Wildcats head to first district matchup Friday

Three games into the season, the Wildcats are 1-2 and wondering what happened after falling in two straight games to their two biggest rivals. Sept. 16 they watched a tight matchup against Boone get blown open 28-21 with the Wildcats on the losing end.

New quarterback Asiantii Woulard helped lead his team to its highest-scoring game yet in the loss. But in the process, the Wildcats have found that their defense has set the tone of games. In their lowest-scoring game — the season opener against Lake Mary — the Wildcats shut out the Rams while scoring 14 points en route to their only victory.

Thankfully for the Wildcats, neither of their two losses will have an impact on their district standings, as the Wildcats, who had competed with Edgewater and Boone in the same district for more than a decade, are no longer district rivals.

But the consequence-free games are at an end for the Wildcats, who face their first district opponent of the season, University, whom they host at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23. Both of those teams will be playing catch-up as they enter Week 4 with identical 1-2 records. Those records put them at the bottom of the district for overall record. In a bizarre twist, longtime district bottom-dweller Colonial is tied for the district lead with a 2-1 overall record, though they have yet to play a district opponent.

Coming off a 20-9 win over Winter Park in the second week of the season, the Edgewater Eagles had a game off last week before they return to the field with a 1-1 record ready to face Oak Ridge at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at home. The Pioneers are 2-1 coming off their first loss of the season last week against East River.

JV team wins opener, falls in Week 2

For a team with 13 ninth-graders on the roster, the 2011 Winter Park junior varsity football team (1-1) has exceeded coach Scott Hillman’s preseason expectations.

“This is the youngest JV team I’ve coached in my seven years here, but despite their youth and inexperience they’ve given a very good effort in our first two games.”

In the season opener, the Wildcats knocked off Edgewater 19-6. After falling behind 6-0 early in the game, the Wildcats tied the score late in the first half on a pass from freshman quarterback J.P. Colton to sophomore wide receiver/tight end Chase Stutts. Colton hooked up with Stutts for two more scores in the second half while the defense stiffened and shut out the Eagles over the final two quarters.

In Week 2, the Wildcats lost a heartbreaker to Boone when the Braves kicked a field goal with five seconds remaining to edge Winter Park, 10-7. The Wildcats’ score came on its opening drive of the game when Colton snuck in from a half yard out. Boone tied the score late in the third quarter on a fourth-and-20 pass play.