By Ron White
MaxPreps.com
It’s a big week for Orlando’s Class 6A schools, and that’s not just because it’s the opening week of their seasons. Several top teams are matched up in rivalry games that should provide lots of insight into where they rank.
When it comes to rankings, Apopka is the top of the class in Central Florida. The Blue Darters were ranked No. 2 in an Associated Press preseason poll, and their big win in preseason action last week and 12-2 mark a season ago makes them the favorites Friday in a key match-up with visiting Lake Brantley. The visitors will have their hands full trying to stop quarterback Jeremy Gallon, who accounted for almost 3,000 yards of offense last season.
The Patriots are no strawmen. Lake Brantley reached the playoffs in 2007 before losing to Port Orange Spruce Creek, an outcome that many called an upset. Lake Brantley didn’t start the season in the preseason top 10. Instead, the Patriots, a perennial 6A power, garnered just a single vote for the AP rankings. As such, they have much to prove, and they’ll have to do it in hostile territory.
Orlando Boone is a team that is no doubt on the minds of Apopka’s players. After all, it was Boone that knocked off the Blue Darters to reach the 6A state championship game.
The Braves enter this season ranked fifth in the AP’s preseason poll, and their first order of business will be Friday’s home game with Lake Mary. The Rams, coached by Scott Perry, have much to prove after struggling through a 4-6 season in 2007. Lake Mary believes its strength this season will be its defensive line. They’ll likely need a strong game from the linemen to hold off James Washington, who returns after leading Boone in rushing last season.
Two more big schools meet Friday when Orlando Edgewater travels to play Orlando Dr. Phillips. Edgewater, another perennial 6A power, starts the season with a No. 10 ranking after finishing 9-3 last season. The Eagles begin the season with a lot of questions about its offensive line. After all, the entire line is new, and the biggest void is Michael Brewster, who is now at Ohio State. It’s difficult to tell how Edgewater will fare this season, but history dictates that Dr. Phillips should expect a challenge this week.
Dr. Phillips started slowly in 2007 before finishing with a 7-5 mark. The team should be even better this year with its offense led again by quarterback Nico Ranieri and a pair of talented running backs. Ranieri is a transfer from Cypress Creek, and he’s not the only change for the Panthers. New coach Dale Salapa leads Dr. Phillips. He takes the helm from Kevin Pettis, who left to coach DeLand this season.
Speaking of DeLand, the Bulldogs kick off their season against Mainland (1-0) in a game to be played at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. The host Bucs won last week in Georgia and look to showcase their defense, which lost Phillip Bailey to Spruce Creek.
DeLand senior Mike Gillislee, a University of Florida recruit, will do his best to shred Mainland’s defense, but that’s something few teams have accomplished in recent years. Meanwhile, sophomore running back Marlin Lane Jr. will attempt to do the same to DeLand’s defense. Lane is a transfer from 1B Lighthouse Christian, which is located in DeLand.
While Mainland has its hands full with Gillislee, Port Orange Spruce Creek plans to show what Mainland lost with the transfer of Bailey. The senior linebacker is one of the state’s best, and his decision to transfer to a school that has a history of academic excellence shows that he’s focused on his future. That’s probably good news for Spruce Creek, which has to prove that last year’s deep playoff run was not a fluke.
The Hawks also will try to sort out their offense, which was led by Shane Peludat last season after starting quarterback Chase Sofiak suffered an elbow injury. Peludat proved he could do the job during the team’s 9-4 run in 2007. He threw for almost 2,000 yards. As such, Sofiak is expected to line up in the backfield to start of the season. While the team lost some of its top runners and receivers to graduation, the Hawks are picked to earn another playoff spot this season. First, however, they’ll need to start the season off on the right foot against a Daytona Beach Seabreeze team that is always deep in talent.
This Seabreeze team looks somewhat different than the 12-1 team from a season ago. Gone is prolific quarterback Troy Dannehower, who is now playing for Florida International, and two dozen other seniors. That means a host of new starters for Marc Beach’s bunch. If last season was a dream year, this one could turn into a nightmare. But don’t expect it. Seabreeze has a history of success, and this team should find its strength at some point. If it happens against Spruce Creek, Beach should be all smiles at the end of the night.
Further west, two talented teams hook up Friday when East Ridge travels to South Sumter. The host Raiders, who finished 11-2 last season, return nearly half of their starters, including two anchors on the offensive line in seniors Michael Bellamy and Dustin Brown. It’s the defense, however, that needs to be ready on Friday. After all, East Ridge running back Jeremy Wright is one of the area’s best. In fact, he ran for more than 200 yards in the team’s preseason game last week.
Among other key games this week are Deltona Pine Ridge at New Smyrna Beach, Bartow at Winter Haven, Lake Howell at Oviedo, Jones at Evans, Osceola at St. Cloud and Ocoee at Winter Park.