Windermere Prep completes undefeated regular season -- Observer Preps

Celebrating Homecoming and Senior Night this week, the Windermere Prep Lakers (7-0) jumped on the Santa Fe Catholic Hawks (3-5) early, jumping out to a 35-point lead en route to a 55-15 win.

“You always wanna get a big win on Homecoming, especially when you’re playing against a really tough team,” said Windermere Prep head coach Jacob Doss.

Windermere Prep scored 21 points in the first quarter by way of a one-yard pass from Kai Patterson to Khadry Jackson, a two-yard run by Ismael Cortes and an 80-yard punt return from Rahsaan Lewis.

In the second quarter the Lakers scored two more touchdowns on a 25-yard run from Cortes and six-yard pass from Patterson to Mason Russell, putting Windermere Prep up 35-0.

The Lakers went into halftime up 35-7.

Windermere Prep scored twice more in the third quarter to enforce the running clock, going on to secure a second straight undefeated regular season.

Patterson led the offense, accounting for five of the team's seven touchdowns.

For Doss, while he knows the offense gets most of the attention having averaged 47 points per game, the defense turned in another solid performance, having held the Hawks to just 15 points.

The Lakers defense has given up an average of just 11 points in the regular season.

“The offense is the one that always gets talked about, but I hired a new defensive coordinator (Rob Hollway) this year and he’s lights out,” said Doss. “He makes these kids want to play for him and our defense is the best defense I’ve ever had since I’ve been here. They fly around, they hit, they’re nasty (and) they’re athletic. They do a lot of good stuff…I know we’ve had at least multiple turnovers in every game we’ve played.”

The Lakers will now move on to the SSAC Playoffs and play the Bishop Snyder Cardinals (4-4) in the first round.

“There’s always stuff to fix,” said Doss on what his team needs to improve ahead of the playoff game next week. “I think we need to get mentally tougher… The things I wanna work on are the things that we beat ourselves."