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Florida high school football team receive their state championship rings

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez05/28/25lawandfern
Venice Indians - Florida high school football
© MATT HOUSTON/HERALD-TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Venice Indians had a dominating 2024 Florida high school football season, capped off by a Class 7A state championship. To commemorate that victory, the team had its awards ceremony at the Venice Performing Arts Center.

Venice running back Dorien Jones showed how the ring looks in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter). It’s a diamond encrusted ring that bears the school’s logo and the football shape on top. The side of the ring shows the words ‘7A State’ while another panel contains the player’s surname, their jersey number, and the hashtag “#ItsJustDifferentHere.”

The other panel shows the school’s name, an outline of Florida’s map, the year they won the state title (2024). Beneath those details are references to a football gridiron.

Venice won their fourth Florida high school football state championship after dominating Lake Mary 52-19. In that game, Jamarice Wilder had 181 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Malakai Corbett had a receiving touchdown. Meanwhile, the Indians’ defense generated two sacks, two interceptions, and nine tackles for losses.

That victory ended the Indians’ season at 14-1, with their only loss coming against IMG Academy. They limited four opponents to single-digit points, including a 76-0 demolition of Sarasota. Venice’s successful campaign made them the 14th best team in the nation based on the On3 Composite Team Rankings. Likewise, the Indians are Florida’s second-best team behind Chaminade-Madonna Prep.

In addition to four state championships, Venice has 13 Florida high school football regional titles and 19 district victories. As head coach John Peacock leads the Indians in their title defense, he will lose some key players to college.

Wilder will join the Louisville Cardinals, while four-star wideout Winston Watkins Jr. will play for Ole Miss. Defensive lineman Eli Jones will start his journey at the University of South Florida, and Ryan Matulevich will represent Dartmouth.