The year was 2006. In a bid for their third consecutive state championship, Lakeland High School’s football team faced off against Saint Thomas Aquinas, a well-funded private school in Fort Lauderdale with a lot to prove after two previous state championship losses to Lakeland.
Going into halftime, the Dreadnaughts were up 21-0. They didn’t expect the Raiders to make a 21-point comeback. They didn’t expect double overtime. They didn’t expect the game to come down to inches in the endzone.
With determination, grit, and a little bit of luck, Lakeland would prevail that night.
“One of the things that made some of the teams that I was a part of very special was the camaraderie, the love that we have for one another, and also the love of the game of football,” said Ahmad Black, who play on the team at the time. “When all of that meets preparation, great things can happen.”
Twenty years ago this fall, Lakeland High School (LHS) cemented its place in high school football history in what has been called one of the sport’s greatest games.
Gatornaughts legacy
Seven players from that storied LHS team would graduate in the Spring and continue their athletic careers at the University of Florida — coming to be known as “Gatornaughts” — and Black’s little brother had the t-shirt to prove it.
Black would go on to play in 48 games with the Gators, ending his college career tied for first in the country among active players in interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Twins, Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, both received offers from several big name schools, but ultimately, they signed with UF to play under Head Coach Urban Meyer.
Chris Rainey didn’t just play Gator football, he also competed with the UF track team.
All four would go on to play in the NFL.
John Brown, The Ledger’s 2006 Defensive Player of the Year who made a crucial tackle in the final minutes of that historic game, went on to play defense at UF with teammate Steven Wilks. Paul Wilson played Gator football before pivoting to baseball after several injuries.
Join us Thursday, Sept. 24
Behind the Game
Candid Conversations: Beyond the Game will feature Ahmad Black — Lakeland native, Gators national champion, and former NFL safety — and Mike Nabors — Emmy-winning broadcast journalist and FSC professor. They’ll be tackling football, the Lakeland community, and what’s next for the game.…
“It’s unheard of. You never hear stories like this,” said Mike Nabors, Emmy-winning sports journalist and Florida Southern College professor. “You see a lot of talent in the state of Florida, one of the most talented high school areas in the country, but to have this many athletes succeed at the next level is pretty rare.”
Today, “Lakeland is still Lakeland,” said Black. “But it’s growing so much, and people that’s not from here are coming into town, and so we got to get them hip to the game, basically with how we run things around here.”
“We’re still one of the top teams in the state. You know, competitive in the nation, and I think Coach Frazier’s doing a really good job of keeping up that tradition.”
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