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Dreadnaughts Back In 5A State Title Game

By NICK WILLIAMS

nwilliams@tampatrib.com

Published: December 13, 2008

LAKELAND - With 39.6 seconds remaining in the Class 5A state semifinals between Pensacola Pine Forest and Lakeland, Pine Forest junior quarterback David Lawrence dropped back from his team's 30 and threw a deep pass to Dudley Bickham, who was surrounded by three Lakeland defenders.

Throughout the night, the Eagles had managed to pull off one big play after another to keep the sixth-ranked team in the country on its heels.

The pass fell short and into the hands of Lakeland sophomore T.J. Denson, sealing a 22-21 victory and a trip to the 5A state championship Friday at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Lakeland (14-0) will face Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (14-0), which defeated Largo 35-14 in the other semifinal, in the championship at 7 p.m.

In the region final against Chamberlain, the Dreadnaughts kept the ball on the ground, but Friday moved the ball through the air, led by sophomore receiver Javares McRoy's 11 catches for 192 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Jarred Higgins finished 13 of 19 for 207 yards and two touchdown passes.

"Nobody had run on them all year," Lakeland coach Bill Castle said. "I wish we threw more than we did."
Pine Forest (12-1) scored on an 11-yard run by Shawn Morris with 7:06 remaining in the fourth quarter and converted the extra point to take a 21-16 lead. On Lakeland's ensuing possession, Pine Forest linebacker Issac Warren sacked Higgins for an 8-yard loss, putting the Dreadnaughts on their own 12. Sophomore running back Steward Butler gave his team a much-needed play when he dashed down the sideline for a 23-yard gain. Two plays later, Higgins rolled to his right and found McRoy on a short screen pass, and the 165-pound underclassman dodged two tacklers and ran to the opposite side of the field for a 54-yard score to give his team the lead. Lakeland tried for a 2-point conversion, but fumbled the snap.

"If you give up, you're not going to win," Higgins said. "I had to keep my poise. It's my job as the quarterback to make sure everybody does their job. That's what I did and that's how we won."

"Coach told us we had to pass the ball to win the game," McRoy said. "We passed the ball and won the game."
McRoy also scored on a 23-yard run in the first quarter to give the Naughts a 15-7 lead.