GALLERY: CFCA, Windermere Prep take field for spring football jamboree

Southwest Orange
News

OCOEE — The CFCA Eagles may have came up short on the scoreboard in both of their scrimmages at the team’s spring football jamboree on Monday —falling to reigning-SSAC champion Windermere Prep, 14-8, and to the conference’s newest addition, Orangewood Christian, 7-6 — but first-year head coach John Davis had a smile on his face afterward.

After all, following just 13 practices since Davis took over as the program’s new coach, his Eagles played competitively against the Lakers — a team that went a perfect 10-0 last fall — and played well against the Rams, too.

That they did so with players shining who were freshmen, or younger, was just a nice bonus.

“I think everybody seen that we’ve got the type of skill guys that can play with any team in private school football, right now,” Davis said afterward, explaining his optimism as his first spring season with CFCA came to a conclusion. “I feel like, speed wise, we matched up very evenly with both teams we played today. … We had 13 practices to get ready for a scrimmage against two pretty good football teams. I’m very proud of where we are.”

The three-team jamboree, which was to have each team play the other two opponents for two 12-minute quarters, or a half, to constitute an entire spring football game, ended after just two scrimmages. The third scrimmage, which would have pitted Orangewood against Windermere Prep, was mutually cancelled after an injury to Orangewood’s Ethan Bullock caused a lengthy delay during the Rams’ contest against the Eagles.

After taking a hard hit, the rising sophomore for Orangewood momentarily lost consciousness and was taken from the field by emergency personnel as a precautionary measure. Though the Rams did finish out the already in progress scrimmage against CFCA, it was decided that in the interest of ending the jamboree at a reasonable time that Orangewood would not face the Lakers that evening.

The three underclassmen that stood out for the Eagles in Davis’ first game at the helm were Ajay Green, rising sophomore who played a number of positions for CFCA and scored the Eagles’ touchdown against Windermere Prep, rising freshman quarterback Kai Patterson, who took his first snaps in varsity action and looked confident and competent, and rising eighth grade Visual Russell, who ran the ball at running back.

Patterson’s performance, in particular, was important for CFCA’s outlook after Gehrig Chambless, who took most of the snaps at quarterback last year for the Eagles, left the program.

“(Patterson) threw about five varsity (passes) today that were incredible,” Davis said. “What we have with him is a heady, smart player who is only going to grow — he’s an eighth grader. He did a really good job.”

Windermere Prep, in its one game, looked impressive after losing so many seniors from last year’s championship roster. The Lakers also showed well on offense despite holding out standout quarterback Parker Davis, who practiced this spring but is not yet fully healed from a shoulder injury sustained in the fall.

Mitchell Darrow, who has become a “do-it-all” kind of guy for coach Jacob Doss’ offense, led Windermere Prep’s offense under center to two successful scoring drives.

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