Officially kicked off
After months of doubt about football, the season has begun
High school football kicked off in the Central Florida area Friday night with an array of adjustments due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Foundation Academy set the tone by holding a Senior Night ceremony before kickoff, assuring the players would get a chance to be saluted alongside their families if the later portion of the season is delayed or canceled due to COVID-19 issues.
The adjustment comes after many spring sports seniors were left heartbroken when the coronavirus shutdown of all high school sports in March crushed any opportunity for senior recognition events.
Foundation raced out to a 29-0 halftime lead over Orangewood Christian and rolled to a 41-0 win.
“That’s what I do!” Foundation’s Danny Stutsman shouted after scoring on a direct snap with 11:16 left in the second quarter.
Elsewhere, Deltona Trinity Christian had a 92-yard touchdown pass nullified by an illegal formation penalty. The flag flew before the ball was thrown. One play later, strong safety CJ Phillips tackled Deltona Trinity Christian QB Brady Benton for a safety that gave Seven Rivers Christian a 2-0 lead over the Eagles at halftime.
It seemed Seven Rivers’ defense might shut down Deltona Trinity, but the Eagles found their footing in the fourth quarter.
Trinity took the lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Benton. It was fourth and a long two for the Eagles and they used a timeout to dial up the play. The Eagles converted for two and claimed an 8-2 lead with 8:14 remaining.
Trinity Christian held on for a 14-2 victory.
Mount Dora Christian earned a 33-7 halftime lead over Faith Christian. Tyquan Wiggins tossed three touchdown passes for MDC, including one on the opening drive.
Faith Christian quarterback Zach McKnight was not cleared to play in the second half, a coach’s decision, after a skirmish just before halftime. Faith Christian teammate Jonathan Bush was ejected from the game late in second quarter for throwing a
punch. Tempers flared as Mount Dora Christian built a commanding lead.
Players had limited opportunities for conditioning before the season kicked off, missing spring football due to the COVID-19 shutdown. It seemed to have an impact during games, with players in the Foundation Academy game suffering cramping in the third quarter of their game. At Mount Dora Christian, players were handed pickle juice to combat the cramps.
A handful of private schools were the first to start play in the Central Florida region, with the bulk of public schools not set to play their first games for another two weeks due to school district COVID-19 restrictions.
A limited number of fans were allowed at Friday night’s games that also featured cheerleaders and band performances. Fans were asked to wear masks and practice social distancing. Mask compliance was mixed. School officials have warned that COVID-19 outbreaks would force teams to suspend play under local and Florida High School Athletic Association policies.