Lake Nona’s Kyle Herrera booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give the East a 20-17 come-from-behind win. Herrera also kicked a 32-yarder to close out the first half.

“I was already real nervous coming into it, then they tried to ice me twice,” Herrera said afterward. “I just threw my career on the line and put everything I had into it.”

East seniors watch as the ball clears the uprights. (Photo by Tim Citek)

Despite outgaining the West in total yards (326-207) the East seniors were forced to overcome six turnovers and a 17-7 deficit late in the second quarter before eventually pulling out the win.

The West built its lead by turning three of those turnovers into scores.

While trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter Edgewater’s Kelvon Davis forced a fumble, which put the West in position to tie the game. It wasn’t long before Bishop Moore quarterback Mike Calabro tucked the football and took off on a 30-yard touchdown run.

West Orange’s Marcus Isom went on to recover a fumble on a bad snap once the East regained possession, setting up a 27-yard field goal by Wekiva’s Kyle McGee. The West extended its lead with less than a minute to play in the second quarter when Wekiva’s Josh West jumped on a loose ball in the end zone following yet another fumble.

But while the West relied on the mistakes of its opponent, the East continued dusting itself off and feeding the ball to Lake Nona’s Jarius Pace and Winter Park’s Brandon Brown-Dukes out of the backfield.

The duo combined for eight carries of more than 10 yards on the night. When they weren’t fighting for extra yardage by making defenders miss by way of shifty moves, they were finding extra room to run thanks to an aggressive offensive line.

“It’s been a long time since I was able to get back in my groove and I felt like I was able to do that tonight,” said Pace, who missed much of the regular season due to injury. “God came through for me. The team came through. I’d like to give all the credit to the o-line for the outstanding blocking they did.”

Pace brushed off two fumbles to finish with 126 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also had a 45-yard reception late in the fourth quarter. Brown-Dukes took 12 carries for 61 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown in the win.

The celebration gets underway for the East seniors. (Photo by Tim Citek)

“It’s a great experience to play with and against all these guys from throughout Orange County, because some of these guys we’ve never had the chance to play against (during the regular season),” said Brown-Dukes.

It was his catch-and-run for a touchdown with 8:31 to go in the third quarter that tied the game at 17-17. Following a 31-yard reception by Winter Park’s Lee Dunnam, on a throw from East River quarterback Josh Jones, Brown-Dukes hauled in a pass while alone in the flat and reached the end zone on a 22-yard gain after sidestepping a defender inside the five-yard line.

“When I turned my head and looked up it was wide open,” Brown-Dukes said. “It’s all natural instinct from there. I just decided to take a jab-step inside and come back out.”

Pace scored the opening points of the night when he took a handoff up the middle and went four yards for the touchdown with 1:18 to go in the first quarter.

He got the scoring drive started on a pitch-out to the right, where he stiff-armed a defender and raced 52 yards down the West sideline. Positive gains by Brown-Dukes, Central Florida Christian Academy’s Karl Bourne and East River’s Michael Elder continued to move the chains before Pace punched it in for the score.

– More Orange County Senior Bowl Highlights –

– Lake Nona’s Chris Compton caught a 23-yard pass from University’s Kyle Sellers with 24 seconds left in the second quarter… Sellers and Josh Jones combined to go 9-of-21 for 139 yards passing for the East.

– Edgewater’s Kelvin Gunning and Wekiva’s Demarius Daniels each intercepted a pass… Olympia’s Josh Cunningham got to the quarterback for a sack during the final seconds of the first half… West Orange’s Diego Quintanar recovered a fumble with two minutes left in the game, but the West replied by going three-and-out.

– Gunning, Ocoee’s Darien Oliver and Edgewater’s Kelvon Davis were among those breaking up passes while West Orange’s Kellen Williams made multiple timely tackles.

– Bishop Moore quarterback Mike Calabro led the West in rushing with 65 yards on four carries… Calabro, Wekiva’s Greg Arnheim and Evans quarterback Dominique Tarver combined to go 7-of-20 for 63 yards passing… Ocoee’s Robenson Roche caught three passes for 18 yards.

– University’s Shane Berry made a clutch interception near the sideline on a pass inside the 10-yard line with a minute left in the second quarter… Winter Park’s Dominique Albert and Timber Creek’s Lavon Moten recorded sacks for the East.

