LAKELAND, Fla., - December 7, 2018 is a date that will live forever in Lakeland. It’s the day Bill Castle and his Dreadnaughts won their seventh state championship.
“I still get excited when I watch it," said Lakeland head coach Bill Castle. He has been the architect of all seven state titles for the Dreadnaughts. "I get coach chills when I watch it. It was a great game.”
It wasn’t just the players and coaches waiting to win - it was the entire Lakeland community. So when the team gathered to receive their state rings, an entire auditorium of fans showed up.
“Its really neat to see the communities come together around this team. We’ve supported them," said Steve Madden, president of theLakeland Boosters and Century Club. "We just want the kids to know that we are for them, we are behind them, and tonight’s a culmination of just an amazing season.”
The pride also extended to past Lakeland state champs, including NFL Pro Bowl Centers Mike and Maurkice Pouncey. The twins attended the banquet and presented the program with a check for $30,000.
"We’re very thankful for the city of Lakeland, very thankful for the Lakeland football program, and we are just excited for these guys," said Mike, a Pro-Bowl center for the Los Angeles Chargers. He and Maurkice won three straight state championships at Lakeland from 2004-06. "For them to win a state championship, it means a lot to us, I know we went and bragged about it to all of our teammates in the NFL so it was awesome.”
The gift-giving continued with an 8-foot custom cake from Publix. A recreation of Bryant Stadium that included a dreadnaught battleship, helmets from every team Lakeland beat , as well as the final score from the championship game.
“One day I’m going to have kids and I’m going to get to tell them, you know, guess what happened? You’re dad went out with a bang in his senior year,” said senior linebacker Khalil Crawford.
A night to remember, for a season to remember. But in Lakeland it’s not just the team that stands on top. The entire community is right there with them.