Apopka’s first taste of game action this season came with plenty of adversity Friday night, but the Blue Darters also showed signs of the physical, hard-nosed team they have become. 

Apopka fell 38-18 to West Orange in the Kickoff Classic, but the score did not tell the entire story of a night that featured big plays, turnovers, penalties and a second-half fight from the Blue Darters. 

The game marked a significant step forward from Apopka’s Kickoff Classic performance a year ago, when the Blue Darters fell 44-10 to Tampa Bay Tech. 

“We were physical,” Apopka coach Marcus Neeson said. “I saw receivers out there blocking, getting downfield blocks. I saw old linemen moving people, and that’s what we wanted.” 

Apopka opened the game with junior quarterback Hunter McNenney under center, but its first possession ended with a fumble on a 5-yard run by Jakyvion Kemp, giving West Orange the ball at the Blue Darters’ 21-yard line. 

The Warriors, coming off a 10-2 season, quickly capitalized. On the first play, senior wide receiver Yuto Kawamura-Johnson, committed to Toledo, took a bubble screen down to the Apopka 1-yard line. West Orange scored on the next play to take an 8-0 lead after converting a two-point attempt following a pair of offsides penalties. 

Apopka responded with a 51-yard drive that lasted 16 plays and featured several promising moments. 

Kemp converted a fourth-and-3 with a 4-yard run, and McNenney drew West Orange offside for another first down. Later, McNenney found Jaylen Laster out left for a first down at the Warriors’ 24, setting up a potential scoring opportunity. 

The drive stalled out, and the snap on a field-goal attempt from the 20-yard line was mishandled by the holder, leaving Apopka without points. 

West Orange threatened again late in the first quarter, but Apopka’s defense stiffened. Kentrel Baker recorded a 4-yard tackle for loss, and the Blue Darters stuffed consecutive rushing attempts before stopping the Warriors on fourth down. 

The score remained 8-0 after one quarter. 

Apopka finally broke through early in the second. 

McNenney connected with Xavier Cruz over the middle for 26 yards to open the drive, and later completed a 40-yard pass to Kemp down to the 10-yard line. After two runs brought Apopka to the 3, McNenney kept the ball on a quarterback sneak and powered into the end zone with 8:36 remaining in the half. 

Apopka’s two-point attempt failed, but the Blue Darters had cut the deficit to 8-6. 

The teams combined for three touchdowns in 26 seconds of game action, including McNenney’s score. 

Kawamura-Johnson fielded the ensuing kickoff, cut through the middle and bounced outside before racing to the end zone for a return touchdown. West Orange extended its lead to 15-6. 

Apopka immediately answered. 

Jaylen Laster took the kickoff at the 2-yard line, found a crease through the middle and broke outside, outrunning the final defender for a kickoff return touchdown. The return was an encouraging moment for the team and fans, as Apopka’s side of the field roared. The two-point attempt failed, leaving West Orange ahead 15-12. 

The Blue Darters then forced a fumble on the following kickoff and recovered at midfield. A facemask penalty moved Apopka to the West Orange 25, but a personal foul later backed the Blue Darters up to the 40. 

On fourth-and-25, McNenney found Kemp for a 15-yard gain, but the possession ended on downs. 

West Orange added another touchdown with 2:13 remaining in the half when Kawamura-Johnson came down with a jump ball in the corner of the end zone. Apopka blocked the extra point to keep the deficit at 21-12. 

Things unraveled late in the half. 

Apopka’s punt was blocked inside the 10-yard line and recovered by West Orange at the 3. The Warriors scored on the next play to make it 28-12 with 1:11 remaining. 

McNenney was injured on the ensuing possession and was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a concussion. 

Freshman Kai Goodling got his first opportunity under the lights as the Blue Darters’ quarterback. He entered and immediately provided a spark, scrambling left on a broken play before launching a deep pass to Nyzier Collington at midfield. But penalties pushed Apopka backward. 

On fourth-and-long, Goodling rolled right and was hit while winding up to throw. The ball came loose, and West Orange returned it for a touchdown with 14 seconds remaining. 

The Warriors entered halftime with a 35-12 lead. 

Apopka settled down defensively in the second half, forcing West Orange to punt after stopping the Warriors near midfield. The Blue Darters also benefited from a high snap on a West Orange field-goal attempt, taking possession at their own 28. 

The offense continued to show flashes. 

With Apopka facing fourth-and-8 late in the third quarter, Laster took a direct snap on a fake punt and raced 30 yards to keep the drive alive. 

That set up a fourth-quarter touchdown. 

Goodling faked a handoff and found Nicholas Taylor out left for a gain down to the 16. Kemp followed by breaking a tackle and powering 16 yards into the end zone to cut the deficit to 35-18 with 11:34 remaining. 

West Orange added a field goal with 6:58 left, and Apopka’s final two possessions did not produce another score. 

Despite the loss, Neeson saw plenty to build on. His message to the team after the game was simple. 

“I’m gonna demand greatness,” Neeson said. “The little mistakes set us back tonight. We gotta keep building on the little things and climb that mountain to success. Be ready to work on Monday.” 

Apopka finished with 252 total yards, passing for 138 and rushing for 114. The Blue Darters also showed the conditioning Neeson has emphasized throughout the offseason. 

“We were in shape,” Neeson said. “I don’t think any of our guys were out there laying down on the ground, cramping up.” 

Now the Blue Darters turn their attention toward the games that count. 

Apopka opens the regular season Friday, Aug. 21, on the road against Boone, where the lessons from Friday night will immediately be put to the test.