Apopka High School
Sep 7, 2007
Blue Darters 43, Freedom 3

By John Peery
Apopka Chief Staff

Dominating the second half in all aspects of the game, the Apopka Blue Darters moved to 2-0 Friday, September 7, with a 43-3 Metro Conference victory over the Freedom Patriots.

Thanks to a pair of fumbles on their first two offensive plays, the Blue Darters spotted the 1-1 Patriots a 3-0 lead, but used some excellent special teams play to take a 16-3 lead by halftime.

“Our special teams led directly to all 16 first-half points. Then, I thought we settled down and played well in the second half,” said Apopka head coach Rick Darlington.

The Blue Darters were dominant all around over the final two quarters, outscoring the Patriots 27-0 and allowing Freedom just 8 net yards in the second half. The Patriots had just one first down in the second half and that was due to an Apopka penalty. The Darters made some defensive adjustments at halftime, Darlington said.

The Apopka offense, meanwhile, got solidly on track in the third period, taking advantage of a miscue by the Freedom punter to get the ball at the Patriots’ 33-yard line. It took just three plays for Apopka to score on a 9-yard run by Jeremy Gallon to give the Darters a 22-3 lead with 5:31 left in the third quarter.

Apopka, normally a grind-it-out team, used a big play to squash any hopes of a Freedom comeback later in the quarter when Caleb Nelson hit Jeremy Rouse with a 3rd-and-10 pass that Rouse turned into a 68-yard touchdown with 1:12 left in the third period. A two-point conversion pass from Gallon to placekicker Jon Beary gave the Blue Darters a 30-3 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, a short Freedom punt gave the Darters the ball at the Patriots’ 42-yard line. It took just four plays for Apopka to score on a 17-yard pass play from Gallon to Nelson. A highlight of the drive was a great block by offensive lineman Akeen Jones, who sprung Carmeiras Stewart for a 12-yard gain on a pass from Nelson.

The final score of the game came on a 60-yard Apopka drive with many second teamers seeing action. Cedric Reese ended the drive with a 10-yard scoring run and Beary’s extra point provided the final margin with 3:35 left in the game.

In the first half, Apopka began the game rather inauspiciously, losing fumbles on its first two offensive plays of the game despite gaining a first down on each play.

Freedom took advantage of the first fumble with a 39-yard field goal, but the second possession resulted in a missed 40-yard field goal attempt.

Apopka’s special teams then got in on the act, trying to kickstart the Blue Darters when Derrick Clark blocked a Freedom punt that Steve Dorn fell on in the end zone for the first Apopka touchdown of the game. A two-point conversion run by Rouse gave Apopka an 8-3 lead with 9:27 left in the second period.

The next possession for Apopka ended in a score, but not without some help from the punt team. Facing 4th-and-8 from the Freedom 46-yard line and the Darters in punt formation, the ball was snapped to Gallon, who was the upback. He threw a perfect strike to Adarrius James, who was covered well, but made a great catch, giving the Blue Darters a first down at the Freedom 19.

Two plays later, Travelle Davis found room around the left end for a 6-yard touchdown run. His two-point conversion run gave the Darters a 16-3 lead with 4:05 left in the second period.