Venice escapes Lakeland with 32-25 double-overtime win
The Indians held on in their road win in double overtime over the Dreadnaughts on Friday night.
Venice claimed a thrilling 32-25 victory over Lakeland in a double-overtime contest on September 4. The Indians secured both of their road wins this season, previously defeating Rabun Gap (Ga.) in overtime on August 21. The team jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and maintained dominance early on, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run from Dorien Jones and an 8-yard run by Mike Blakely after intercepting a Lakeland pass.
A halftime rain delay disrupted Venice's momentum, but the team showed resilience, battling through penalties and forcing takeaways. In the second quarter, Lakeland recovered a fumble and scored an 11-yard touchdown run from Xavion Mitchell, cutting Venice's lead to 14-8. The second half saw Venice struggling to maintain possession, but Dorien Jones' performances proved crucial, with the senior leading the charge and tallying over 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Despite a chaotic overtime period marred by multiple illegal participation penalties, Venice ultimately secured the win with a crucial touchdown-saving tackle and Jones' clutch 2-point conversion. Head coach John Peacock, who previously lost to Lakeland in two state championship games, was elated with the victory, calling it a personal triumph and a testament to the team's competitive spirit.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
