West Orange emerges as new power in Central Florida

After topping both Dr. Phillips and Apopka in recent weeks, West Orange has emerged as the top team in Central Florida.

West Orange started the season ranked No. 8 in the AP poll. Quarterback Woody Barrett committed to Auburn before the season started, putting that pressure behind him. The only pressure that would face him and the Warriors was a difficult schedule that featured Dr. Phillips and Apopka along with the usually difficult district that also added Wekiva to the mix.

The Warriors would have their work cut out for them. But with the defending state champions in the mix, it seemed like they were playing for second place.

West Orange though has changed that script. They are no longer the hunters. In Central Florida, they should be the hunted.

Friday’s 28-3 drubbing of the defending state champion Blue Darters should have the Warriors as the top dogs in Central Florida. West Orange defeated Dr. Phillips in the renewal of that West Orange rivalry 41-34 on a last-second touchdown. The win ended Dr. Phillips’ three-year regular season unbeaten run.

The win over Apopka though was the one that really served notice that West Orange could have something special brewing. The Warriors drubbed the Blue Darters behind three touchdowns from Barrett, including drives of 95 and 88 yards. Barrett had 160 rushing yards on 16 carries from the quarterback position. And the defense, characterized as bend-don’t-break, did the rest, shutting down Apopka.

West Orange easily could sweep through the rest of its schedule. A district battle with Wekiva in two weeks is the last remaining Sentinel Super 16 team on the schedule.

The Warriors are an extremely talented team. According to Rivals, they have five seniors rated as three stars. Barrett has committed to Auburn already with offensive lineman Stone Forsythe having committed to Florida.

This really is not at all surprising. West Orange went 11-0 last year before losing to Apopka in the state playoffs. That 42-0 drubbing came after West Orange actually defeated Apopka 45-31 in a district game. So the work, as West Orange knows is not over.

The strength gained from that experience should make West Orange a little more prepared to handle the success this season.

But as teams continue to pick each other off each Friday night — Dr. Phillips recovered from a three-game losing streak with a win over Oak Ridge on Friday, but the Panthers have hardly looked strong even when they were winning before losing to West Orange, Apopka and Mainland — West Orange seems to stand atop the mountain.

The Warriors have a strong defense — led by defensive end Nolan DeFranco, a North Carolina commitment — and plenty of weapons offensively in addition to Barrett. This is a group that is hungry to burst through for something seemingly unimaginable with that difficult district — a West Orange state title.

Maybe that is still too far down the road. This team has the makings of it though.

For now, West Orange is the top team in the area. The Warriors have beaten the other top teams on their schedule, some very top teams. They should get the respect they deserve. Whether that means they could top some of the other schools from South Florida or around the State in 8A (they are ranked No. 10 in the state before last Friday’s game), is a question for December.

For now, there may be no team playing better in Central Florida.