Edgewater football coach Patrick Browning says he doesn’t get too emotionally revved up for big games.
The Eagles new head coach does acknowledge the excitement surrounding Friday’s rivalry game pitting his No. 1-ranked Eagles (3-0) big against Jones (2-1), ranked No. 2 in the Sentinel’s Super 16 Coaches Poll.
“I’m excited. Everyone, since I’ve gotten here, tells me about how many people are at this game and how electric the environment is, so I’m just excited for the fans and the kids and coaches on both sides,” Browning said. “Just to be a part of a game like this is going to be a fun experience.
“It doesn’t have to be said [to the players] this is a big game. Everybody knows what kind of environment this is gonna be, but the kids have had a great week of practice. I’m proud of them.”
Week 4 Super 16 Coaches Poll: Edgewater No. 1 ahead of Jones showdown
Nonetheless, Browning said his approach this week has been “business as usual,” as he tries to temper the importance of this non-district game and prepare his players.
“I’m the same every game. No matter how big somebody thinks a game is or how small somebody thinks it is, I’m a big believer in progression,” Browning said. “If you start slacking off, then it’s going to be a continual slide, so I’ve always operated in that manner that you gotta continue getting better or you’re gonna start getting worse.”
Jones was ranked No. 1 before its tough loss to another rival, Evans, in a Saturday game that was also filled with electricity. So the Tigers know what to expect.
The Orlando powers are 4-4 against each other — including two playoff games — in the six seasons since the series was revived in 2019. Jones has won two in a row and there is a bit of a chip on the shoulders of some of the Eagles seniors, knowing the Tigers knocked them out of the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.
Edgewater will have to contain Jones receiver Larry Miles a little better this time around. Miles, the Orlando area’s second-leading receiver a year ago, had a 42-yard touchdown last season in a 31-21 Jones victory over Edgewater. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)
“To be honest, this is our rivalry game. Over the past Evans has been a rival, but for the past eight years, Edgewater has been our (primary) rival,” Jones coach Elijah Williams said. “So we got another one, back-to-back.”
Williams said his team needs to clean things up after uncharacteristic mistakes proved costly last week. That included 11 penalties for 105 yards and a huge fourth-quarter turnover.
“Our guys did a lot of things we normally don’t do, even before that game, just preparation-wise. You can’t have all those penalties and win the game,” Williams said. “It’s been bad weather this week so we’ve had more mental reps, just preparing for the showdown. The guys have been working hard.
“Sometimes when you have a loss, it’s your reality check. We’ve gotta lock in and focus better and hopefully we can do that.”
2025 Orlando Area High School Football Leaders
Jones will be without some key players in the secondary due to injuries with cornerback Sharad Haire and safety Je’Narr Cobb expected to miss the game And safety Landen Gaines will be a game-time decision. Leading tackler linebacker Quinton Evans is also banged up. Edgewater also has a few injured players that will be game-time decisions.
“We have a lot of injuries that we have to tend to and I’m sure they do, as well,” Williams said.
Central Florida’s longest standing rivalry resumes with St. Cloud (3-0) playing at No. 7 Kissimmee Osceola (2-1) in the 100th anniversary of a series that dates to 1925. The Bulldogs haven’t beaten Osceola since 2010, and that 41-35 victory was later forfeited due to an ineligible player issue.
Two other big games matching Super 16 ranked-on-ranked opponents are on tap Friday. A pair of unbeatens square off at No. 13 Boone (3-0) with No. 3 West Orange (3-0) invading, while No. 12 Ocoee will put its 3-0 record to the test at home against No. 9 Dr. Phillips (2-1).
Windermere (3-0), the 2024 winner of the Orange County Public Schools independent division looks to extend its winning streak to 14 games.
There are still six other unbeaten teams in the Orlando area: No. 4 Bishop Moore, No. 10 DeLand, No. 11 Lake Brantley, St. Cloud, East Ridge and Umatilla.
Week 4 Football Schedule
(All games are set for 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.)
Thursday’s games
Davenport (1-2) at South Lake (2-1)
Interlachen (1-2) at Umatilla (3-0)
Friday’s Super 16 games
No. 2 Jones (2-1) at No. 1 Edgewater (3-0)
No. 3 West Orange (3-0) at No. 13 Boone (3-0)
Mount Dora (0-2) at No. 4 Bishop Moore (3-0)
Raines (2-0) at No. 5 Lake Mary (2-1)
No. 6 The First Academy (1-2) at Eau Gallie (2-1)
St. Cloud (3-0) at No. 7 Osceola (2-1)
Poinciana (1-2) at No. 8 Evans (2-1)
No. 9 Dr. Phillips (2-1) at No. 12 Ocoee (3-0)
No. 10 DeLand (3-0) at Appling County (Ga.) (1-2)
Flagler Palm Coast (1-2) at No. 11 Lake Brantley (3-0)
No. 14 Oviedo (1-2) at Wekiva (0-3)
Monarch (1-2) at No. 15 Seminole (2-1)
No. 16 Winter Park (0-2) at Lake Nona (2-1)
Friday’s other games
Apopka (0-3) at West Port (0-3)
East Ridge (3-0) at Freedom (0-3)
Eustis (1-2) at Wekiva (0-3)
Lake Region (1-2) at Gateway (1-2)
Clewiston (1-2) at Harmony (1-2)
Ocala Forest (1-2) at Horizon (2-1)
Master’s Academy (3-1) at Lake Howell (2-1)
Lake Minneola (1-2) at Williston (1-1), 7:30
Olympia (0-3) at Timber Creek (2-1)
Orlando Christian Prep (2-1) at Wildwood (1-2)
Pine Ridge (0-3) at Atlantic (0-3)
Tavares (1-1) at George Jenkins (1-2)
Orange City University (1-2) at New Smyrna Beach (1-1)
Leesburg (2-1) at Vanguard (2-1), 7:30#
Winter Springs (2-1) at Liberty (0-2)
Windermere (3-0) at Orlando University (0-3)
Oak Ridge (1-2) at Lake Buena Vista (2-1)
East River (0-3) at Colonial (1-2)
Cypress Creek (0-3) at Innovation (2-1)
St. Stephen’s Episcopal (1-3) at CFCA (2-0)
Windermere Prep (2-0) at Faith Christian (1-2)
Foundation Academy (3-1) at Jupiter Christian (3-1), 6:30
Orangewood (2-2) at Lake Highland Prep (1-1), 6
Cedar Creek Christian (0-4) at Mount Dora Christian (3-1), 7:30
Young Kids in Motion (0-2) at West Oaks (0-3)#
(#Vanguard at Booster Stadium, Ocala; West Oaks at Northwest Recreation Complex, Apopka)
OPEN DATE: Celebration, Cornerstone Charter, Deltona, Geneva School, Hagerty, Tohopekaliga, Trinity Prep.
Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.
