The performance was much the same as the first game, but the result was also the same as the Apopka Blue Darters went to 2-0 on the season, defeating Cypress Creek, 21-5, on Friday, September 2, in the home opener for the Darters.

Plagued by penalties and turnovers in the season-opening victory over Lake Brantley the week before, the Darters looked to improve against Metro Conference foe Cypress Creek, but the Blue Darters suffered from the same maladies against the Bears. "There was not much improvement,” Apopka head coach Ty Ensor said. “We had way too many mistakes and penalties. The game looked very similar (to the win over Lake Brantley).”

He said that the Darters would continue to work toward correcting the mistakes. “I think it’s mental. It could be because we have so many new starters,” Ensor said. “It’s definitely hurting us.” There were some bright spots, many of them the same as in the victory over Lake Brantley -- the defense and the yardage gained by junior running back Steven Joseph.

Apopka held Cypress Creek to 170 total yards, 149 of which the Bears gained on three plays. Cypress Creek had a rush of 71 yards and pass plays of 54 yards and 24 yards. The long run came early in the third quarter as Apopka led, 8-2, but defensive back Derric Tarver ran down Durick Ingraham at the Apopka 10 yard line, saving a touchdown as the Darters forced the Bears into a 30 yard field goal.

The 54-yard pass should have been intercepted by the Darters, but bounced into the hands of Cypress Creek tight end Ryan O’Hearn. The 24-yard pass play came on a fake punt by the Bears.

Cypress Creek got on the board first, sacking Apopka quarterback Carl Randolph on the Darters’ first possession of the game. After a holding call negated a good play for Apopka, the Darters found themselves with a second-and-20 from the 12. On second down, Randolph was sacked back to the 7, then on third down, he was sacked in the end zone, giving the Bears a 2-0 lead with 5:45 left in the first period.

After forcing a Cypress Creek punt, the Darters went ahead for good on a 52-yard, 10-play drive that included a fourth-and-3 conversion from the Cypress Creek 45-yard line. Joseph scored the touchdown on a four-yard run with .9 seconds remaining in the first period. Following a Cypress Creek penalty on the extra point try, the Darters elected to go for two and Nico Stanley bowled over to give the Darters an 8-2 lead.

After stopping the Bears on downs at the Apopka 19, the Darters drove the ball to the Cypress Creek 16 and fumbled it back as the 17-play drive took 6:56 off the second quarter clock. In the third period, Cypress Creek pulled to within three when D.J. Gill hit the 30-yard field goal following Ingraham’s 71-yard run and Tarver’s TD-saving tackle. Apopka responded with an 80-yard scoring drive as Joseph tallied from 12 yards out with 4:01 left in the third quarter. The snap on the conversion attempt was high and the Darters led, 14-5.

The final score of the game came following a Cypress Creek fumble that Ryan Miller recovered on the Cypress Creek 14 yard line. On the next play, Randolph scored on a keeper with 4:55 left in the game. Robert Beary added the extra point.