By John Peery
Apopka Chief Staff

November 5, 2004 Blue Darters home with Oak Ridge

Scoring early and often, the Apopka Blue Darters put an emphatic end to the regular-season, whipping the Oak Ridge Pioneers, 43-0, Friday, November 5, on Senior Night at Roger Williams Field.

The Darters (7-1) scored three touchdowns in just six offensive plays to open the game, taking a 22-0 lead late in the first period. Apopka’s fourth touchdown in the second period took just four plays. “We put them away early and got to play at lot of kids,” said Apopka head coach Ty Ensor. “Besides the penalties, we played pretty well.” Apopka was flagged 11 times for 105 yards.

While the Apopka offense was easily slicing through the Oak Ridge defense, the Blue Darters’ defense was stifling the Pioneers’ offense. Oak Ridge managed only 95 total yards, one less yard than Apopka had passing. The Darters, on the other hand, ran just 30 plays all game because they were scoring so quickly and then, when Apopka went ahead 43-0, the Pioneers elected to have the running, or mercy, clock invoked.

Oak Ridge’s deepest penetration was the Apopka 27, but the Blue Darters snuffed that drive with a sack. Apopka, meanwhile, began its offensive domination right after the Darters forced an Oak Ridge punt seven plays into the game as fullback Quentin Taylor went 40 yards on Apopka’s first offensive play and quarterback Jonathon Maxwell went the remaining 21 yards on the next play for Apopka’s first score. After an Oak Ridge penalty on the extra point try, the Darters went for two and Ivory Lewis easily found the end zone to give Apopka an 8-0 lead with 8:25 remaining in the first period.

Apopka’s next possession began at its own 20 and it started out like the first with big runs, but penalties bogged down the drive until, three plays into the march, Maxwell hit wide receiver Edward Sands in stride for a 67-yard touchdown pass. Robert Beary added the extra point to give the Darters a 15-0 lead with 4:02 left in the first period.

The next Apopka score came even quicker after the Apopka defense forced a three-and-out as backup fullback Steven Joseph scampered 49 yards for a score on the first play of the drive. Beary’s extra point gave the Darters a 22-0 lead with 2:19 left in the first period. Apopka’s fourth touchdown came late in the second period and took all of four plays. Lewis scored from the 19 and Matt Athearn added the extra point to give the Darters a 29-0 lead with 2:01 left in the second quarter. The big play of the drive was a 31-yard scamper by Maxwell and a 15-yard personal foul penalty for a late hit on Oak Ridge.

The Darters began substituting even in the first period as it was obvious the Pioneers were no match, but Apopka substituted even more liberally in the second half as Maxwell didn’t play a down in the final two quarters. Apopka’s fifth touchdown came on a 36-yard drive as Taylor bulled in from the 2 with 4:28 left in the third period. The big play of the drive was a 24-yard run by Lewis, who led all rushers with 60 yards on four tries. Athearn’s extra point gave the Darters a 36-0 lead.

The defense got in the scoring act next as backup linebacker Jarrod Brooks made a nifty run on a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown. Athearn’s extra point gave the Darters a 43-0 lead with 2:09 left in the third period.