Apopka High School
October 20, 2006
Blue Darters 17, East Ridge 14

By John Peery
Apopka Chief Staff

With all the success the Apopka Blue Darters have had on the football field over the past five years -- including a state championship -- there’s been one goal that has eluded them.
But, that goal -- a district championship -- is elusive no more as the Blue Darters clinched the District 6A-4 title Friday, October 20, with a 17-14 victory over defending district champion East Ridge.

With the district title, Apopka is guaranteed a first-round playoff game at home. The Blue Darters will host the runner-up of District 6A-3 on November 10. That team will be Timber Creek, Edgewater, or Winter Park.

“It’s a great win for our program because we beat a great program,” said Apopka head coach Rick Darlington. “This is what high school football is all about.”

It’s Apopka’s first district championship since 2000. Even in the state championship season of 2001, the Blue Darters were district runner-up to Edgewater.

Just as in this season’s 9-6 victory over Edgewater, the difference in the win over East Ridge came down to the foot of Robert Beary.
“We’ve beaten two real good teams by three points each,” Darlington said. “I’m glad we have a real good kicker.”

But, it wasn’t just the kicking of Beary that allowed Apopka to leave Clermont with the victory. Darlington pointed out two other individual plays, one on offense and one on defense that were keys to the Apopka win.

The outstanding play by the offensive player was what Darlington called a “great block” by running back Jeremy Rouse. He took down East Ridge linebacker Greg Lloyd Jr., who was all over the field, making tackles all night. But, on this play, Rouse got low on Lloyd and put him on the ground. The reward for Rouse’s block? Watching teammate Travelle Davis break a couple of tackles on his own and ramble 90 yards for Apopka’s second touchdown of the game, giving the Darters a 14-7 lead at the time midway through the second period.

The defensive play came at a crucial time early in the third period after Apopka had turned the ball over on a botched lateral. Facing 3rd-and-15 from the Apopka 32-yard line in a 14-7 game, East Ridge tossed a screen pass to speedster Cedric Dewberry. It was the perfect call against Apopka’s defense, but as Dewberry made his way with the ball, Apopka defensive end Kyle Wilber was giving pursuit and caught up with Dewberry, tackling him just as he was about to break clear for a touchdown. Wilber’s sure-handed tackle not only saved the touchdown, but stopped East Ridge short of the first down by a yard. On fourth down, defensive back Cedric Hicks knocked down the pass and the Blue Darters took over.

Apopka opened the scoring on its first drive as quarterback Derrick Shaw, starting for the still-injured Andy Summerlin, drove 63 yards in seven plays as Jeremy Gallon, who ended up with 79 yards on 13 carries, scored from the 6. Beary’s extra point gave the Darters a 7-0 lead with 7:47 in the first quarter.

Apopka’s defense stopped East Ridge on its first two possessions, but the Knights got on the board on the first play of their third possession when Dewberry took a handoff off-tackle and scampered 82 yards for the touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 1:52 remaining in the first period.

Midway through the second period, Apopka went from exhilaration to disappointment back to happiness in a period of about two minutes as Beary scooped up a rolling East Ridge punt and made a stellar 99-yard return for a touchdown. But, it was called back on an illegal-block-in-the-back penalty. It not only cost Apopka six points, but 90 yards as the Blue Darters found themselves at their own 10-yard line. Happiness reigned very soon again on the Apopka sideline as Davis, sprung by Rouse’s block on Lloyd, found a big hole up the middle and rambled 90 yards for a score, perhaps fulfilling some poetic justice after Beary’s touchdown was nullified.

Davis led all rushers with 139 yards on 14 attempts. The extra point by Beary gave Apopka a 14-7 lead with 4:56 remaining in the second quarter.

It was a lead that Apopka would never relinquish. In the third period, with both defenses dominating, the Blue Darters were able to drive deep into East Ridge territory before settling for a Beary field goal. The senior hit the 22-yarder to give the Darters a 17-7 lead with 57 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The teams traded punts, putting East Ridge on Apopka’s 45-yard line. Dewberry ran for no gain on first down, then Apopka was called for defensive pass interference, giving the Knights a first down at the Apopka 30-yard line.

On the next play, East Ridge quarterback Chad Cheek found wide receiver Donald Tolson for a 30-yard touchdown pass play. The extra point pulled the Knights to within 17-14 with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.

But neither team could muster much on offense the rest of the game and East Ridge’s last-ditch effort ended with an incomplete pass a the Knights’ 37-yard line with 1:50 remaining in the game. Apopka ran out the clock from there.