A dark cloud looms over the Oviedo football team this week after the passing of running back Brock Joyce’s mother.
The players approach this week’s home game against rival Hagerty with heavy hearts and extra incentive to win one for their former team mom.
Kim Joyce Brown was a huge part of Oviedo football for years. Oldest son David was a star player for Oviedo from 2010-13, and she was always an integral part of all things Oviedo football. Oldest daughter Kayla Joyce, who played beach volleyball at FSU, was also an Oviedo standout from 2009-2012.
The players will wear KJB decals on their helmets in her memory.
“Devastating. She was our team mom and so she’s a big part of our program in every facet,” Oviedo coach Greg Odierno said. “She’s always been heavily involved in the program and she was the team mom when David was here at Oviedo, too, so she’s Oviedo, through and through.
“It was a really challenging week. But Brock came back Wednesday and practiced, and wanted to be with his brothers.”
Kim passed on Saturday due to heart complications, but prior to her passing she was able to see Brock run for 100 yards and 4 touchdowns last week in a 64-0 victory over Wekiva.
“He’s just hands down one of the toughest players I have ever coached, and to be able to compartmentalize this and really be the leader and captain that he is for us is just truly remarkable,” Odierno said.
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The Lions need no extra incentive this week. Hagerty is the backyard rival and the game will draw what Odierno said should be about 5,000 people at John Courier Field.
“Yeah, our boys are fired up. It’s always a big game when you go against your rival,” Odierno said. “These boys have been playing against each other since they were in 7-U football. They’ve had a great week of practice and they know what’s at stake and what kind of game it’s going to be.
“It’s not a district game but it is a county game and there is nothing more that our boys want to do than be the kings of Oviedo.”
The teams are in different FHSAA classes, but power rankings and playoff hopes will definitely be impacted. Both teams need victories.
Odierno said he’s not worried that his Lions (3-2) are currently sitting at No. 31 in Class 6A, given that District 4 games against Lake Howell and Evans remain. Oviedo’s strength of schedule will greatly improve from its current standing at minus-1.95, and winning takes care of everything. District champions advance to the state playoffs, as do 16 at-large teams in each class.
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“We’re not really concerned about that for the simple fact that all we can control is what’s in front of us,” Odierno said. “Having been in this rankings system for a while, the biggest indicator that we have found for moving up is win percentage. So, right now, being 3-2, that’s kind of hurt us.
“But we went from a rating last week of .4 to 2.4 by beating Wekiva and going from a .500 win percentage to a .600 win percentage. As long as we keep winning we know we will increase.”
Six 6A Region 1 teams are in the top 38 of the state rankings.
“That’s wild. We knew last year we had the toughest region in the state, but this year’s it’s just insane how stacked our region is and how other regions are not even close,” Odierno said. “We just have to control our controllables, just win and handle it that way.”
Hagerty, also 3-2, comes in with a more favorable ranking at No. 14 in 7A. But the Huskies have a brutal stretch of games coming up, including district dates with Lake Brantley next week, and a recharged Seminole team on Oct. 24.
Oviedo and Hagerty went back-and-forth last season before Oviedo it got away from Hagerty in a 42-28 loss.
“It’s obviously a huge game, but we don’t change the way we approach it,” Huskies coach Steve Mickel said. “We go out and do what we do and try to get better each day, so it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.
“I think we’ve played four-and-a-half really good games. We had our chances against Lake Mary, although the score doesn’t look like it. We had a chance to take the lead in the second quarter but we kind of fell apart in the second half. I think we have the ability to play with anybody on our schedule.”
There are only two games this week involving Orange County Public Schools, with 19 schools idle in observance of the Jewish Holiday Yom-Kippur. No. 1-ranked Edgewater (6-0) will play at No. 15 Winter Park (3-2), and No. 13 Ocoee (4-2) will be at Hudson (1-5), which is in Pasco County, north of Clearwater.
Another big game on the slate this week has Melbourne (4-2) at Winter Springs, which is 5-1 for the second straight season. Winter Springs currently sits No. 20 in the 5A rankings and have the state interceptions leader in sophomore Jaylen Lowman, who has picked off eight passes.
Melbourne gave No. 9 Kissimmee Osceola all it could handle last week in an 18-10 loss.
Winter Springs has a big showdown at Edgewater next week, which should determine the District 5 championship.
Orlando-area Week 7 high school football scoreboard
Week 7 Schedule
(All games are set for 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
Thursday game
Geneva School (0-6) at Windermere Prep (3-2), 4
Friday games
Super 16 Games
No. 1 Edgewater (6-0) at No. 15 Winter Park (3-2)
No. 4 The First Academy (4-2) at Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances (4-1)
Mainland (4-1) at No. 8 DeLand (5-0)
North Miami Beach (3-2) at No. 10 Lake Mary (3-2)
No. 13 Ocoee (4-2) at Hudson (1-5)
Hagerty (3-2) at No. 14 Oviedo (3-2)
Tohopekaliga (3-2) at No. 16 Lake Brantley (5-1)
Elsewhere
Lyman (0-5) at Lake Howell (4-2)
Kissimmee Liberty (0-5) at Celebration (0-5)
Deltona (2-3) at Pine Ridge (2-4)
Leesburg (2-3) at Eustis (1-5)
Orange City University (1-4) at Jesuit (4-1), 7:30
Gateway (2-4) at St. Cloud (4-2), 7:30
Mount Dora (1-4) at Matanzas (3-3)
Poinciana (2-3) at Lake Region (3-3), 7:30
Tavares (3-2) at New Smyrna Beach (4-1)
Melbourne (4-2) at Winter Springs (5-1)
Orlando Christian Prep (3-2) at Crescent City (2-4)
Oviedo Master’s Academy (3-3) at CFCA (5-0)
Cornerstone Charter (4-2) at Trinity Prep (3-3)
Out-of-Door Academy (5-1) at Faith Christian (1-5)
Foundation Academy (4-2) at Bronson (0-6)
Bishop Snyder (3-3) at Lake Highland Prep (3-2), 6
Legacy Charter (0-5) at Merritt Island Christian (5-1)
Mount Dora Christian (6-1) at Christ’s Church Academy (4-2), 7:30
Umatilla (6-0) at Lake Weir (3-3), 7:30
West Oaks Academy (1-5) at St. Stephen’s Episcopal (3-4)
Vero Beach Master’s Academy (1-5) at Central Florida Christian (5-0)
OPEN DATE: Apopka, Bishop Moore, Boone, Colonial, Cypress Creek, Dr. Phillips, East Ridge, East River, Evans, Freedom, Harmony, Horizon, Innovation, Jones, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Minneola, Lake Nona, Oak Ridge, Olympia, Orangewood Christian, Kissimmee Osceola, Seminole, South Lake, Timber Creek, University (Orlando), Wekiva, West Orange, Windermere.
