FRIDAY NIGHT FIVE: TFA's quarterback two-step

Week 2 of the high school football season in West Orange and Southwest Orange County is officially in the books and once again, the glorious gridiron did not disappoint, providing another plentiful harvest of storylines, notes and news that Orange Observer Sports Editor Sam Albuquerque is pulling out his metaphorical hair at the idea of selecting only five observations for the second edition of this season's Friday Night Five — Albuquerque's Monday column highlighting the five most important things from that previous week's high school football action from on and off the field.

This week's top storyline? How will The First Academy's quarterback situation play out amid the area's toughest schedule?

Let's get into it.

Friday Night Five

No. 1: Is TFA's two-step at QB the answer to breaking through guantlet schedule?

As I wrote in last week's edition of the Friday Night Five, I will be closely monitoring the situation under center for the Royals — as what seemed to be a clear situation in the summer has become one of the more intriguing storylines happening on the gridiron this fall: Who is QB1 for TFA, Landen Holley or Brian Dillard? As of Week 2 of the season, maybe both. 

Just as we saw in Week 1, both Dillard and Holley got opportunities to run the Royals' offense in their home loss to Alabama powerhouse Central High, with the West Orange High transfer accounting for more passing and rushing attempts than the Wesley Chapel High transfer. 

At the moment, I believe TFA is going to continue to split time at the quarterback spot between the two, but with one possible caveat: A shift from a balanced approach to more of a focus on the run game. If what we saw in their Week 2 matchup continues, their run/pass splits could shift from 50/50 to 70/30, favoring the ground game. 

No. 2: West Orange's emerging defensive front might be final piece to championship puzzle

With just one returning starter on its defensive line and another among its linebackers, the Warriors' front seven was, as a whole, an unknown in 2025; however, with the development of those two starters, defensive lineman Matheus Kaminski Cordeiro and linebacker Nolan Turner, into lynchpin players and the emergence of additional depth in both position groups, the question is no longer how good is this West Orange football team? the question I'm asking now is, can this team compete for a state title this season? 

Based on what I've seen, they have the talent, leadership and coaching to do so; the only hesitation comes because of their youth and whether or not they can avoid the injury bug. 

No. 3: CFCA's young guns leading undefeated start

I've been high on this Eagles team since I saw them practice this spring and saw that physically, at every position group, they looked bigger, faster and stronger than last season's group. So far in 2025, that perception has played out under the Friday Night Lights this fall with a pair of talented youngsters stepping up into prominent roles for coach Kevin Blackman's team, eighth-grader Gavin Pritzkau splitting reps at QB and freshman running back Jahmari Hammonds leading the ground game. 

The two have added even more explosive elements to the already solid array of weapons CFCA brought back from last season, such as athlete Mason Mathis and receiver Davy Murphy, who have returned to the program for their junior years. 

This influx of new talent and the growth of their already existing talent have been at the core of the Eagles' exciting outlook to 2025, and as the season progresses, I wouldn't be surprised if this talented bunch is still making noise come the postseason.

No. 4: Dr. Phillips' bounce back win closer to 2025 reality than season-opening loss

When any team loses upward of 30 starters from the previous season, there should be at least a baseline level of concern for their short-term success. It's just hard to replace that many players and the variety of roles they serve in for the program. With that being said, some coaches and programs have earned enough respect from their surrounding football communities to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to that process. Dr. Phillips High and coach Rodney Wells are the epitome of that concept in Southwest Orange. 

I say this because after two weeks of regular-season football, the Panthers have had two completely opposite showings. Week 1 was a 39-0 blowout loss to Dillard High on the road, while this week was a demolition of University High, 63-0, at home. So which is it, fellas? Which team are the folks filling up Bill Spoone Stadium this fall going to get on Friday Nights?

Looking at Wells' track record, if I were a betting man, I'd place a not-so-insignificant amount of money on the team we saw in Week 2 as a better representation of the 2025 edition of the Panthers football team.

Photo courtesy of Tammy Forrester

No. 5: Windermere transfer QB Breylon Sanchez hitting the ground running

Since the Wolverines' 2024 starting quarterback Jack Reilly graduated, Windermere coach Riki Smith has been planning for the worst and hoping for the best; and by that, I mean he and his coaching staff were game-planning for the 2025 season to be one that wasn't as focused on pushing the ball downfield like Reilly's record-breaking group was. Smith's plan was to return to the basics of football by trusting his offensive line and relying on star running back Henry Rogers to carry the load on offense. 

That's when Breylon Sanchez entered the chat and took all those plans of run-heavy schemes Smith had planned for 2025 and gently pushed them aside thanks to his stellar play under center. The transfer quarterback from Lyman High in Seminole County has been lights out for the Wolverines through two games, throwing for 307 yards on 19-of-26 passing with eight touchdowns and two interceptions, leading Windermere to a pair of dominant season-opening wins.