Apopka High School
Aug 31, 2007
Blue Darters 35, Lake Brantley 28

By John Peery
Apopka Chief Staff

In a three-overtime thriller that will go down as one of the most exciting games in the 75 years of Apopka High School football, the Blue Darters (1-0) squeezed out a 35-28 victory over the Lake Brantley Patriots (0-1) in front of about 4,000 fans at Lake Brantley’s Tom Storey Field.

“I didn’t know if we could hang on,” said Apopka coach Rick Darlington. “We fought so hard.” Both teams fought through the emotional inter-county battle between these two schools located less than 10 miles apart.

The difference was a 3-yard touchdown run by Apopka’s Jeremy Gallon in the top half of the third overtime, his second rushing TD of the game. In regulation, he also caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Derrick Clark.

Lake Brantley, last year’s Class 6A state runner-up, was poised to tie the game in the bottom half of the third overtime, facing a fourth-and-inches from the goal line, but the Patriots, in their Thunder package with fullback Antonio Miles at quarterback in the shotgun, saw the snap go through Miles’ hands.

Miles picked up the loose ball but was immediately tackled at the 10, setting off a huge celebration by the Apopka players, coaches, and fans.

“It is such an emotional lift after last week,” Darlington said, talking about Apopka’s 36-0 loss to Daytona Beach Seabreeze in the lightning-delayed Kickoff Classic.

The game featured big plays, 10 turnovers, solid defense, three overtimes, and even two quick kicks. Apopka’s Adarrius James helped keep the Blue Darters in the game as he had two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and two pass breakups.

But, the offensive star of the game was Lake Brantley wide receiver Mitch McGrath. The talented senior, who also plays defensive back for the Patriots, had six catches for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns, making some spectacular grabs along the way.

Lake Brantley quarterback Derek Shaw, who transferred from Apopka over the Christmas break of 2006, passed for 186 yards and two touchdowns, but suffered three interceptions, including one in overtime by Gallon, who played some defensive back for the Blue Darters.

The Patriots were led in rushing by wingback Colin Newton, who gained 68 yards on just seven carries, including a 41-yarder on the game’s first play.

Lake Brantley scored first when Shaw hit a wide-open McGrath on a 50-yard pass play with 4:52 left in the first period.
It looked like 7-0 would be the halftime score, but each team put up a touchdown in the final minute of the second period.

The Patriots took a 14-0 lead when Miles bulled in from 3 yards out with 47 seconds left in the first half, capping a 25-yard drive that followed an Apopka fumble.

But, the Darters’ Jeremy Rouse returned a sky kick from his own 30 to the Lake Brantley 11 to set up Apopka’s first score on the next play when Caleb Nelson hit Clark in the back of the end zone with 23 seconds remaining in the second period. The extra point was partially blocked and Lake Brantley took a 14-6 lead into the locker room.

“That (return) was big, it was huge,” Darlington said.

The Blue Darters tied the game at 14 on their first possession of the third period, driving 76 yards on seven plays with Gallon catching a 33-yard pass for the score from wide receiver Clark on a little bit of trickery by the Darters. Nelson hit Jeremy Rouse with a pass for the two-point conversion.

Apopka converted a Lake Brantley turnover into its first lead of the game at 21-14, driving 26 yards for the touchdown with Gallon running in from the 3 with 2:12 left in the third period.

Lake Brantley’s Shaw-to-McGrath combination worked to tie the game at 21-21 with 3:09 left in the fourth period as the two hooked up on an 11-yard pass play for one of McGrath’s great catches.

The Patriots got the ball back and drove to the Apopka 14 late in regulation, but a 31-yard field goal try was wide right and the teams went to overtime tied at 21.

In the top half of the first OT, Nelson hit Carmeiras Stewart on third-and-10 to give Apopka a 28-21 lead. In their half of the first overtime, the Patriots tied the game on fourth-and-2 when Miles bulled over for the score.

Neither team scored in the second overtime when a Shaw pass was picked off on first down by Gallon and Apopka missed a 31-yard field goal.

That set up Apopka’s winning TD run by Gallon in the third overtime.