Week 1 football live report: Cocoa at No. 1 Jones tops lineup with Apopka-Ocoee, Rockledge-Seminole, Bishop Moore-Edgewater

Orlando area high school football scoreboard: Week 1 Friday

It’s real deal football tonight.

Skies are clear (mostly) and hopes are high for the first Friday of the 2023 high school regular season. This live report will be humming after games kick off at 7 p.m. so check back often to see what’s happening across the Orlando area.

Premier matchups have state champ Cocoa at Jones, Rockledge at Seminole and Bishop Moore at Edgewater. And we have another trio of games matching Orlando Sentinel Super 16 teams against each other: Apopka at Ocoee, Wekiva at Olympia, and Dr. Phillips at Lake .

One Friday game, Lake Howell at Space Coast, was postponed to Tuesday, Sept. 5, due to COVID-19 cases within the Space Coast program.

The matchups are listed with Sentinel Super 16 rankings. Note that 2023 previews mentioning every team in the area can be seen at our high school sports home page, SentinelVarsity.com.

Games kick off at 7 p.m. unless noted otherwise.

Here’s the lineup:

Cocoa at No. 1 Jones

Coverage by Jeff Gardenour, correspondent

Catch two Tigers by the tail in this marquee matchup.

Class 2 Suburban No. 1 Cocoa claimed its fifth FHSAA football championship since 2008 last year, but Jones beat the Tigers 29-19 in a season opener.

Jones made the 3 Metro final four and was the No. 3 team in that class in 2022 as ranked by MaxPreps.

Rockledge at No. 2 Sanford Seminole

Coverage by Max Gamarra, correspondent

Looks like this is the first time these programs have met in ages, maybe the first time ever.

MaxPreps has Rockledge ranked No. 2 in the 3 Suburban division and Seminole No. 2 in 4 Metro.

No. 3 Apopka at No. 12 Ocoee

Coverage by Nate Marrero, correspondent

The Blue Darters are 16-0 against the Knights but two of the past three clashes have been about as close as you can get. In season openers, Apopka prevailed 15-13 in 2020 and 13-12 in 2022.

Apopka went on to finish as the 4M state runner-up and Ocoee reached the final four in that classification.

Bishop Moore at No. 4 Edgewater

Coverage by Lynn Ramsey, correspondent

The talent-ladened Eagles host neighboring Bishop Moore Catholic in the annual “Battle of College Park”, which resumed in 2013 after a 21-year hiatus.

The Eagles beat Bishop Moore 22-7 last season with their fourth win in a row extending their series lead to 19-5. The Hornets won five in a row from 2013 through 2017.

No. 16 Dr. Phillips at No. 7 Lake Mary

Coverage by Philip Rossman-Reich, correspondent

Lake Mary is No. 7 in the Sentinel Super 16 and No. 7 in the MaxPreps 4M rankings but the Rams lost to DP in each of the past two years.

Lake Mary sophomore quarterback Noah Grubbs, listed at 6-4, 205, already has Power 5 offers.

No. 10 Wekiva at No. 9 Olympia

Coverage by Sentinel staff reporter J.C. Carnahan

Olympia leads the Metro Conference West series 7-4 but the Mustangs have won four of the past five meetings, including a 36-21 victory to open the 2022 season.

Evans at Lyman

Coverage by Chris Martucci

Evans edged the Greyhounds 15-14 to open the season at home a year ago after losing 13-10 in a 2021 opener. This Orange vs. Seminole series was reborn in 2019 and they have split four games since.

Other games for ranked teams

No. 5 Osceola at Treasure Coast

Osceola topped Treasure Coast twice last year, including a 10-7 playoff win. The Kowboys finished No. 2 and the Titans were No. 7 in the final 2022 MaxPreps rankings for 4S teams.

Osceola will play without star running back Taevion Swint due to injury.

Mainland at No. 6 DeLand

The Bucs and Bulldogs square off in what should be another slugfest for Volusia County rivals. The rivalry dates to 1922.

MaxPreps ranks the Buccaneers, state runners-up last year, No. 1 in their classification (3S). DeLand is No. 11 in 4S but may prove to be stronger than that.

Manatee at No. 8 Lake Minneola

The Hawks, coming off a 10-2 season, host a Manatee program that won five state titles from 1983 through 2011 under legendary coach Joe Kinnan. Former Florida Gators great (and NFL wideout) Jacquez Green became the Hurricanes head coach in 2020 and his is pegged as by far his most talented group.

Oak Ridge at No. 11 West Orange

The Warriors are 6-0 vs. Oak Ridge since the Pioneers won a 2008 game.

No. 13 Oviedo at Lake Brantley

Oviedo, which won 26-21 over the Patriots last season, has captured 10 district titles in the past 21 seasons and is again a favorite in 3M.

No. 14 Winter Park at Lake Nona

The Wildcats thrashed Lake Nona 42-0 in their 2022 season opener and went on to a 10-2 season.

No. 15 Boone at Timber Creek

Boone won 41-21 in 2021 and 20-12 last year vs. the Wolves to take a 10-9 lead in a highly-competitive Metro West series.

The Braves will be missing star running back, Laggarius Marshell, who suffered an injury last week at OIympia. He will be out “a couple weeks,” according to Boone coach Andy Johnson. Marshell rushed for 1,285 yards and 13 TDs last year.

Johnson has a 98-82 head coaching record and is close to joining a 100-win club that includes Timber Creek’s Jim Buckridge (138-87, all with the Wolves).
the 100-win club.

Orlando Christian Prep at Wildwood, 7:30

Class 1M OCP reached a state semifinal two years ago.Wildwood was a 1 Rural final four team last season. They split close games the past two years, with the Warriors winning 15-6 in 2021 and Wildwood prevailing 28-21 in 2022.

Middle Tennessee Christian (1-0) at The Master’s Academy

Tennessee team was 9-3 last season. This is the official debut for TMA coach Garrett Kruczek, who has father Mike (former UCF head coach) as an assistant.

Kruczek era opens with Master’s Academy spring football win over Pierson Taylor

Fort Lauderdale Westminster at Lake Highland Prep

The Highlanders have won 21 consecutive games over two seasons but are underdogs after most of its starters transferred away.

Mount Dora Christian at Mount Dora

This backyard rivalry was born last season with MDC winning 41-19 on its home turf.

More games

Check our live scoreboard for these results

Deltona at Merritt Island

East Ridge at Dade City Pasco, 7:30

Eustis at Harmony

Gateway at Lake Buena Vista

Hagerty at Orange City University

Horizon at Freedom

Ridge Community at Celebration, 7:30

Matanzas at South Lake

Moore Haven at Leesburg

New Smyrna Beach at East River

Poinciana at Nature Coast, 7:30

St. Cloud at Barron Collier

Tavares at Port Orange Atlantic

Tohopekaliga at Liberty

Umatilla at Palatka

University (Orange City) at Cypress Creek

Windermere High at Colonial

Winter Springs at Pine Ridge

Crescent City at The First Academy

Deltona Trinity Christian at Clearwater American Collegiate

Faith Christian at Cornerstone Charter

Seffner Christian at Windermere Prep

Legacy Charter at Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin

Pierson Taylor at Trinity Prep

Saints Academy at West Oaks

Seffner Christian at Windermere Prep

Seven Rivers at First Academy-Leesburg

St. Edwards at Orangewood Christian

Tenoroc at Foundation Academy

Varsity Content Editor can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.