District champions could be crowned and career records broken Friday night in Week 9 of the high school football regular season.
Tavares hosts Eustis in a Class 5A battle of Lake County rivals who have gone nearly two decades without a district title. The Bulldogs can claim the trophy outright for the first time since 2004 with a win.
Eustis, district champs in 2005, likely needs a win Friday and another next week vs. Mount Dora to end its drought. The Eagles won four in a row against Tavares from 2015-18 before the Bulldogs scored a 22-20 win in 2019.
Four district matchups between Sentinel Super 16 teams will help paint the postseason picture moving forward.
No. 4 Jones needs a win vs. No. 9 Lake Minneola to wrap up an unbeaten season in Class 6A District 6. No. 10 Ocoee hosts No. 16 Lake Brantley in what could be an elimination game in 8A-3.
No. 7 Kissimmee Osceola is aiming to extend its district championship streak to nine in a row with a win at No. 6 West Orange. The Kowboys have not lost a district game since 2010. West Orange would need a win and an Olympia loss against No. 14 Dr. Phillips to clinch the title.
DP has won 18 in a row vs. the Titans since 2005, including playoff wins in 2009 and ‘10.
Lake Mary quarterback Gunnar Smith is closing in on Seminole County records for career passing yards and passing TDs, and both are within reach this week.
Smith, a four-year starter, could set new standards Friday when the No. 1 ranked Rams play at No. 3 Sanford Seminole. He needs only 88 yards and 2 touchdowns to move ahead of 2021 Seminole grad Timmy McClain, who is the starting quarterback as a freshman at USF. Smith verbally committed to USF in June.
McClain passed for 7,491 yards and 77 TDs while going 40-5 as a starter from 2017-20. Smith sits at 7,404 yards and 76 TDs. The ’Noles have allowed just 78 points this season.
Senior Donta Whack and junior Rory Thomas lead Seminole’s formidable rushing attack against a Lake Mary team that’s yielded only 84 points.
Lake Highland Prep joins Lake Mary as the last remaining undefeated teams in the Orlando area.
The Highlanders, who have outscored opponents 302-36 through seven games, hosts Boca Raton Saint Andrew’s at 6 p.m. Lake Highland won 32-14 when the teams last met in 2019.
Friday’s schedule involving area teams is listed below with predicted winners. Current records and Super 16 rankings are included. Games kick off at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
No. 1 Lake Mary (7-0, 2-0) at
No. 3 Seminole (7-1, 2-0)
Rams have outscored Seminole
by a slim 376-367 margin as rivals
split past 18 meetings since 2002.
’Noles own a recent four-game win
streak in series. Seminole’s loss this
year came 26-23 at home vs. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (5-1).
Pick: Seminole
No. 9 Lake Minneola (5-2, 2-1)
at No. 4 Jones (5-2, 3-0)
Jones can clinch playoff berth
and top four seed in Class 6A
region playoffs with win in first
meeting between programs. Tigers
average 38 points per game. Lake
Minneola was 6A state runners-up
in 2020.
Pick: Jones
No. 7 Osceola (6-1, 3-0) at No. 6
West Orange (7-1, 3-0)
Rare matchup between new
8A-9 foes features six-game win
streak for each. Osceola prevailed
35-14 in 2015 playoffs. The
Kowboys have outscored opponents 328-48. West Orange has
outscored teams 318-45.
Pick: Osceola
No. 16 Lake Brantley (4-3, 2-0)
at No. 10 Ocoee (5-1, 1-0)
Teams are locked in threeway tie with Apopka (5-2, 2-0) in
pursuit of 8A-3 title. Lake Brantley, which has lost 13 fumbles, won
35-19 in 2020 and 42-35 in 2019.
Ocoee averages 27 points per game.
Pick: Ocoee
J.C. last week: 32 correct, 4
fumbles (.889). J.C. this season:
234 correct, 51 fumbles (.821).
Other games
(Predicted winners in bold)
No. 2 Edgewater (7-1, 3-0) at
Davenport Ridge Community (3-4,
1-1), 7:30
Colonial (2-5, 0-2) at No. 8
Winter Park (5-2, 2-0)#
No. 11 Orange City University
(4-1, 1-1) at Winter Springs (1-5, 1-1)
Cypress Creek (2-5, 0-3) at No.
12 Boone (5-2, 3-0)
Flagler Palm Coast (2-4, 0-3) at
No. 13 DeLand (3-2, 1-1)#
Olympia (4-3, 2-1) at No. 14 Dr.
Phillips (2-6, 1-2)
Eustis (6-2, 2-0) at Tavares (6-1,
2-0)
East River (3-5, 1-2) at Harmony
(4-3, 0-2)
Clermont East Ridge (0-7, 0-2) at
Wekiva (2-5, 1-1)
Cornerstone Charter (0-4) at
First Academy-Leesburg (2-4)#
Hagerty (3-4, 1-2) at Orlando
University (2-5, 0-2)
Lake Buena Vista (0-7, 0-3) at
Mount Dora (1-6, 1-1)
Lake Nona (4-3, 2-1) at Oak
Ridge (3-4, 2-1)
Lyman (1-6, 1-2) at Lake Howell
(1-6, 0-2)
West Oaks (3-4) at Orlando
Christian Prep (5-1)
The Master’s Academy (3-4) at
Trinity Prep (1-6)
Tohopekaliga (2-6, 1-2) at
Freedom (4-4, 1-2)
Boca Raton Saint Andrew’s (4-3)
at Lake Highland Prep (7-0), 6
St. Petersburg Keswick
Christian (3-3) at Mount Dora
Christian (5-1)
Jacksonville Hollis Christian
(2-3) at Foundation Academy
(5-2)
Daytona Beach Father Lopez
(4-3) at The First Academy (4-2)
St. Augustine Tocoi Creek (1-4)
at Umatilla (4-3)
Dunnellon (5-2, 2-0) at
Leesburg (5-2, 2-0)
Davenport (2-4) at Horizon
(1-6)
Daytona Beach Seabreeze
(4-4, 2-0) at Deltona Pine Ridge
(2-4, 0-3)
Jacksonville Eagle’s View (6-1)
at Faith Christian (2-4)
Parrish Community (2-4) at
Poinciana (0-7)
Port Orange Atlantic (1-5, 1-1) at
Bishop Moore (2-5, 1-1)
Space Coast (1-6) at
Windermere Prep (2-5), 6
Evans (2-6, 0-3) at Ocala West
Port (0-7, 0-2)
Gateway (1-6) at Eagle Lake
Lake Region (2-4), 7:30
Legacy Charter (6-1) at Largo
Indian Rocks Christian (3-3)
Liberty (3-4) at Discovery (1-6),
7:30
St. Cloud (2-5, 0-2) at Viera (4-2,
2-0)
Off this week: No. 5 Apopka
(5-2), No. 15 Timber Creek (6-2),
Deltona (5-3), Deltona Trinity
(2-5), Oviedo (5-3). Played
Thursday: Central Florida
Christian (5-1) at Orangewood
Christian (4-3), Celebration (4-3,
0-3) at Windermere High (2-5,
0-3), Groveland South Lake (1-6,
0-3) at Crystal River (2-6).