File photo by Chad Pilster
Kent Galnous, Edgewater
Orange County’s teams look to reign supreme in Florida in 2009 after watching Volusia and Seminole counties take away a bit of the spotlight last year.
While Apopka and Boone and Dr. Phillips played well, it was Sanford Seminole that won the big-school state title, and Daytona Beach schools Mainland, Seabreeze and Warner Christian that turned a lot of heads with an undefeated regular season, a Class 4A state semifinal berth and a Class 1B state championship appearance, respectively.
Orlando-area fans, though, can rest assured that several Orange teams look to shock the state this fall. Apopka, Boone, Dr. Phillips, Timber Creek, Olympia and Edgewater appear primed to make runs at the 6A state title. Meanwhile, Orlando First Academy hopes to build on last year’s 10-2 season.
How the city’s big schools stack up is anyone’s guess. In 2008, DP finished the regular season 9-1, and Boone went eight straight games before dropping a pair of heartbreakers to Dr. Phillips and Edgewater.
Apopka cruised to an 8-2 regular season, but the Blue Darters squeaked past both Edgewater and Olympia by two points. Edgewater finished an uncharacteristic 5-5 but scored a big win against Boone and lost to Timber Creek, Apopka and Winter Park by a combined 13 points.
This fall, Apopka and Dr. Phillips start with new quarterbacks. Jeremy Gallon and Nico Ranieri graduated and moved to the collegiate game. That leaves the door wide open, and Edgewater believes it can waltz right through it.
Although Edgewater endured a difficult season in 2008, two of the team’s most lopsided defeats were at the hands of Dr. Phillips and perennial state powerhouse Tallahassee Lincoln. Edgewater should be able to gain an early read on the quality of this year’s squad.
After starting with a 46-0 preseason win against Hagerty, Edgewater kicks off the regular season Friday against Dr. Phillips and plays Olympia and Apopka in subsequent weeks. Dr. Phillips and Boone also appear primed for big seasons.
Though Ranieri is gone, the Panthers still have a pair of talented receivers in Kenny Shaw and Ricardo Miller and two strong running backs in Demetrius Hard and Marvin Ford to lead the offense. DP defeated Flagler Palm Coast 34-0 in their preseason tilt. A pair of quarterbacks, senior Robbie Matey and sophomore Nick Patti, are locked in a competition for the starting quarterback job.
Meanwhile, Boone still features Sam Hutsell. The senior signal-caller is the starter under center for the third straight season. Boone won 24-7 against Ocoee in their preseason game. DP and Boone will vie for the Class 6A-5 crown with Freedom, a 5-5 team a year ago, hoping to bust through the logjam for a playoff spot.
As the Orlando Sentinel points out in Steve Ruiz’s crazy alphabetic rundown of the 2009 season, nobody should count out Apopka, either. Though the team proved vulnerable on defense in 2008, the Blue Darters have earned a spot in the playoffs for nine straight seasons and won a state title in 2001. Apopka pounded Oak Ridge 43-7 in their preseason game.
Timber Creek, Winter Park and Evans appear ready to vie for the two Class 6A-3 playoff spots. Timber Creek won the district title last season with an 8-2 regular-season mark and won their preseason game against Spruce Creek 21-0.
Winter Park finished 6-4 last year, and they start this season with holes to fill. Winter Park, though, still has running back Zee Ware, who ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2008.
Evans was 5-5 in 2008, but Evans now plays in a new district at the 5A level rather than at the 6A level. The Trojans defeated Freedom 22-20 in the preseason. The Orlando Sentinel reports that the team features a pair of workhorses in 6-foot-5, 308-pound senior guard Davonnie Coard and 6-6, 260-pound junior tackle Darrell Williams.
In District 6A-4, Olympia hopes to upend Apopka’s long dominance. Olympia finished 7-3 during the 2008 season yet missed the playoffs in a division that also featured Clermont East Ridge, which had one of the state’s top running backs. Winter Park defeated Olympia 14-7 in the preseason.
Quarterback Trevor Siemian and a host of veteran offensive and defensive lineman lead the Titans. Siemian threw for more than 2,000 yards last year, and 60 of his passes went to Rashad Lawrence, who also returns this fall.
In Class 2A, Jones hopes to build on last year’s 7-4 mark. In Class A, meanwhile, First Academy is ready to reproduce last year’s 10-2 squad that reached the regional finals. Trinity Prep was 6-3 in 2008. The team moves Class A this season and meets First Academy in a big district tilt on Oct. 10.
Rounding out Orange County's most hopeful teams are Bishop Moore, Lake Highland Prep and Pine Castle Christian. All three had winning records in 2008. Teams with some work to do include Colonial, Cypress Creek, East River, Lake Nona, Oak Ridge, Ocoee, University, Central Florida Christian, Agape Christian Wekiva. Lutheran Academy and West Orange.
Lake Nona, East River and Lutheran Academy are new in 2009, and the other nine combined for only 18 wins during the 2008 season. Wekiva, a 2-year-old school, had four of them during a 4-6 campaign.