Lake Mary’s Miracle Finish Wins A State Title

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MIAMI – </strong>It was an ending that only Hollywood could have found a script for.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With unbeaten Vero Beach in total command heading into the final quarter of the 7A state championship football game on Saturday night at Pitbull Stadium on the campus of Florida International University, Lake Mary came alive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just as the final quarter started, the Rams drew closer on a seven-yard pass from Notre Dame signee <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1206696' first='Noah' last='Grubbs']</strong> to <strong>Gavin Isaacs</strong>. The two-point conversion made it 27-19 with 11:14 left.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The score remained the same all the way until Vero Beach decided to take a safety with just :12 left and moved the score to 27-21. Innocent enough – or was it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams had one more shot and with no time left on the clock Grubbs lofted the ball toward the endzone, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1581751' first='Barrett' last='Schulz']</strong> grabbed the 42-yard pass out of the air and would quickly lateral to <strong>T.J. Brundidge Jr.,</strong> who took it in for the tie. <strong>Lucas Parker's</strong> extra point gave Lake Mary its first ever state title in dramatic fashion, 28-27.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“This team never quit,” head coach <strong>Scott Perry</strong> said. “We have played so well over the second half of the season, and this miracle comeback is something that only adds to what this special group accomplished.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The win capped off a seven-game winning streak for a program that ended the season 12-3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams were soundly beaten a year ago by Venice in the title game, so this amazing comeback was indeed redemption for these seniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the opening drive when Parker connected on a 32-yard field goal with 7:00 left.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Indians came right back when sophomore <strong>Champ Monds</strong> found FSU signee <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1206211' first='Efrem' last='White'] </strong>from 80 yards out and a 7-3 advantage with 6:53 left in the opening quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vero Beach extended the lead to 14-3 with 8:52 left in the first half when White threw 79 yards to <strong>Marcus Melbourne Jr</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Indians scored again with 3:00 left in the first half on a 50-yard pass from Monds to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1759246' first='Xavier' last='Stinson']</strong> and a 21-3 lead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vero Beach (14-1) not only dominated on the scoreboard, but had an overwhelming statistical advantage after the first 24 minutes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams cut the lead to 21-11 with 2:00 left in the third quarter on a pass from Grubbs to Schulz from 35 yards out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Indians came back and made it 27-11 with 1:23 left in the third quarter on a one-yard run by White.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After that score, everything started to go Lake Mary's way, ending with that improbable finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“What a way to go out,” Grubbs said after completing 25 of 48 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns. “After falling short last year and starting off the way we did this season, it is an amazing feeling to go out this way.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NUMBERS DO NOT LIE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to Grubbs, the offense came alive with Schulz catching seven balls for 129 yards, <strong>Gavin Isaacs</strong> (4 for 57) and Brundidge Jr., who not only scored the game winner, but finished with 50 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cornell signee <strong>O'shea Faison</strong> carried the ball 11 times for 51 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior <strong>Ronald Parkinson Jr.</strong> led the way on defense for the Rams with six tackles, junior <strong>Sam Nelson</strong> and senior <strong>Patrick Ryan</strong> each had five tackles. Nelson had a sack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For head coach <strong>Lenny Jankowski</strong> and Vero Beach, Monds was 11 of 20 for 200 yards with two touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior running back <strong>Jonathan Hillsman Jr.</strong> had a huge game with 238 yards on 19 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White finished with three receptions for 101 yards and Stinson caught one ball for 50 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1263684' first='Lance' last='Stone']</strong> led the way with 10 tackles, senior <strong>Maqarie Phillips</strong> finished with nine tackles. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='283769' first='Quinton' last='Dames Jr.']</strong> had one sack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LAKE MARY RAMS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Norland, W 30-29</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kissimmee Osceola, W 17-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lakeland, L 32-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacksonville Raines, L 51-3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oviedo Hagerty, W 55-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Miami Beach, W 45-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sanford Seminole, W 24-21</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Orlando Evans, W 40-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley, W 51-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Orlando Bishop Moore, W 42-22</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oviedo Hagerty, W 42-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Port Orange Spruce Creek, W 50-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeLand, W 40-31</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Venice, W 31-26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>VERO BEACH INDIANS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Melbourne Eau Gallie, W 41-31</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gainesville Buchholz, W 28-24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cocoa, W 38-3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Port St. Lucie West Centennial, W 37-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Pierce Central, W 21-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Booker T. Washington, W 42-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rockledge, W 42-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pahokee, W 53-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast, W 49-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy, W 43-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clermont East Ridge, W 57-10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Orlando Lake Nona, W 56-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Orlando Dr. Phillips, W 49-23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Palmetto, W 45-44 (2 OT)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PREP REDZONE FLORIDA STOCK UP EVENT. </strong><a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2137/register/stock-up-showcase-florida "><strong>https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2137/register/stock-up-showcase-florida </strong></a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Statewide Coverage Daily. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/florida/">https://prepredzone.com/florida/</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>You Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at: Floridakids1@aol.com.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>COACHES, PLAYERS: Do You Have A Subscription? Contact us for a savings code so you can see what everyone has been talking about! <a href="mailto:Floridakids1@aol.com">Floridakids1@aol.com</a>.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->