Catching up with Apopka spring sports

By Marshall Tempest

Reporter 

This week, our Apopka High School athletes are enjoying a much-needed breather for spring break. This provides a perfect opportunity to examine the performance of the rest of Blue Darter spring sports programs so far this season. 

Boys volleyball 

The Blue Darter boys volleyball team rebounded from a three-game losing streak last Thursday, March 13, securing a 3-1 victory against Forest Lake Academy (FLA). As of Monday, March 17, the team holds a record of 3-3 for the season, ranking 57th in the state and 563rd nationally, according to MaxPreps. 

The boys are just over a third of the way through the season and need some wins as soon as possible to keep the expectations of a deep playoff run alive. When the Blue Darters are winning, they dominate, with their three victories being 3-0 (FLA), 3-0 (Wekiva), and 3-1 (FLA). However, when they lose, it’s also in lopsided fashion, with their losses being 3-0 (Lake Howell), 3-0 (Horizon), and 3-1 (Timber Creek).

The team sits fourth in 3A District 4 below Windermere, West Orange, and Ocoee in that order and above Evans. Apopka has not posted any stats for the season as of Monday, March 17.

When they return from spring break, the Blue Darters will play two games. The first is at West Orange on Tuesday, March 25, starting at 6:30 p.m., and the second is at Windermere on Thursday, March 27, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Boys lacrosse 

The Apopka boys lacrosse team has been on a great run recently, going 5-1 in their last six games. The team is 6-3 and 2-2 in district matchups, sitting fifth in the 2A District 5 standings under West Orange, Olympia, Lake Minneola, and Windermere and above East Ridge, Ocoee, and South Lake. The Blue Darters are ranked 124th in the state and 380th in the nation, according to MaxPreps as of Monday, March 17.

The boys have scored 63 goals and allowed 61, a two-point positive scoring differential for the season. Cooper Johnson and Colt Hoyt lead the team in goals. Johnson and Hoyt combine for 35 of the team’s 66 goals, or 53.03 percent. Brennan Walsh and Hoyt lead the team in assists, with both accounting for four apiece, making up half of the team’s 16 assists. 

Johnson (12), Marshall Rutledge (9), and Walsh (8) led the team in ground balls, combining for 29 of the team’s 77 ground balls. At the midfield line, Apopka dominates with three faceoff specialists combining for 83 face-off wins. Hoyt leads the team with 60 face-off wins, followed by Jayden Burton with 12 and Hayden Pugh with 11. 

Apopka’s goalkeepers have been doing phenomenal this season, with a combined save percentage of 59.3 percent. Parker Aho is leading the team in the cage, allowing just 15 goals with 32 shots on goal in 144 minutes. Following closely behind is Nya Makonnen, who has allowed 28 goals on 71 shots on goal in 143 minutes in the cage. 

When the team returns from spring break, it will have just four games left in the regular season. That week, Apopka will play two games: the first is at home against Lyman High School on Tuesday, March 25, at 6 p.m., and the second is at Olympia on Thursday, March 27, at 5:30 p.m.

Girls lacrosse

The girls lacrosse team is having a tough season after falling to 3-8, including 1-1 in district matchups. Apopka is on a six-game losing streak and has not won a game since Feb. 21 against Boone. The Blue Darters have scored 73 goals and allowed 109 for a negative 36 scoring differential. 

According to MaxPreps, as of Monday, March 17, the team is third in 2A District 6, 124th in the state, and 380th in the nation. The team has not entered any stats for the 2025 season. 

The girls have just four more games until the end of the regular season, with three taking place the week they return from spring break. Next week, the team will travel to Horizon on Tuesday, March 25, for a game set at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, March 27, Apopka will travel to Olympia for a game set to begin at 7 p.m. Finally, on Friday, March 28, they will host Oviedo for a district matchup set to start at 6:30 p.m.

Girls water polo

The girls water polo team is 3-10 on the season and 1-2 in district matchups. According to MaxPreps, as of Monday, March 17, the Blue Darters are ranked 60th in the nation and 47th in the state. They are currently on a six-game losing streak—although one member of the team is ranked in the top 10 nationally. 

Apopka’s goalkeeper on the girl’s water polo team, like the boys team, is making waves at the national level. Apopka’s Katherine Berens, the Blue Darters goalkeeper, is ranked 10th in the nation and Florida in saves with 114 for an average of 9.5 saves a game. 

Other Blue Darters having a great season include Alexis McReynolds, Taylor Sellers and Brooke Bemiss. McReynolds leads the team with 28 goals for an average of 2.3 goals a game while leading the team in assists with 13. McReynolds also has 35 steals, 41 points, 18 drawn ejections and a 38.9 shooting percentage. Sellers has 14 goals, nine assists, 17 steals, 23 points, four drawn ejections and a 32.6 shooting percentage. Bemiss has 12 goals, nine assists, six steals, 21 points, 10 drawn ejections and a 44.4 shooting percentage. 

When the girls return from spring break, they will have two games during the week and three at a tournament that weekend. First, they will host Colonial at Lake Brantley on Tuesday, March 25, for a match set to start at 7:30 p.m. They will then travel to Lyman High School for a game on Friday, March 28, and Saturday, March 29, for three tournament matchups against Gainesville, Wekiva and Venice.