- December 20, 2024
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Week Three of the high school football season in West Orange and Southwest Orange threatened to be a repeat of the rain and lightning-filled 2024 opener, which saw eight area games delayed or canceled.
Though most of the area games were affected by some sort of weather delay, only one didn't see a final result — University High at Lake Buena Vista High was suspended with 7:29 left in the third quarter.
Despite shortened and delayed games, Week Three had a ton of interesting developments and observations to pick from, including Windermere High staying undefeated, Foundation Academy picking up its first win and The First Academy dominating in its home-opener but we start off edition No. 3 of Friday Night Five with the Dr. Phillips High defense making a statement at Apopka High.
No. 1: Dr. Phillips' young defense took a step forward in road win
The big question I had coming into this game was could the veteran Panthers' offense lead Dr. Phillips football to a win over a stout Apopka defense that hadn't allowed a point across its first two games?
What I didn't anticipate was the young DP defense to be the unit leading the way for a huge road win over the Blue Darters.
Despite Apopka not showing to have an explosive offense early in the season — scoring 16 combined points in two games — the Blue Darters always have athletes touting the rock in its run-heavy scheme, so for a Panthers' defense, that returns just one starter, to hold Apopka to just three points is impressive and says a lot about the job coach Rodney Wells has done leading that side of the ball.
No. 2: Windermere's win means it'll open its new stadium undefeated
The moment is finally here, the Windermere Wolverines are coming home and after a 14-12 road win over Colonial High — thanks to an Eddie Russomanno pick-six and a Jack Reilly to Bryce Speed touchdown pass — coach Riki Smith and his team are opening their new on-campus stadium with an undefeated 3-0 record.
The only thing that would make this start to Windermere's season even more storybook would be a win over the University Cougars Friday, Sept. 13.
No. 3: West Orange showed what it's made of in thrilling road win
Down 21-17, on the road and with around two minutes left to play, the West Orange Warriors didn't flinch. On offense, sophomore quarterback Brian Dillard called his own number on a 45-yard touchdown run to give the Warriors their first lead of the game since the first half. West Orange led the Titusville Terriers, 24-21.
But the job wasn't done yet, Titusville had the ball with enough time to drive down the field. But that's when junior Edison Delgado called game, picking off an errant pass to move the Warriors to 2-0 on the season.
No. 4: Foundation dominated in home win
Given the amount of roster turnover the Lions of Foundation Academy had coming into the 2024 season, you could excuse the 0-2 start for coach Andre Walker and his crew, but with Bronson High visiting the Lions this week, things started to click in a real way for Foundation's young team.
From the running game led by Sam Wood, to the defense and even the rotation of quarterbacks, everything fell into place for the Lions, as they dominated the Eagles and picked up a 42-0 win in this shortened and delayed game.
No. 5: Ocoee's stars shined bright again
There's not much else to say about the Ocoee Knights' star players other than they're one of the most talented groups in the area and again — in their 30-6 win over Lake Nona High — they showed that to be true.
Junior linebacker Michael McClenton had 25 total tackles, six for a loss and three sacks. Senior athlete Joshua Guerrier had seven tackles, two for a loss, a sack, three catches for 89 yards with one touchdown. Senior running back Jamarian Robinson ran for 150 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown. Senior defensive end Diego De Pina had 10 total tackles and a forced fumble he recovered, while junior athlete Nehemiah Ward had two touchdowns — one rushing and one receiving — with 58 total yards gained.
You can catch this incredibly talented group Friday, Sept. 13 as Ocoee goes on the road to play another area juggernaut, Dr. Phillips, in what is an early contender for game of the year.
