Teams are working through the early slate of non-district games in Week 3 of the high school football season, but there are some huge matchups on tap.
High expectations are surrounding teams like Evans, Lake Brantley, Lake Nona and Ocoee right now, and this week’s games could show just how good those teams are.
Seminole (1-1) is reeling in a tough week after news of the shooting of former teammate Ethan Pritchard, who is now at FSU. The Seminoles play Lyman (0-2) on Friday.
Pritchard was shot Sunday night in Havana, about 16 miles from Tallahassee. He was driving his aunt and 2-year-old cousin home after a family get-together when he was shot. He remains in stable condition at a Tallahassee hospital.
Week 3, Super 16 Coaches Poll: Jones, Edgewater 1-2; the rest shuffle
Lake Mary, No. 3 in the Sentinel’s Super 16 Coaches Poll, is another team with big expectations after finishing as the Class 7A runner-up last year. The Rams will also get a huge test as they travel to perennial power Lakeland (2-0) in a battle of MaxPreps Top 100 teams. Lake Mary had Lakeland on the ropes last year, but some special-teams mishaps allowed the Dreadnaughts to escape Lake Mary with a 35-34 overtime victory.
Lakeland is ranked No. 52 in the MaxPreps national high school football rankings. Lake Mary is ranked No. 95.
Week 3, Super 16 Coaches Poll: Jones, Edgewater 1-2; the rest shuffle
Evans (1-1), ranked No. 14 in the Sentinel Super 16, has already been tested once this season and lost to No. 4 West Orange in the season opener. The Trojans won easily last week against Apopka even without quarterback Azariel Woods and running back Li’Darious Pryor.
Evans Coach Karlos Odum said Pryor and Woods will be a game-time decision as to whether they play against Jones in the Soul Bowl, a game that has been moved to 10 a.m., on Saturday at Jones (2-0). Jones, the No. 1 team in the Orlando area, has not allowed a point in two games and outscored Winter Park and Timber Creek 71-0.
Jones is ranked No. 47 by MaxPreps.
No. 11 Lake Brantley (2-0), with its high-scoring offense and an under-rated defense, faces its first test of the season under new coach Garrett Kruczek. Seminole County rival No. 12 Oviedo (1-1) saunters in looking to disrupt the Patriots early success. Lake Brantley has outscored its first two opponents — Lyman and East River — 117-7.
Unranked Lake Nona (2-0), the Class 7A, District 10 champs a year ago, is looking to prove last year was no fluke, while upstart Ocoee (2-0), ranked No. 10 in the Coaches Super 16, has rolled through its first two games. Ocoee, which has at least 10 transfers this year, led by former Apopka quarterback Tyson Davison, has outscored its first two opponents — Apopka and Olympia — 77-16.
Windermere (2-0) will put its 12-game winning streak on the line at home against Colonial (1-1). Colonial has won four of its last six games. Cypress Creek (0-2), mired in a 23-game losing streak, will be looking to snap the skid at Kissimmee Gateway (0-2) under new coach Steve Charles.
This week’s schedule
Thursday’s game
The First Academy (Orlando) at Treasure Coast
No. 8 The First Academy (0-2) at Treasure Coast (0-2)
Friday’s games
(all games 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
(IDLE: CFCA, Lake Highland Prep, Mount Dora, Tavares, Winter Park)
Super 16 games
No. 2 Edgewater (2-0) at Freedom (0-2)
No. 3 Lake Mary (2-0) at Lakeland (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
Titusville (1-1) at No. 4 West Orange (2-0)
No. 5 Bishop Moore (2-0) at Bartow (1-1)
No. 6. Osceola (1-1) at Winter Haven (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
Apopka (0-2) at No. 7 Dr. Phillips (1-1)
Merritt Island (1-1) at No. 9 DeLand (2-0) #
No. 10 Ocoee (2-0) at Lake Nona (2-0)
No. 12 Oviedo (1-1) at No. 11 Lake Brantley (2-0)
Olympia (0-2) at No. 13 Boone (2-0)
Lyman (0-2) at No. 16 Seminole (1-1)
Elsewhere
Celebration (0-2) at Lake Region (0-2), 7:30 p.m.
Colonial (1-1) at Windermere (2-0)
Tohopekaliga (2-0) at Hagerty (1-1)
Sebastian River (0-2) at Harmony (0-1)
Wekiva (0-2) at Horizon (1-1)
Innovation (2-0) at Leesburg (2-0)
Lake Buena Vista (1-1) at Orlando University (0-2)
Pine Ridge (0-2) at Lake Howell (1-1)
Haines City (0-2) at Lake Minneola (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
Oak Ridge (0-2) at Kissimmee Liberty (0-1)
Cypress Creek (0-2) at Kissimmee Gateway (0-2)
Matanzas (1-1) at Deltona (2-0)
Timber Creek (1-1) at East River (0-2)
East Ridge (2-0) at Davenport (1-1)
Moore Haven (1-1) at Orlando Christian Prep (1-1)
St. Cloud (2-0) at Poinciana (1-1)
The Villages Charter (2-0) at South Lake (2-0)
Orange City University (1-1) at Melbourne (1-1)
Dakota Ridge (Colo.) (1-0) at Winter Springs (2-0)
Bronson (0-3) at Trinity Prep (1-2)
Eustis (1-1) at Umatilla (2-0)
Faith Christian (0-2) at West Oaks Academy (0-2), 6 p.m. #
Santa Fe Catholic (3-0) at Foundation Academy (2-1)
Cornerstone Charter (2-1) at Keswick Christian (3-0)
Geneva School (0-3) at Master’s Academy (2-1), 7:30 p.m.
Gateway Charter (1-2) at Mount Dora Christian (2-1), 7:30 p.m.
Orangewood Christian (2-1) at Cambridge Christian (1-2)
Saturday’s game
No. 14 Evans at No. 1 Jones (2-0), 10 a.m.
Marco Island Academy (1-1) at Windermere Prep (1-0), 1 p.m.
(# DeLand game at Spec Martin Stadium; West Oaks game at Northwest Recreation Complex, Apopka).
Orlando area Week 3 high school football scoreboard
Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.