– Stepping up to make big tackles for the East were Winter Park’s Matthew Moody, Lake Nona’s Alex Scott, Timber Creek’s Brandon Tyras, Freedom’s Colin Burke and Kavaris Green, and Colonial’s Larry McNeil and Chad Tajudeen… Colonial’s Ricky Gordon, Freedom’s David Gadson and Cypress Creek’s Nick Gonzalez broke up passes.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

Oak Ridge (8-3) is at Dr. Phillips (11-0), Winter Park (11-0) is at Seminole (9-2), and DeLand (9-2) is at Orange Park (7-4) in Class 6A games. Oviedo defeated Osceola 10-0 in Class 5A and hosts this week against Lakeland, who beat Hagerty 56-35. Bishop Moore (9-2) hosts two-time defending Class 2A champion Cocoa. Lake Highland Prep (9-2) defeated Fort Meyers Dunbar 20-6 in Class 2B and will host Island Coast.

Last week the season ended for a couple local teams. East River lost 27-7 on the road against Lakeland Lake Gibson in 5A and Jones lost to Cocoa 14-9.

In other action… South Daytona Warner Christian (11-0) defeated Orangewood Christian 60-6 in Class 1B. Daytona Beach Mainland lost to Orange Park 29-28 in Class 6A. The First Academy lost 42-20 against Jacksonville Trinity Christian in 2A.

All second round games begin at 7:30 p.m. Keep up with all the action at Varsity Sports, WFTV Channel 9 and Bright House Sports Network.

Below is a look back at last week’s first round involving state-ranked teams, with a little help from those that covered each game for the Orlando Sentinel.

– Class 6A –

Dr. Phillips 52, Olympia 3

The Panthers defeated Olympia for the fourth time over the past two seasons by building a 24-3 lead at halftime…

Wrote Kyle Hightower:

“Running back Demetrius Hart rushed for 118 yards and accounted for three touchdowns – two rushing, one receiving – to lead the Panthers… Quarterback Nick Patti was also spot-on, connecting on 5-of-8 passes for 181 yards and three scores. He also ran in another.”

Oak Ridge 34, Apopka 14

The Pioneers won their first playoff game since 1977 by getting out to a 28-7 lead at halftime…

Wrote Joe Williams:

“Dominating may not be a strong enough word to describe Oak Ridge in the first half. Oak Ridge had 286 yards of total offense to Apopka’s 53… Only a lapse on special teams allowed Apopka to score.”

Winter Park 35, Lake Brantley 21

Wildcats’ quarterback Sam Richardson got banged late in the first quarter while his team trailed by a touchdown, but returned to lead Winter Park to the win…

Wrote Buddy Collings:

“Winter Park again had difficulty holding a big fourth-quarter lead against Lake Brantley on Friday. But again the Wildcats were able to respond at crunch time. Undefeated Winter Park marched 80 yards to seal a 35-21 victory over the Patriots with an 8-yard touchdown run by Brandon Brown-Dukes with 1:44 remaining.”

Seminole 46, Timber Creek 14

The Seminoles took control late in the first half as T.J. Thompson passed for 217 yards and three touchdowns…

Wrote Carlos Pineda:

“The Seminoles broke away with 4 minutes, 37 seconds left in the second quarter when Ronnie Moore scored on a 53-yard run to give them a 17-7 lead.”

DeLand 6, Jacksonville Sandalwood 0

A touchdown run by Jo Jo Kemp in the first quarter, set up by a big interception return by De’Ante Saunders, held up for DeLand…

Wrote Craig Castille:

“LB Joe Herndon’s goalline interception on fourth down with 20 seconds remaining sealed a 6-0 victory for DeLand.”

– Class 4A –

Lakeland Kathleen 27, Edgewater 24

Edgewater could not hang on to a 23-12 lead at home with eight minutes remaining…

Wrote Bill Gronvold:

“A 92-yard pass play… with 1 minute, 12 seconds left Friday night lifted Lakeland Kathleen past host Edgewater. Aaron Baysdon caught the ball around midfield, broke two tackles and then ran the rest of the way for the score.”

