Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School football team returns home in search of its second win in as many weeks tonight in Middleton.

The Buffalo (1-0) welcome Lecanto (1-0) for a 7 p.m. kickoff at H.G. Morse Stadium, as VHS looks to build upon a solid start to the 2025 season just one week ago. The Villages jumped out to a 43-0 halftime lead over rival Wildwood en route to a runaway 53-0 win last Friday night.

The visiting Panthers provide a much stiffer and more physical test this evening, as evident by the result between these two programs in 2024. Marred by turnovers and penalties, VHS fell 38-0 to Lecanto last August in Citrus County.

"We know it's going to be a much different opponent in Week 2," said Buffalo head coach Richard Pettus. "We've got to be ready to go and be ready to clean some things up that we didn't do well (against Wildwood)."

The Buffalo defense opened with a stingy effort, holding the Wildcats to just 44 yards in the Week 1 win. VHS also forced five turnovers in the shutout victory.

On offense, The Villages got some of its newest playmakers involved, as Leesburg transfer Ja'Marian Clark caught a pair of touchdowns and former Wildwood athlete Kevonte Corbin also hauled in a receiving score. Corbin had a spectacular season opener all around, as the senior added a punt block, an interception and a forced fumble to his touchdown.

"We're coming together a lot more and becoming closer as a team," Corbin said. "We've got a lot of confidence and it feels like we're just getting closer every single day in practice."


WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• Revenge Game: The Buffalo were blasted on the road at Lecanto last August, with the offense stuck in neutral and miscues causing issues all night long in a 38-0 loss. It was just the second loss for VHS in 11 meetings between the two programs. In that contest, the Buffalo coughed up five turnovers and were held to just 1.6 yards per carry on 25 attempts.
• Rush Delivery: The VHS rushing attack will look to pick up the pace tonight, especially after struggling through the Week 1 win against Wildwood. The Buffalo tallied just 35 yards rushing on 21 carries, though minus-43 yards on four sacks allowed hurt that total. Freshman fullback Maguire Mellinger led the way for the Buffalo with 33 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
• Getting After Them: The VHS defense harassed Wildwood quarterback Johnny Ware Jr. last Friday night, recording nine sacks in the shutout victory. The Buffalo tallied just 17 sacks in 11 games in 2024.
• Week 2 Woes: It's been a struggle in Week 2 as of late for VHS, as the Buffalo have dropped their last three Week 2 contests. The most recent Week 2 victory for the Buffalo was a 49-7 home win over Crystal River back in 2021.

GAMEDAY INFO
Who: Lecanto (1-0) vs. VHS (1-0)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: H.G. Morse Stadium (2210 Dr. Randy McDaniel Drive, Middleton)
Admission: $8 per person
Advance Tickets: https://gofan.co/event/3579729?schoolId=FL25402
Broadcast ($): https://athletics.tvcs.org/watch/?Live=105&type=Live


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment via email at cody.hills@tvcs.org.