5 things to know ahead of Lakeland-Lake Mary tilt

Two of the state’s top teams clash in Central Florida on Friday night

Lakeland's Shanard Clower returns a punt against Bartow on Friday night at Bryant Stadium. / ROY FUOCO/THE LEDGER / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Week 3 Florida high school football slate is filled with aplenty when it comes to major matchups across the state.

Another one of the top clashes in the Sunshine State is taking place over in Central Florida when the Lakeland Dreadnaughts (1-0) take on the Lake Mary Rams (2-0).

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Both teams feature some of the top players and coaches in the state and we are taking a deeper dive into this contest. Checkout our five things you should know ahead of this SBLive Florida Top 25 tilt.

How does Lakeland’s defense slow down Lake Mary’s Noah Grubbs

Through one game, the Dreadnaughts have shown they have an elite defense. Shutting down Miami Central’s offense for the most part, winning 16-8 at Traz Powell Stadium, Lakeland has continued showing the ability they can stop anyone, anywhere. The Dreadnaughts next objective is putting the brakes on Notre Dame commitment Noah Grubbs, who has thrown for 359 yards and three touchdowns. Behind a stout defense led by 2026 4-star linebacker Malik Morris, this defensive unit is as best suited as any to slowing down the Rams’ signal caller.

Lake Mary’s defense vs. Lakeland’s ground game

On the other side of the defensive spectrum is a talented Rams’ defense that last week kept Tavion Swint in check after a 24-7 win over Kissimmee Osceola. Holding the run-first Kowboys to just five first down was impressive and now the Rams’ have the task of keeping the Dreadnughts’ ground game to minimal gains. Look for strong safety Jack Lorenz (11 tackles) and outside linebacker Luke Prieto (10 tackles) to be busy on Friday night.

Should be a treat to see Marvis Frazier match wits against Scott Perry

Both of these head coaches are among some of the best minds in the game right hen it comes to Florida high school football and making adjustments will be key in a game like this. Not many do it better than Lakeland’s Frazier and Lake Mary’s Perry, who both have proven themselves on the big stage time and time again. This game will be a treat for any high school football fan wanting to check out the contest.

Zander Smith will need to be a factor

All the talk is obviously surrounding the talents of Grubbs for Lake Mary, but what about Lakeland‘s Zander Smith? The North Dakota State commitment was more of a game manager in the Dreadanughts’ 16-8 win in Week 1 down in Miami. We feel this time around, Smith will be counted on to make some plays with his arm and legs. The senior quarterback should be a factor when it’s all said and done.

How does the weather hold up in Central Florida

Oh yes, Mother Nature is upon us when it comes to afternoon/evening rain showers and thunderstorms. Now how this plays out for Lakeland and Lake Mary are two separate stories within themselves. For Lake Mary, they’ll be keeping a close eye on the weather as they would like to take to the air with all-state talent Grubbs at the controls. Flipping to Lakeland, if bad weather is on the menu, that plays right into the Dreadnaughts’ strength of running the ball. Scattered thunderstorms are being projected close to a 40 percent chance, weather will certainly be something to watch for.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl