5 Takeaways from Lakeland’s overtime win at Lake Mary

Senior Shanard Clower scores three TDs in wild comeback for the Dreadnaughts

Shanard Clower scored three touchdown's in Lakeland's 35-34 overtime victory over Lake Mary - twice scoring on 80-yard receptions and also returning a kickoff 98-yards for a score. His third score came with less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to help the Dreadnaughts reach overtiem. / Ernst Peters/The Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

LAKE MARY, FLORIDA – In a battle of schools with state title aspirations, the Lakeland Dreadnaughts sailed what looked to be a sinking ship past a determined Lake Mary team on Friday night, 35-34, in a wild overtime battle.

After turning the ball over on downs with less than 5 minutes left and trailing 28-21, Lakeland took advantage of a missed field goal by Lake Mary and a dramatic 80-yard TD reception by senior Shanard Clower with just 25 seconds left to force overtime.

In the extra period, Lakeland got a nifty 6-yard bootleg for a TD from quarterback Zander Smith to take a 35-28 lead. Then, after Lake Mary’s Isaiah Thomas burst off right tackle for a 10-yard touchdown, the Rams elected to go for the 2-point conversion and quarterback Noah Grubbs’ pass sailed incomplete.

The dramatic ending left some players in disbelief as Lakeland players and coaches rushed the field in jubilation. It was the first time the Naughts held a lead since a 7-0 advantage in the first quarter but it was also the last time.

The seesaw game featured four ties and two lead changes in a game that had a 1 ½-hour lightning delay late in the first quarter, making this marathon battle one of the most exciting of the season.

SBLive Florida was on hand for the contest between the two state powers and we bring you five takeaways from the game.

Lakeland’s Shanard Clower is Mr. Clutch

If the Dreadnaughts were looking for a dynamic player to lead their team this season, they definitely found one in Clower. The senior was electrifying, scoring on a 98-yard kickoff return and two 80-yard TD receptions to keep Lakeland in the thick of things all night long. His two 80-yard catches highlighted a wild second half in which the Dreadnaughts answered the bell each time after a Lake Mary score.

Noah Grubbs airs it out again, this time throwing four TD passes

Lake Mary’s elite junior quarterback overcame a shaky start by throwing four TD passes – all to different receivers – in yet another outstanding performance. The Notre Dame commit carved up a suspect Lakeland secondary with a variety of passes, including a 14-yard TD pass to Carson Friedman that gave the Rams a 28-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Grubbs, who is in his third year at starter, threw a 25-yard TD pass to Parker Perales in the second quarter to tie things at 7-7, and then hit a wide-open Chase Hinshaw on a razzle-dazzle play for a TD pass and a 14-7 lead.

After Clower scored on his 98-yard kickoff return to leave the schools tied 14-14 at halftime, Grubbs threw his most impressive pass, yet – a 32-yard rope to Brian Williams in the right corner of the end zone for a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.

Lakeland’s defensive front held the line

If the Dreadnaughts are to win a third consecutive state championship, they will lean on a speedy and tenacious defensive front to get them there. They swarmed to the ball carrier often, limiting big rushing plays until late in the game.

Special teams were shaky for both the Dreadnaughts and Rams

Lakeland struggled at times punting, failing to flip the field and giving Lake Mary solid field position. The Rams, meanwhile, missed a field goal attempt with 39 seconds left that would have given them a 31-21 lead. The miss allowed Clower to score on the very next play – his second 80-yard TD catch – and help Lakeland tie the game at 28-28, much to the shock of Lake Mary players and fans.

Both Lakeland and Lake Mary showed character with come from behind rallies

If character counts for anything, then Lakeland and Lake Mary will make long postseason runs. Both schools never quit after falling behind or falling into a tie.

The back-and-forth scoring may have been difficult for defensive coaches to watch, but offensive coaches can take solace in knowing their team is never out of a game. The 35-34 final on the scoreboard was proof of that.

Follow SBLive Florida throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

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