​LAKELAND — George Jenkins football quickly took care of business against Discovery on Friday, Aug. 28 and now can prepare for what the Eagles expect to be their first big test of the season.Starting strong in all facets of the game, Jenkins defeated Discovery 55-0. They expect a stronger test against Lake Region on the road next week. Lake Region is coming off a 25-0 victory over Fort Meade.George Jenkins (2-0) defeated Lake Region last year for its only win but now has twice as many wins in 2026. While Jenkins — Lake Region too — is improved, Jenkins head coach Paul Freeman is making sure his players stay grounded and execute on what the coaching staff is focusing on.“We had talked about we were 0 to 4 in the first two halves, you know, the first two games (including the kickoff classic) coming out of the half and beginning of the game,” Freeman said. “So all week we had talked about fast start. We really wanted to put an emphasis on that because we knew as we get deeper into, the season, in the district that we can’t start slow or we’re going to be down to some good people. And so that was really a plus tonight. It’s just a fast start, staying focused and making sure that we were just trying to be the best 11 we could be.”Special teams gives early boostSheldon Dennis Jr. made sure the Eagles got off to a strong start. He took the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, giving Jenkins a 7-0 lead just 10 seconds into the game.Defense sets toneGeorge Jenkins’ defense never gave Discovery the chance to get its offense going while the game was still close. On the Spartans’ second play of the game, last week’s offensive hero Luke Martindale came up with the interception to give Jenkins the ball at the Discovery 36.On Discovery’s second play on its next possession, Jacob Soto came up with the Eagles’ second interception of the game to give his team possession on the Discovery 27. The Eagles needed just two plays to score on both ensuing possessions.Offense shows balanceAs is expect when a team puts up 55 points, there were plenty of offensive playmakers. Jenkins showed off its wide receiver trio as Evan Shirley caught a 30-yard touchdown pass, and Shawn James caught a 33-yard touchdown pass. Martindale caught back-to-back passes for 73 yards with the second one going 18 yards for a touchdown.Quarterback Brayden Padgett was perfect, completing 4 of 4 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns.The running back also got in the act as Malik Raymond ran for 60 yards and two touchdowns, Carldez Baker ran for 77 yards and one touchdown, and Jamaine Harrison ran for a 20-yard touchdown.This article originally appeared on The Ledger: George Jenkins football breezes past Discovery; ready for first big test