CLERMONT — Talk in the offseason was about how much Lake County football would be much improved this season. East Ridge proved that, definitively, Thursday night.
The Knights showed Mount Dora just how much improvement they have made with a 28-25 victory, avenging a 45-13 blowout to the Hurricanes last season.
The game was not without is sloppiness and the weather conditions did not help. The teams had to wait out a 1-hour and 50-minute rain/lightning delay. The game started at 8:50 p.m. and did not end until 11:26 p.m.
“That was a dogfight,” East Ridge coach Donnie Burchfield said. “Last year, that team beat us real bad. We’re a really young team overall and so to see those running backs and that O-line, with four underclassmen up front and two 10th-grade running backs, just pounding the rock like that, it shows some grit.
“We kinda want to get back to that old-school grit like we used to be here.”
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Yes, legendary former East Ridge coach Bud O’Hara would have been proud of the East Ridge boys on Thursday night.
East Ridge (1-1) has a flashy set of sophomore wide receivers and a hot-shot quarterback in junior Lake Minneola transfer Karon Palmer Jr., so it was expected that the Knights would air it out. Well, they did, but not nearly with as much success that the running backs had.
Sophomore running backs Daryl Ellis and Bryan Neves Dos Santos, a move-in transfer from Haverhill, Mass., pounded the ball all night, rushing for a combined 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ellis was the workhorse, carrying to ball 16 times for 136 yards and the two scores. Neves Dos Santos had 6 carries for 64 yards.
Pictures: Mount Dora at East Ridge Varsity Football
“That has not been the case for us. I mean, we’ve had some good runs, but tonight was extra special,” Burchfield said. “They are emerging and seeing those young guys do that early on is such a great thing. …
“And the thing I love is that it’s by committee. It’s not an ego thing.”
Mount Dora running back Tymir Gaines (1), who had 212 yards and a touchdown, runs past East Ridge defender Cameron George (25) during the Hurricanes loss at East Ridge on Thursday, August 28, 2025. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Mount Dora (2-0) had its share of success on the ground, as expected, with highly touted running back Tymir Gaines, but mistakes ultimately proved quite costly. Despite Gaines running for 212 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, the Hurricanes could not overcome two fumbles, an interception and 10 penalties for 70 yards.
“They didn’t surprise me. I knew they were going to be a lot better this year than they have been the last couple of years,” Mount Dora coach Luke Hutchinson said. “We didn’t do ourselves any favors with all of our penalties and a couple of turnovers. Lose the penalty game and turnover game and that pretty much loses you the whole game.”
Mount Dora could not get the passing game going but senior quarterback D’Micah Lowman was able to connect with junior receiver Westin Geiger on a pair of nice touchdown passes that went for 47 and 20 yards apiece. Lowman ended 9-of-17 for 105 yards.
Sophomore running back Bryan Neves Dos Santos, a transfer from Haverhill, Mass., helped East Ridge rack up 223 yards on the ground during the Knights victory over Mount Dora on Thursday, Aug. 28, in Clermont. (Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel)
The East Ridge sophomore receiving corps of Lamar Garrison, a Leesburg transfer, and Tony Brown, a transfer from Tohopekaliga, definitely showed its flash at times. Brown had 6 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown and Garrison caught 5 balls for 50 yards and a score. Palmer was 12-of-25 passing for 143 yards and the two TDs.
The East Ridge defensively showed some grit, as well, with little senior cornerback Elijah Cisco coming up big often, including an interception. Defensive end senior Davis Suchora also had a nice game, as did Brown and sophomore Jordyn Butler on the corners.
East Ridge will be at Davenport next Friday, while Mount Dora, which has not started the season 0-2 since 2022, has a week off to prepare for a road game at district favorite Bishop Moore. The last time Mount Dora started off 0-3 was 2021, when the Hurricanes went 3-7.
