- April 22, 2024
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Scores and notes from this week’s high school football action:
State-ranked West Orange High School retained the picket fence trophy with Friday’s 48-7 victory over host Olympia in the annual Backyard Bowl.
The Warriors also improved to 8-0 overall and clinched first place in District 8A-4 with one district game remaining against Evans on Oct. 31. It marks the program’s first district championship since 1999.
Former Titans coach Bob Head manned the opposing sideline in his initial return to Olympia High, and West Orange scored touchdowns on its opening four possessions en route to a 35-7 halftime lead. Mike Scott posted scoring runs of 60 and 5 yards - and Dexter Williams added a 2-yard touchdown run against his former school - as the Warriors reached the 40-point plateau for the seventh consecutive time this season.
Quarterback Woody Barrett and Eddie McDoom connected on a 45-yard pass that opened the scoring with 10:28 left in the first quarter, while Barrett’s impressive footwork along the sideline later resulted in a 10-yard TD run. The Warriors and Titans (1-6, 1-1) traded special teams touchdowns during the final minute of the first half - West Orange’s Jalen Julius successfully returned a punt to the end zone and Olympia’s Larry Fontilisse brought back the ensuing kickoff - before Barrett's 9-yard TD pass to McDoom started a running clock late in third quarter.
West Orange won back-to-back games against Olympia for the first time since 2001-02 after the Titans (who hold a 9-5 all-time series lead) reeled off seven straight wins beginning in 2006.
— Chris Mayer | Contributing writer
This contest went about as expected as the high-powered Panthers coasted and improved to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in District 8A-5.
Senior quarterback Rudy Norwood tossed three touchdowns — two of which landed in the hands of Jaquarius Bargnare — to go along with a punt return touchdown by Vernon Walker and reserve quarterback Marvin Washington’s 66-yard keeper for a score, all of which helped to key the runaway-victory for Dr. Phillips.
The Panthers, undefeated in district play and holding tiebreakers over Boone and Colonial, can officially clinch another district championship in 8A-5 with a win over Freedom (1-1 in district play) on Oct. 31 — or if the Patriots lose their Oct. 23 contest against Colonial.
Cypress creek fell to 0-8, overall, and 0-3 in district competition.
The Ocoee Knights officially saw their playoff hopes come to an end in a disappointing 50-6 loss to the reigning champions of District 7A-4, the Winter Springs Bears.
The Knights’ secondary had trouble with Bears quarterback Steven Frost, who threw for 305 yards on the night and three scores.
The loss dropped Ocoee to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in district competition. Winter Springs is now locked in a battle with Wekiva for the runner-up spot after Oak Ridge clinched the district on Friday.
Colton Liddell led the Eagles right down the field on the opening drive of the game for Legacy Charter and they never looked back, en route to a 42-20 victory.
Legacy celebrated its six seniors before kickoff, five of whom have been with the program since its inception just three seasons ago.
Though they are eliminated from contention for the Sunshine State Athletic Conference playoffs, the win improved the Eagles to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in their division.
The Lions held Victory scoreless in the first quarter and gave a valiant effort that they could not sustain over the course of the game.
The loss drops Foundation Academy to 3-4 and 0-1 in District 2A-4 and clinched the district for Victory, which also blew out Agape Christian.
Now, the Lions are set for a win-and-you’re-in game for runner-up in the district against Agape on Oct. 31 at Walker Field in Winter Garden.
Santa Fe Catholic (3-2, 2-2 division) at Windermere Prep (5-0, 3-0 division), 4 p.m.
