Polk Watch: Friday Night Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Holy War delivered another instant classic. Lakeland Christian proved once again why they're one of the most complete teams in the region, earning a hard-fought win in a game full of playoff-level intensity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 QB <strong>Brody Brenneman</strong> continues to separate himself as the top quarterback in Polk County. He's efficient, confident, and capable of making every throw while extending plays when needed. 2026 WR <strong>DJ Howard</strong> came through with the game-winning grab, and 2027 WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1895256' first='Cael' last='Straub'] </strong>made impact plays all night. Defensively, <strong>Davin Sirmons </strong>and <strong>Joseph Bustos</strong> were disruptive off the edge, and Aaron Trudell battled through an ankle injury to make key contributions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Victory Christian and Head Coach Brett Smith deserve credit for their preparation and effort. 2027 QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1715880' first='Cru' last='Slocum'] </strong>displayed toughness and mobility, while 2026 ATH <strong>Tucker Fox</strong> stood out as one of the area's most versatile playmakers. 2029 DE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1708182' first='Kash' last='Johnson'] </strong>continues to flash big upside, and WRs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1720084' first='Preston' last='Garcia']</strong> and <strong>Andrew Morrison</strong> competed with consistency. Young talents like <strong>Preston Coney </strong>(2028) and <strong>Donmari Earby </strong>(2028) also showed promise in key moments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Statement night for both programs — physical, competitive Polk football with plenty of small school talent on display.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other Polk County Results – Week 10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fort Meade 42, Frostproof 20 – The Miners took control early and never looked back, led by another strong outing from QB Jayden McCutchen, ATH Omari Russel and RB Tyberius O'Neil.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Durant 46, Bartow 40 (OT) – Bartow's playoff hopes ended in a thriller despite a strong offensive effort from Ethan Brous and company.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Auburndale 54, Wildwood 0 – Total domination. The Bloodhounds were firing on all cylinders in one of their most complete performances of the year.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Tenoroc 12, Brooksville Central 7 – A gritty defensive win for the Titans, who continue to show steady improvement late in the season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Sebring 31, Lake Gibson 28 – The Braves fought back after trailing early, but their comeback fell just short in a tough road loss.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Mulberry 21, North Port 7 – The Panthers keep rolling with another physical performance on both sides of the ball.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Santa Fe Catholic 27, Bishop McLaughlin 7 – The Hawks handled business behind strong defensive play and a balanced offensive approach.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Jones (Orlando) 49, Lake Region 0 – Tough night for the Thunder against one of the state's top-ranked 3M programs.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Horizon 34, Davenport 22 – Davenport battled, but Horizon's late surge proved too much to overcome.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Geneva Classical 58, All Saints 46 – A shootout that saw All Saints put up big offensive numbers but fall just short on the road.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->