By Marshall Tempest
Reporter
The Apopka boys lacrosse team fell in the first round of the 2A District 6 Tournament to the Olympia Titans 10-7, ending their season and hopes for a deep playoff run. The Blue Darters ended the season with a 9-5 record, 3-3 in district matchups and ranked 153rd in the state.
Apopka vs. Olympia
When Apopka faced Olympia earlier in the season, the Blue Darters fell 9-3. They knew they were in for a tough matchup in the first round of the district tournament. The Blue Darters had moments of greatness in this game, but it all came too late. They fell behind 5-2 by the end of the first half.
The Blue Darters were having trouble with ball movement, ball security, and communication on defense. It seemed like Apopka was still getting comfortable in the first half and not 100% in the game, unlike the Titans, who were dominating possession.
Olympia opened the second half with a quick goal to make the score 6-2. You could tell the Apopka seniors were not going to let this game end without a fight. It got physical as the Apopka and Blue Darter brands of grit and determination began to chip away at the Titans.
But the lead created by the Titans in the first three quarters was too much for the Blue Darters to overcome. Apopka matched Olympia’s five goals in the second half but could not overcome the three-goal, first-half deficit.
Riley Willis and Matthew Touchet stood out in the loss. Willis collected three of the team’s seven goals and Touchet tallied one goal and one of the team’s three assists. Apopka’s faceoff specialist Colt Hoyt also recorded 16 faceoff wins, dominating at the half-field line for the Darters, giving Apopka a chance at victory with easy possessions.
The Apopka goalies saved nine shots and allowed 10 for a save percentage of 47.36. Nya Makonnen allowed eight goals and had five saves, while Parker Aho allowed just two goals and had four saves.
Season Recap
The Blue Darters finished the season with a 9-5 record with four home wins and five away wins. Apopka scored 106 goals and allowed 92 for a positive scoring differential of 14 goals. The Bue Darters averaged 7.7 goals per game and 2.2 assists per game.
When it came to scoring goals this season, Apopka’s Cooper Johnson, Nick Lucas, Hoyt, and Willis stood out. The four combined for 74 of the team’s 106 goals. Johnson led the team with 27 goals, with Lucas scoring 17, Hoyt scoring 16, and Willis scoring 14. The team also brought in 31 assists this season, with Brennan Walsh, Hoyt and Willis accounting for 16.
Apopka also collected 144 faceoff wins in 14 games, an average of 10.28 faceoff wins per game. The team also brought in 124 ground balls, an average of 8.9 per game.
The Apopka goalies had a great season, particularly Makonnen and Aho. Makonnen led the team in save percentage with a 59.1, allowing just 56 goals on 137 shots on goal. Aho allowed 23 goals on 51 shots on goal for a save percentage of 54.9.
The team will lose seven seniors this year, so it will be looking for new leadership in the coming season. Luckily for the Apopka lacrosse team, they had 16 juniors on the squad this year, meaning next year, the team will be very senior-heavy. That experienced team will be looking to bounce back from the early exit from the 2025 postseason.
