- September 9, 2024
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August in West Orange and Southwest Orange doesn’t bring nature’s usual signs of a coming autumn — leaves falling, cooler weather and the changing color palate of the trees.
Instead, folks around this area know fall is almost here when the signs of high school football season begin to appear.
With summer workouts done and dusted, preseason events like the 2024 Florida Citrus Sports High School Football Media Day kicking off the conversation around the area’s teams and practices starting, it’s safe to say those magic words again: High school football is back!
To celebrate the return of our beloved game, we have put together the best tidbits, observations and notes from the end of spring football to the start of fall camp.
Throw away what you learned about the area’s teams in 2023. Thanks to transfers, new schemes and team identities, and another cycle of players rising through each program, the 2024 season will see a whole new landscape. Here are three teams we believe will surprise fans this season.
Horizon High. One of a coach’s biggest tasks in building a winning athletics program is establishing and re-establishing a team’s identity year-over-year. Since Horizon football’s first season in 2021, coach Dennis Thomas has done that as consistently as any other coach in the area. Under Thomas, the Hawks football program has a clear identity: Run the ball on offense, take the ball away on defense. With star running back Jamarie Pierre, plus other emerging talent in the backfield, they’ll be able to run it; add in most of their secondary is returning, and that tells us they’ll be able to force turnovers. Put it all together and Horizon has the ingredients for a winning team.
Ocoee High. Although they had a losing record last season, the Knights were a much better ball club than their 4-6 record would indicate (Ocoee lost two of its games by six total points). Combine that with its returning and new high-level talent, insane versatility and a second season under coach Buck Gurley, and the knights are in store for an incredible 2024 season.
Windermere High. The Wolverines’ offseason saw a combination of factors that makes them the epitome of what this section is all about. You start with the fact that coach Riki Smith’s return for a third season has brought an unprecedented level of stability to the team as the longest-tenured coach in the program’s young history. Then, add in an independent schedule that avoids the Class 7A monsters of West Orange and Southwest Orange with a heap of impact transfers to the roster. Suddenly, Windermere has everything it needs to fill its new on-campus stadium with wins.
What’s a football preview story without a few hot takes and predictions? Here are three interesting storylines we think are worth following this season.
Ocoee’s Joshua Guerrier will emerge as the area’s top weapon. Going into his senior season, the Pitt football commit already has made a name for himself as a versatile playmaker for the Knights — he gained 797 total yards, scored six touchdowns, caught four interceptions and made 34 tackles playing various roles in 2023.
In 2024, expect even more from Guerrier. In fact, by the end of the season, we expect him to be considered the most dangerous weapon in all of West Orange and Southwest Orange football. He will have an increased role at quarterback, a similar type of usage around the Knights’ offense, defense and special teams, and another offseason of development under his belt. His elite skillset and seemingly unlimited opportunities to make plays should equal overwhelming production on the field.
The First Academy is the area team most likely to win a state title. It’s been an eventful offseason — to say the least — since we last saw the Royals hit the gridiron under the Friday night lights. With its well-documented overhaul under second-year coach Jeff Conaway, TFA enters the 2024 season with a stable of new and incredibly talented players, to go along with various new coaches, it is clear this group has the talent to make a deep run this season.
But to be a champion, it will take a lot more than talent. Conaway and his staff need to ensure this collection of players can mesh and become a cohesive team. During the season, this group needs to learn how to overcome adversity, challenge itself against top-tier opponents and ultimately learn how to win.
Based on our experience around these players, this coaching staff and the absolute gauntlet of a schedule TFA has in 2024, we believe the Royals have the best chance of any area team to bring a state championship home.
QB Stanley Anderson-Lofton, Dr. Phillips offense will be best in the area. When asked about his team’s outlook, longtime Dr. Phillips coach Rodney Wells simply responded: “We go as Stanley goes.”
Anderson-Lofton, a Middle Tennessee commit, is entering his third season as DP’s starting quarterback. And at this point in his career, he knows the offense by heart. He’ll also have four of five starters returning along the offensive line, as well as more weapons than ever at WR. All that combined should add up to Anderson-Lofton standing above the area’s other QBs. And, as Wells said, the Panthers go as Anderson-Lofton goes, so if he’s the top dog in West, Southwest Orange this season than the Panthers will should follow as the best offense too.
Each new football season comes with a lot of changes for every program. Teams will have a completely new roster of players — both in new names and in terms of player development. Teams will have new interpersonal dynamics, new leaders and ultimately new opportunities for players to step up. Here are some players we believe could take advantage of those chances and have a breakthrough season.
Marvin Brown, Ocoee High ATH. As a freshman on varsity for the Knights last season, Brown showed flashes of his speed and versatility as a weapon on offense and on special teams in his five appearances — he gained 270 total yards on 21 touches with one touchdown.
For the Ocoee track team last spring, Brown once again showed just how fast he is when he broke the school record in the 200-meter dash. With Ocoee’s top three total yards gainers from 2023 gone and a revamped offensive identity, Brown is poised for a big sophomore season.
AJ Chung, West Orange High QB. Despite being a freshman with zero snaps in a high school varsity game, the 2023 youth football national champion has shown everything you want to see out of a quarterback during the summer — in practices, scrimmages and in leading the Warriors to a win in the Florida Gators Swamp Shootout 7-on-7 tournament.
Although his size is a bit of a concern, Chung’s arm talent, poise in the pocket and mental processing are beyond his years. Add in a quality offensive line and run game with a plethora of playmakers at wide receiver, and he has everything needed to make a name for himself in his freshman season.
Ja’Cari Jackson, Olympia High WR. In 2023, as a quarterback at Ocoee, Jackson showed flashes of his athleticism and versatility in four games. Since transferring to Olympia and switching full-time to receiver this spring, the junior has been electric for the Titans.
His speed combined with a 5-foot-11 frame and solid hands has proven to be deadly to opposing DBs during 7-on-7s, practices and in Olympia’s spring game. With a host of openings on this Titans starting offense — 10 out of 11 spots to be specific — Jackson will have plenty of opportunities to display those skills on Friday nights this fall.
More 2024 names to watch:
