Rock You Like A Hurricane: Gainesville Routs Lake Weir 41-0

Gainesville and Lake Weir, both named the Hurricanes, had their original game cancelled because of, ironically, a hurricane. So, the two teams made up for it on Monday, October 30. Lake Weir entered the game fresh off a 54-42 victory over Leesburg, where running back Kimo Clarke rushed for a school-record 339 yards on the ground. Gainesville, meanwhile, was coming off of back-to-back 49-14 victories over Leesburg and South Lake, respectively.

Mistakes Cost Lake Weir Early

From the moment the game started, it was quite clear that Gainesville was the superior team. Lake Weir started first on offense and scored no points. After Gainesville’s first possession, Lake Weir got the ball back and again, there was no scoring. To make matters worse, the team had a dead ball penalty while punting, giving Gainesville the ball on the Lake Weir three-yard line. Running back Willie McKnight took full advantage with a three-yard touchdown run to help put Gainesville up 7-0.

In the second quarter, Willie McKnight put the team on his back again with a touchdown run of 49 yards. The PAT was no good, making it 13-0 Gainesville. McKnight later ran for his third touchdown of the half from two yards. Gainesville then successfully converted a two-point attempt to make it 21-0. Gainesville quarterback Luke Matthews then connected with receiver Jalen Kelsey for a 14-yard touchdown reception. The PAT was good, making it 28-0 Gainesville as the first half came to an end.

Gainesville Defense Dominant in the First Half

To give an idea of just how suffocating Gainesville’s defense was in the first half, Larry Savage, high school sports editor for The Gainesville Sun, provided insight.

Lake Weir with 40 yards in first half

— Larry Savage (@SunPreps) October 31, 2017

Gainesville Continues Onslaught in the Second Half

Gainesville got things going in the second half when Matthews found running back Niles Cromwell for a 39-yard touchdown reception. The PAT was good, making it 35-0 Gainesville. In the fourth quarter, Matthews hit receiver Omar Pope for a 30-yard touchdown reception. The PAT was no good, making it a final score of 41-0 for Gainesville.

Notable Stats

McKnight was Gainesville’s best player on offense, gaining 108 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Matthews finished the game with 205 passing yards and three touchdowns on 15 of 22 passing. Lake Weir’s offense performed even worse in the second half with -10 total yards, bringing their overall production to just 30 total yards. Kimo Clarke, who had a record-breaking game before as mentioned, was held to just 28 yards.

Gainesville gets rare game on Monday, shuts out Lake Weir 41-0 at Citizens Field https://t.co/dAiRqTSc9O

— Larry Savage (@SunPreps) October 31, 2017

 What’s Next?

Gainesville will face the Eastside Rams at Citizen’s Field on Friday, November 3, at 7:30 p.m. Lake Weir will travel to Inverness, Florida on the same day to take on the Citrus Hurricanes at 7 p.m.