The Apopka Pop Warner football teams got their first opportunity for live competition Saturday at Showalter Field, with players across the program getting a chance to test themselves against Oviedo and Winter Park. 

The jamboree gave Apopka’s teams an early look at game conditions before the regular season begins, with the 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, 12U and 13U teams all taking part. 

No official scores were kept during the event. Instead, teams ran multiple offensive and defensive series, with each possession beginning at the 40-yard line. 

For Apopka’s 11U team, the day began against Oviedo with an explosive play from the offense. 

On the second play of the first series, quarterback Grayson Maso took a shot downfield to Alton Williams, who elevated over a defender at the 20-yard line to make the catch. He broke free and raced the rest of the way for a touchdown. 

The defense quickly followed with a strong stretch of its own. 

Apopka stopped Oviedo on consecutive plays after the teams switched sides, showing its ability to create pressure and get into the backfield. The Lions eventually broke through with a rushing touchdown, but the Apopka defense responded by shutting down the rest of the series. 

The defense repeatedly created negative plays, including several tackles for loss. The final play of the defensive series ended with a 15-yard sack before Apopka returned to offense. 

The 11U offense again found its rhythm. 

It opened the series with a 12-yard run before a big play. Running up the middle, Cameron Derry powered through a swarm of defenders, bounced outside and outran the Oviedo defense for another explosive touchdown. 

Apopka added another memorable play on the ensuing point-after attempt. 

After a fumbled snap, Jordan Taylor recovered the ball behind the line of scrimmage, broke a tackle and reversed direction before finding the end zone. 

The 10U team opened its jamboree against Winter Park, beginning the day on defense. 

Winter Park managed to break off a rushing touchdown, but Apopka quickly settled in before switching to offense. 

Apopka’s running back provided the response, powering through a defender and into the end zone as Apopka moved the ball down the field. 

The offense continued to find success through the remainder of the series, including a deep completion that moved Apopka into position to score. 

With two plays remaining in the series, the running back took the ball up the middle and broke through for a 12-yard touchdown. 

The Darters had one final play with the possession reset at the 40-yard line, and they made it count. 

Taking the handoff and bouncing toward the left side, Liston Leonard found open space and outran the entire Winter Park defense for an emphatic touchdown to close the series. He showed off his dance moves after the big play. 

While the 10U and 11U teams provided plenty of highlights, the jamboree was about more than individual plays. The event provided an opportunity to evaluate players in live situations, test different combinations and give some athletes their first taste of game-day football. 

The 8U and 9U teams also competed and played well, while the 12U and 13U teams rounded out Apopka’s participation. 

With no score being kept, the jamboree was just another step toward getting each team ready for the regular season. 

After weeks of practices and preparation, Apopka Pop Warner finally got to see its players compete against someone other than their teammates.