlos Mitchell and Corey Harris Jr. played a major role. They neutralized the Bulldogs' passing attack, coming up with four interceptions.
They face another stellar group of receivers when Lake Wales travels to play Ridge Community at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night. Andre Berry, Rick Penick and Josh Petition combined for 83 catches and 1,471 receiving yards last season
"They're very talented," Lake Wales coach Tavaris Johnson said. "I think they're great route-runners, I think they can make things happen, and they are all shifty. They all are really fast, quick receivers that can lose you, and I think they have soft hands and they catch the ball."
The Lake Wales defensive backs feel they're more than ready for the challenge.
"We're just going to go out and execute like we always do and just play ball," Anglin said.
The group exudes confidence, which is well-founded. In two games, including the kickoff classic, the Highlanders have six interceptions. Four came last week with Davis leading the way with two, usually being matched up against Zephyrhill's highly touted receiver D.J. Pickett.
"It was a very good experience because I guess people come in expecting to throw the ball over us so it was good that we showed them we can shut them down," Davis said.
Marlow had one pick, and Anglin had two interceptions in the kickoff classic.
"We want to make sure that if the ball is in the air, it's Lake Wales' ball," Johnson said. "No excuses, there's zero tolerance for it. If the ball is in the air, we're ball-hawking. We're going to be really stingy."
The defensive backfield has size and speed led by the 6-foot-2 Anglin at safety. Davis, a senior, also is 6-2. Mitchell, a junior, is 5-11 and has been attracting college scouts as a receiver since his sophomore year. Harris is 6-0 and is one of the top sprinters in the county. He was slated to be the No. 1 running back but has been battling injuries and still isn't 100%. He'll rotate in at safety and has an offer from Mercer as a defensive back.
Marlow is just 5-10 starting opposite from Anglin at safety and is also a playmaker on offense.
"That's a lot to deal with," Johnson said. "We have the speed to run with any receiving group we face. We have the athletic ability to play any group. They understand it's a challenge to them. They understand the standard. You don't throw the ball on Lake Wales. We tell them you made the statement, now you've got to live up to it."
In a year where the defensive back position is strong and deep in Polk County, led by Lakeland's stellar group that has four highly recruited seniors plus a top junior, the Highlanders are out to prove this year that they are as good as anybody as a unit.
"I feel people look at us as an underrated secondary group because Lakeland has a lot of guys known for the secondary," Mitchell said.
The Highlanders are out to show that they have more than one top prospect in the group, and Anglin has been his teammates' biggest supporter.
"Besides me, I feel these other four are underrated, so we're going to play every day with a chip on our shoulder showing that we're going to execute and do the best that we can," Anglin said.
It's a tight-knit group. They hang out together in the locker room and during the day at lunch. Johnson, a former wide receiver and defensive back, also has been a longtime coach of the secondary. He got his start as a defensive backs coach under Rod Shafer, so he understandably takes a lot of pride in the unit.
"They trust each other," Johnson said. "It's not just the Anglin show. Obviously, Anglin is out front because of what he has proven. But I tell you what, Mitchell, Marlow, Philipp Davis — they're all playing at that tier. They are all very savvy, just freak-of-nature athletes. They can just be a blanket. They can play man, play zone. They're smart and they're physical."
Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com or at 863-802-7526. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Wales secondary boasts swagger, confidence as lockdown unit
