This week the Oviedo Lions faced off against the Eustis Panthers in their final regular season game winning in stunning fashion 59-0. 1-8 Eustis was seen as a bit of a tune-up fight for the Lions as they prepared for the playoffs and the tuned-up Lions were playing their most complete game of the season on both sides of the ball.
Captain and senior Joey Gioa knew the Lions had to be locked in even against an inferior opponent like Eustis. “This game really set the tone for what the playoffs are gonna be like…no one wants to run into a team coming off a 59-0 win,” said Gioia.
The Lions’s defense had their best game of the season, securing their third shutout of the season while also forcing five interceptions and scoring two pick-sixes on the night. Starting safety and senior Braden Olsson was a recipient of one of the five interceptions marking his first-ever interception in his high school career.
“It felt really good to finally snag one. I’ve been so close a few times and I knew I was going to have to get at least one,” said Olsson.
The Lions remained as explosive as ever on the offensive side of the ball scoring multiple forty-yard touchdowns through the air off the arm of backup quarterback Sebastion Galeono.
The Lions running game saw some new faces as Chance Nixon rested for the playoffs including 107 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries from senior running back Dylan Edwards. Edwards’ late-season emergence is big news for the Lions as their touchdown leader Brock Joyce will be sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
The Lions also shined in the third facet of the game, special teams. Starting kicker Logan Calder was 9/9 on kicks, including eight extra points and a field goal. Senior Trey Ridder had a big impact on special teams as well, making three big tackles on kickoff.
“I love being on special teams because it gives me a chance to impact the game if I’m not getting run on offense…it’s all about finding ways to impact the game wherever you can,” said Ridder.
Now that the Lions have officially ended their 24-25 regular season, it’s time to look ahead to the playoffs. The Lions have been matched up with a very good Pace squad in the first round of the playoffs. Pace is 9-1 on the season and ranked 36th in the state, so the Lions will be viewed as underdogs going into the matchup. The matchup with Pace also comes with a seven-hour bus ride into the panhandle, leaving the Lions with their work cut out for them on Friday night.