– Class 2A –

Bishop Moore 25, Astronaut 7

The Hornets get the two-time defending state champs from Cocoa at home this week after getting out to a 25-0 lead on Friday…

Wrote Jeff Gardenour:

“Senior QB Mike Calabro passed for a TD and ran for another score, and Bishop Moore’s defense forced four turnovers in beating visiting Titusville Astronaut.”

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

On Friday a number of top-ranked teams from the Orlando area open the first round of the playoffs. With so much talent entered into the field, some intriguing matchups will get the postseason in motion.

– In Class 6A there are five local teams ranked in the state’s Top 10, led by No. 2 Dr. Phillips (10-0). No. 4 Winter Park (10-0), No. 5 Apopka (9-1), No. 9 East Ridge (8-2) and No. 10 Olympia (7-3) round out the list. East Ridge did not advance out of District 5.

This week Dr. Phillips hosts Olympia; Winter Park hosts No. 14 Lake Brantley (7-2); Apopka hosts Oak Ridge (7-3); No. 11 DeLand (8-2) hosts Jacksonville Sandalwood; and No. 13 Seminole (8-2) hosts Timber Creek (4-6).

– In Class 4A, No. 12 Edgewater (7-3) hosts Lakeland Kathleen. The Eagles won District 7 over second-year East River (9-1), who will be on the road against Lakeland Lake Gibson.

– In Class 2A, No. 5 Jones (9-1) is on the road against Cocoa while No. 6 Bishop Moore (8-2) hosts Titusville Astronaut. Bishop Moore won District 4 with a one-point win over the Tigers.

All games begin at 7:30 p.m. Keep up with all the action at Varsity Sports, WFTV Channel 9 and Bright House Sports Network.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

– Class 2A Boys Golf –

It’s only fitting that the top two boys golf teams in Orange County were forced to qualify for next week’s state tournament with a regional title at stake.

A young Timber Creek team – featuring a freshman, three sophomores and just one senior – dethroned the reigning regional champs from Olympia High School on Tuesday in the 2010 Class 2A, Region 3 meet at Windermere Country Club.

The Class 2A boys golf tournament will be held Nov. 2-3 at Juliette Falls in Dunnellon.

The Wolves had four golfers finish in the top six spots at regionals with Ryan Daigle taking runner-up with a 2-over par score of 74. Senior Felipe Quiroga took fifth (+3) following a tiebreaker decision over teammates Connor Atkinson and freshman Jack Panagos.

Timber Creek won by a slim 299-303 margin in the team standings.

Olympia senior Joey Petronio won the individual title as the only participant to finish par, while senior teammate Mike Hauer (+4) came in ninth overall. The Titans also relied on the cards of senior Davis Hall (+5) and sophomore Matt Chamberlin (+6).

Advancing to the Class 2A state finals as individuals is third place finisher Jordan Santiago (+2) of West Orange and senior Steve Lanpros (+3) out of Lake Brantley. Lanpros placed seventh.

The chance to defend its 2009 2A state title fell short for the boys golf team at Lake Mary. The Spruce Creek and Bartram Trail boys teams each advanced this time around out of Region 2 while the Rams finished third. Lake Mary’s Nick Spencer finished fifth overall and qualified for the state finals as an individual by shooting a 72, one stroke off of the leader.

– Class 2A Girls Golf –

The girls golf team at Olympia High School ran away with the Class 2A, Region 3 title on Monday at Orange Tree Golf Course to earn a spot in the 2010 state tournament.

Madison Lellyo won the individual title with a 6-over par score of 78 to help lead the Titans to an overall score of 334. Edgewater took runners-up with a 362 total and also advance to next week’s state finals.

The Class 2A girls tournament will be held Nov. 2-3 at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club in Ocala.

Alyx Carrasquel finished fourth (83) and Mia Semaan (84) finished fifth for Olympia while teammate Elizabeth Schmidt (89) came in at No. 10 to round out the scoring.

Edgewater was led by a third-place individual effort from Mia Campbell (82), while Arita Harris (87) and Sydney Woolfolk (89) took eighth and 11th, respectively.

Also advancing to the Class 2A state finals as individuals are Timber Creek’s Paige Lyle (81) and Bartow’s Markie McCann (85). Lyle finished runner-up at regionals.

