By Ron White
MaxPreps.com
Something special is taking place in Central Florida. Deltona’s two public high schools, long on struggles, showed much improvement in 2007, and now both teams are undefeated again to start the 2008 season.
Deltona High School (2-0) leaned on its defense Friday for a 14-0 win against visiting Kissimmee Liberty. The Wolves, who finished 8-3 last season after starting 6-0 for the first time in the school’s 19-year history, allowed only 95 yards of offense and stuffed two 4th-and-short plays to keep the Chargers (1-2) off the scoreboard.
Deltona, which endured nearly a decade of losing seasons before the 2007 turnaround, used its running game the whole night. In fact, second-year coach Todd Sisco never called a pass play. Instead, his team ran up 237 yards on 39 carries. Anthony Cowart had 79 rushing yards, and Kenny Clark added 72 yards on 16 carries. The big story, though, was fullback Pet Hewett, who set up Cowart’s 5-yard touchdown run when he ripped off a 36-yard burst through the middle of the field and later scored on a similar 28-yard rush.
“He’s a heck of an athlete,” Sisco said. “Recruiters are taking a close look at him.”
Hewett’s carries were limited, said Sisco, because he plays on both sides of the ball. On Defense, Hewett is a defensive end and a key reason Deltona held Liberty’s running game in check.
On offense, though, Deltona still has some work to do, said Sisco. The Wolves never attempted a pass and started slowly to lead just 7-0 at the half. Cowart has rushed for 335 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries.
Deltona, though, is only a part of the story. Across town, Robert Braucht’s Pine Ridge team was doing its own victory dance Friday. The Panthers had their first winning season since 1996 last fall and there’s reason for more optimism in 2008. Pine Ridge turned a lot of heads Friday with its first-ever win against Flagler Palm Coast in five tries. Behind another big night for quarterback Ben DeLaCruz, the Panthers won 24-6.
Pine Ridge (3-0) got 114 rushing yards from DeLaCruz, who has been the starter since the start of his sophomore year, and another 109 rushing yards from Bradley Lundquist. In all, Pine Ridge totaled nearly 300 yards of offense on the ground, and the 6-foot-2, 185-pound DeLaCruz also threw for 46 yards and a touchdown.
A key to the running game is the offensive line, said Braucht. The line is anchored by 6-foot-5, 325-pound senior Jacob Palmer. He is also a big part of the defense, which held FPC (1-2) to only six first downs. Quarterback Kenlee Critcher threw for 116 yards and a touchdown, but he was also intercepted twice.
When it comes to playoff hopes, the Panthers have a difficult road ahead in District 5A-4, where Mainland, Lyman and Hagerty have played well in the early going. Pine Ridge finished 6-4 a season ago but two of the losses were in district games.
A few miles south of Deltona, another Central Florida team was licking its wounds Friday. Sanford Seminole, much ballyhooed for stars such as quarteback Andre Debose, lost for the first time this season. Port Orange Spruce Creek (2-1) defeated the Seminoles 34-14, behind a big game from the defense and senior quarterback Shane Peludat, who threw for 169 yards and three touchdowns on 11-of-15 passing.
It was Peludat’s best game of the fledgling season. After taking as the starter last season, Peludat sparkled, but he lost his top two receivers to graduation in the spring, and he looked out of sync with his new route-runners in a Week 2 loss to Daytona Beach Seabreeze. Devonte Mack appears to have formed a partnership with Peludat. He cuaght two touchdown passes, both in the first half, for the Hawks. His first went for 54 yards.
Despite losing just as it had made it into the Associated Press rankings for Florida’s Class 6A schools, Seminole (2-1) had a few bright spots. Debose scored twice, including on a long kickoff return.
Seminole’s loss might hurt its hopes of remaining in the state rankings, but that’s not as likely for another of the area’s top teams. Apopka lost 28-18 to South Panola, Miss., a state power that hasn’t had a loss in an astonishing 79 games. The Blue Darters (2-1) got three scores from Jeremy Gallon, who finished the night with 168 rushing yards and 134 passing yards. The loss isn’t expected to hurt Apopka’s state ranking. In fact, it might boost it.
In Winter Springs, Al-Terek McBurse showed again why he’s on a lot of radars. Already leading the area in rushing, McBurse carried 20 times for 181 and two touchdowns and also caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Winter Springs quarterback Quentin Avery. His second rushing touchdown, a 63-yard run, came in the closing seconds to give the Bears (3-0) a 31-28 win against Timber Creek (1-2).
Orlando Boone also improved to 3-0. The Braves defeated Winter Park 21-7 behind 211 rushing yards from James Washington, who scored twice among his 29 carries. Boone’s defense smothered Winter Park throughout the night Friday, and the Wildcats’ lone score came on a fumble return.