Lakeland beats nationally ranked Miami Central 16-8
Lakeland coach Marvin Frazier on his team’s 16-8 win over Miami Central
Lakeland defeated Miami Central 16-8 on the road on Friday night. The defense made several fourth-down stops in the second half to secure the win.
MIAMI – Donta Jenkins knew what was coming.
Seconds before Miami Central snapped the ball on fourth-and-1, Lakeland’s senior edge rusher recognized the pass and ran a little further. Jenkins eventually intercepted Bekkem Kritza’s pass, sealing the Dreadnaughts’ 16-8 victory over nationally ranked Central on Friday night at Traz Powell Stadium.
“I read my tackle,” said Jenkins, who has offers from UCF, USF, Louisville and several others. “All game he was giving up on the pass, so I was ready. I knew they wanted the first down, so I just got ready. I saw the quarterback getting ready to throw, and I put my hands up.
“It was a great feeling. After I did that, I knew we had won the game. A great feeling.”
Lakeland’s defense, led by junior linebackers Malik Morris and Jenkins, prevented three of Central’s fourth-down attempts in the second half.
Morris was outstanding, making a fourth-down stop to end a promising third-quarter Central drive. On the Rockets’ next drive, Morris blocked a punt, giving Lakeland prime field position, and capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. It was the longest touchdown of the game for Lakeland, which also scored three field goals in the first half.
“Malik is special,” Lakeland coach Marvin Frazier said. “Malik is the best player in the country. I don’t know what these guys are waiting for. He’s the best player in the country. We’ve been holding him back. … We’re excited to see where we can go, but Malik is one of the guys that’s going to get us there.”
Here are the takeaways from Lakeland’s win
The Dreadnaughts’ defense is strong
Not many teams beat Central (0-1, No. 20 USA Today Super 25) against Traz Powell. It’s been more than a decade since the Rockets lost to a public school that wasn’t part of Miami-Dade County. That Lakeland (1-0, No. 2 Class 5A USA Today Florida Network Top 10) allowed just one touchdown — a 56-yard touchdown pass from Kritza (Penn State commit) to 4-star senior wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery — was impressive. With a few exceptions, Lakeland shut down Central’s running game and the back-to-back goal-line stands in the fourth quarter were great.
I can’t say enough good things about Malik Morris
Lakeland’s four-star linebacker is one of the best linebackers in the class of 2026, and it’s easy to see why. Morris set the tone from the coin toss when he spoke to the Central players and backed it up with several physical tackles. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound player made play after play in the second half as Lakeland (1-0) finished off the Rockets.
Lakeland’s offensive is still in progress
The Dreadnaughts didn’t have a big night on offense, largely due to Central’s talented front seven — led by Penn State defensive lineman Randy Adirika and Miami linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin — being able to stop the run and pressure quarterback Zander Smith. It also didn’t help that Lakeland was without several of its offensive playmakers. Lakeland won’t see another defense like this one until the playoffs (if ever), and the offense will continue to improve as it gets fitter.
Naeshaun Montgomery is something special
The Rockets receiver is scheduled to announce his college commitment on Sunday and gave college fans one last thrilling performance to ponder. Montgomery, who is ranked No. 35 on the USA Today Florid Network Top 100, rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown against Lakeland — a performance made even more impressive considering Ole Miss freshman Keon Young shadowed him for most of the evening. Montgomery made several flashes in the fourth quarter to keep the game interesting, including a potential touchdown in the final three minutes, but the referee said he stepped off the field. Montgomery is expected to decide between Florida and Penn State.
