- October 22, 2024
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The Mustangs take the field pregame.
The kickoff from senior Travis Freeman was also the kickoff of the Christopher Culton era at Lakewood Ranch.
New Mustangs coach Christopher Culton made his debut in the 21-14 loss to Ida Baker High.
Junior cornerback Jake Zapatha breaks up an Ida Baker pass.
Senior Lakewood Ranch quarterback George Davis (9) sprints ahead for a 25-yard touchdown.
Senior Mustangs wideout Josh Lundy (84) makes a falling catch for LRHS. The catch put the team at the two-yard line with three seconds remaining.
The Mustangs burst out of their new smoke tunnel.
Senior wideout Kieran Connolly and senior quarterback George Davis celebrate after Davis' touchdown.
Mustangs players point toward their end zone in response to recovering a fumble.
Junior linebacker Christopher Kourakos smiles with his "turnover chain" after recovering a fumble.
Junior corner Jake Zapatha (25) flexes after making a big hit.
Senior wideout Josh Lundy gets double-teamed downfield in the waning seconds of the Mustangs' 21-14 loss to Ida Baker.
New Lakewood Ranch High football coach Christopher Culton didn't start his tenure with a win, but did bear witness to a classic finish.
Down 21-14 to visiting Ida Baker High with 1:53 left, the Mustangs forced a fumble and recovered it on their own 45, giving themselves a chance to tie (or win) the game at the buzzer.
They got as close as the two-yard line with three seconds left. Then, senior quarterback George Davis, who earlier left the game with a hand injury, was sacked, and the game was over.
The team had a chance at all because the Mustangs got a touchdown pass from senior backup quarterback/wide receiver Cooper Corley, who found sophomore Jake Turner streaking to the end zone with 3:43 left, to make it 21-14. Lakewood Ranch scored on its first possession, but between that score and Corley's late TD pass, the unit struggled to move the ball. The triple-option offense Culton installed still has kinks to work out, Culton said.
"When it was working, it was beautiful," Culton said. "That's what you want. But kids have to trust what they see. We're asking 17-year-old kids to make quick decisions 60 times a game. It's hard."
The Mustangs had their opportunities. A first-and-goal situation in the second quarter turned into four up-the-middle bursts; none of them reached the end zone. Culton said he has no regrets about going for the touchdown and said post game that "as long as I'm the coach here and we have the ball on the one, we're going for it." The Mustangs also turned the ball over three times.
Despite a lightning storm that delayed the game approximately an hour, Culton said he didn't change his game plan because of the weather. The offense's issues were mainly self-inflicted. The hope for the Mustangs is that less wounds will be opened as the team grows together. In that sense, Culton said he's proud of the way his team fought back and gave itself a chance at the end instead of quitting.
That doesn't change the final result, though. Lakewood Ranch is now 0-1 on the year.
"Every great game has a loser," Culton said. "Tonight we lost. We got what we deserved, and Ida Baker got what it deserved."
The Mustangs will play at host Bayshore High (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.
