SIDELINE SCENE: Perspective important after blowout loss

WINTER GARDEN — There’s really no use in trying to sugarcoat what happened Friday.

Honestly, it would be insulting to anyone who was there, most especially the young men who were on the field.

It was bad.

The West Orange Warriors were demoralized in a 42-0 blowout loss to rival Apopka. … And, yes, it came on the biggest of stages in the state playoffs.

The Blue Darters, who fell to the Warriors for the first time in a decade-and-a-half on Oct. 3, avenged that loss so completely that it’s almost as if it didn’t even happen.

And so it creates a unique predicament: How do you respond after the conclusion of the best season in a program’s history when the sole blemish on that season is so large? 

The answer is perspective, but of course, that’s easier said than done.

And for players and coaches, right now and for the next few weeks, it’s probably impossible.

But, as an observer, I’ll give it a shot.

For starters, there are the obvious accomplishments that Friday’s loss might overshadow in the short term, but in the longterm, cannot be dismissed. 

This year’s team went undefeated for the first time in program history in style, winning nearly every game by double-digits while showcasing one of the state’s most dynamic offenses.

The Warriors won their first district title since 1999 and, perhaps most importantly, got their first playoff win.

Those things, even the playoff win over Timber Creek less than two weeks ago, might seem like distant memories at the moment, but they’re certainly not meaningless. 

On a deeper level, though, the program is relevant — and that is something really special for a program that has been mired in a lot of average years. I’m no West Orange football historian, but so far as I can tell, there has been a lot of good, average and not-too-bad years, along with a couple seasons best forgotten.

But, for two consecutive years now, the program has been a force, with 20 wins to its credit. 

Under coach Bob Head, there is a new culture on campus, and it’s exciting. Warriors are being recruited by the likes of Ohio State, Kentucky and other high-level Division I programs. 

Sure, there’s work to be done yet for a program with its sights set on the state’s biggest prize — but don’t lose sight of what it means to even have a state championship as a realistic goal. 

So, in a nutshell, take this in stride, everyone.

Friday was bad. The season was great.

For the seniors for whom that was your last game, remember to consider where the program was before you became a part of it. It wasn’t too long ago that the boys from Winter Garden were having two- and three-win seasons.

For the underclassmen who will be back in the spring and the fall of 2015, don’t be afraid to watch tape of Friday’s game again — and again. 

Watch it until you’re good and angry, and then get back to work, because next season is closer than you think.