October 7, 2024
South Sumter High’s Ja’Kyrian Turner Is Our Student-Athlete Of The Week
By Kyle Coppola
South Sumter High’s Ja’Kyrian Turner Is Our Student-Athlete Of The Week
BUSHNELL, Fla. — South Sumter High School running back Ja’Kyerian “Boosie” Turner delivered a monumental performance Friday night, rushing for 315 yards on 19 carries and scoring three touchdowns, leading the Raiders to a decisive 42-21 victory over Lake Minneola.
Turner’s explosive outing was part of a dominant ground game that saw South Sumter rush 58 times for a staggering 502 total yards, as the Raiders improved to 3-4 on the season. The win was a testament to their resilience as they’ve faced one of the toughest schedules in Florida high school football this year.
“We’ve played some of the best teams out there like Niceville, Hawthorne, and Wiregrass Ranch, and all those were one-score games,” said South Sumter head coach Ty Lawrence. “We are hitting our stride. I can’t even remember the last time we had a running-back go for over 300 yards.”
(One of the top athletes in Central Florida. There is a reason Ja’Kyrian is committed to Pittsburgh in 2025.)
Turner’s performance was key as the Raiders gear up for the final stretch of their 2024 campaign. With two district games remaining against Eastside High and Dunnellon, the Raiders are looking to secure yet another district title. This upcoming Friday night is also senior night at South Sumter High.
“We’re already 1-0 in the district, and with the way we played tonight, I’m confident we can finish strong,” added Lawrence. “Don’t give up on the Raiders.”
South Sumter’s relentless rushing attack overwhelmed Lake Minneola’s defense from start to finish, setting the tone early and controlling the tempo of the game. With the win. Give it up for Lake Minneola High though they might have lost but they put forward a great effort and they will have plenty to build upon the rest of the season and into next year as well with first year head coach Mike McGlynn.
(The South Sumter Offensive Line is always a joy to watch. They help open up the gaps for the running backs to thrive.)
Despite a challenging schedule, the Raiders are hitting their stride at just the right time. With Turner’s terrific performance, the Raiders could go on a run at the end of the regular season. As a former offensive lineman myself, I have to give it up for the big boys in the trenches that allow for a rushing attack of 300+ yards that is huge. That is not easy to open up gaps in the defense for a runner to take advantage of like that so shout out to the offensive line for producing a good ole fashion run game. The game has evolved with passing, but there’s nothing like a good old school game of power football.
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.
