Hail Lake Mary

by Laura Breen Galante

The Lake Mary High School football team recently clinched its first state championship in school history. That’s 44 years. And the way the come-from-behind win went down was nothing short of incredible.

“This state championship has been a long time coming,” says head coach Scott Perry, a Lake Mary alum and former Ram football player, himself. “It just feels really good. I can’t say enough about how proud I am of these guys.”

Coach Perry isn’t the only one bursting with pride – so is the entire Lake Mary community. 

On December 13, the Rams found themselves losing the FHSAA Class 7A state championship game at Pitbull Stadium in Miami for the second year in a row. Last time, Lake Mary lost to Venice. This time, they were losing to Vero Beach, and the rain was coming down in buckets. Only this time, things would end differently.

With just eight seconds remaining on the clock, the Rams were down by six points. That’s when Lake Mary made its final play, one so astounding that it appeared in the #1 slot on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 and has been shared by media outlets – and sports fans – around the country.

Senior quarterback and University of Notre Dame signee Noah Grubbs hurled a 42-yard Hail Mary pass down the field. 

“I was trying to find a towel to dry my hands off,” says Noah, “and then I just threw it to the group as hard as I could in those conditions. When I threw the ball, I knew No. 4, Barrett Schulz, would be down there.”

Right Place, Right Time

Vero Beach players attempted to knock the ball down, but it tipped backwards, and senior Lake Mary receiver Barrett Schulz caught it on the four yard line. As he pushed toward the end zone, he realized he wouldn’t make it. His teammate, Tavarius “TJ” Brundidge, Jr., came up from behind and took the handoff, running the ball in for the touchdown.

“My goal was to catch the ball and get into the end zone, and once I got stuffed before the end zone, I was gonna try to throw it back to another kid coming down field,” says Barrett, a Florida International University signee. “I didn’t even see TJ. He was screaming, ‘Give me the ball! Give me the ball!’ TJ took it from me and found himself in the end zone.” 

Sophomore TJ says he was simply in the right place at the right time.

“I was like, I gotta go over there and do something!” says TJ. “I thought, ‘One man can’t stop me; I’m gonna get this touchdown!’”

That tied the game at 27-27, which meant the Rams still needed the extra point to secure the win. Cue the snapper Chase Truesdell, holder Tanner Gierum, and kicker Lucas Parker, who took the field in the rain. 

Lucas, a junior and recent transfer from Lake Howell High School, says they were all scrambling for towels before the kick.

“It wasn’t just my kick,” says Lucas. “It was the snap, the hold, the protection, the drive to get us in position — all of that mattered. Once the ball was snapped, everything slowed down, and I knew it was good.”

A Magical Experience

When the ball sailed through the uprights, every Ram in Pitbull Stadium went crazy – including the boys’ parents.

“In the last minute of the game, it was really hard to see because it was raining so hard,” says Kelly Schulz, Barrett’s mom. “The tension was unreal. When Noah threw that ball into the air, we held our breath, not knowing where it was going. It was a truly magical experience.”

Karlecia Hartsfield-Brundidge, TJ’s mom, watched from the stands in shock.

“My mouth was wide open, my eyes were stretched to the max,” says Karlecia. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, is he going to make it, is he not?’”

Adds Coach Perry, who has guided the team for 20 years, “It was amazing. Our kids, even through the rain, just kept fighting. When you’ve got Noah Grubbs, you’ve always got a chance to win.”

Each player involved in that mind-blowing play humbly credits the other. All the coaching staff credit the kids. And Noah credits the entire team for the win.

“It feels great; we’re truly blessed,” says Noah. “We were down 21-3 at halftime. I mean, it was the Hail Mary play, but it was also what got us to that play. The defense really stepped up in the second half. The extra point at the end, to get us that one point ahead, by Lucas, held by Tanner, and snapped by Chase — it’s a bunch of little things, and the team execution.” 

Never Give Up

Coach Perry is thankful for his coaching staff and the commitment and grit of his players. He acknowledges it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The Rams had a rocky start to the season, but they persevered and took things one step at a time.

“We didn’t plan out the state championships,” he says. “We just planned on getting better each week.”

And that they did. 

“I never doubted us once,” says Barrett, a recent transfer from University High School. “But we had a lot of work to do at the start of the season. We found a way to make it happen.” 

Like their son Barrett, Kelly and husband Andy kept the faith during those ups and downs.

“If this season has taught us anything, it’s to keep fighting until the very end,” says Kelly. “The boys and coaches did exactly that. They never gave up, and we couldn’t be prouder.”

Ephraim Grubbs, Noah’s dad, is thrilled with the way the season ended for his son and the entire Lake Mary team. 

“It’s been an amazing opportunity and experience for these young men,” says Ephraim. “I’m thankful for the coaches who have put them in the position to do this, the Good Lord above, and the community. It was a team effort, there’s no other way to put it.”

And while Noah and Barrett will be heading off to college soon, TJ’s mom notes that he still has a couple of years left at Lake Mary.

“TJ has big plans and big hopes of getting back to state and bringing Lake Mary another win,” says Karlecia.

We Are RamNation

A few days after claiming the title, Lake Mary High School hosted a Ramnation State Championship Celebration on its football field. Families, students, staff, and community members packed the turf for presentations and a ceremony honoring the medal-clad players and coaches, with the championship trophy on prominent display. 

“We couldn’t have done this without the support of the community, the parents, and our administration,” says Coach Perry.

That includes Dr. Mickey Reynolds, the school’s principal, who was cheering alongside everyone else at the celebration.

“The trophy represents so much pride, so much hard work,” says Dr. Reynolds. “It’s just amazing.”

Even though the calendar has now flipped to 2026, don’t expect Coach Perry to stop watching that history-making Hail Mary pass anytime soon.

“I’ve seen the play probably 60 to 70 times,” he says, “and it never gets old!”