Lakeland’s season ended with a convincing 28-7 triumph against visiting sister school Walter Panas on Nov. 7, the Hornets’ seventh straight win in the rivalry series.
“It (the win) meant everything,” said Lakeland quarterback Joe LaPeruta. “All I know is football. My first memories were playing football; my first love was football. I’ve played against Panas since third grade and won almost every time, but this one felt the best. It’s a great way to send off my football career at Lakeland High School. I want to thank all my coaches from kindergarten flag to now, and all my teammates who were behind me every step of the way.”
The win was extra special for LaPeruta (10-for-14, 115 yards; 15 rushes, 79 yards, 2 TDs) because he had to overcome an early-season injury.
“Getting hurt in week zero was something I never even imagined,” LaPeruta said. “I remember sitting in the hospital just praying that I didn’t need surgery. After countless doctor’s appointments and physical therapy sessions — and many saying I should just hang it up — I was able to come back after two weeks. I learned a great lesson this season, and that’s to never take anything for granted. Because just like that, it was gone, and I thought I was done. Finishing my senior season with a win against Panas is a great way to end my story, and I couldn’t have written a better script for my senior year.”
Leading the Hornets on the ground was junior Mike Zumatto (17 rushes, 234 yards, 2 TDs).
“It means everything (to beat Panas),” Zumatto said. “Panas is our rival coming across town. We have a great game against them every year. They’re a great program. They hit hard. They’re physical and aggressive with us. Just to get this win means a lot going into next season.”
Another highlight was junior Anthony Ray (7 receptions, 100 yards), who set Lakeland’s single-season receiving record with 842 yards, surpassing Sean Perry’s mark set in 2023.
“Breaking that record felt amazing, especially being against our rival Panas,” Ray said. “I couldn’t do it without the help of my quarterback, Joe LaPeruta, and coaches throughout the whole season.”
A 1-yard touchdown run by LaPeruta capped a 68-yard, 11-play opening drive (finished by the first of four Frank Flannery extra points) that gave Lakeland a 7-0 lead with 7:14 to play in the opening quarter.
“Like every game that we’ve won, we were just physical up front,” LaPeruta said. “We dominated on the offensive and defensive lines, and that’s the reason we won. We have playmakers, but it doesn’t matter how many playmakers you have if you don’t have the line — and the line played great tonight.”
Panas tied the game on a 10-yard touchdown run by Justin Kabia Jeffcoat in the second quarter, but Lakeland retook the lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by LaPeruta with 3:53 left before halftime, giving the Hornets a 14-7 advantage.
That score was set up by a bold call deep in Lakeland territory. On fourth-and-9 from the Hornets’ 21, Lakeland lined up to punt — but instead of kicking away, Gio LaPeruta (8 rushes, 97 yards) took off on a 26-yard run down the sideline.
“That’s our rugby-style punt,” said Lakeland coach Ryan Shilling. “We give Gio the option, if he wants to, to run it. So that wasn’t necessarily a called fake punt. It was a pivotal play. If he didn’t take that and get the first down, it’s probably their ball at midfield with the game tied. After that, we were able to score and get the momentum back. It was a tremendous play by Gio.”
Lakeland (5-5) sealed the game with two fourth-quarter touchdown runs of 2 yards and 1 yard by Zumatto, the second set up by his 68-yard run.
“It felt good,” Zumatto said of his long run. “I got caught from behind, but all that matters is that we won. That’s what really mattered to me. We got the win, last one for the seniors. I’m glad they got to win their last game before they go.”
Joe Kolesar (14 tackles, 3 for a loss), Zumatto (6 tackles, interception), Anthony D’Errico (5 tackles), Ben Franco (6 tackles, 1 for a loss), James Glass (5 tackles, 1 for a loss), Kyle Ronk (5 tackles), Louis Murray (8 tackles, 1 for a loss), LaPeruta (4 tackles, 1 for a loss), Luke Lulanaj (4 tackles), and CC Savastano (3 tackles) led Lakeland’s defense.
LaPeruta, D’Errico, Lulanaj, Kolesar, Franco, Flannery, Savastano, Ronk, Glass, Tyler Greenwald, Luke Semenza, Isaiah Smith, and Raul Aristy were the seniors who took part in Lakeland’s traditional senior lap after the game.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here