Wildcats, Eagles could clinch this weekend

An unusual Oviedo offensive lineup handed Winter Park its first loss of the football season in a 35-27 upset on Oct. 24 at Showalter Field.

The Wildcats (7-1, 3-1) entered the game undefeated on a string of convincing wins, with a clinched district title seemingly an inevitability before Oviedo (5-3, 2-1) came to town.

That’s when the hobbled Lions, using backup quarterback Nick Carbone in place of star QB Chris Davis Jr., showed what they could do. Jurrell Green, the star running back who was recovering from multiple injuries, ran for 136 yards anyway, helping to balance out Carbone’s 120 yards passing. Davis would play receiver and defensive back, snagging a gymnastic one-handed interception to end the Wildcats’ chances of a comeback in the final minutes.

The unlikely win by the Lions puts a seemingly locked-out season into disarray, with a potential three-way Class 8A District 3 tie on the horizon. If Oviedo and University (6-2, 2-1) manage to win their final district games, they’ll force a three-way tiebreaker night with Winter Park to determine the district champion and runner up.

Oviedo’s win seems the most likely, facing off at Timber Creek (4-4, 0-3), which has suffered narrow losses in all three district games so far. They play at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1.

University’s shot is less likely, going up against Hagerty, which upended Timber Creek 35-21 in the most convincing district win of any team over the Wolves so far. That game plays at University at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1.

If both Oviedo and University manage to fall on the same night, Winter Park would clinch the district championship and Hagerty would then be in a three-way tiebreaker with Oviedo and University to determine the district runner up.

If one of those teams wins Friday night and the other loses, the district could be completely sorted out at the end of the night.

Winter Park, which has played all of its district games, hosts Cypress Creek at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1.

Edgewater

It wasn’t a likely win for the Eagles going into the game, having lost every game this season and facing an undefeated Apopka. By the end, no upsets were to be had. The Blue Darters obliterated the Eagles in a 70-0 loss Oct. 25, with seven touchdowns in the first half alone.

Bizarrely, despite having lost all nine of their games this season, the Eagles are still in the playoff hunt this week. At 7 p.m. Nov. 1 they host South Lake, which is 1-1 in district play. Meanwhile Lake Minneola, which is undefeated in the district at 2-0, plays Leesburg, which is 1-1 in district play. If the Eagles can grab their first win of the season and Leesburg doesn’t upset Lake Minneola, three teams in Class 6A District 10 would be 1-2. That would force a three-way tiebreaker game to determine the district runner up, which will advance to the regional playoffs.

In one weekend, the winless Eagles could become playoff bound.