A forty yard pass right into one of the hands of 6’2 receiver Jordan Donahoo. A perfectly executed handoff to senior Brock Joyce who already has 266 rushing yards, four games into the season. 

These are the plays that Oviedo fans expect from their Lions. These are the plays that cause confusion among Oviedo fans with the recent performance of the lions. 

To open their season, the Oviedo Lions beat the Lake Mary Rams, a team they haven’t defeated in six years. Unusual, yes; and the schedule continued getting weirder from there. 

Win, loss. Win, loss. The Oviedo Lions are currently showcasing one of their most inconsistent game schedules in a decade of history. Is this perfect design or overestimated ability? Fans will have to wait and see from the Lions. 

Junior running back Johnnie Cobbs claims to be unfazed by the rollercoaster of this season.
Most recently, the Lions experienced a win with their blowout against Lyman, a final score of 55-0.

“I agree that some teams are better than others but the expectation is still the same no matter who it is. We don’t lower our playing standards for anyone and we don’t expect them to either,” Cobbs said. 

Indeed, the Lions seemed to show no mercy against the greyhounds. Week after week we see strong receivers, a consistent quarterback, and good run plays. Yet defense and the offensive line have lacked some of the intensity the Lions usually emit. 

However the Lyman game seemed to ignite a fire in multiple players. Less scrambling from the quarterback, many interceptions or close calls. 

Senior defensive tackle Miguel Hernandez reflects on the team’s changes. 

“As we played Lyman, we didn’t play perfect gap-wise but we played with intent and aggression which gave us the victory at the end of the day,” Hernandez said. 

Other players also saw the difference in their offensive line at this game. 

“Our O-line was moving and so was our defense and special teams. We were all playing as one instead of individuals,” Cobbs said. 

Also in this game, an opportunity for younger players who play junior varsity and varsity to get some playing time. Sophomore Jaavod Oliver is one of these players. Oliver got to step in as one the defensive tackles during the second half of the Lyman game.

“I stayed very confident on the field because I didn’t really think too much about it and just did my job,” Oliver said.

Other players such as sophomore Jahliel Whitney also got this opportunity. This is important not only for the confidence level of these players, but the higher standard it holds them to. These standards allow a smooth transition for players, keeping Oviedo’s team relatively consistent throughout the years and creating an atmosphere for success with highly experienced players.

Hopefully we’ll see more success from the Lions as they settle into their season and continue to practice hard through the bye week.