The Lake Mary girls golf team will not have a chance to defend its 2009 Class 2A title as Spruce Creek and Fleming Island will represent Region 2 this time around. Lake Mary sophomore Allesandra Kutz missed the cut for the state finals as an individual by two strokes.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

That comes with the territory for a program that’s won five-straight district titles, two of the past three conference titles, and has routinely competed at the state finals.

Although the Titans have not brought home a state title since 2003, they’ve finished no worse than fifth in any year ever since.

“We’ve had a lot of success in the past and because of that teams are always after us,” said Olympia Coach Kevin McElveen. “I tell our players to take that as an honor.”

Most of them know the routine by now.

Following the loss of Steven Yang and Alan Schneider from last year’s squad, it’s now primarily up to three of six seniors to lead Olympia to the top of the postseason standings. Fortunately, Joey Petronio is one of those returnees. He shot rounds of 73 and 68 last year at states to finish in a three-way tie for second overall at 3-under.

Petronio and Davis Hall are gearing up to compete in their third-straight state finals while fellow senior Mike Hauer is eyeing his second trip in a row.

“With this core, with these three guys, the biggest thing is to just keep them focused and remembering what’s important,” said McElveen, who entered his fifth season as head coach with a 32-4 record.

Hall is a four-year varsity player and two-time district and regional champ. Playing for the final two spots on the postseason roster at season’s end will be the likes of sophomore Matt Chamberlin and David Surovik, among many others.

Olympia currently stands at 5-1-1 overall. They got all they could handle from a young and talented Timber Creek team last week at Stoneybrook East in a nine-hole match.

The teams tied with a 2-over score of 146 in what proved to be another reminder of what’s in store for the Titans, as each time they tee it up they’ll expect to get the best from whatever opponent they’re paired against.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

The Florida Gators, seeded No. 3 in the tournament, advanced to the field of eight for the sixth time in program history and first time since 2005. They defeated the Miami Hurricanes 4-3 in 10 Innings on Saturday night in front of a large crowd of 5,783 at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville.

The Hurricanes committed seven errors in the game, including one in the top of the 10th by right fielder Chris Pelaez, who misplayed a fly ball hit by freshman shortstop Nolan Fontana, out of West Orange High School. Fontana would end up scoring the game-winning run on a RBI double by Austin Maddox.

Lake Brantley High School alum Greg Larson entered the game in the bottom of the 10th with one on base and one out. The sophomore proceeded to catch freshman Michael Broad looking on strikes and then force sophomore Rony Rodriguez to ground out to Fontana at shortstop, who fired a bullet across the diamond to Preston Tucker at first base for the final out. Larson collected his third save and was greeted by teammates as the celebration began.

The Hurricanes made nine errors in their two games of Super Regional play, which as a result denied local kids such as freshman Steve Ewing out of University High School and Ethan Bornstein from Winter Park High School a chance to make it to Omaha. The Gators opened Super Regionals with a 7-2 win on Friday night.

Fontana and Larson join sophomore Ben McMahan and senior Clint Franklin as players from the Central Florida area with spots on the Florida roster. McMahon played his high school ball at Bishop Moore while Franklin played at Timber Creek.

Joining the Gators at the World Series are the Florida State Seminoles, who are making the trip for the 20th time in program history and 14th time under head coach Mike Martin. The Seminoles defeated Vanderbilt 7-6 in the decisive Game 3 of the team’s Super Regional matchup at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.

FSU, like the Gators, have four players from the Orlando area on its roster including senior outfielder Ohmed Danesh out of Dr. Phillips High School. Junior infielder Stuart Tapley and freshman Corben Madden both played baseball at Boone High School. Junior pitcher John Gast hails from Lake Brantley, where he was a teammate with Florida’s Larson from 2005-07.

For Gast, Tapley, and Danesh, this marks their second trip to Omaha in three years as FSU advanced in 2008, going 0-2 after losing to Stanford and Miami. The Seminoles open play this time around against TCU while Florida takes on No. 6 UCLA. The two state rivals could meet up early on as both are in the same bracket.

– More Local Players In College World Series –

Senior second baseman Mike Freeman out of Edgewater High School and sophomore shortstop Brad Miller from Olympia High School helped Clemson advance to the World Series. The Tigers take on No. 1 Arizona State to start the week’s final round of elimination play. Junior utility player Robert Beary out of Apopka started in 22 games for South Carolina, playing in 41 games on the year. The Gamecocks get underway against Oklahoma.

