Boone bounces back
Boone and Lake Brantley bounced back from high school football losses last week to win district openers Friday night.
Senior QB Casey St. John set the career passing touchdown record at Boone (2-1, 1-0) during a 59-21 win vs. Freedom (2-2, 0-1) in Class 8A District 5.
St. John was responsible for four touchdown passes in the first half — three to junior receiver Aiden Mizell — to give him 46 career TDs.
Sam Hutsell threw 45 touchdown passes at Boone from 2007-09.
Mizell scored on a 80-yard reception towards the end of the first half. St. John also rushed for a touchdown while Exavian Westbrook intercepted two passes and returned a punt 55 yards for a TD in the win.
Boone, which ranks No. 12 in the Sentinel Super 16, had to make up for a 26-21 loss vs. Winter Park one week earlier.
“There was definitely motivation. We didn’t play to our standard last week,” St. John said. “We thought we could’ve played better, probably could’ve won that game.”
Lake Brantley’s triple-option run game and a goal-line stand in the final seconds propelled the No. 15 Patriots (3-1, 1-0) to a 35-27 win against Evans (2-2, 0-1) in 8A District 3.
Senior running back Mason Norwood carried the ball 30 times for 223 yards and four touchdowns. Lake Brantley’s defense stopped Evans running back Tahjion Battle at the goal line and forced a fumble in the final seconds.
Lake Brantley quarterback Braxton Woodson, who turned the ball over three times during a 38-6 loss last week vs. Lake Mary, carried 13 times for 110 yards and one touchdown.
“They just couldn’t handle the three different options,” Norwood said. “If it was me getting the ball and they’re crashing on me, it really opened everything else for our quarterback and our wing.”
Super 16 winners: Sophomore linebacker Alfred Thomas picked up a fumble on the first play of the game to return it 27 yards for a touchdown and Dr. Phillips (2-2, 1-0) never looked back during a 49-0 win at Celebration (2-1, 0-1) in 8A District 9.
“That first play sort of set the tone for us,” Dr. Phillips coach Rodney Wells said. “We’re a really young team and we’re just trying to get better every week. Tonight, we took another step in the right direction.”
Quarterback Curtis Argroves tossed three firsthalf touchdowns and Jair Murphy added a fourth as DP cruised to a 35-0 halftime lead. Joanes Fortilien received three scoringpasses covering 75, 24 and 52 yards.
Celebration running back O’Neil Senatus, who had 568 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first two games, was limited to 54 yards on 13 carries. Senatus was shaken up in the first half and did not play after halftime.
Dr. Phillips, which has losses against No. 5 Jones (2-2) and No. 2 Apopka (3-0), plays at No. 3 Lake Mary (3-0) on Friday.
No. 1 Sanford Seminole (4-0, 1-0) pulled away to win 27-3 on the road against Flagler Palm Coast (2-1, 0-1) in 8A District 2. Palm Coast led 3-0 late in the first half until the ‘Noles reached the end zone shortly before halftime.
Seminole has won 23 consecutive regular-season games in a streak that dates to 2018. The ‘Noles play Friday at tradition-rich
Daytona Beach Mainland (1-2, 1-0). The Bucs impressed at home during a 35-6 thumping of No. 8 Lake Minneola (2-2, 0-1) in 6A District 6.
Small school show downs: Lake Highland Prep sophomore running back Romelo Ware turned in fourth-quarter heroics to power the Highlanders (3-0) during a 21-20 come-from-behind win vs. Mount Dora Christian (2-1) in a matchup of top teams in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference.
Mount Dora Christian built a 20-7 lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Terris Wilson. LHP’s offense emerged from a slumber as Ware scored on runs of 7 and 6 yards while finishing with 68 yards on 14 carries.
Foundation Academy (2-1) gave up a 9-yard touchdown pass to Lakeland Christian’s T.C. Bell with 9.7 seconds to go at home during a 24-21 loss in a matchup of state-ranked teams.
Lakeland Christian (4-0) entered ranked No. 6 in Class 3A by MaxPreps computers.
The Lions, ranked No. 4 in 2A, took a 21-17 lead when QB Greg Jones hit Ian Marcal Garcia on a slant for a 58-yard score with 9:36 left.
The Master’s Academy (1-3) posted its first win, 39-7, against Windermere Prep (2-2).
The Eagles got two TD runs from Syncere Simpson, the second of which was set up on an interception by Noah Sliger in the third quarter. Brayden Bell threw a TD pass to Sliger in the second quarter.