August 20, 2024
South Lake High Football Learns Lesson’s After 17-15 Preseason Loss To Lake Nona
By Kyle Coppola
South Lake High Football Learns Lesson’s After 17-15 Preseason Loss To Lake Nona
A crucial fourth-quarter play by Lake Nona quarterback Michael Dove proved decisive in a closely contested matchup against South Lake High School last Friday night.
Dove connected on a critical third-and-20 play to extend a drive that culminated in a 12-yard touchdown run, securing a 17-15 victory for Lake Nona. The game, held at South Lake High, saw the Eagles lead for much of the night but ultimately fall short.
(South Lake High will look for bigger things in 2024. Coming off a 2-8 season. The Eagles have only won 2 games over the past two seasons but coach Brad Lord has the program trending in the right direction, now in his second full season as head coach.)
South Lake’s scoring started early when kicker Chris McKenna nailed a 25-yard field goal, giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Eagles quarterback Tre Kelly found wide receiver Keydrick Powell for a 15-yard touchdown pass, pushing South Lake ahead 9-3 at halftime. Kelly and Powell combined for several key plays throughout the game, showcasing their chemistry.
Lake Nona turned the tide in the third quarter, scoring twice to take a 17-9 lead into the fourth quarter. South Lake mounted a late comeback in the fourth quarter, with Kelly connecting with Powell, Tyger Darden, Izaiah Henderson, and Marcel Walker. Kelly scored on a one-yard plunge to cut Lake Nona’s lead to 17-15. However, the Eagles’ attempt at a two-point conversion failed.
“We have to finish drives,” South Lake head coach Brad Lord said after the game. “We were inside their 30-yard line four times and did not put up points. We also can’t miss extra points.” This is something that coach Lord has emphasized over the summer. South Lake High finished 0-10 in 2022. They won two games last year and are looking to continue the upward trend in 2024.
South Lake High will regroup and prepare for their home opener against Natures Coast on Friday night scheduled for 7 p.m.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
