Week 5: Top Five Polk Games to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Auburndale (2-1) vs. Bartow (2-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This might be the headliner of Polk County football this week. Both Auburndale and Bartow are emerging programs with new coaching staffs and plenty of talent, but early season struggles have raised questions. This game will be intense and emotional as these neighboring schools look to prove who's better. Expect some hard hits and, perhaps, a few mistakes, but it could turn into a classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Auburndale: [player_tooltip player_id='1368321' first='Elijah' last='Dias'], [player_tooltip player_id='1230944' first='Amari' last='Turner'], Darion Jiles&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Bartow: Tavares Murray, [player_tooltip player_id='1022076' first='Blake' last='Johnson'], De'Coryian Stanley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Booker T Washington (2-1) vs. Lakeland (3-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Booker T might have lost to Miami Central who Lakeland beat to start the season, but they're still packing serious heat, led by 4-star athlete [player_tooltip player_id='826503' first='Ben' last='Hanks Jr.'] Lakeland, meanwhile, looks as solid as ever, with a battle-tested squad fresh off a win against Lake Mary and local Winter Haven. This game will be a great test to see how the Dreadnaughts handle Washington's athleticism and if their defense can once again step up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Booker T: Ben Hanks Jr, [player_tooltip player_id='1581758' first='Anton' last='Smith'], [player_tooltip player_id='1721104' first='Irwin' last='James']&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lakeland: [player_tooltip player_id='1247490' first='Malik' last='Morris'], Shanard Clower, [player_tooltip player_id='1127045' first='Keon' last='Young']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lake Wales (4-0) vs. Seminole (3-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams are undefeated, and this one promises fireworks. Lake Wales is riding a 28-game regular-season win streak, which is impressive at any level. Seminole, though, is not going to back down, with their own collection of stars and big wins under their belt. The winner will likely be the team that controls the trenches and limits mistakes. My eyes will be on Lake Wales' offense, especially if freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id='1670969' first='Kaneilius' last='Purdy'] struggles early.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lake Wales: [player_tooltip player_id='1670969' first='Kaneilius' last='Purdy'], [player_tooltip player_id='1583333' first='Dontavius' last='Purdy'], Bryce Levidiotis&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seminole: Michael Clayton, Ethan Prichard, [player_tooltip player_id='390421' first='Max' last='Buchanan']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Victory Christian (3-0) vs. Fort Meade (1-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Meade's record doesn't tell the whole story, as they've been close to flipping a couple of those losses into wins. Victory Christian, meanwhile, has been on fire, handling their opponents with ease. Fort Meade may keep things interesting for the first half, but Victory Christian's balance on both sides of the ball makes them the favorite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Victory Christian: [player_tooltip player_id='1220110' first='JoJo' last='Scott'], Myshawn McKinely, Preston Coney&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Meade: [player_tooltip player_id='1628903' first='Omari' last='Russell'], Jayden Mccutchen, [player_tooltip player_id='1230854' first='Darian' last='Kirkland']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>George Jenkins (2-2) vs. Lakeland Christian (3-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This public vs. private school matchup has intrigue written all over it. George Jenkins has shown flashes of offensive firepower, but Lakeland Christian is locked in, boasting talent on both sides of the ball. Can Jenkins put it all together, or will LCS continue to dominate?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>George Jenkins: Sam Frederking, Trevon Evans, Cameron Turner&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lakeland Christian: [player_tooltip player_id='1209647' first='Trey' last='Berry'], Josh Bellamy, DJ Howard, Killian O'Neal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->