A home-in-home rivalry night at Patriot Aquatics belonged to Wekiva on Monday as the Mustangs won both the girls and boys matchups against Apopka to claim the annual Tidal Wave Cup. 

Wekiva’s girls held off a late Apopka rally for a 9-6 win before the Mustang boys followed with a commanding 20-9 victory to complete the sweep. 

Apopka (3-8) vs Wekiva (1-8) girls 

After their gritty 9-6 win over Apopka, head coach Tiffany Stieger emphasized how far the team has come. 

“Our girls have come a long way from barely having enough girls to make a team to winning this Tidal Cup,” Stieger said. “None of this would be possible without our set Avery Megargee, who has an amazing shot and carries our offense, our hole D Rylee McCulley, who leads our defense, and the rest of the team working together to make this team strong.” 

Mustang captain Avery Megargee quickly made her presence felt, scoring twice in the first quarter to help Wekiva build a 2-1 lead. Apopka kept pace early behind strong defensive play and stops in goal, keeping the game close. 

The second quarter brought more offensive action from both sides. Megargee opened the period with another goal before Apopka responded behind junior Lily Whitworth. Whitworth scored twice for the Blue Darters, tying the game and energizing the Apopka crowd. 

Wekiva regained momentum late in the quarter. Megargee added another goal while Bryanna Hernandez found the back of the net as well, pushing the Mustangs ahead 5-3 at halftime. 

Wekiva’s offense found its rhythm and controlled possession in the third quarter, creating scoring opportunities on quick attacks. Megargee continued her dominant night with three more goals in the quarter, while Hernandez added another score to cap a four-goal period that gave Wekiva a commanding 9-3 lead entering the final frame. 

Apopka refused to fold. 

Senior Dylan Townsend sparked the Blue Darters early in the fourth quarter with a goal before senior Abigail Kirkland added another to trim the deficit to four. Townsend later fired in her second goal of the quarter, cutting the margin to three with just under two minutes remaining. 

The late surge brought the crowd to life as Apopka pressed for another opportunity, but Wekiva’s defense held firm in the closing seconds. The Mustangs secured possession in the final moments and ran out the clock to seal the 9-6 victory. 

Megargee led all scorers, finishing with seven goals and four steals to power the Mustangs. 

Apopka (2-9) vs Wekiva (9-3) boys 

The boys game followed with an explosive offensive performance, led by a huge night from Wekiva junior Holden Pedrick. 

Pedrick set the tone immediately, scoring twice in the opening minutes as the Mustangs jumped out to an early lead. 

Apopka responded quickly behind freshman Lake McGatlin and senior Carter Langford, who scored back-to-back goals to briefly tie the game at 2-2. Wekiva answered with a goal from senior Cameron Parry before both teams traded scores. 

Wekiva carried a 6-4 advantage into the second quarter after Apopka freshman Preston McReynolds scored on a rebound just before the buzzer. 

The Mustangs began to pull away in the second quarter. Parry buried another shot from the perimeter and Pedrick capitalized on a long outlet pass following a strong save by goalkeeper Jaison Harris to extend the lead. 

Senior Nicholas Woodward added a late goal from the two-meter position, giving Wekiva a 10-5 lead at halftime. 

Wekiva’s counterattack proved too much to handle in the second half. 

Parry scored twice early in the third quarter while Apopka’s McReynolds kept the Blue Darters competitive with two goals from the middle and left side. Turnovers allowed Wekiva to repeatedly push the ball up the pool, where Pedrick and Woodward finished several fast-break opportunities. 

Pedrick continued to dominate the scoring column, finishing the night with nine goals. Parry added five goals and Woodward contributed four, while Harris anchored the defense with 23 saves in goal. 

Apopka was led by McReynolds, who recorded four goals, an assist and three steals in a strong performance. 

Mustang head coach Todd Steiger praised the development of his team after the win. 

“Our goalie just started playing goalie this season, and he had phenomenal blocks today,” Steiger said. “Our set player Holden has one of the strongest shots you’ll probably see in Central Florida, and we’ve got veterans on the outside who really hold the team together. Seeing these players go from where they started to where they are now has been so great.” 

Apopka head coach Reide Wilson said the effort from his young team was encouraging despite the result. 

“The younger guys are really starting to understand the game,” Wilson said. “The improvement from our younger players has been phenomenal. I’m really proud of the way they fought tonight.” 

With spring break approaching and the season entering its final stretch, Wilson said the focus remains on continued growth. 

“The sun comes up tomorrow,” Wilson said. “There’s still plenty of work to do, and it’s about getting better every day.”