Blue Darters, Mustangs fall in week five

Week five in high school football proved to be a struggle for both the Apopka Blue Darters and Wekiva Mustangs.

Apopka's rally against the Edgewater Eagles fell short, as they lost their second game of the season 28-19. Wekiva lost its third close game of the year to Lake Brantley 17-12.

Edgewater 28, Apopka 19

Edgewater senior running back Cedric Baxter ran wild Friday night for 201 yards, and three touchdowns as undefeated Edgewater (5-0) held off the Apopka Blue Darters 28-19. Baxter's last score came on a 46-yard run that closed out the game.

Trailing 21-13 with 5:30 remaining in the game, Tyson Davidson hit senior Jordan Wright on a 35-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 21-19. After a failed two-point conversion, the Blue Darters tried an onside kick to regain possession, but it rolled out of bounds.

It was the second straight win for Edgewater over the Blue Darters after defeating them 16-7 in 2021.

The loss drops Apopka to 2-2 on the season. And things don't get easier next Friday, as the Blue Darters host the Sanford Seminole High Seminoles in a rematch of the 2021 regional finals matchup that Apopka won 28-27.

The Seminoles are 4-1 on the season, and are coming off a 24-17 loss to defending state champion Venice last Friday.

Lake Brantley 17, Wekiva 12

The Lake Brantley Patriots rode two third quarter touchdowns and took a 17-6 lead over the Wekiva Mustangs, then held on to win 17-12.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Mustangs took the lead 6-0 on a 45-yard touchdown pass, but the extra point failed, giving Wekiva a 6-0 lead. Lake Brantley cut the margin in half with a 24-yard field goal by Emilio Bacardi before halftime making it 6-3.

Then in the third quarter, the Patriots scored back-to-back touchdowns to extend its lead to 17-6 on touchdown runs of 36 and 24 yards by Braxton Woodard.

Wekiva cut the lead to 17-12 when Keyvell Cooper scored on a 41-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed, and the Mustangs never got closer.

The Mustangs are now 2-3, with all its losses by less than a touchdown. And next week, they host the undefeated Edgewater Eagles (5-0).