So much for a slow start.
Just when it looked like the Seminole Athletic Conference might be turned upside down in football, the Big 3 of Lake Mary, Oviedo and Seminole came up with statement victories the past Friday night.
The Rams, Lions and Fighting Seminoles, which came into their games with no one over with a winning record and a combined 6-7 mark, each roared to mammoth wins on the first night of ‘real’ games for the 2025 season.
Lake Brantley (4-1, 0-1 in Class 7A-District 3) came into the first week of District play as the last unbeaten team in the county and averaging 53 points a game and the Patriots got off to good start with long drive and a fumble recovery that led to a touchdown and a 7-0 lead, but host Seminole (3-3, 1-0) would score 37 unanswered points and roll to a 43-21 victory.
In the other 7A-District 3 contest, host Lake Mary (3-2, 1-0) and Hagerty (3-2, 0-1) were tied at 14-14 in the second quarter, but the Rams would explode to take a 27-17 lead at halftime and then shutout the Huskies in the second half in coasting to a 55-17 triumph.
Despite playing on the road, Oviedo (3-2, 1-0 in 6A-District 4) had little trouble as the Lions skunked host Wekiva (1-5, 0-1), 64-0, in Apopka.
The only other winning team on Friday was Winter Springs (5-1), which remained undefeated against Florida competition, with a tough 20-14 victory over Horizon (2-4) in Winter Garden. The Bears are in a 3-team Class 5A-District 5 and will not open league play for another two weeks.
Here is a short recap:
Seminole 43, Lake Brantley 21
The Patriots took the opening kickoff and marched down the field to inside the Fighting Seminoles 20-yard-line before turning the ball over on downs. But the guests immediately got the ball back on a fumble and Jackson Stecher hit Davon Washington with a 28-yard touchdown strike and it was 7-0 just four-minutes into the contest.
But it was all Seminole after that as first-time starting quarterback J’len Chaplin ran for the first of three consecutive rushing touchdowns in the first half, and four for the game, as the Tribe took control of the game.
Anthony Gay III would bracket halftime with a touchdown run just before intermission and turn a short pass from Chaplin into a 72-yard touchdown after the break and Chaplin would cap the Noles’ scoring with his fourth touchdown run.
Chaplin would account for 370-yards of total offense, completing 8-of-10 passes for 205-yards an the touchdown and carrying the ball 12-times for 165-yards and the four scores, while Gay caught five passes for 12-yards and the touchdown and carried the ball twice for 15-yards and the touchdown.
Also having big offensive games were Kemhari Freeman with 105-yards rushing on 13 carries and Luis Ojeda-Robles caught two 35-yard passes.
The defense did their part as well, as the squad recorded seven sacks and seven hurries and got one interception each from Robert Hampton Jr., Milton Roebuck and Kamoi Stevenson.
Lake Mary 55, Hagerty 17
Quarterback Noah Grubbs came up with a career-best six touchdown passes, going 20-for-29 for 329-yards and two interceptions.
His main target was Barrett Schulz, who caught seven passes for a whopping 140-yards and two touchdowns.
Oshea Faison had a big all-around night with a team-high 54-yards rushing on seven carries and caught four passes for 63-yards and two touchdowns, Gavin Isaacs carried the ball 8-times for 18-yards and two touchdowns, Anthony Totin caught three passes for 32-yards and a touchdown and Malakii Haliburton caught two passes for 18-yards and a touchdown.
Despite the score, the Huskies were not without their share of stars as quarterback Royce Jenkins was just 8-for-20 passing, but it was for 117-yards and a touchdown to Makiye McBurse, who had six receptions for 102-yards and returned three kickoffs for 95-yards, and carried the ball 15-times for 43-yards. Leandro Gutierrez carried the ball 15-times for 61-yards and a touchdown and defensively, Stephen McGee had two fumble recoveries and Kyler McBurse had a 48-yard interception return and Cruz Salazar had a 20-yard interception return.
Oviedo 64, Wekiva 0
Brock Joyce carried the ball nine-times for 100-yards and four touchdowns and a 2-point conversion run, quarterback Sebastian Galeano was 8-for-10 passing for 117-yards and three touchdowns, DeShon Febres caught three passes for 58-yards and two touchdowns, Camari Solomon caught two passes for 35-yards and a touchdown and Emiliano Galarza had a 24-yard touchdown run on his only carry of the game and an 8-yard reception.
Winter Springs 20, Horizon 14
The visiting Bears used a pair of third quarter touchdowns to erase an 8-3 halftime deficit and held on for the 20-14 road victory.
Isaac Johnson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Logan Sullivan four-minutes into the third quarter to put Winter Springs ahead for good and Omar Scott ran for a 4-yard touchdown in the final minute of the third frame for the insurance score. Michael Vigil had field goals late in the second quarter and in the fourth quarter.
Here are the Week 6 results:
Friday, September 19
* Belle Isle-Cornerstone Christian Academy 17, The Geneva School 13.
* Lake Mary High School 55, Hagerty High School 17.
* Seminole High School 43, Lake Brantley High School 21.
* Orlando-Evans High School 47, Lake Howell High School 7.
* Lakeland-Geneva Classical Academy 56, Lake Mary Preparatory School 52.
* Orlando-Edgewater High School 84, Lyman High School 6.
* Mount Dora Christian Academy 48, The Master’s Academy 0.
* Oviedo High School 64, Apopka-Wekiva High School 0.
* Winter Springs High School 20, Winter Garden-Horizon High School 14.
* OPEN: Orangewood Christian School, Trinity Preparatory School.
Here is the schedule for Week 7:
Thursday, October 2
* Windermere Preparatory School vs. The Geneva School at Eric Liddell Athletic Complex, 4 p.m.
Friday, October 3
* Belle Isle-Cornerstone Charter Academy vs. Trinity Preparatory School at Hubbard Field, 7 p.m.
* Hagerty High School vs. Oviedo High School at John Courier Field, 7 p.m.
* Lake Mary Preparatory School at Winter Haven-All Saints’ Academy, 7 p.m.
* Lyman High School vs. Lake Howell High School at Richard L. Evans Field, 7 p.m.
* Melbourne High School vs. Winter Springs High School at A.W. Epps Sports Complex, 7 p.m.
* North Miami Beach High School vs. Lake Mary High School on Doug Peters Field at Don T. Reynolds Stadium, 7 p.m.
* Orlando-Tohopekaliga High School vs. Lake Brantley High School on Tom Storey Field at Darvin Boothe Stadium, 7 p.m.
* OPEN: The Master’s Academy, Orangewood Christian School, Seminole High School.
