Wekiva dominates, remains in contention for district title
It’s not supposed to look this easy.
Wekiva dominated rival Apopka 35-0 on Friday to keep possession of the coveted Mayor’s Cup for the second straight year and increase its chances at a district title at season’s end.
The Mustangs (8-1, 2-1 in Class 8A, District 4) outgained the visiting Blue Darters (6-3, 2-1) 380-106 in total yards and were never challenged in front of a standing-room-only crowd.
“I could tell in pregame and in practice, they were focused all week, they were ready to play and I didn’t really have to say much. They were on with the game plan,” Wekiva coach Rich Bedesem said of his team. “All the credit to them.”
Wekiva’s win creates a three-way tie atop the district with Apopka and West Orange (6-3, 2-1). The team with the highest number of playoff points in the FHSAA playoff power rankings after the regular season will be awarded the title and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Wekiva entered the game with a 42.3-42 advantage over Apopka for the top spot in the region.
Junior quarterback Larry Preston threw six straight incompletions to start the night, then accounted for all three touchdowns in the first half as Wekiva went into halftime with a 21-0 lead.
Preston connected with Malik Tolbert in the corner of the end zone from 7 yards out in the first quarter and with Renardo Green over the middle for 22 yards in the second. He then broke free for a 23-yard run late in the first half before scoring on a 1-yard run on the next play.
“I had to just get back to the basics, get back to what I usually do and hit the easy passes,” Preston said. “I wasn’t warmed up, but I fixed that.”
Preston finished 6 of 15 passing for 184 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball eight times for 73 yards and a score while getting plenty of help from his wide receivers.
Tolbert hauled in a onehanded reception for 32 yards along the home sideline on Wekiva’s final scoring drive of the first half. Terrence Moore avoided two defenders by coming back for the ball for a 32-yard catch two plays later.
Jalen Williams turned a reception into an 11-yard gain on fourth-and-2 and scored on a 2-point conversion.
Wekiva’s defense was dominant while holding the Blue Darters to 38 yards in the first half. Brandon Hill put the exclamation point on the win by helping to institute a running clock when he took an interception 97 yards for a score with just over eight minutes left in the game.
Apopka, which was last shut out by Timber Creek 20-0 in the 2011 playoffs, opened the game with a huge kick return that was called back. A holding call also negated a 65-yard touchdown run by Akeem Brown while trailing 13-0 in the second quarter.
Wekiva closes out the regular season at Lake Nona (6-3) on Friday. Apopka finishes at home against Oak Ridge (6-3).