Lucas Minenok scores twice in 21-6 win over Ridge
Just call Poinciana’s senior quarterback Lucas Minenok "The Tortoise".
Not that he’s slow, but, like the Tortoise never quit and beat the Hare, Minenok has faced challenge after challenge in high school. He has refused to quit through a canceled football season his junior year, an autoimmune disease this fall, and moving to Florida from Ohio to finally see the Friday night lights.
The 6-1, 210-pound quarterback scored two touchdowns, in the air and on the ground, in the Eagles’ 21-6 victory over Ridge Community High School in a Class 6A, District 9 opener for both teams.
His road to Poinciana was different than most transfer students. After suffering minor injuries at two different schools in Ohio that kept him off the field his freshman and sophomore year, Minenok was ready to hit the gridiron when he transferred to Ohio football powerhouse, Ursuline High School for his junior season. During a team trip to Florida in June 2025, there was an allegation of violent hazing and sexual abuse against freshman players. Videos of the attacks were on Snapchat. Minenok was not involved in the hazing but was affected when the Ursuline season was canceled.
“Obviously, there was disappointment, but I just trusted in God, trusted in God's plan for me, and I knew that he had something in store,” Minenok said. “It was just time to get back to work.”
His mother, Roberta was shocked when she heard the newspaper stories at the time.
“We were flabbergasted,” Roberta said. “We didn't expect any of that.”
In the fall while still in Ohio, Minenok started having severe back pain. He was diagnosed with juvenile spondyloarthritis, an autoimmune rheumatic disease that causes joint inflammation before the age of 16, according to the Spondylitis Association of America. Doctors told the family the warmer conditions in Florida would be better for his condition. He leaves practice early every Thursday to take shots in his back to relieve his symptoms. There was a point that he wasn’t sure he would ever get to play high school football again.
He and his dad moved to Florida in the spring to work with his older brother Pat Minenok, a strength and conditioning coach who played football at Youngstown State.
Coach Taron Mallard had no idea what to expect from the younger brother.
“From the minute the summer started, he was beating me to the building for summer workouts,” Mallard said. “As long as we can keep him upright. Lucas can make every throw and every play that we have in the playbook.”
His mother says she couldn’t have written a movie script with this many challenges for her son
“Who would have ever thought that? You could never write something like this,” Roberta remarked. “You could never imagine that for his senior year we'd even had this opportunity.”
Minenok said football is football, but the difference between Ohio and Florida is the speed of the players. He said he is still working on getting used to facing faster defenders. He showed his progress midway through the first quarter when he was forced out of the pocket and hit Jamaire Williams for an 88-yard touchdown pass. Williams caught the ball on the Ridge 40-yard line and outran the nearest defender to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
“They were in a cover-0 look, so I just picked my best matchup and just let it go,” Minenok said of the play, crediting Williams for getting so open.
Minenok ran in a keeper from the 10-yard with 8:58 left in the second quarter to give the Eagles (3-1) a 14-0 lead.
Ridge (0-3) scored its first touchdown of the season with 8:18 left in the game on a Kazavion Sherman 16-yard run. After a failed two-point conversion the Eagles led to 14-6. Late in the fourth quarter, Quinton Straughter intercepted Ridge quarterback Troy Murphy and rumbled 35 yards for a touchdown. Gregory Stambaugh connected on all three extra point attempts.
Minenok (7-for-15 passing for 187 yards, 31 yards rushing) noted the game was closer than expected due to numerous offensives penalties. The senior quarterback took the blame for not being a better communicator with his teammates.
“He is a mature kid off the field,” Mallard said of Minenok, who has a 4.24 GPA and a 1230 SAT score. “However, he lacks experience as a quarterback and that sometimes shows in our penalties.”
This was the first district win for Poinciana in three years, as they were an independent the last two seasons. Aaron Reno added 23 yards rushing for the Eagles.
Poinciana hosts Gateway next Friday night.
