Lake Wales holds off Leesburg in 3S semifinal, wins 27th consecutive Florida high school game
LAKE WALES, FLORIDA – Johnqaue Richardson excels around the goal line.
The senior running back scored two touchdowns to lead Class 3S defending state champion Lake Wales to a 17-10 win over Leesburg in a regional semifinal at Legion Field on Friday in a huge Florida high school football clash.
“Johnqaue is a joy, he is pleasure to coach,” said Lake Wales head coach Tavaris Johnson after this team won its 27th consecutive game, the longest overall win streak in the state.
“Twenty seven is a good number to be at,” Johnson said. “We live again. ...We talked about that I-can intuitive and not breaking assignments.”
With the win, Lake Wales will travel to Ocala Vanguard Friday for the regional final. Vanguard (10-2) advanced after beating Zephyrhills 34-14.
Lake Wales quarterback Brycen Levidiotis gets off a pass during a Class 3S playoff game against Leesburg.
Bill Kemp
“We are looking forward to that and obviously we have some things to fix before next week,” Johnson said.
Lake Wales seemed to be cruising with a 10-0 second quarter lead, but the Highlanders surprisingly decided to fake a punt on fourth-and-long. The gamble came up short and Leesburg took over on downs and eventually cashed in with a 21-yard field goal with 1:04 left in the half. The teams hit the halftime locker rooms with Lake Wales up 10-3.
“I am just proud of the way we didn’t put our heads down,” Johnson said. “I have to coach better. I made a bonehead decision there with the punt. We gave them the momentum and let them back in it. We can’t do that. But when the guys say, ‘Let’s do it,’ I am all for it because this is the way we play. We did it last year.”
Leesburg defensive back George Phillips knotted the game 10-10, nabbing a 60-yard pick-6 with 7:29 left in the third.
Leesburg defensive back Phillip George gets a swig of water after delivering a 60-yard pick-6 to tie the Class 3S playoff game with Lake Wales.
Bill Kemp
“The play before that I had messed up really bad and that is why they switched me to that side,” Phillips said. “They told me to stand right there, stay in my zone. I watch film a lot and I seen it coming. I seen the quarterback throw it up and the receiver dropped it, and I ran right through it and caught it and put my team on the map.”
But Richardson, who had scored his first touchdown on a 3-yard run in the second quarter to put Lake Wales up 10-0, put the Highlanders back in front on a 4-yard touchdown run with 1:24 left in the third.
“I just trust my blocking and I got in there and pushed it in the end zone,” Richardson said. “I had to, I had to get it in there. I had to get our team up by seven points.”
