No. 7 Winter Park remains unbeaten
Winter Park made it look effortless Friday night at Showalter Field.
The Wildcats (3-0), ranked No. 7 in the Sentinel Super 16, scored on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter and never relented during a 38-3 win vs. No. 5 Boone (2-1).
Senior quarterback Aidan Warner connected with Izaiah Jean-Baptiste on 3 touchdown passes in the first half while helping Winter Park build a 28-3 halftime lead.
“We just connect so well,” Jean-Baptiste said of working with Warner. “Every time you get that opportunity, you’ve got to take it.”
Jean-Baptiste, a Kissimmee Osceola transfer, caught 5 passes for 114 yards in three quarters. Senior TJ Shifflet added 4 receptions for 48 yards.
“Our [offensive line] gave us time to basically open up the deep passing routes and throw the ball wherever we wanted all over the field,” Warner said.
Warner completed 12-of-17 passes for 231 yards. He tossed 3 touchdowns and rushed for another score last week in Georgia as the Wildcats won 31-19 at stateranked North Gwinnett.
“Coming off that big win, we had to keep our energy up and make sure we came into this one doing what we were supposed to do,” Warner said.
Winter Park opened the scoring when senior Amaris Shaw rushed through the left side of the line and raced 75 yards to the end
zone. Shaw led all rushers with 8 carries for 96 yards.
“I can’t take all the credit. It was my O-line [that helped make it happen],” he said. “When I saw the hole, I just hit it as fast as I could and scored.”
Boone answered with a 32-yard field goal by Grant Reddick with three minutes to go in the period. Jean-Baptiste scored for the first time on a 16-yard reception five plays later.
Trailing 14-3, the Braves leaned on junior running back Laggarius Marshell — who finished with 62 yards on 15 carries — while draining nearly seven minutes off the clock in the second quarter. But Boone fumbled the ball away in the red zone on the 13th play of the drive.
Senior defensive lineman Watson Hewitt made the recovery for Winter Park. Warner threw deep to Jean-Baptiste six plays later for a 53-yard TD. They connected for the third time on a 24-yarder with 10 seconds to spare in the half after Boone promptly went three-and-out on its next possession.
“We preach turnovers every day, all week long,” Winter Park coach Tim Shifflet said. “That fumble came at the right time for us because we were on our heels.”
Winter Park, which extended its win streak over Boone to five in a row since 2016, instituted a running clock in the final quarter after freshman Lucas Alves Vieira kicked a 33-yard field goal and junior Jalil Miller scored on a short run.
“We’re dangerous out on the perimeter, and when our offense gets clicking it really gets going on all cylinders,” Shifflet said. “But the game is won up front. How well we play [on the offensive and defensive lines] will dictate how far we go and how successful the season is for us.”
Friday’s outing was one of three Super 16 matchups between unbeaten teams. No. 2 Edgewater (3-0) won 26-14 at No. 8 West Orange (2-1) and No. 6 Lake Mary (3-0) prevailed 13-7 at No. 12 Oviedo (2-1).
Florida High School Athletic Association district play opens for most teams Friday.
Boone travels to Freedom (2-1) in Class 4M (Metro) District 4. The Braves will likely again be without senior wide receiver Aidan Mizell, who suffered a leg injury in the season opener.
Winter Park is on the road at Orlando University (1-2) in 4M District 3.