- December 20, 2024
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Week Four of the high school football season in West Orange and Southwest Orange County did not disappoint, providing the area's fans with plenty of storylines to dig their teeth into; from Olympia's overtime win to Dr. Phillips handling Ocoee for the homecoming win to the West Orange Warriors taking care of business at home against Boone and more.
Here are Orange Observer Sports Editor Sam Albuquerque's top five observations from the action across the area.
No. 1: Olympia's overtime win shows growth for young core
Since the start of the 2024 football season, Titans football coach Travis Gabriel has been clear that this season isn't about focusing on its win-loss record but instead on the growth of his young and inexperienced team.
In its 30-23 overtime win against the visiting Timber Creek Wolves, things started to click for the talented Titans.
"Raymond Green our running back was phenomenal," Gabriel said. "I think he finally started to figure it out. He went for like 160 yards and two touchdowns ... Ja'Cari Jackson and Eric Weems are two of my best players and they went out there and just did whatever it took to help the team win. It wasn't about individual stats for them. Our O-Line played great, we had over 200 yards rushing. They were opening up holes, they were being aggressive on the football. I think the kids just wanted this win more than any other win this year."
No. 2: Windermere keeps the main thing the main thing in dominant "home" win
Following all of the excitement, attention and confusion of a distraction-filled week, that was supposed to see the Windermere Wolverines play its first-ever home game on their school campus, ultimately — due to not receiving its certificate of occupancy from Orange County — the stadium-opening ceremonies were postponed and Windermere played its 2024 home opener against the University Cougars at Ocoee High School.
So, if the Windermere Wolverines football team came out in Week Four and lost, no one would have batted an eye; coach Riki Smith and his players had every excuse in the book to fall in their first "home" game of the season. But if you've been around this program for the past few seasons, you would know that's not how these folks operate.
Instead of feeling bad for themselves, the Wolverines kept the main thing, the main thing and played dominant football, beating University by 50 points and maintaining an undefeated record, 4-0.
No. 3: Dr. Phillips composure, experience on full display
Early in the first quarter of Dr. Phillips' homecoming game against the Ocoee Knights, Panthers quarterback Stanley Anderson-Lofton threw an interception that was followed by the Knights offense marching the ball near the goal line. Thanks to a stop from DP's defense on a fourth-down attempt — Panthers defensive back Xayvion Mincey blew up the play with a sack — Anderson-Lofton and his offense got the ball back inside their own 10-yard line.
Just being backed up on its side of the field against an Ocoee defense that's nightmare-inducing, most high school QBs wouldn't fair to well — especially following throwing an interception. Anderson-Lofton, a Middle Tennessee commit, isn't like most high school quarterbacks. The Panthers offense took the ball and marched past midfield before the senior QB found one of his favorite targets, Central Michigan commit Mykel Calixte, for a long touchdown pitch and catch and the first score of the game.
Despite the bounce-back drive by Anderson-Lofton and Co., the plethora of stoppages, penalties and turnovers that followed made the game so choppy that it would have made Captain Ahab (from the novel Moby Dick) seasick. Still, DP coach Rodney Wells and his bunch never got rattled and pulled out the 21-7 win over the Knights.
No. 4: CFCA, Legacy Charter get first wins of 2024
After a rough start to the season for the Eagles of both Central Florida Christian Academy and Legacy Charter, the two football programs earned their first wins of 2024.
For the Legacy Eagles, they shut out Trinity Prep, 20-0, after a strong display on the ground where all three of their scores came from rushing the ball. On the other end of the spectrum, the CFCA Eagles squeezed out a 36-34 over Marco Island Academy thanks to its balanced offensive attack led by Nyshaun Drye's two rushing TDs and Davy Murphy's two receiving TDs.
No. 5: West Orange's "sacrifice me for we" mentality on full display
West Orange Warriors coach Geno Thompson has been raving about the culture that this group of players — especially the leadership coming from his senior class — have built since the spring, as his squad has really embraced their "sacrifice me for we" motto that's helped them start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2015.
A perfect example of how that mindset manifests itself on the field came in the final moments of West Orange's 24-17 home win over Boone High.
With 1:12 left to play, sophomore quarterback Brian Dillard broke free from the Braves defense and had only air and green grass between him and a highlight-worthy 43-yard touchdown run.
"(He) could have walked in the endzone," Thompson said. "Instead, (he made the) huge selfless decision and slid at the three-yard line, so we could knee it out and not send Boone’s offense back on the field. Brian Dillard’s football IQ is phenomenal. True team before self (moment)! We showed how to 'sacrifice me for we' tonight."
