Warriors win big
West Orange has come a longway in two years.
Buoyedby a stoutdefensive showing Friday night, theWarriors (5-3) rolled to a convincing 38-0 win at Ocoee (3-5) in a Class 8A postseason play-in game to claim their first playoff win since 2015.
West Orange lost in the first round in 2018 and missed out on the postseason last year during a tumultuous span in which three different coaches led the program.
Players celebrated Friday by dousing first-year head coach Mike Granato with water coolers as time expired. That came after the Warriors forced three turnovers and held the Knights to less than 100 yards of offense.
WestOrange, rankedNo. 15 in the Sentinel Super 16, hosts No. 8 Timber Creek (7-1) in a region quarterfinal on Friday. TheWolveswon their play-in game 40-0 at Colonial (3-6).
“I know what the seniors have been through the last two years, and I swore to the parents that I’d do
everything in my power to help give these players the best senior year, the kind of senior year that everybody talks about 15, 20 or 30 years from now,” said Granato.
West Orange set the tone earlyby forcingOcoee to punt on its first possession when Jahshari Jones and Devin Gaines combined for a sack on third down. The Warriors wentonto build a17-0 lead, which they carried into the break after Dontee Lanier Jr. forced a fumble on a sack on the final play of the first half.
“I feel like that play broughtup[the energy level] more and got us hype, and we just kept pushing forward and grinding the whole game,” said Lanier. “It’s been a crazy ride for me andmy brothers.”
Junior quarterback Tyler Huff connected with JaydenGibsonona27-yard touchdown in the first
quarter. The pair hooked up again on a14-yard strike to make it a 24-0 game after Tyson Schwalbach batted the ball away from Ocoee’s quarterback and Joanes Polynice Jr. recovered the fumble early in the third quarter.
Huff broke loose for a 50-yard touchdownrun on West Orange’s next possession, which ended with him diving for a pylon as a defender closed in from behind.
Huff finished 8-for-16 passing for 143 yards and three TDs.
Gibson led all receivers with four catches for 112 yards while Jack Main added four receptions for 31 yards. TerrellWalden II reached the end zone on a direct snap on the opening play of the second quarter and Matthew McDoom put the finishing touches on the win by returning a shoestring interception 35 yards for a score.