The Apopka boys soccer team continued its strong midseason surge Tuesday night, rallying from a first-half deficit to defeat Evans 3-1 and further solidify its recent run of form. 

The win marked Apopka’s fifth victory in its last seven matches, a stretch in which the Blue Darters are 5-1-1 and have allowed just four total goals. Defensive consistency and composure in goal have anchored the turnaround, allowing Apopka to stay within games and capitalize when momentum shifts. 

In Tuesday night’s game, Evans struck first midway through the opening half, scoring at the 28:24 mark to take a 1-0 lead. The goal gave the Trojans early control, and for much of the remaining first half, play settled into a physical battle at midfield. Possession was contested heavily over the final eight minutes before the water break, with neither side able to create a sustained attacking rhythm. 

Out of the break, Apopka began to find more space going forward. Patient buildup and crisp ball movement produced a quality opportunity when the ball found its way through the Evans back line to Isaiah Ramirez inside the box. Ramirez had an open look, but his shot missed the target. 

Apopka continued to apply pressure late in the half. With four minutes remaining, the Blue Darters earned a free kick just outside the box. Adrian Veloquio played it short and lined a low shot toward goal, forcing the Evans goalkeeper to make a difficult save. Despite the late chances, Apopka went into halftime trailing 1-0. 

The match turned quickly after the break. Apopka came out with renewed energy and found an equalizer early in the second half when their leading scorer, David Campana, fired a shot into the net to level the score. The goal swung momentum, and the Blue Darters began to control possession and tempo. 

Not long after the equalizer, Apopka struck again. Kamilo Gomez pushed the Blue Darters in front with a goal off a strong attacking sequence, giving Apopka its first lead of the night. From there, the focus shifted to a defensive stand as Evans looked to press forward in search of an equalizer. 

Late in the match, Evans committed numbers forward, leaving space for running Darters. Apopka took advantage on the counterattack, sending Campana up the pitch. Campana was fouled and finished a penalty kick for his second goal of the match, sealing the 3-1 victory. 

With the win, Apopka improved to 6-4-2 on the season. The result also continued a turnaround that began after a 1-3-1 start. Following early struggles, the Blue Darters earned a road shutout against Horizon, battled to a 2-2 draw with University (Orlando), and then captured back-to-back wins in the Metro West Tournament, including a 3-0 shutout of Dr. Phillips and a narrow 2-1 victory over East River. 

After a tight 1-0 loss to Cypress Creek, Apopka responded with a 2-0 shutout of Orangewood Christian, setting the stage for Tuesday’s comeback against Evans. 

Blue Darter captain Campana leads the team with seven goals while Adrian Veloquio has been a top playmaker with five assists. Coach Billy Willier mentioned the rest of their goal scorers spread out evenly as the team is connected in their attacks with his athletes playing various positions. Everyone across the pitch has contributed to their hot goal scoring as of late.

Apopka will look to carry that momentum into the final stretch of the regular season. The Blue Darters host Edgewater on Thursday before the break, then return in January to face Forest Lake Academy and cross-town rival Wekiva to close out the regular season.