What a day it was for Auburndale football’s Edward brothers.
In the very last year the two are able to play high school football together — Teo Edwards is a sophomore quarterback while Takeo Edwards is a senior receiver — the brotherly duo get it done and help win Auburndale its fourth 7-on-7 title in school history (2016, 2019, 2021 and 2026) thanks to an undefeated record in the tourney and a 27-8 win over Bartow at the 2026 Polk County 7v7 Tournament at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Continuing their productive trend, the duo hooked up for two touchdowns in the tourney but there were key big spots the two came through on.
“It’s been a pleasure coaching both of them,” Auburndale head football coach Antonio Thomas said after the game. “We have a lot of work to do. I’m just proud of these kids. They had a great day out here today. … They played together. That’s what we came out for – to win. Last year we were second. …”
This time, however, there wasn’t a team that beat them for them to come in second place: Auburndale in pool play beat George Jenkins 24-14, won over Lake Region 15-12, upended Mulberry 26-2 and was victorious over Bartow 17-13, while in the semifinal the Bloodhounds bested Tenoroc 22-14 and dominated Bartow 27-8 in the championship game.
But it wasn’t all peaches and cream for the brothers, particularly in the semifinals. Teo and Takeo were trying to run a deep out pass that wasn’t executed, as either the ball was underthrown or the right route didn’t happen. Both players were noticeably frustrated, but Thomas implored Takeo to run back to the huddle. They still shook it off and ran the next play en route to some championship moxie.
“At times they get frustrated with themselves because they have high expectations for the other one. So, if Takeo overruns a ball, Teo is going to get mad at him. If Teo overthrows (or underthrows) a ball, Takeo is going to get mad, so out of the two brothers they have a high expectation for each other,” Thomas said.
This expectation dates back from when the two brothers were coming up and playing football and having catches with each other at their Auburndale home. The love of the game ballooned for both brothers, as they started studying folks who came before them to perfect their craft.
That connection and dedication to the game translates big time to the field.
“As far as playing backyard football, we always did that. It’s always been a connection, and it always builds to the field. From backyard to real life, the connection is always there,” Teo said.
Fast forward to 2025 on the field, Teo passed for 2,151 yards and 26 touchdowns as well as 530 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, while Takeo racked up 707 yards and 12 touchdown receptions en route to an 8-3 record for Auburndale. And as a result, both all-county players are being heavily looked at by some colleges.
“I’m building this program off of four things: manhood, scholarship, perseverance (and) uplift,” Thomas said.
Training camp starts on July 27 for Auburndale.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Auburndale football brothers team up for one last football season
Reporting by Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
