- December 4, 2025
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The sun finally has set on the regular season of high school football.
Across the West Orange and Southwest Orange area, teams battled hard and naturally had some bumps along the way. The playoff picture has yet to be released for public schools. As we wait to see what contentions the future holds, let’s go over the highs and lows of the season.
Editor’s note: All records are for the regular season and do not include playoffs.
The Eagles finished the 2025 regular season with remarkable improvement on last year’s record of 3-6. Offensively, the team was explosive and consistently posted double-digit games. Its highest-scoring game came Friday, Oct. 17, in the team’s 71-42 win over Boca Raton Christian School.
At the center of the team’s production were two key young stars — freshman running back Jahmari Hammonds and eighth-grader Gavin Pritzkau. Both will be important players to watch as they continue their high school journey.
Hammonds concluded his first year ranked No. 6 out of Florida’s 200 running backs and No. 1 for freshman RB. He posted 1,555 rushing yards, averaging 9.15 yards per carry, 24 touchdowns and no fumbles.
Although Pritzkau only is in the eighth grade, one thing is clear — he understands football. The QB finished the season ranked No. 31 in Florida. He had 2,087 yards and averaged 231.9 per game. He threw 26 touchdown passes and only three interceptions.
With all of the momentum from the regular season, it appeared CFCA would make it deep into the playoff picture of the Sunshine State Freelance District. However, the offense was stopped by Aucilla Christian Friday, Oct. 31. CFCA put up its lowest scoring game at 13 and fell in the first round, ending its 2025 campaign.
The Panthers posted a perfect 3-0 record in Class 7A District 9 and earned the team back-to-back district champion titles. Dr. Phillips’ offense found success throughout the season, and the defense pitched three shutouts. The Panthers’ most dominant game was its second of the season, when DP defeated University 63-0. The team went on to snap Ocoee’s undefeated season with a late TD.
Senior RB Zion Matthews has played an important role in the team’s offense. His best game was against Olympia, where he had six touchdowns against the district rivals. He finished the season with more than 1,103 rushing yards on 111 carries and 17 touchdowns.
The season shows Dr. Phillips is one of the top programs in the region. The team is capable of high offensive production and strong defense. Going into playoffs, it will be crucial for the Panthers to convert close games into wins and hold strong against higher-leveled opponents.
The Lions were under the leadership of first-year head coach Daniel White, and they improved dramatically. Slowly but surely, Foundation has been growing as a team this season. It began the season with some close games; the Lions defeated Santa Fe Catholic by one point Friday, Sept. 5. Foundation’s two losses came in its first five games, since then, the team has been on a six-game winning streak.
Foundation played in the first round of the playoffs Friday, Oct. 31, and pulled out with a 14-point win. The team appears to be building its momentum at the perfect time as it heads into the win-or-go-home games. Its challenge will be closing the gap in games in which big plays will swing the outcome and maintaining consistency in all four quarters.
The Hawks were another team who improved from 1-9 last season. Although the team didn’t reach .500, Horizon began the season strong by opening with a 20-17 win over Olympia and took a step forward for the program’s future, but the tradjectory didn’t continue that way.
A bright star for the Hawks was senior RB Kaio Oliveira, who has proven to be a consistent offensive weapon for the team. He is ranked No. 10 in Florida with 1,445 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Junior outside linebacker Trace Kulczar played a pivotal role in the team’s defensive front. He is ranked No. 31 in Florida with 110 tackles and averaged 11 per game.
The Vipers began the season strong and won three of its first four games. After being losing 49-0 to West Orange, the team’s momentum flipped, and it proceeded to get shut out three games in a row. The team capped off its season on a high note by defeating Liberty at home 42-20 to get its fourth district win.
One of the biggest struggles for Lake Buena Vista was the loss of head coach Brant Peddy, who took a step back for personal reasons.
The 2025 season presented Legacy with a unique challenge — a lack of players. The team began with only nine players and has steadily tried to grow the number, but it’s been difficult. Legacy’s coaches and players had to re-learn football under the eight-man style of play.
The Knights looked promising in the team’s season opener against Apopka and tallied in two more wins before it fell to Dr. Phillips. Ocoee bounced back and blew out two opponents on the road before it was met again with tougher contests.
In four of Ocoee’s five losses, the Knights closely competed with the opponents and showcased the team’s strength. Heading into playoffs, the team will need to prioritize finishing out games on a high note and following through with the same level of intensity. In its district, Ocoee finished second overall, sitting just behind West Orange.
Olympia improved toward the end of its season. The Titans have gone 2-2 in the last four games. One of its most impressive performances came against East Ridge. Olympia defeated the No. 2 team in its district to take control of the spot. Olympia also shut out Celebration, another team in the district, to gather its second win of the season.
In the playoffs, it will be important for Olympia to harp on its defense against offensive powerhouses.
The playoff picture is out of the window for TFA because of the sanctions the team is dealing with from violations last season.
The coaching staff knew that was the case and designed a challenging schedule for the Royals. The team played multiple top-level teams and contended well. TFA used this year as preparation for next season when competing in the playoffs will be a reality.
The Warriors had one of the best regular seasons in program history. The team won the Crate, the Shield and the Fence rivalry trophies for the third time in school history. It closed out the season by shining in its contention against Dr. Phillips and extended the team’s home winning streak to two years.
West Orange finished the season as the district champions. Its only loss came Friday, Sept. 12, to Boone. The Warriors closely contested against the 9-1 Braves, only falling by six in that game. The team’s consistency has paid off this year, which is what has allowed it to come back from deficits and return victorious.
QB AJ Chung broke the school record with 36 touchdown passes. The sophomore is ranked No. 25 out of Florida’s quarterbacks. He has thrown 2,114 yards, averaged 234.9 per game and only had two interceptions.
Windermere capped off its season with perfection and first place in the Freelance district. The 10-0 team finished back-to-back seasons with the record. The Wolverines are the newest program in the area and didn’t gain a home stadium until 2024. The key for Windermere’s domination has been consistency, resilience and well-rounded players.
The team didn’t just scrape by in its wins either, the Wolverines shut out its opponents in five games. Windermere’s highest scoring game was 70-3 Friday, Sept. 12 against University. In its last home game, Windermere defeated its cross-town rivals Horizon in the Battle of the Smudge Pot and showcased the team’s power. The Wolverines were down 15-14 at the half and returned to produce the final score of 48-15.
The Lakers finished last year 2-7 and the players knew they didn’t want to repeat the past. Windermere Prep began the year 3-0 and recorded its first loss Friday, Sept. 19.
Windermere Prep continued to push its way toward a successful season and blew out Bronson. It’s a story of off-season preparation that’s translated to a difference. The Lakers played the their first game of playoffs against Faith Christian Friday, Oct. 31, and pulled away with a dominating 41-8 win.
