High school football keeps running despite cancellations
When the Evans Trojans are allowed to open their 2020 season on Monday night, in Week 6 of Florida’s fractured high school football calendar, it will finally mean every team in the Orlando area has played a game.
That game will come in the wake of a big blitz of prep football tonight in the Orlando area. But Evans' return to the field doesn’t mean the scheduling nightmares caused by COVID-19 are over.
We already know that another game of high interest next week, Edgewater at Timber Creek, is likely to be canceled due to the virus.
Edgewater (1-1), which is ranked No. 2 in the Sentinel Super 16 area rankings, had several players test positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday according to the Orange County school district and it was announced that night by school principal Mark Shannoff that this week’s Eagles game at Wekiva was canceled.
Shannoff said all individuals who had close contact with a positive case would be quarantined for 14 days. The Sentinel has learned that means that Edgewater’s Friday, Oct. 9, game at area No. 9 Timber Creek is also scratched out unless Orange County Public Schools changes that decision.
OCPS began testing teams for COVID-19 in the week of season openers for its schools, which were played Sept. 17. It is the only Orlando area school district conducting tests for football.
Evans had five players test positive in the initial round of rapid testing and missed out on games against West Orange and Jones. The Trojans were allowed to resume practice this week and are set to play Monday against Ocoee (1-1) in a game that was pushed back three days to accommodate Evans.
Olympia’s season-opener vs. Windermere was canceled due to COVID-19 issues outside of its football team but within its student body.
The virus has also impacted area teams outside of Orange County.
DeLand canceled its opener vs. Seminole after a Bulldogs assistant coach tested positive.
Central Florida Christian’s home opener was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues for its opponent, Seven Rivers Christian of Lecanto.
And Foundation Academy canceled one home game due to coronavirus concerns but was back on the field on Friday.
Tonight’s lineup in Central Florida includes Apopka (2-0), which is No 1 in the Sentinel Super 16 area rankings, playing at No. 15 Lake Brantley (1-1) in a county-line rivalry game.
Another rankings matchup pits No. 4 Seminole (2-0) at No. 9 Lake Minneola (1-0) in the first varsity football meeting between those two schools.
No. 3 Jones (1-0) is playing at Lake Nona, which is 2-0.
Two season openers for The Citrus League teams are being played at the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex. Lake Highland Prep leads Trinity Prep 42-19 late in the third quarter of the first game of that event. The First Academy faces Windermere Prep in the nightcap.
Week 5 scores
(rankings are from Sentinel Super 16)
Thursday, Oct. 1
Legacy Charter 48, Gainesville St. Francis 6
Friday, Oct. 2
No. 1 Apopka at 15 No. Lake Brantley 7
Cypress Creek at No. 7 Kissimmee Osceola, 7:30
No. 4 Seminole at No. 9 Lake Minneola, 7
No. 3 Jones at Lake Nona, 7
Spruce Creek at No. 6 DeLand, 7*
No. 5 Dr. Phillips at Windermere, 7
No. 8 Timber Creek at Colonial, 7
West Orange at No. 12 Lake Mary, 7
Hagerty at No. 13 Winter Park, 7*
No. 14 Bishop Moore at Tohopekaliga, 7
East Ridge at No. 16 (tie) Boone, 7
No. 16 (tie) Orange City University at Flagler Palm Coast, 7
Cornerstone Charter at Bronson, 7
Freedom at Celebration, 7
West Oaks at Chiefland, 7
Ocala Christian at Deltona Trinity, 7*
Lake Howell at East River, 7
Mount Dora at Eustis, 7
Foundation Academy at Faith Christian, 7
St. Cloud at Gateway, 7:30
Liberty at George Jenkins (Lakeland)
Lake Wales at Harmony, 7:30
Tavares at Leesburg, 7
Deltona at Mainland, 7*
Pine Ridge at New Smyrna Beach, 7
Olympia at Oak Ridge, 7
Orlando Christian Prep at Mount Dora Christian, 7:30
Orlando University at Oviedo, 7
First Academy-Leesburg at Seven Rivers Christian, 7:30
Umatilla at Tenoroc (Lakeland), 7:30
Orangewood at The Master’s Academy, 7:30
South Lake at Wildwood, 7
Lyman at Winter Springs, 7
Poinciana at Winter Haven, 7
The Citrus League doubleheader
At Austin-Tindall Sports Complex, Kissimmee
Lake Highland Prep at Trinity Prep, 5
The First Academy at Windermere Prep, 8
Monday
Evans at Ocoee, 7
Week 6
Friday, Oct. 9
Jones at Apopka, 7
Lake Brantley at Seminole, 7
Kissimmee Osceola at St. Cloud, 7:30
Wekiva at Dr. Phillips, 7
Winter Park at Lake Nona, 7
South Lake at Anclote, 7
Harmony at Bishop Moore, 7
Deltona Trinity at Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville), 7
Gateway at Boone, 7
Ocoee at Celebration, 7
Cypress Creek at Colonial, 7
Atlantic (Port Orange) at Deltona, 7
Lake Minneola at East Ridge, 7
Freedom at East River, 7
New Smyrna Beach at Eustis, 7
Akelynn Christian at Faith Christian, 7
Ocala Christian at First Academy-Leesburg, 7
Boone at Gateway, 7
Cornerstone Charter at Halifax Academy (Daytona Beach), 7
Lake Highland Prep at The First Academy 7
Oviedo at Lake Mary, 7
Central Florida Christian Academy at Legacy Charter, 7
Lake Howell at Matanzas (Palm Coast), 7
South Sumter at Mount Dora, 7
Foundation Academy at Northside Christian (St. Pete), 7
Evans at Oak Ridge, 7
Episcopal at Pine Ridge, 7
Lake Region at Poinciana
Orlando Christian Prep at The Master’s Academy, 7:30
Liberty at Tohopekaliga
Tavares at Umatilla, 7:30
Olympia at University (Orlando), 7
Lyman at University (Orange City), 7
Zarephath Academy at West Oaks, 7*
Windermere at West Orange, 7
Trinity Prep at Windermere Prep, 6
Hagerty at Winter Springs, 7
Leesburg at Villages Charter, 7
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
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