Dexter Fields (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

In a 53-49 win over the Knights, Fields drained four 3-pointers and went 1-for-2 at the line in helping UAB notch the victory.

Fields led UAB with a team-high 13 points on 4 of 9 shooting and grabbed three rebounds in 21 minutes of play.

The 6-2, 190-pound guard came in averaging just 2.4 points (37-percent shooting), 0.6 rebounds and 0.2 assists in eight minutes per game so far in his freshman season. The Blazers (22-5 overall, 10-3 Conference USA) have been ranked as high as No. 24 in the nation.

The only other time Fields led the team in scoring this season was back on Nov. 15, 2009 when he hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points (with two rebounds and an assist) in a 55-52 win against Samford. He had also scored eight points in a game three times this season in wins over Jacksonville State, South Alabama and most recently against Houston.

The low point of the season for Fields though came when he was suspended for three games over the last week in November because of academic reasons.

Before signing on with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Fields was a four-year letterwinner at Olympia under head coach Mark Griseck. During his senior season he helped lead the Titans to a 28-5 record and a state runner-up finish – where he scored a game-high 31 points – for the No. 1 team in Class 6A.

He capped his senior year by hitting 88 3-pointers and averaging 17.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

– Photos by J.C. Carnahan –

By rushing for 2,006 yards and catching another 503 yards worth of passes, the former Orlando Olympia High School and East Carolina star surpassed the leagues all-purpose yardage record, previously held by Marshall Faulk, in the final game of the season.

But from the standpoint of merely running the football, to the tune of a 2,000-yard season, how does Johnson stack up beside the five other running backs who originally paved the way?

Not too bad, as you’ll find out.

(- note – In parenthesis is the rank of each statistical category, as it appears on Database Football and Pro-Football Reference, among the six rushers.)

O.J. Simpson – 1973 Buffalo Bills

Playing for a team that went 9-5 and finished second in the AFC East, Simpson averaged 6.0 yards per carry (2nd), amassed 2,003 yards (6th) on just 332 carries (1st), and scored 12 touchdowns (5th) on the year. The Bills offense ranked No. 15 out of 26 teams in scoring as Simpson averaged 143.1 yards per game (1st) on the ground running behind AFC Pro Bowl tackle Dave Foley.

Extra Points – Simpson fumbled seven times (4th) on the season and caught just six passes for 70 yards. The Bills failed to qualify for the playoffs behind the leadership of quarterback Joe Ferguson, who threw only four touchdowns through 14 games.

Eric Dickerson – 1984 Los Angeles Rams

Playing for a team that went 10-6 and finished second in the NFC West, Dickerson averaged 5.6 yards per carry (T-3rd), amassed 2,105 yards (1st) on 379 carries (4th), and scored 14 touchdowns (T-2nd) on the year. The Rams offense ranked No. 12 out of 28 teams in scoring as Dickerson averaged 131.6 yards per game (2nd) while running behind two pro bowlers in center Doug Smith and guard Kent Hill. Wide receiver Henry Ellard also made the pro bowl that year.

Extra Points – In the playoffs, Dickerson ran for another 107 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries but the Rams lost, 10-7, to the New York Giants in the first round. He scored all but two of the teams rushing touchdowns that year and caught 21 passes for 139 yards, with Jeff Kemp at quarterback, but fumbled the football 14 times (6th).

Barry Sanders – 1997 Detroit Lions

Playing for a team that went 9-7 and finished third in the NFC Central, Sanders averaged 6.1 yards per carry (1st), amassed 2,053 yards (3rd) on 335 carries (2nd), and scored 11 touchdowns (6th) on the year. The Lions offense ranked No. 4 out of 30 teams in scoring as Sanders averaged 128.3 yards per game (4th) while running behind pro bowl center Kevin Glover. Wide receiver Herman Moore also made the pro bowl that year.

Extra Points – In the playoffs, Sanders was held to 65 yards on 18 carries as the Lions lost, 9-8, to the Tampa bay Bucanners. While fumbling only three times (T-2nd) all season, Sanders caught 33 passes, primarily from Scott Mitchell, for 305 yards and three scores.

