Wildcats come out of the gate undefeated -- Observer Preps

It was as though everything was moving in slow motion.

The ball floated silently in the air, before it finally made its descent back down to Earth — no one could look away.

After shaking off the defender, receiver Brian Gomez hopped into the air as he grabbed the perfectly placed ball — securing the go ahead touchdown with 40 seconds to go that would prove to be the fatal blow in a difficult 10-6 win over Wekiva.

“I’m really proud of our kids and proud of our coaches,” head coach Tim Shifflet said. “They did a great job preparing — we came out here, and the kids played for all 48 minutes, they finished the game, and at the end of the day, we found a way to get a win.”

The win pushed the Wildcats to a perfect 3-0 record, having beat Lake Nona and Oviedo before the game Sept. 7.

So far, the season has been a healthy balance of offense and defense for the Wildcats, who have outscored opponents 94-15 through their three games thus far.

The Wekiva game was the first real test for the Wildcats, who shellacked Lake Nona 42-3 before going on to throttle Oviedo 42-6 in a game mostly played on a Saturday morning because of weather.

Offensively, everyone who was expected to contribute so far has, with quarterback Cameron LeGree slinging and running like a mad man.

Through the air, the senior has gone 23-for-27, throwing 330 yards for six touchdowns. His average of 165 yards per game, completion percentage of 85%, and zero interceptions has given the QB an insane 163.6 quarterback rating.

Just as he is dangerous through the air, LeGree also has been killing defenses with his speed on the ground. On 15 carries, he has picked up 113 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s always important to have a veteran quarterback coming back, because he makes clutch plays at the right times,” Shifflet said.

It also has helped LeGree’s passing game to have multiple guys out on the wings. So far, receiver Brian Gomez has been the go-to target for LeGree this season, having pulled down nine receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Alongside Gomez is Cameron Bassa-Brown, who has been a efficient dual-threat player. His five receptions for 126 yards is a team best, and he also has hauled in two touchdowns. Bassa-Brown also stepped behind center during one game and tossed a 44-yard bomb for a touchdown.

On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats’ defense has been just about as stout as they possibly could be — only giving up an average of five points through three games.

The defense has been so stingy that the touchdown by Wekiva’s Birthel Bridges was the only time the Wildcats’ have allowed an opponent into the end zone this season.

The Wildcats defense has seen a spreading of tackles across the board, with strong safety Cullen Honohan leading the way with 16, and Xylon Chatman second with 15 total tackles. Seniors JJ Valle-Smith, Jordan Ferrer and Alex Clarke each have 13 apiece.

No one on this Wildcats team gets to the quarterback quite like Clarke and leads with two-and-a-half sacks so far. Ferrer is second in sacks with one-and-one-half but leads the team with five hurries.

With seven games left in the season, the Wildcats have a good shot at running the table.

“If you have a great defense and a veteran quarterback, you have a great shot,” Shifflet said. “Now our offensive/defensive line need to bring it together to get it going, and if they do that, then we have the chance to go on a bit of a run this year.”