Lake Wales holds off Leesburg in 3S semifinal, wins 27th consecutive Florida high school game

Defending state champions travel Ocala Vanguard for regional final showdown

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.”