Spirit Barrel remains with Eagles for 3rd straight year
Edgewater now holds 47-20-2 record in series
Edgewater had one chance to make the most of its only regular-season game at home during a matchup of top 10 teams Friday in College Park.
Wearing new uniforms on Senior Night with “The Water” inscribed across their chests, the Eagles (3-2) retained the Spirit Barrel for the third consecutive season while powering through a plethora of penalties in a 37-20 win vs. Boone (6-2).
It was the 69th meeting between the longtime rivals since both schools opened in place of Orlando High in 1952. Edgewater leads the series 47-20-2.
The Eagles entered the game ranked No. 4 in the Sentinel Super 16. Boone, ranked No. 9, had its sixgame win streak snapped.
“It’s been a wild year, and it showed with our sloppiness a lot of times,” said Edgewater coach Cameron Duke. “It’s a testament to our seniors and our guys continuing to battle and not getting too down with a game getting canceled, or whatever. Football is a game about battlingadversity, and this senior class has done that.”
Edgewater’s home game last week against Bishop Moore was called off when the Hornets had to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test. That hiccup in the schedule came after the Eagles were forced to cancel games againstWekiva and Timber Creek because of their own COVID-19 issues.
Edgewater overcame early turnovers Friday by posting 16 unanswered points in the third quarter for adecisive 30-13 lead. The Eagles closed the night by amassing more than 500 yards of offense and hoisting Duke on their shoulders at midfield while he held the Spirit Barrel overhead.
He was ejected from the contest with 2:30 remaining when game officials gave a sideline warning to a team manager at the end of a play.
Eagles senior quarterback Canaan Mobley finished 8-of-15 passing for 298 yards and four touchdowns while adding 63 yards rushing.
“He did some good stuff with his legs tonight, and I thought he made some really good decisions and threw the football well,” said Duke.
The turning point for the Eagles, after fumbling the ball away on consecutive possessions, came in the final two minutes of the second quarter after B.J. Williams recovereda Boone fumble at the 2-yard line.
Mobley promptly reeled off a run of 25 yards before sending a deep throwdown the visiting sideline to Christian Leary for a 37-yard gain. Leary scored four plays later when he caught a 14-yard pass over the middle to give Edgewater the lead for good at 14-13 with 37 seconds to spare in the half.
“We usually put up big drives when we’re backed up like that,” Mobley said. “It all started on Monday once we got the game plan installed.”
Mobley, who hit Tommi Hill in stride on a 73-yard TD in the first quarter, connected with Jeremiah Connelly for a 53-yard score on the second play of the second half. The two hooked up again for another TD on Edgewater’s next possession, this time from 28 yards out, to make it a 27-13 game.
Boone never recovered while going three-and-out on its next possession. Edgewater settled for a 26-yard field goal from Jack Howes with 3:11 left in the third after threatening to reach the end zone once more frominside the 5-yard line.
The Braves turned the ball over on downs twice in the first quarter but eventually benefited from Edgewater miscues to score twice in a span of 17 seconds early in the second quarter.
After an interception on fourth down by Deshawn Troutmanwaswaved off by a penalty, Boone tied the game at 7-7 on a short run upthe middle fromJackevis Lovett several plays later. Lovett led all rushers with 111yards on 20 carries.
Corbin Davis then recovered an Edgewater fumble on its next play fromscrimmage and quarterback Casey St. John found Aiden Mizell in the corner of the end zone to give the Braves a 13-7 lead.