Victory Christian Battles But Falls Short to Lake Mary Prep, 20-8
Fri. October 05, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. | By Rick Brown
By RICK BROWN
THE LEDGER
LAKELAND | Victory Christian had heard about how good the Lake Mary Prep Griffins were.
All week the Storm heard about the Griffins' powerful rushing attack, strong scoring and the NFL pedigree and still they didn't care.
For 30 minutes, the Storm played Lake Mary Prep as good as anyone had all season long and had dreams of a Homecoming upset.
But all it took was 14 seconds for the Griffins to dash the Storm's hopes.
Ray Lewis III scored on a 10-yard run with 2:07 remaining to give Lake Mary Prep the lead, then linebacker Jacob Kirby sealed the victory with a 53-yard interception for a touchdown in the 20-8 Class 2A-4 victory.
Lake Mary Prep improved to 6-0 (3-0 2A-4) on the season, while Victory fell to 1-5 (1-1).
Lewis, the son of Kathleen High and current Baltimore Raven All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, knew the significance of the contest.
"It's always great to come to the hometown," Lewis said. "Everyone knows my dad was born right here in Lakeland. Just to come back and play in the same city is an honor.
Lake Mary Prep entered the game having outscored their previous opponents 211-9.
Lewis, who averaged 142 yards rushing, was held to 38. His running mate Jeremiah Sams, who entered the game averaging 253 yards per game, gained 145 on 25 carries. But 66 came on a run in the first quarter that led to the team's first score.
After a scoreless first, Lewis scored on a 1-yard run for the lead.
Victory answered with a Jaylen McKinney 14-yard run late in the half. The extra point was blocked but Victory took an 8-7 lead into the fourth when Lewis was tackled for a safety midway in the third quarter.
It remained that way until Lewis' late score.
Lake Mary Prep sealed it two plays later when Kirby stepped in front of a receiver and raced to the end zone.
Lake Mary Prep 0 7 0 13 — 20
Victory Christian 0 6 2 2 — 8
Second Quarter
LMP — Ray Lewis III 1 run (Erica LeDuca kick), 11:56 V — Jaylen McKinney 14 run (kick blocked), 1:55
Third Quarter
V — Lewis tackled in end zone for safety, 6:56
Fourth Quarter
LMP — Ray Lewis III 10 run (run failed), 2:07
LMP — Jacob Kirby 53 INT return (Erica LeDuca kick), 1:53
LMP | Victory
First Downs 11 12
Rushes/yards 49/173 30/90 Passing yards 46 81
Passing 3-5-0 8-23-1
Total offense 219 171
Fumbles/Lost 6/4 5/3
Punts/avg 1/32.0 5/27.8
Penalties/yds 5/50 8/70
Records 6-2 1-5
Individual Statistics
Rushing: LMP —Jeremiah Sams 14-113 ; VC — Jaylen McKinney 16-86.
Passing: LMP — Grayson Jones 2-2-026; VC — Hunter Hotchkiss 8-23-1-81.
Receiving: LMP — Ray Lewis III 2-28; VC — Brice Ford 4-34.
