The ride is over. The Lakeland Prep Lions fell at Pearl-Cohn in Nashville on Friday night in the second round of the TSSAA Class 4A football playoffs, ending their season at 8-4.
The details:
- What: TSSAA Division I, Class 4A state playoffs, second round (Game 206)
- Final: Pearl-Cohn 42, Lakeland Prep 7, per TSSAA’s official bracket and MaxPreps (The Tennessean’s game story reported 49-7)
- When: Friday, Nov. 13
- Where: Pearl-Cohn High School, Nashville
How it went: Pearl-Cohn struck first on a 28-yard punt return about a minute into the game, The Tennessean reported. The Lions answered with a 77-yard drive, capped when Connor Jones took a direct snap and scored from 4 yards out to tie it 7-7. From there, the Firebirds took over and led 28-7 at halftime. Lakeland Prep drove to the Pearl-Cohn 12 midway through the fourth quarter but turned it over on downs.
The other sideline: Pearl-Cohn quarterback LJ Funk, a Toledo commit, completed all 13 of his passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns, per The Tennessean.
The season: The loss snapped Lakeland Prep’s five-game win streak. A week earlier, the Lions beat Jackson North Side 30-16 in the program’s first home playoff game.
What’s next: Pearl-Cohn (9-3) hosts Marshall County in the Class 4A quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 20. The state championship is Saturday, Dec. 5, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.
Nice season, Lions.
Sources: The Tennessean: Pearl-Cohn advances with rout of Lakeland Prep · The Tennessean: second-round live updates (halftime scores) · TSSAA Class 4A bracket · TSSAA matchup history: Pearl-Cohn vs. Lakeland Prep · MaxPreps: Lakeland Prep recap · Lakeland Report: second-round preview · Lakeland Report: Lakeland Prep beats Jackson North Side
Photo: Lakeland Preparatory School (LPS Football). Shows Lakeland Prep football underclassmen from the 2025-26 season. Resized and set on a blurred fill.
