By John Peery
Apopka Chief Staff
Until they faced Apopka,
the Oak Ridge Pioneers had allowed no more than 17 points in any one game. When
the Blue Darters hit the field, the Pioneers had given up 22 points in just
11 minutes. Apopka (7-3) used that fast start on its way to a 28-13 victory
over the host Pioneers (5-5) at Lee Leonard Stadium and an at-large berth in
the Class 6A state playoffs.
The Blue Darters
doused first-year coach Ty Ensor in a traditional water bath as time wound down,
but he was a very happy wet coach, who praised his players for winning its final
two games, when it was necessary in order to qualify for the playoffs. "They've
hung in there and believed in us as much as we believed in them. We're happy
we're in (the playoffs)," Ensor said.
The Darters finished in a tie with Lake Brantley for the final Region 6A-1 playoff
spot, but earned the at-large nod due to the 21-14 victory over the Patriots
in the season opener. Apopka was so dominant in the early part of the game that
the Darters had 22 points while Oak Ridge had just 34 total yards and no first
downs until the 6:57 mark of the second period.
The Darters opened the scoring on their first possession after a quick three-and-out
forced by the Apopka defense on Oak Ridge's game-opening possession. Following
the Oak Ridge punt, the Darters moved 52 yards in six plays with fullback Quentin
Taylor accounting for 31 yards on four carries before quarterback Jarrett Gallagher
went 22 yards for the score. Robert Beary's extra point gave the Darters a 7-0
lead with 8:01 left in the first quarter.
Apopka's special teams set up the next touchdown as Tamaki Jackson blocked an
Oak Ridge punt and it was returned to the Oak Ridge 25 yard line by Harold Dubose.
On the next play, Ivory Lewis scampered 25 yards for the score. Taylor's run
gave Apopka the two-point conversion and the Darters led, 15-0, with 5:31 left
in the first period.
Another three-and-out forced by the Apopka defense led to a nice punt return
by Gallagher, setting up the offense at the Oak Ridge 27 yard line. The Blue
Darters scored five plays later on a one-yard Gallagher sneak, but the big play
of the drive was a 25-yard pass completion from Gallagher to Taylor, who made
a nice catch to give the Darters a first down at the Oak Ridge 1 yard line on
a fourth-and-9.
Beary added the extra point and the Darters led, 22-0, with 59 seconds still
left in the first period.
An Apopka fumble led to Oak Ridge's only score of the first half on a 25-yard
touchdown pass on fourth-and-3 pass from quarterback Demarcus Stokes to tight
end Traa Milton with 56 seconds remaining in the first half.
The score remained 22-7 until Apopka marched 74 yards in nine plays, scoring
on a 12-yard run by Taylor with 3:13 left in the third period. The big play
of the drive was a 28-yard run by Josh Mott on a fake punt. He found a huge
hole in the left side of the Oak Ridge defense and rambled 28 yards to the Oak
Ridge 38 yard line. Ensor said Mott is given the freedom to call the fake and
did so on his own.
A fumbled snap on a punt gave the Pioneers the ball at the Apopka 24 and the
Pioneers turned it into a touchdown five plays later when Antonio Battle scored
from the 2 with 6:59 left in the game.
But the Darters kept the Pioneers out of the end zone for the rest of the game
and the celebration began for the Darters as they learned they had made the
playoffs.