The Apopka Blue Darters continued to grind through a demanding week with district play Friday night, knocking off Ocoee 52-44 despite being shorthanded and tested late. 

Apopka entered the matchup without two key contributors, as Xavier Bell remained sidelined after suffering an injury Monday, while Jarquavion McClain continued to nurse an injury from the Wekiva game. Still, the Blue Darters showed little sign of fatigue, building on momentum from back-to-back wins over Lake Minneola, 69-56; and East Ridge, 45-39, earlier in the week. 

Jaden Andino got a big boost in minutes and had a much larger role this game. He opened the scoring on Apopka’s second possession with a corner 3.  

Coach Scott Williams praised Andino’s ability to step up. 

“Jaden’s always been a young man that we felt is going to be really good in our program, but this current stretch continues to give us more and more confidence,” he said.  

The Apopka crowd traveled well and made its presence felt, erupting after a Trent Jean ankle-breaker and Noah Ferrer pull-up jumper. Ocoee answered with free throws, but Andino responded again at the line, pushing the Blue Darters ahead 7-2 and forcing an early Ocoee timeout with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter. 

After an Ocoee bucket inside, Andino continued his hot start, floating one in from the baseline off another Jean assist. Defense dictated much of the quarter, but Apopka closed strong when Rafi Betancourt found Xavier Freeman in the corner for a 3, sending the Blue Darters into the break with a 12-4 lead. 

Evariste opened the second quarter by drawing a foul and converting both free throws, though Ocoee answered with a 3 and two more from the line to cut into the margin. After a loose-ball scramble and an Apopka timeout, Andino found space again in the corner and buried another triple. The pace quickened as Ocoee attacked the rim, but Evariste countered with a strong finish through contact and a completed three-point play. 

Apopka’s ball movement continued to pay off. After a missed 3, Betancourt grabbed an offensive rebound and skipped the ball cross-court to Andino, who drilled yet another corner 3. Ocoee responded with back-to-back deep triples, trimming the lead to 24-17 and energizing the crowd.  

Betancourt answered with a 3 of his own off an outlet pass, forcing another Ocoee timeout. Following an inbound violation on the Knights, Trent Jean found Amare Wilson on the wing for a deep 3, closing the half with Apopka firmly in control, 32-17. 

Ocoee opened the second half by getting to the line, but Zee Davis answered immediately with a corner 3. After a brief lull and a pair of turnovers, Ferrer jumped a passing lane and tossed ahead to Jean, who found Davis for his second straight long ball. Ocoee again fought back with an and-one, but Andino answered once more from the corner for his fourth 3. Alex Congdon added his first points on a pull-up jumper, and Apopka maintained a 43-32 advantage heading into the fourth. 

Ocoee applied heavy pressure to start the final quarter, but Apopka handled it well. Jean dribbled through a trap and delivered a pinpoint skip pass to Freeman for a layup, and Evariste followed by cleaning up a blocked shot for two more. Ocoee responded with a 3, then capitalized on turnovers and second-chance points to cut the deficit to single digits. 

With the Knights threatening, Apopka called timeout at 49-42. After another Ocoee trip to the line made it 49-44, Jean delivered another beautiful pass, finding Freeman in the corner for a clutch 3.  

Evariste then delivered a crucial block on the defensive end, and Apopka managed the clock efficiently from there, bleeding nearly a full minute in one long possession that included fouls. Neither team scored again, sealing the 52-44 Blue Darter victory. 

Williams hopes this run could be what establishes confidence in a deep roster. 

“What you hope after you get through the injuries and are back to full heath, is that your club is now deeper and more equipped to have different guys step up when it matters the most.” 

Andino led all scorers with 16 points, adding four rebounds and two steals. Evariste finished with nine points, four rebounds, and a key late block, while Jean orchestrated the offense with nine assists to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Both teams struggled with turnovers in the second half, but Apopka’s execution in key moments helped seal the game. 

The win marked Apopka’s fourth straight and improved the Blue Darters to 12-8 overall and 3-0 in district play. They return home to host Legacy Charter at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night, looking to keep their streak rolling.