Playoff quarterfinals: Here's a preview of Friday night's game for Polk
Lake Gibson (4-6) at Lakeland (9-0)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bryant Stadium
Outlook: This is a rematch of the regular-season meeting that Lakeand won 47-14. Lakeland running backs Don'ares Johnson and D'marius Rucker both are coming off 100-yard rushing games. Johnson rushed for 138 yards and now has 435 yards for the season. Rucker rushed for 135 yards and has a team-leading 765 yards. Tyler Williams leads Lakeland with 20 receptions, and Daidren Zipperer and Jhoelle Velazquez each have 17 catches. Rucker ran for 153 yards in the Dreadnaughts' regular-season victory over Lake Gibson. Lakeland had 417 yards of total offense and held Lake Gibson to 152 yards. Lake Gibson rushed for 300 yards in last week's win over Miami Beach. Fentrell Graham leads the Braves with 748 yards rushing for the season. Quarterback Jackson Akins has thrown for 1,551 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Bartow (5-5) at Lake Minneola (8-1)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Lake Minneola H.S.
Outlook: Bartow has slumped in the second half of the season with a 1-4 record. The Yellow Jackets were outscored 178-56. Lake Minneola's only loss was 39-26 to Daytona Beach Mainland. In its nine wins, the Hawks have outscored their opponents 376-81. Quarterback Quinn Niemann has thrown for 1,647 yards, and John Celestin has rushed for 1,072 yards. Lake Minneola was 6-4 last season but finished 11-2 in 2020 and was Class 6A state runner-up.
Winter Haven (7-3) at Land O'Lakes (9-1)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Land O'Lakes H.S.
Outlook: Quarterback Joe Tarver leads Winter Haven with 2,222 yards in total offense. He has thrown for 1,345 yards and needs 123 yards to reach 1,000 yards rushing. Alfred Smothers moved over the 1,000-yard rushing mark last week by running for 56 yards. He has just three 1,000-yard games but two of them went for more than 200 yards. Land O'Lakes is averaging 196.3 yards rushing and has seven players with at least 100 yards. Cody Gwinn leads with 672 yards. The Gators' only loss was 27-17 to Springstead.
Auburndale (5-4) at Lake Wales (10-0)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Legion Field
Outlook: This is a rematch of the regular-season matchup that Lake Wales won 41-0. The Highlanders have shut out five opponents and have allowed more than eight points once, which came in a 34-14 win over Lake Gibson. Trent Grotjan threw for 197 yards on 11-of-13 passing in last week's win over Bartow. Lake Wales scored all of its 55 points in the first half last week. In their regular-season win over Auburndale, the Highlanders finished with 317 yards of offense and allowed 161 yards. Dayrel Glover leads Auburndale with 705 yards rushing.
Mulberry (6-4) at Bishop Verot (7-2)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3940 City Gate Blvd. S., Naples
Outlook: Mulberry has ripped off three in a row and won five out of the last six, helping to eventually finish the year with a third straight winning season for the first time since 1983-85. Four of its last five wins have been by three scores or more. Mulberry last week needed to win over Parrish just to stay in playoff contention, and after a little help, the Panthers punched their ticket for the first time since 2008. To do it, Mulberry needed its defense, which has delivered. In three of its five last wins, the Panthers have given up 3.3 points a game. For Bishop Verot, it’s the program’s fifth straight winning season, and this year its offense has 27 or more points in all of its wins — and losses.
Booker (6-4) at Frostproof (8-2)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Faris Brannen Stadium, Frostproof
Outlook: The way Frostproof looked last week vs. First Baptist Academy isn’t indicative of how the team played all season. For the first time all year, the Bulldogs were shut out, and it’s the first time since the first game of the season the program has lost. Still, leading the way all year has been junior running back Donavan Solomon thanks to his 1,271 yards and 12 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Booker has had its best season in four years, and they go into the playoffs hot, having won three games in a row. Senior quarterback Will Carter Jr. has been slinging it all season, passing for 1,413 yards and 13 touchdowns, while running the ball for 497 yards and five scores.
Clewiston (4-4) at Fort Meade (7-3)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Frank S. Battle Field, 700 Edgewood Drive. N., Fort Meade
Outlook: Fort Meade is off to its best start in seven years. The Miners have also won four of its last five games, and in that stretch, the team has averaged 44.4 points. It’s been the junior quarterback Carson Montsdeoca show all season thanks to his 1,322 yards and 22 touchdowns. In two of its last three wins, Clewiston has given up at least 20 points. Senior running back Chauncy Cobb will likely get carries, as he is up to 735 yards and 11 touchdowns to date.
Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com or at 863-802-7526. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco. Robert Magobet can be reached at rmagobet@gannett.com or at 856-905-4537. Follow him on Twitter: @RMagobet31
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Playoff quarterfinals: Here's a preview of Friday night's game for Polk
