Mustangs ride an 11-0 record into playoffs

Wekiva’s girls flag football team enjoyed a breakthrough regular season, going 11-0 just two years after not winning a single game in 2016. But third-year coach

said he’s told his Mustangs squad this is no time to celebrate.

“We had 11 games to practice. Now it’s the real deal. The season starts Tuesday,” Butts said, referring to his team’s FHSAA state playoff opener today.

Wekiva plays a district semifinal showdown against backyard rival and Class 2A, District 2 tourney host Apopka at 6 p.m.

Apopka (7-5) failed to earn the No. 1 seed in its district for only the second time in its 17 seasons of FHSAA flag football under longtime coach

But the Blue Darters have been in every game they’ve played. In district play, they lost to Flagler Palm Coast 6-0 and Port Orange Spruce Creek 2-0 without allowing an offensive touchdown in either game, then lost 14-6 to Wekiva two weeks ago in a matchup that went down to the wire.

“That was one of those games where it could have gone either way and I expect it to be the same (tonight),” Butts said. “Rivalry games are always tough. The girls know each other and they all want to prove they’re better.”

Spruce Creek and FPC play tonight’s second semifinal. The winners will vie for a region berth in Wednesday’s 7 p.m. district final at Apopka.

The X-factor in Wekiva’s turnaround is junior

who attended Apopka for her first two years of high school and was the Sentinel area flag football player of the year as a Blue Darters ninth-grader in 2016. She excels on offense, defense and special teams.

“When you have a Sedayjha Payne, it’s a gamechanger,” said Butts. “She electrifies our team.” Payne’s junior cousin,

is another key player for the Mustangs, as is sophomore defensive terror

And sophomore quarterback

has accounted for 43 TDs for a team that has outscored the opposition 374-24.

District 2 play was rained out Monday. They’ll try again at Timber Creek tonight.

Central Florida Christian Academy senior guard

was selected to the Class 2A boys basketball All-State first team announced Monday by Source Hoops and the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches.

The opening day of district softball playoffs in Central Florida were mostly washed out by Monday’s rain.

Lake Mary, Timber Creek and Deltona were all host schools that made the call early to postpone firstround games to today.

Water polo region semifinals today include two doubleheaders in Orlando.

At Lake Highland Prep, two of the area’s best girls teams, Lake Nona (21-5) and Boone (21-4), will meet, followed by a boys matchup between the same schools.

At the I-Drive YMCA, Dr. Phillips (18-8) hosts Winter Park (21-4) in a girls game at 6, and Olympia’s 25-2 boys team plays Winter Park (18-9) at 7:30.

Winners advance to region finals on Saturday.

Lake Nona has three ninth-graders atop its girls tennis lineup, backed up by two sophomores in the No. 4 and 5 singles positions. But youth is serving well for the Lions.

Lake Nona is 17-0 going into a Class 4A region semifinal match against Fort Pierce Central today, starting at 3 p.m. on courts 15 through 20 at the United State Tennis Association National Campus.

Today’s winning semifinal teams advance to Thursday’s region finals, which determine berths for next week’s state tourney in Seminole County. Freshman

is 11-1 in the No. 1 singles position for Lake Nona, losing only to Timber Creek’s two-time defending state champion,

Nona’s No. 2 (17-0) and No. 3

(9-0), are unbeaten ninth-graders.

Wolfberg, a junior who has yet to lose a high school singles match in her career, leads Timber Creek (12-2) into a home match against Dr. Phillips (9-5). She added a state doubles title last season with playing partner

who also returned. Olympia’s boys and girls teams, both 16-1, are home for simultaneous matches starting at 3 p.m. at the Lake Cane Tennis Center. The Titans play Boone in the boys match, Winter Park in the girls match.

Lake Mary also hosts 4A boys and girls matches. The Rams girls squad, led by undefeated sophomore No. 1 player

is 12-0. The boys are 13-1.

Montverde Academy’s reigning 2A state champion boys team plays host to Gainesville Eastside.