We Speak High School Football

Palmetto Rallies Past Bishop Verot 36-13 Behind Four Touchdowns From Ashton Kelly

Published

4 hours ago

November 1, 2026

Palmetto Tigers football players tackle a Bishop Verot ball carrier

Palmetto brings down a Bishop Verot runner. Photo via @palmetto_football.

Palmetto took a two hour bus trip to Fort Myers on Friday night, October 30, fell behind early, and then took the game over. The Tigers beat Bishop Verot 36-13, winning their eighth straight game behind a huge night from senior running back Ashton Kelly and a defense that shut the Vikings out for the entire second half.

Bishop Verot struck first, scoring on its opening drive on a 16 yard touchdown pass from Hudson Peak to Ayden Gonzalez. Palmetto answered with a 39 yard field goal from Brandin Gallaway, and then the Vikings pushed their lead back out early in the second quarter on a short touchdown carry from Robi Duclona.

The game turned in about one minute. Jok Harris took a pass 45 yards to set up a quick touchdown carry from Kelly, and only 60 seconds later Kydarrion Clyburn returned an interception for a touchdown to give Palmetto a 16-13 lead. The Tigers never trailed again.

Kelly owned the second half. After the teams traded punts for most of the third quarter, he scored on an 11 yard carry late in the quarter to make it 23-13. Kemari Hands then came up with Palmetto’s second interception of the night, and a long Tigers drive ended with another short Kelly touchdown carry. After a quick Bishop Verot possession went nowhere, Kelly scored for the fourth time, barreling through three defenders at the goal line in the final minutes.

The Sarasota Herald Tribune reported that Kelly finished with 125 rushing yards and four touchdowns for Palmetto. Quarterback Matthew Hennessey completed five of his eleven passes for 103 yards, while Peak finished with 94 passing yards, one touchdown pass and two interceptions for Bishop Verot. The Herald Tribune also reported that Bishop Verot converted only two of its twelve third down chances, and that Palmetto won despite fifteen penalties for about 150 yards.

Palmetto improved to 8-1 with the win, while Bishop Verot fell to 6-3. MaxPreps lists Palmetto with a game at Winter Park on November 4 next, and both teams now look toward the playoffs.

We Speak High School Football

Lakeland Christian Routs Northside Christian 42-6 to Finish Regular Season Unbeaten

Published

4 hours ago

November 1, 2026

We Speak Media

Lakeland Christian Vikings football player in action against Northside Christian

Lakeland Christian in action against Northside Christian. Photo via @lcs.football.

Lakeland Christian closed the regular season in control from start to finish on Friday night, October 30. The Vikings beat Northside Christian 42-6 at home in Lakeland and finished the regular season unbeaten.

Running back AJ Truedell was the star of the night for Lakeland Christian. The Ledger reported that Truedell scored three touchdowns in the game, with two of them on the ground and one of them as a receiver. Every time the Vikings needed a finishing play, Truedell seemed to be the one delivering it, and Northside Christian never found an answer for him.

Quarterback Brody Brenneman gave the Vikings plenty of balance through the air. The Ledger reported that Brenneman threw three touchdown passes in the win, and that his scoring passes went to Aiden Wright, JD McCoy and Messiah Borders. With Truedell punishing the Mustangs on the ground and Brenneman spreading the ball to three different receivers, Lakeland Christian built a lead that Northside Christian could never threaten.

The result carried real weight beyond one Friday night. The Ledger reported that Lakeland Christian, now 9-0-1, completed its second undefeated regular season in six years. The Vikings had already won a third district title by beating Victory Christian a couple of weeks earlier, a win that secured their playoff spot, and they still wanted to be playing their best football when the postseason arrived. A 42-6 win in the finale was exactly that kind of statement.

Northside Christian finished its regular season at 2-8 with the loss in Lakeland. The Mustangs managed only six points against the unbeaten Vikings and now wait to see what the postseason picture holds for them.

Lakeland Christian turns straight to the playoffs with momentum on its side. In its post after the game, the team said it will be back at home on November 13 to host a regional quarterfinal, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. The Vikings enter that game unbeaten, district champions, and playing at home, which is right where they wanted to be when the regular season began.