By John Peery
Nine times, Apopka has faced Wekiva in football and nine times, the Blue Darters have handled their hometown rivals with little problem, as Apopka has defeated the Mustangs by an average score of 54 to 14.
But with coach Rich Bedesem in his first season at Wekiva (4-2), Apopka coach Rick Darlington says the Blue Darters (6-0) will face the strongest Wekiva team ever when the two squads tangle Thursday, October 13, at Wekiva’s Baptiste Orthodontics Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and tickets are $6 and available at the gate.
“They’re good,” Darlington said of the Mustangs. “Last year, I felt they had their best team they ever had. I think they’re better (this year).
“I think they play really hard. I think Rich (Bedesem) does a really good job of getting kids to play hard and believe. He had success at Edgewater. They went from 0-10 to playoff years back-to-back. Rich knows what he’s doing.”
Wekiva’s effort and physicality, especially on defense, is easy to see, Darlington said.
“When you turn on the film, you notice they play hard. They’re physical. They try to play the kind of ball we play. Their defense definitely jumps out. They’ve got some good players. I think they’re better on defense (than in previous seasons),” he said.
The contest is not only for hometown pride, but has huge District 8A-4 implications as both teams are 1-0 in the four-team district. On September 30, Apopka downed West Orange 56-20 while Wekiva took care of Evans 27-6.
“I think the key to the game is it becomes a very simple game,” Darlington said. “We’re going to have to execute. All those cliché things we always talk about, taking care of the ball, negative plays. All that stuff is crucial. You don’t want to get behind on the chains.
With a 9-0 record against the Mustangs since Wekiva High opened its doors in the fall of 2007, the Blue Darters have known nothing but success against Wekiva on the gridiron and Darlington hopes that domination – the closest game has been 16 points in 2011 – will have an effect on this game. Early success will likely be key, he said.
“Mentally, we need to jump up on them. Get them back in the old Wekiva mindset of, ‘Oh, here it goes.’
“I think the longer you let them hang around, the worse it could be. The more they hang in there, they get confidence,” Darlington said.
Wekiva will attempt to hang in there with its strong running game and solid defense.
The Mustangs are powered offensively by running back Jaylon Fair, who spent his freshman year at Apopka High School.
Fair has gained 678 yards on the ground through the first six games, including 155 against Evans. He’s also scored 10 of the Mustangs’ 11 rushing touchdowns this season.
Under offensive coordinator Buddy Hurd, the Mustangs like to grind the ball down the field, moving the chains, but Hurd will also take deep shots with the pass. He also likes screen passes to help slow down the defensive rush.
Quarterback Trey McGee doesn’t complete a high percentage of his passes for Wekiva, but the Mustangs are averaging nearly 16 yards per completion. McGee is 46-of-108 for the season, but has passed for 724 yards and three scores. He’s been picked off three times.
McGee’s biggest target is Wesly Touze, who has caught 20 passes for 333 yards and three scores.
McGee is not a big threat to run, but he can get the job done when needed. He is the Mustangs’ second-leading rusher with 156 yards.
Apopka, meanwhile, will respond with its ever-evolving offense that still includes plenty of single-wing plays, but now also runs a lot of spread offense.
No matter the formation, the foundation of Apopka’s offense is still the strong running game.
Even though the rushing average is lower than it has been in recent years, the Blue Darters are still churning out 285 yards on the ground each game. Taking over some of that yardage has been an effective passing game, as Apopka is throwing for 100 yards a game.
On the ground, senior quarterback Demetri Burch leads the way for the Blue Darters with 540 yards and 11 touchdowns. Fellow senior DeShawn Massey is not too far behind with 470 yards and five touchdowns.
Burch is 30-of-50 for 484 yards through the air. He has thrown nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
Damaris August, who transferred from Wekiva to Apopka over the summer, is the Blue Darters’ leading receiver. He’s caught 12 passes for 159 yards and four scores.
Prior to the game is the Apopka Rotary Club’s annual pancake supper. The pancake supper will be held at Wekiva High and Rotary members will serve all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
The food will be served under a large tent just north of the football field. There will be some inside seating available near the tent. The event will be held in the Wekiva High cafeteria in case of inclement weather.
Tickets for the pancake supper have been reduced to $5, and children 5 years of age and under eat free with a paying adult.
