Behind a dominant second half, the Blue Darters pulled away from Wekiva for a 4-0 win on Wednesday in a rivalry matchup that followed a scoreless opening half. 

Both teams entered the match with no rest. Wekiva was coming off a 3-2 loss to Jones on Tuesday, while Apopka played to a 0-0 draw with Forest Lake Academy. 

The teams traded possession through the first eight minutes, neither able to settle in or maintain control for long as both sides looked for quick, aggressive plays forward. The physical contest was highlighted when Wekiva senior goalkeeper Sebastian Galves collided with Apopka’s Estevao Amarai while challenging for a loose ball. Play stopped briefly as Galves was checked before quickly returning to action on senior night. 

Apopka earned a free kick with seven minutes remaining before the first-half water break, but the attempt sailed over the crossbar. The match remained scoreless as both back lines stood firm. 

Five minutes later, Wekiva nearly struck first. William Lucas lined up a long free kick and unleashed a powerful shot that ripped through the air and crashed off the crossbar.  

Moments later, Apopka generated its best chance of the half when David Campana was fouled in the box on a counterattack. Campana stepped to the spot and sent his penalty kick to the left, but Galves read correctly, diving to make the save and preserve the scoreless deadlock.

The final minutes of the half stayed even, with both teams battling for every ball and neither side willing to concede ground. 

At halftime, Wekiva’s message was direct. 

“The time is now,” Wekiva head coach Carlos Sosa told the team. “Score first, in the next five minutes.” 

Instead, it was Apopka that seized control out of the break. 

The Blue Darters applied immediate pressure, forcing a deflection that led to a corner kick five minutes into the second half. Estevao Amarai flew in off the set piece and delivered a dangerous ball near the post, where Adrian Veloquio finished cleanly to give Apopka the first goal of the night. 

With 12 minutes remaining, Amarai attacked again, this time receiving a return ball from Veloquio in the middle of the box. Amarai scorched one past the goalkeeper to double the lead. 

As the clock ticked down, the Mustangs pushed numbers forward in search of a response, but that aggression opened the door for Apopka’s counterattack. Amarai forced a turnover near midfield, sprinted into space and slipped a pass to Veloquio, who calmly juked the goalkeeper and finished, making it 3-0. 

Amarai had the energy from start to finish and was proud of his three-point night and win against their rival. 

“It’s really cool, we worked all as a team, and we did it for [coach] Billy without him here,” he said. 

Less than a minute later, Apopka struck again. Giovanny Cruz capped the night after a quick sequence of passes cut through Wekiva’s pressing defense, finding the net with the goalkeeper out of position. From there, the clock bled as Apopka celebrated the final whistle. 

“We were very motivated in the first half because it’s senior night,” assistant coach Jordain James said. “But in the second half, we just lost it. They really wanted this victory, and they outplayed us.” 

Apopka assistant coach Ewan Lindo, filling in for Billy Willier, credited his team’s adjustments and composure. 

“We made some adjustments at halftime, and once we did, they really flourished,” Lindo said. “We started playing wide, getting into the attacking third and creating high-percentage opportunities. I’m very proud of them.” 

The result marked a familiar outcome in the rivalry. Apopka has now won the last three meetings by a 4-0 score and extended its streak to seven straight wins over Wekiva. The Blue Darters will close the regular season at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at home against Lake Brantley, while Wekiva travels to Lake Minneola at 7 p.m. on Thursday.