Lake Mary Wins - State Bound

One year after watching Venice hoist the Class 7A state championship trophy at their expense, Lake Mary finally got its revenge. Oh, sweet revenge.

In a charged state semifinal rematch on Friday night, the Rams held off defending champion Venice 31–26 at Don T. Reynolds Stadium, punching their ticket back to the FHSAA 7A title game and flipping last year’s script in front of a packed home crowd.

Notre Dame–committed quarterback Noah Grubbs was the difference-maker. The junior completed 22 of 31 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns, adding a short quarterback sneak for another score as Lake Mary improved to 11–3. Venice, which routed the Rams 52–19 in the 2024 championship game, finishes 9–4.

A Different Ending to the Venice–Lake Mary Story

For 12 months, Lake Mary lived with the memory of last year’s blowout loss. Venice’s physical run game and big-game pedigree had turned that 2024 title matchup into a one-sided coronation.

Friday felt like a sequel with a new director.

From the opening drive, Lake Mary looked nothing like the team that wilted in Miami a year ago. The Rams marched 80 yards on 15 plays, capped by a highlight-reel, one-handed touchdown snag by 6-foot-5 receiver Barrett Schulz in the left corner of the end zone for a 7–0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Venice, as expected, punched back. Behind a massive offensive line and the electric speed of sophomore playmaker Tyree Mannings, the Indians responded with a 75-yard drive and 17-yard scoring run from Mannings to knot the game at 7–7.

That back-and-forth theme never stopped.

First Half: Big Plays, No Breathing Room

Lake Mary’s second major statement came on another long march. Grubbs again leaned on Schulz and fellow weapon O’Shea Faison, eventually setting up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by running back Gavin Isaacs for a 14–7 lead with 4:39 left in the half. An 18-yard toe-tap grab by Schulz down the sideline kept that drive alive and drew a roar from the home stands.

Venice erased that momentum in seconds. A long kickoff return and a 30-yard burst from Mannings tied the game at 14–14 just 16 seconds later, a reminder that the defending champs still had plenty of firepower.

Venice erased that momentum in seconds. A long kickoff return and a 30-yard burst from Mannings tied the game at 14–14 just 16 seconds later, a reminder that the defending champs still had plenty of firepower.

Lake Mary’s composure, though, was one of the clearest differences from 2024. Rather than folding after another Venice haymaker, the Rams calmly moved into field-goal range on the next drive. A 43-yard connection from Grubbs to Faison set up Lucas Parker for a 24-yard field goal and a 17–14 halftime lead.

For the first time in two years of high-stakes meetings, Lake Mary took a lead into the break – and looked entirely capable of keeping it.

Third Quarter: Venice Surges, Lake Mary Answers

The Indians opened the second half like a champion desperately clinging to its crown

Quarterback Darryon Jones ripped off a 23-yard run, Mannings gashed the Rams for 50 more on a long sprint, and Dorian Jones finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown to give Venice its only lead of the night, 20–17. A missed extra point, though, kept it a three-point game – a detail that loomed large in the fourth quarter.

Lake Mary’s defense delivered one of the turning points soon after. Following a Rams punt, Venice went for it on fourth down near midfield and was stopped, handing Grubbs a short field. He didn’t waste it.

Once again, the Grubbs-to-Schulz combination proved unstoppable. The tall senior receiver boxed out his defender and hauled in a 24-yard touchdown in the same left corner of the end zone, putting Lake Mary back in front 24–20 with 2:55 left in the third.

At that moment, you could feel the shift: this wasn’t a Cinderella upset, it was a heavyweight answering every blow.

Fourth Quarter: Grubbs Closes, Venice Won’t Go Away

While the passing attack got the headlines, Lake Mary’s ability to grind clock in the fourth quarter might have been the difference.

Early in the final period, the Rams pieced together a 13-play, 72-yard drive that burned precious minutes and ended with Grubbs sneaking across the goal line from a yard out for a 31–20 lead with just over five minutes remaining. On that march, Isaacs and Faison churned out tough yardage, while Grubbs hit timely throws to keep Venice off balance.

Still, the Indians refused to fold.

Dorian Jones powered in from two yards out on Venice’s next possession, capping another quick-strike response and trimming the margin to 31–26 with 4:16 left. The two-point conversion attempt turned chaotic, ending in a fumble that Venice failed to recover in the end zone – another missed opportunity that kept Lake Mary ahead by five instead of three.

From there, the ball – and the season – belonged to Grubbs.

Venice tried an onside kick, but Lake Mary secured it. Facing third down deep in his own territory, Grubbs scrambled for 11 yards to move the chains, then minutes later delivered a pressure throw on fourth-and-10, hitting Faison for a 22-yard completion that effectively sealed the game. A kneel-down followed, sending the Rams sideline – and the home stands – into chaos.

One year after watching Venice celebrate in Miami, Lake Mary was finally the team closing out a giant on its own terms.

Head coach Scott Perry has now steered the Rams to back-to-back 7A title game appearances. This year, they head to Miami with a sense of unfinished business – and a quarterback playing as well as anyone in the state.

Next up: an unbeaten Vero Beach squad (14–0) that edged Miami Palmetto 45–44 in a thriller in the other semifinal. The 7A state championship is set for Saturday, Dec. 13, at FIU Pitbull Stadium in Miami, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.