- April 25, 2024
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It’s hard to believe, but at this point in time, we are beyond the halfway mark of the football season.
Some local schools find themselves in the driver’s seat as they barrel toward postseason play, while others are on the outside looking in.
We’ve also seen highlight-reel catches and big runs from some of the top talent in the Central Florida area — which there is sure to be more of as the season progresses.
But in the meantime, let’s look at home teams have fared so far.
The Eagles (6-0, 3-0) stand alone at the top, as the lone unbeaten team in the area — thanks to good play at every level of the game.
Although the schedule has been fairly kind — no team the Eagles have faced have a winning record sans Bishop Moore — the Eagles have proven to be a well-oiled machine on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, quarterback RJ Harvey has been the focus because of his athleticism as a true dual-threat QB. Through the air, he has picked up 764 yards and nine touchdowns on 45-for-84 passing, while using his feet to amass 436 yards and eight touchdowns on 30 carries. In the last game against Lake Howell, the Virginia commit alone accounted for four touchdowns — three passing and one rushing.
But no team can be carried on the back of one player, and Eagles’ running back Isaiah Connelly has found tremendous success on the field this year. Against Lake Howell, Connelly rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries — pushing his season stats to 739 yards and nine touchdowns on 75 touches.
That overpowering offense — and a defense that has helped hold opponents to just over 15 points per game — will be much needed for the Eagles to close out the season.
Although there are winnable games against East Ridge (1-5, 1-2) and Hagerty (4-3, 3-1), matches against district opponent Lake Minneola (4-2, 2-1) and the rival Braves of Boone (4-2, 1-0) will prove to be a more difficult.
But if there is one thing we’ve learned since head coach Cameron Duke took over the program: Don’t expect the Eagles to rest on their laurels.
It’s no surprise to see the Wildcats (6-1, 2-0) sitting atop the Class 8A, District 3 standings this far into the season.
Although the Wildcats have been without senior starting quarterback Gino English since the loss to Wekiva in early September — who until then had tossed 565 yards and six touchdowns on 31-for-69 passing — the offense hasn’t missed a beat with junior QB Casey Case at the helm.
Through four games, Case has been impressive in the Wildcats’ high-powered offense — picking up 525 yards on 38-for-65 passing, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions through four games.
Case’s transition into the starting lineup was made easier with stud receiver Marcus Clarke and a running backs Tyrone Davis and Peter Hayes-Patrick.
Clarke has become one of the most dependable receivers in the area and a top target — and his production totals 530 yards and 13 touchdowns on 30 receptions.
On the ground, the Wildcats have gone with a mix of backs, with Davis and Hayes-Patrick taking the lead.
For most of this season, Davis has been the primary back — picking up 524 yards and five touchdowns on 85 carries — but as of late, coach Tim Shifflet has been given Hayes-Patrick a chance to prove himself. Since being reinstated by the FHSAA after some eligibility issues, Hayes-Patrick has exploded the last two games — picking up 225 yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries.
Along with their strong offense, the Wildcats’ defense also has proven to be an unshakable force. Led by leading tackler JJ Valle-Smith and sack machine Nicholas Jackson, the Wildcats’ defense has held opponents to just over six points per game. The Wildcats currently have shut out offenses in the last four games.
With three games left in the season against a struggling University squad (1-5, 0-2), and two games against playoff contenders in Boone (4-2, 1-0) and Lake Mary (4-2, 3-1), the ‘Cats will need to be at their best to make a playoff run of their own. If the Wildcats can take out University and Boone, that would seal a district title, along with a birth into the postseason.
It’s been a rather hit-or-miss type of season so far for the Hornets (4-3, 0-1), who have made it a trend to win every other game.
A shaky defense — which has given up 27 points for game — hasn’t been helpful, but neither has the incredibly difficult schedule that the Hornets have had to face down.
Their three losses came at the hands of an undefeated Edgewater team (6-0. 3-0), a top Maryland squad in Archbishop Spalding (3-1, 1-0) and the always tough Fightin’ Tigers of Jones (5-1, 1-0).
But the news isn’t all bad. The Hornets have had big sparks from the offense this season. The most recent came in a victory over Melbourne Central Catholic during which the Hornets racked up 512 yards of total offense.
A big part of the offense has come from the link between quarterback Dale Thomas and wide receiver Dylan Brazil.
Thomas has tossed for a solid 652 yards and four touchdowns on 54-for-102 passing, while Brazil has been on the receiving end of 28 passes for 488 yards and five touchdowns.
Although they still have to face off against some hard hitters such as Centennial (5-1, 0-1) and Seminole (5-1, 3-0), the Hornets have winnable games against district foes Tavares (2-4, 0-1) and Eustis (4-3, 1-0) — which gives them a possible shot at the playoffs.
After such a strong year last season during which Trinity Prep went 8-2 — this year has been a bit of a let down for the Saints.
Sitting at 1-6 (0-1), the Saints have not managed to pick up a win since the season-opener against Four Corners in August.
With three games left on the season — two of which feature a couple of 5-2 teams in Father Lopez and Space Coast — the Saints look to possibly grab a win against Cocoa Beach on Oct. 26.
At 4-2, the Rams are sitting pretty.
Thanks in part to the high-octane running of junior back Anthony Brown — who has run for a whopping 833 yards and 10 touchdowns on 78 carries — the Rams have a shot to finish the season 6-2 and make another deep run through the SSAC playoffs.
