This week the Oviedo Lions faced off against their district rival Evans in a battle for the 6A District 4 title. The Lions prevailed over Evans 30-20 thanks to a well-rounded performance on both sides of the ball.
Fans didn’t know what to expect heading into this game as just one week prior the Lions had suffered their second loss of the season to the University Titans, but senior safety Braden Olsson, senior, did not allow this loss to affect him.
“I knew after our first practice this week we weren’t losing to Evans… there was a different mentality from everybody,” said Olsson.
The Lion’s offense was once again led by their star running back tandem of Brock Joyce, and Chance Nixon, seniors, who combined for 230 yards on the ground as well as four total touchdowns. While Evans did manage to stifle Nixon a bit holding him below four yards per carry, Joyce was a completely different story, averaging seven yards per carry as well as scoring three of the Lion’s four total touchdowns.
Joyce, who faced adversity earlier in the season after suffering an injury that sidelined him for two weeks, feels like he’s finally gotten his season on the right track.
While the offense continued their run of good form, the defense began their own, holding the Trojans to just twenty total points and eighty total passing yards. Brady Manning, senior, yet again led the Lions in tackles with eight, as well as passes defended with two.
Defensive lineman Anthony White, senior, also had a star performance, stuffing the stat sheet with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and even an interception. While many remain skeptical of the Lions’ often flimsy defense, Manning is confident the Lions will take the momentum won from Evans into the playoffs.
“All season we’ve struggled to play a complete game of football as a team but I think we took strides against Evans that will help us advance through the playoffs,” said Manning.
Next week is a bit of a throwaway game for the Lions as they face off against a 1-8 Eustis squad who rank 416th in the state.
While Eustis is less than formidable, they will serve as a good tune-up fight for the playoffs where the Lions are projected to play the Buchholz Bobcats who rank 29th in the state. While the Bobcats are the likely favorites of the matchup that’s never stopped the Lions before.
During the 2022-2023 season, the Lions defeated the Wharton Wildcats in the first round of the playoffs, an upset that many considered a miracle. Now the Lions face that very same challenge again and fans all around are wondering whether the Lions will be able to catch lightning in a bottle once again.
