This week, the Oviedo Lions squared off against the Lake Howell Silverhawks and came away with the victory 38-14. The game had to be played on Monday due to Hurricane Milton’s storm path. Fans may worry as the Lions face their biggest matchup of the season in University Orange City Friday night and will be playing them on four-game notice, but captain Brady Manning sees no problem with the scheduling conflicts.

“Playing Orange City right after Lake Howell is honestly going to work in our favor…the short notice doesn’t give us a chance to lose focus or lower our guard,” said Manning.

While the victory over the Silverhawks may have looked like any ordinary Lions win this season, it was anything but. The Lions’ offense took an entirely new approach to the game, allowing starting quarterback Jerome Curry to take control of the game attempting a season-high 26 throws.

Curry scored season highs in every major statistic, completing 22 passes while throwing for 301 yards and four touchdown

s. Curry credits the coaching for allowing him to showcase his ability while also thanking the players around him for executing at a high level in every facet of the game.

“Coach O told me we were airing out the ball to minimize injuries for Friday and I was just really excited for the opportunity,” said Curry.

Someone who made their debut dawning the orange and black was running back Dylan Edwards; against his former team nonetheless. Edwards, who transferred in from Lake Howell last season, was a star on the Silverhawks totaling 1085 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. Edwards suffered a high ankle sprain in the Lions pre-season battle with Lake Mary but remains grateful for the chances he’s getting.

“I feel like I had a good game but I was just glad to be a part of it…being able to knock off the rust and get prepared for senior night was really important,” said Edwards.

The Lions defense got off to a slow start yet again this week, giving up touchdowns on the game’s first two drives. However, the defense was able to buckle down in the second half, shutting out the Silverhawks and allowing the Lions to finish on a 24-0 scoring run, providing optimism for fans that the Lions could slow down the university’s high-powered offense.

University Orange City will have a lot of momentum going into John Courier’s field. The Titans are coming off their biggest win of the season, upsetting top-ranked Jesuit and shooting themselves up the rankings to number 43. Even after two straight victories, the Lions have dropped from 79 to 89 in the MaxPreps rankings, reducing the Lions’ playoff chances without a win over University or Evans.