Terrell Davis – 1998 Denver Broncos

Playing for a team that went 14-2 and went on to win their second-straight Super Bowl, Davis averaged 5.1 yards per carry (6th), amassed 2,008 yards (4th) on 392 carries (6th), and scored 22 touchdowns (1st) on the year. The Broncos offense ranked No. 2 out of 30 teams in scoring as Davis averaged 125.5 yards per game (5th) on the ground playing alongside a list of offensive pro bowlers which included center Tom Nalen, guard Mark Schlereth, tackle Tony Jones, tight end Shannon Sharpe, wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and quarterback John Elway.

Extra Points – In the playoffs, Davis ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against the Miami Dolphins; 167 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries against the New York Jets; and 102 yards on 25 carries in the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons. Davis fumbled just twice (1st) and caught 25 passes for 217 yards and two more scores that season.

Jamal Lewis – 2003 Baltimore Ravens

Playing for a team that went 10-6 and finished first in the AFC North, Lewis averaged 5.3 yards per carry (5th), amassed 2,066 yards (2nd) on 387 carries (5th), and scored 14 touchdowns (T-2nd) on the year. The Ravens offense ranked No. 8 out of 32 teams in scoring as Lewis averaged 129.1 yards per game (3rd) on the ground while running behind pro bowl tackle Jonathan Ogden and pro bowl tight end Todd Heap.

Extra Points – In the playoffs, Lewis was held to just 35 yards on 14 carries in a 10-7 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He closed out the regular season with 26 catches for 205 yards from quarterbacks Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright, and coughed up eight fumbles (5th) on the year.

Chris Johnson – 2009 Tennessee Titans

Playing for a team that went 8-8 and finished third in the AFC South, Johnson averaged 5.6 yards per carry (T-3rd), amassed 2,006 yards (5th) on 358 carries (3rd), and scored 14 touchdowns (T-2nd) on the year. The Titans offense ranked No. 16 out of 32 teams in scoring as Johnson averaged 125.4 yards per game (6th) on the ground as the only pro bowl player on the Titans roster.

Extra Points – The one individual stat that puts Johnson in a league of his own amongst this group is the 50 catches, which led the team, for 503 yards and two touchdowns that he hauled in from quarterbacks Kerry Collins and Vince Young. Johnson lost only three fumbles (T-2nd) through 16 games.

Boone's Lucas Rawlings (Photo by Justin Kane)

Just 16 seconds remained when Rawlings withstood a ferocious rush from the West Seniors at the line of scrimmage and connected on the 32-yard game-winning field goal.

“It was very tense,” said Rawlings of lining up for the attempt. “I was just focused on getting my leg through it and getting the ball through the upright. That’s all I had on my mind.”

The tense part came when Rawlings was given a little extra time to think things over as he was held up by a timeout from the West sideline. Once the ball was snapped a fierce collision took place up front before the kick hit its mark with plenty room to spare, prompting the celebration to get underway.

“It was indescribable,” Rawlings said with a grin while reliving the moment. “I knew right there that it was the game winner.”

The field goal capped off a 13-play drive that began midway through the fourth quarter and drained the remaining five-plus minutes to virtually nothing. Oak Ridge quarterback Baylin Trujillo converted on fourth-and-two during the drive on a keeper up the middle while several others played key roles.

The East got big gains on the ground from Colonial’s Jermaine Broomfield and University’s Curtis Riley, along with a 23-yard pickup on a throw from Pine Castle’s Michael Slack to Orlando Lutheran tight end Faysal Shafaat down the stretch.

Boone's Lucas Rawlings (Photo by Justin Kane)

Slack finished 6-of-9 passing for 126 yards as he delivering precise passes that landed right on target while Broomfield tallied 52 yards on eight carries. Shafaat caught four balls for 66 yards, one of which he kept a hold of even after taking a jarring hit over the middle from an opposing player.

“He told me ‘Great throw. If you would of threw it any higher I would have gotten laid out even worse’,” said Slack of the good-natured encounter they shared in the huddle following the play.

It was Slack’s touchdown toss of 39 yards to Boone’s speedy Denard Lucas, while in stride with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter, that tied the game at 14-14 and breathed new life into an East squad that had little trouble moving the ball. If only they could have turned those yards into points by reaching the end zone earlier.

Lucas was eager to get the call though after already having told a teammate he was bound to score a touchdown. He did so two plays after hauling in a 42-yarder from Trujillo.

