All it took was one game to throw the Open Division into chaos.
Lakeland stunned top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, 27-24, in overtime on 13-yard touchdown pass from Kelin Hendrix to Joseph Howard Jr.
The same program that Aquinas shut out in the past two Class 5A state championship games went to Fort Lauderdale and forced football fans to rethink what they thought about the Open Division.
Advertisement
Forget St. Thomas Aquinas’ quest for a national title. The Raiders now face a likely must-win situation when they travel to Venice for the second week of pool play.
And Lakeland? The Dreadnaughts have a chance to take firm control of Pool A when they travel to Chaminade-Madonna.
West Boca coach Dylan Potts said after the game that the Open Division is an emotional roller coaster. This is only the first week. We have four more weekends before crowning a state champion.
Buckle up.
Here are quick takeaways from the first week of pool play:
Lakeland doesn’t blink at Aquinas
Look, there were legitimate reasons to question Lakeland going into its game at Aquinas.
Lakeland running back Xavion Mitchell runs for the winning touchdown on this 36-yard run against American Heritage on Friday night at Bryant Stadium.
How would the team play in a big road game? The Dreadnaughts were the only Open Division squad that didn’t play a regular season road game against a team ranked in the top 50 in the MaxPreps rankings.
Advertisement
Would Lakeland be able to move the ball after getting shut out two years in a row?
Those questions were answered on Lakeland’s first drive when the Dreadnaughts marched down the field and scored. That touchdown changed everything.
This result wasn’t a fluke. It was a statement. Lakeland was the better team. And now it’s Aquinas that has questions to answer.
West Boca hands Raines first loss since 2024
It’s hard to imagine Raines having a better start against West Boca. The Vikings marched right down the field and scored a touchdown against a team that only allowed six touchdowns during the regular season.
Advertisement
After that? All West Boca. Junior athlete Terriel Harmon scored two touchdowns in the Bulls 28-7 win.
West Boca Raton’s Terriel “Wally” Harmon runs the ball past Raines defenders on November 13, 2026 in West Boca Raton, Florida.
The win extends West Boca’s postseason win streak to 11 games, which is now the longest in the state. For Raines, it ends the team’s 25-game win streak.
It was an impressive performance for West Boca, which hosts a reeling Miami Central next week. Raines hosts No. 2 Columbus, which looks like a must-win game for the Vikings.
Chaminade-Madonna shuts out Venice
The biggest question for Venice was how would the Indiana secondary handle Chaminade’s talented receivers? Venice didn’t have a lot of answers.
Advertisement
Tromon Isaac Jr. caught a pair of touchdown passes in the Lions 35-0 win. The game had a running clock midway through the third quarter.
Venice had plenty of chances but had seven drives stall in Chaminade territory. That includes three interceptions thrown in the red zone.
Chaminade now hosts Lakeland with the winner being in pole position in Pool A. Venice heads back home for a must-win game against Aquinas.
Venice defeated Cape Coral 63-21 on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, which was Indians coach John Peacock’s 200th win. Dorien Irving-Jones (2) gets hoisted high after scoring a first-half touchdown.
Columbus dominates Miami Central again
For the second time in less than a month, Columbus easily dispatched Miami Central. This time the score was 40-3. It was 28-3 in less than three full quarters in the Greater Miami Athletic Conference final on Oct. 16.
Advertisement
Kai Moore threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Explorers. Columbus now makes its longest road trip of the season when it travels to Raines next week.
The biggest question is how will Miami Central respond? The Rockets have lost three games in the past four weeks, all by double digits. The team is already without starting quarterback James Perrone, who is out with an injury. Now Central has to go to West Boca and find a way to counter one of the state’s premier defenses.
What’s next?
Pool A
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (0-1) at No. 8 Venice (0-1)
No. 5 Lakeland (1-0) at No. 4 Chaminade-Madonna (1-0)
Advertisement
Pool B
No. 2 Columbus (1-0) at No. 7 Raines (0-1)
No. 6 Miami Central (0-1) at No. 3 West Boca (1-0)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lakeland answers questions vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, other Open Division statements
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
