Apopka High School
September 29, 2006
Blue Darters 24, Evans 13

By John Peery
Apopka Chief Staff

It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it was a victory for the Apopka Blue Darters Friday, September 29, as they defeated the Evans Trojans, 24-13, on Homecoming night at Apopka’s Roger Williams Field.

The win moved Apopka to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in District 6A-4 action. The Darters are tied with the East Ridge Knights for first place in the district standings. The top two teams from each district qualify for the playoffs.

“We came in and played sloppily,” Apopka head coach Rick Darlington said. “They (Evans) made some plays, but we managed to win.”

Apopka’s seemingly secure 15-0 halftime lead nearly evaporated in the second half thanks to an Apopka fumble that lead to a touchdown, and then an 89-yard pass play by Evans that should have never been completed.

With Apopka in control of the game and leading 15-0, the Blue Darters fumbled on the second play of the third quarter, the second straight week for a lost fumble early in the second half. Unlike the previous week against Edgewater, the Apopka defense could not keep Evans out of the end zone as quarterback Corey Ferguson found room for a 14-yard touchdown run. But, Apopka blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the margin at 15-6 with 8:51 left in the third period.

Then, early in the fourth period, Evans faced a third-and-26 from its own 11-yard line when Ferguson heaved a long pass toward wide receiver Chris Ward. Two Apopka defenders were there to either knock down the pass or intercept it, but they bumped into each other and the ball was tipped up into the waiting hands of Ward, who gathered and scampered the rest of the way into the end zone. The extra point brought Evans to within 15-13 with 10:35 left in the fourth period.

After an exchange of punts, Apopka got the ball at the Evans 26 and quickly put the game out of reach as two plays later, quarterback Derrick Shaw, playing for injured starter Andy Summerlin, kept the ball on an option play and scored on a 25-yard run, breaking a tackle inside the 10-yard line. Robert Beary’s extra point gave the Darters a 22-13 lead with 4:29 left in the game.

Apopka’s final points came when Pooh Bear Mars blocked an Evans punt from the end zone and the Trojans recovered it for a safety with 3:22 left in the fourth period.

The Blue Darters rushed the ball well against the Trojans, especially in the first half, but another lost fumble ended one drive at the Evans 20-yard line.

Apopka’s first score came on its second possession of the game as the Darters drove 36 yards in five plays, the biggest gain being a 21-yard run by Jeremy Gallon, who led all rushers with 103 yards on just 12 attempts. Fullback Travelle Davis, who rushed for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21 carries, scored from nine yards out. The two-point conversion run by Davis gave the Darters an 8-0 lead with 5:33 left in the first period.

The Darters’ longest drive of the night took up more than half of the second quarter as Apopka drove 64 yards in 13 plays, taking 6:16 off the clock. The drive ended with Davis’ second TD of the game, a one-yard run. Beary’s extra point gave the Darters a 15-0 lead with 2:52 remaining in the second period.

Apopka dominated the statistics, rushing for 252 yards and passing for 44, while the Trojans managed just 43 rushing yards. Evans passed for 113 yards, 89 on the one play.