Lakeland won its first state title under Bill Castle in 1986 with a record-setting quarterback in Shane Willis. Thirty-seven years later, the Dreadnaughts won their first state title under Marvin Frazier with another record-setting signal caller.
Junior Zander Smith, who was in his first year at Lakeland after transferring from Palmetto, broke two school records and tied a third in leading Lakeland to a 12-3 season and their ninth state championship.
Smith is The Ledger’s Big School Offensive Player of the Year.
Top boys runner: George Jenkins’ Caden Baker emerges as top boys cross country runner with breakout season
Top girls runner: Just an 8th grader! Goals keep growing for girls cross country runner of the year Emma Wilkinson
Three in a row: She is one of Polk County’s top volleyball players of all time. Meet McKeel’s Juleigh Urbina
Lakeland quarterback Zander Smith led Lakeland to the state championship in his first year as a Dreadnaught.
His impact goes beyond just numbers, but let’s start with the numbers: Smith finished the season completing 140 of 202 passes (69.3 completion percentage) for 1,920 yards with 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He broke Willis’ single-season record mark of 1,815 yards. His completion percentage broke Zachary Pleuss’ mark of 66.1. According to the best records available, Pleuss broke Willis’ mark of 64.3% last year. Smith also tied Al Bellotto’s mark set in 1982 of 23 touchdown passes in a season.
“He just was a tenacious leader had the ability to put the ball wherever we needed to put it when it came to the passing game,” Lakeland coach Marvin Frazier said. “And then it took him not long but it was just something that he needed to learn as far as all the under-center (plays) and the different deals with that, and he went flying. Even when he goes down with the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/zander-smith-led-lakeland-title-090442185.html
Author : The Ledger
Publish date : 2023-12-29 09:04:42
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
