PLAYOFF PICTURE: Legacy, Ocoee, Olympia, TFA, West Orange, to play this week

The 2022-23 regular football season has ended. For some teams, that means their time on the gridiron also has ended. For others, that means a new goal — a state championship.

In West Orange and Southwest Orange, five teams — Ocoee, Olympia, West Orange, The First Academy and Legacy Charter — all have earned berths into the playoff picture.s

Before the games begin, we take a look at how each team made it way to this point.

WEST ORANGE

It seems the West Orange Warriors (6-4 overall, 4-0 district) are peaking at the right time.

Before their 28-26 loss to Osceola Nov. 4, the Warriors had rattled off four consecutive wins, including a statement victory over Ocoee Nov. 1 for the Class 4M, District 5 championship.

The Warriors ended their regular season with a 6-4 overall record and as seat No. 1 in District 4M. In their season, the Warriors won in every way possible. They showed off their offensive prowess in their first game of the season — a 43-12 pummeling of Oak Ridge. A week later, they were able to grind it out in a 13-6 defensive battle over Apopka.

“Playing a tough schedule (helped us get here),” head football coach Geno Thompson said. “We purposefully scheduled a very tough schedule, so that our kids could be prepared come playoff time.”

This year, the Warriors also claimed all three West Orange-area rivalry trophies — the Ol’ Orange Crate in a Oct. 21 19-17 victory over Dr. Phillips; the Shield in the aforementioned tilt with Ocoee; and the Fence in the Oct. 27 37-14 win over Olympia.

However, although those trophies are sweet, they’re not the ultimate goal.

That quest starts in the first game of the 2022 FHSAA Football State Championships. West Orange will host Steinbrenner (6-4) at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.

“They are a good football team,” Thompson said of Steinbrenner. “Obviously, everybody in the playoffs is a good football team. We just got to make sure that we do our job and try to limit our mistakes.”

OCOEE

The Knights put together one of the strongest seasons in recent memory, ending with a 6-4 overall record and 2-2 in Class 4M, District 5.

After dropping a 13-12 heartbreaker to Apopka Aug. 26, Ocoee righted the ship and rattled off five consecutive wins, including a Week Two 15-14 victory over Wekiva.

But the Knights weren’t done. That stretch also included Ocoee’s most impressive win of the season — a 31-28 overtime thriller over the previously undefeated Winter Park Wildcats.

Although the Knights dropped their final two games of the season — 28-25 to Dr. Phillips and 41-17 to West Orange — it would surprise no one to see Ocoee go deep into the playoffs.

However, that quest does not start easy. The Knights will face an impressive 8-2 Durant (Plant City) team at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.

“They are a good team, they score a lot of points,” head football coach Aaron Sheppard said of the Cougars. “So, we’ve got to make sure we are ready.”

OLYMPIA

Like Ocoee, the Olympia Titans put together an impressive regular-season campaign. They ended with a 6-4 record and 2-2 in Class 4A, District 5, good enough for the No. 4 seed.

Perhaps the Titans’ most impressive win of the season came Oct. 14, when Olympia shut out nearby rival Dr. Phillips 11-0.

Throughout the season, the Titans’ offense caught fire — scoring more than 40 points three times. Head coach Travis Gabriel attributes their 2022 success to the Titans’ team-first mentality.

“They believed in the brotherhood and this family, and the culture that we’ve worked hard to build,” Gabriel said. “They worked hard on every play, we lost some tough games, and we won some tough games. But overall, they worked hard on every game.”

Now, that work ethic will be put to the test against a formidable opponent in East Lake. The Eagles went 9-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in Class 4M, District 6. Their only loss came in the first game of the season — 28-20 against Lake Gibson. The Titans travel to East Lake at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.

“We are going in giving our best effort,” Gabriel said. “I feel like our kids deserve this opportunity, and I don’t want them to not take advantage of it. So, the biggest thing this week is being focused on the task at hand. Because if we lose, that’s it. It doesn’t get more simple than that. … I just expect it to be a good game, I expect the kids to play a full four quarters and leave it all on the field.”

THE FIRST ACADEMY

The Royals were on pace for a one-loss season until they dropped a 14-7 game to Windermere Prep Nov. 4. However, TFA’s 8-2 overall record and 3-1 in Class 1M, District 2 is good enough for the No. 3 seed.

Much of the Royals’ success can be attributed to its stout defense. TFA held opponents to single-digit points in eight games, and Windermere Prep’s 14 was the most scored on TFA all season.

“The biggest thing has been our defense, it has given us an opportunity in every game,” head football coach Leroy Kinard said. “(It) has really done a good job, and some of our senior guys, our quarterback James McGinn, our wide receiver Grady Ruiz — both have done an outstanding job, and the young freshman Ryan Smith, I think he’s done a good job, as well.”

TFA has made the playoffs 13 out of the last 16 years, and that experience should bode well for the Royals when they travel to University Christian (Jacksonville) Friday, Nov. 18. The Christians put together a 9-1 campaign and 3-1 in Class 1M, District 1. University Christian scored at least 33 points in each of its nine wins. So this first playoff game will be a true test for both squads.

“We are super excited,” Kinard said. “Everybody is looking forward to it. … Anytime we play a playoff game — (because) it’s win or go home — the expectation is that you are going to win. But it’s a tall task.”

LEGACY

Following an impressive 25-13 win in the first round of the SSAC State Championship Oct. 27 over Bishop Snyder and a dramatic a 34-33 decision over Seven Rivers Christian in the second round Nov. 4, the Legacy Charter Eagles (6-3) are one game away from the SSAC 5A State Championship.

But before they hoist that trophy, the Eagles will need to handle Saint Stephen’s Episcopal (Bradenton). the game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at Bryant Stadium, Lakeland.

The Eagles’ 2022 season has been an impressive start under new head coach Ryan Locuson, who attributes Legacy’s success to its collective will.

“When we face adversity … (we) take it head on and take 20 minutes to dwell on things that are bad and move on to the next game,” Locuson told the Observer before the first round of the playoffs. “In game-time situations, we all make mistakes, but we have to put that in the past, because there’s no changing it at (that) point. I think that’s something that I felt I brought and something that’s made an impact on this team.”