Tampa Bay Tech and Lennard have both built early-season momentum the hard way, with defense driving the charge. On Friday night in Ruskin, one of those perfect runs has to give.
The Titans arrive at 6-0 after blanking Bloomingdale 41-0, their third shutout of the season. Lennard sits at 5-1 and has ripped off five straight wins since dropping its opener to Armwood, most recently edging Plant City 19-14. Both teams have handled district business so far, but this one comes as a non-district measuring stick before league play resumes next week.
What makes this matchup so compelling is how much both sides have leaned on disruption up front. Tampa Bay Tech has piled up 24 sacks in six games and has given up only 44 points overall. Lennard has been even stingier lately, allowing just 21 points across its last three games and keeping every opponent in that stretch at 14 points or fewer.
The Titans’ pass rush has been relentless. Senior Connor Wills leads the way with 6.5 sacks, junior Gabe Ceus has 4.5, and junior Devaris Daniels has three.
Senior linebacker Rome Freeman tops the team with 39 tackles. That group will get a real test against a Lennard offense that showed last week it can win through the air.
Against Plant City, quarterback Antonio Balaguer went 15 of 23 for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and the biggest throw of the night was the game-winner to Chayse Brown. Brown finished with six catches for 167 yards and a score. The Longhorns, though, managed only 31 rushing yards, so pass protection could decide how often Balaguer gets a chance to carry the offense again.
Lennard can bring heat too. The Longhorns have 15.5 sacks through six games, with senior Zyion Hall pacing them at 5.5.
Junior defensive tackle Trey Knight has been a force in the middle with 36 tackles and 2.5 sacks, while sophomore linebacker Ja'Khi Taylor has 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Coach K.B.
Belton has specifically highlighted Knight’s work this season, and Lennard will need that front to bother Tampa Bay Tech’s balanced attack.
The Titans have scored at least 27 points in every game and have outscored opponents 224-44. Running back Kesean Smith is averaging 107.3 rushing yards per game, and sophomore quarterback Martavius Conway Jr. has thrown 12 touchdown passes. Carlos Lemons has been Conway’s top target, averaging 79.7 receiving yards per game.
That combination gives Lennard a different sort of challenge than the one it faced during its recent run of defensive dominance against Newsome, East Bay and Plant City. If the Longhorns can pressure Conway, they do have an experienced playmaker waiting behind the line in senior defensive back Mekhi Williams, a Wisconsin commit. Williams leads the team with six passes defended and has 19 tackles, with two pass breakups in both the Newsome and Plant City games.
For Lennard, the key is creating those passing downs without letting Smith and the Titans’ ground game settle in early. Tampa Bay Tech has been hard to rattle, and the only team to really push it was Gaither, which lost 35-28 after Daniel Terry threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns. Even then, the Titans intercepted him twice and stayed unbeaten.
Outside of that game, Tampa Bay Tech has allowed just 16 points in its other five contests. Lennard is trying to be the first team to hand the Titans a loss while extending its own streak to six.
After Friday, both teams jump back into district play. Tampa Bay Tech hosts Armwood in a Class 5A, District 9 game on Oct. 9, and Lennard hosts Durant in Class 6A, District 10.
Matchup: Tampa Bay Tech (6-0) at Lennard (5-1) When: Friday, Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m. Where: Lennard High School, Ruskin, Florida
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