- December 4, 2025
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It’s that time of year again where the playoffs are among us for West Orange and Southwest Orange high school football teams.
On the private school side, Foundation Academy and Windermere Prep already are deep into the state title picture; Central Florida Christian Academy was eliminated in the first round.
For the public schools, playoff brackets were released Thursday, Nov. 6, and finally, we see the picture of the what is to come.
7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14
Dr. Phillips (7-3) at Jupiter (10-0)
The Panthers enter the playoffs with a No. 7 seed after concluding its regular season 7-3. The team is hitting the road to face the undefeated No. 2 Jupiter team. Road games have been Dr. Phillips’ one weak spot this year. The team is .500 on the road compared to undefeated at home.
Dr. Phillips is coming back from its loss to West Orange, but the team has had two weeks to regroup and learn from mistakes presented during the game. While the Panthers’ record compared to Jupiter’s isn’t as strong, at this point in the year, that doesn’t mean much.
Dr. Phillips averages 33.8 points per game, while Jupiter averages 33.4, and both teams have scored the most during the second quarter. When the teams met this time last year, the Panthers shut out Jupiter 35-0.
Ocoee (5-5) at Sumner (8-2)
Ocoee has had a back-and-forth season, but the team has pushed its way into the playoffs. The Knights have been battling injures since its third game of the season, however, its backups have been resilient.
The Knights enter the playoffs with a No. 6 seed as it plays the No. 3 seed Sumner. Sumner averages 31.2 points per game to Ocoee’s 26, and each had a different form of offense. What will be important for Ocoee is to prevent Sumner’s offense from finding the end zone in the final minutes of the game. Twice this year, Ocoee has lost in the final seconds after maintaining the lead, and in playoffs, the team must push until the clock strikes zero.
West Orange (9-1) vs. Plant City (7-3)
The Warriors were the only team to head into playoffs with a home-field advantage. West Orange earned itself that advantage by dominating throughout the season and only falling once to a highly ranked Boone team.
West Orange enters the game ranked No. 4 and Plant City No. 5. The Warriors average 39.5 points per game over Plant City’s 26.3. West Orange defeated Plant City 26-25 in the playoffs last year.
Outside linebacker Nolan Turner is someone the Warriors can look to for stops. He has averaged 11.7 tackles per game with one sack. West Orange QB AJ Chung has been talked about all season, and naturally his arm will need to be in tip-top shape for playoffs. The QB surpassed a school record in the last regular season game with 36 touchdown passes.
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14
Foundation Academy (10-2) vs. Mount Dora Christian Academy (11-1)
The Lions won its regional quarterfinal game against Lake Highland Prep Friday, Nov. 7, in an overtime thriller. With the win, Foundation earned a spot in the semifinals, and the team needs one final push to make it into the championship. The team’s been fighting hard and is entering the match on a seven-game win streak.
Mount Dora isn’t an easy hurdle. The team averages 42.8 points per game to Foundation’s 31.2 and is ranked No. 2 in the SSAA. What Foundation needs to prioritize for the matchup is stopping Mount Dora’s run game. MDCA averages 337.7 rushing yards per game and only 40.2 passing yards.
Leading tackler Aiden Cubero needs to have a big game to help the Lions stop that potent rushing attack. On the offense side, Foundation will need to find success with its balanced attack. The Lions QB Braydon Marks averages 172.1 yards passing, and running back Sam Wood averages 105.8.
No matter which way the game goes, Foundation’s still had remarkable improvement upon its production from last year.
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14
Windermere Prep (7-3) vs. Bishop McLaughlin
Catholic (4-7)
Windermere Prep has paved its pathway to the championships for the SSAA 1A after scraping by with a two-point win Saturday, Nov. 8. The team is no stranger to its final opponent Bishop McLaughlin Catholic.
The Lakers began the season hot by winning three in a row after finishing last season 2-7, but the team’s first of three losses came Friday, Sept. 19 to Bishop McLaughlin. BMLC defeated WP 21-10. The past adds extra fuel to the fire and Windermere Prep’s championship game also will be a revenge game.
Looking at the comparison, WP has averaged 57 more yards per game than BMLC. The Lakers produce 197.3 rushing, 101.4 passing yards and 53.6 tackles per game. The team is ranked No. 30 in SSAA and BMLC No. 38.
Offensively, the Lakers will rely on Peyton Hollern’s rushing power — he leads the team with yards per game — and QB Ty Tracey’s arm. On the defensive front, middle linebacker Koren Williams has played a pivotal role, averaging 7.6 tackles per game.
