Entering the game sporting a record of 2-2, the Lions faced Wekiva in a crucial game on Friday, September 26th. With the clash being the first in-district game of the year, the game signified the start of an important stretch for the team with hopes of playoff success.
“With [the Wekiva game] being the first district game of the season, [it is] very important to win if we want a chance at playoffs,” said Junior wide receiver and safety Carmari Solomon.
The Lions went into the game hoping to build off their stellar 55-0 victory over Lyman. With an extra week off to prepare for the game against Wekiva, they went into the game well-rested and prepared.
“The key to not only my own but the team’s performance was the preparation taken along the bye week which really got us set up to play in that first district game,” said Solomon.
With their 64-0 victory over Wekiva, the Lions looked every part of a team that got an extra week to prepare. With the emphatic victory, Oviedo moved to 1-0 in district play and 3-2 on the season.
“It was very important to keep the momentum, we practiced hard with the standards being the same as if we had a game,” said junior running back Johnnie Cobbs.
The extra week of practice and confidence from the resounding win over Lyman helped the Lions practice and improve on the well roundedness of their play.
“Having the momentum going against Wekiva from Lyman definitely showed with us performing on all 3 sides of the ball,” said Solomon.
The Lions did dominate all three phases forcing 3 turnovers and sacking the Mustangs’ quarterback three times while pitching their second consecutive shutout.
Rather than their usual playstyle of airing the ball out the lions kept the ball on the ground, attempting only 12 passes, but they still only needed 34 plays to rack up 327 yards of total offense and 8 touchdowns.
The Lions didn’t even stop there as they were perfect on extra points and two point attempts while Solomon housed a 45 yard punt return.
These successes culminated in a massive victory in Oviedo’s first District game of the year. With district games determining playoff teams and seeding, Oviedo aspires to carry over their success against Wekiva into their remaining district matchups, against Lake Howell and Evans.
“I feel like it was very important for us to get a good start [in district play], it could give us the momentum to continue doing well in the district games,” said Cobbs.
The Lions also hope to carry their two game winning streak, with a combined score of 119-0, into their rivalry game against Hagerty where the Lions hope to extend their winning streak to 9 in a row over the Huskies.