“The (defensive backs) were playing man (coverage) and they were trying to bump me, but it wasn’t happening,” said Lucas, who finished with three receptions for 94 yards in the win.

Boone's Lucas Rawlings (Photo by Justin Kane)

Those two scores in the second half by the East were set up by a stingy defensive effort, most notably from defensive lineman Jordan Little from Cypress Creek who was in on two sacks on third downs which resulted in punts the other way.

They came on drives where the West routinely found themselves working for room to run from deep in their own territory as they tried to hang on to a 14-7 lead after returning to the field from the halftime break.

Among the East defenders making it tough on the West were Joseph Jones and Andres Jurado of Cypress Creek, Ryan Moore and Sean Brown from Colonial, Conrad Walko and Josh Kerlin of Pine Castle, along with Timber Creek’s Jacob Wainwright and Winter Park’s Corey Gonslaves.

Those efforts proved to be beneficial after having watched Ocoee’s Chris DeVaughn jump on a Trujillo pass in the flats for an interception which he raced 72 yards along the sideline to paydirt less than three minutes into the night.

But the equalizer was set up when a fumble that Boone’s Tabarie Sullivan landed on in a pile of players was recovered following a muffed punt near midfield. Eleven plays later, which included a fourth-down conversation, the game was tied at 7-7 just a minute into the second period as Riley faked to a running back, swung around wide to the right, and sprinted his way into the end zone past defenders.

“When I took off towards the sideline I seen some people in front of me and I knew I had to put a move on them,” said Riley. He would finish with 53 yards on 10 carries and 29 yards passing on 2-of-4 attempts.

The West Seniors promptly replied with their best drive of the game two series later. They took the lead with a minute left in the first half when Robbie Matay hooked up with Dr. Phillips teammate Greg Slones in the corner of the end zone from four yards out. Only the momentum wouldn’t carry over into the final two quarters.

In the loss, Dr. Phillips running back Matt Williams had five strong runs for 39 yards and Apopka’s Joe Dennis made big tackles on defense for the West. Other defensive standouts included Matt Hunt and Matt Lambert of Bishop Moore, Delroy Steele (Jones), Jarret Leppert (Apopka), Michael Lewis (Ocoee), Cornelious Sigler (West Orange) and Donnie Bartolomucci (Olympia).

– To nominate athletic performances for inclusion each Wednesday to the Top-5 list of Orlando Sports Central Standouts, send over an email to JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com –

1.) Football Team – UCF Knights – They were 0-22 in Top-25 games coming into the weekend but the UCF football team finally did something no other team before them could do as they handed No. 12 Houston a 37-32 setback at Bright House Networks Stadium. Quarterback Brett Hodges went 21-for-25 for 241 yards, one touchdown and one interception while running back Brynn Harvey rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries.

2.) Spencer Shumway – Lyman Greyhounds – In the final game of the state bowling tournament last week at Boardwalk Bowl, Shumway bowled a 268 to take home the individual title for the Greyhounds. The junior helped his team wrap up conference and district titles before finishing the season atop the medal stand in East Orlando.

Chris Johnson

3.) Isaac Sosa – UCF Knights – After scoring a career-high 26 points in a season-opening 84-67 win over UMass last week the sophomore guard was named Conference USA Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Sosa shot 9-of -11 from the field, made 6-of-7 shots from beyond the three-point line, pulled in four rebounds and dished out two assists in 33 minutes of work.

Jennifer George

4.) Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans – The former Olympia High School star continues to put up big numbers for the resurging Titans. This past weekend against Buffalo he rushed 26 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns and caught nine passes for another 100 yards in the win. Johnson already has rushing efforts of 228, 197, 135 and 128 yards this season.

5.) Jennifer George – Florida Gators – The former Timber Creek and Bishop Moore basketball standout went 7-of-9 from the field and 7-of-11 from the free throw line for 21 points while grabbing five offensive rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes of play during her collegiate debut, an 85-62 win over Stetson on Saturday.

More ––

Orlando Sports Central Standouts – 11/11/09

Orlando Sports Central Standouts – 11/4/09

Orlando Sports Central Standouts – 10/28/09

Orlando Sports Central Standouts – 10/21/09

Orlando Sports Central Standouts – 10/14/09