Week 7 Preview: Seminole at Cocoa highlights football schedule
One game stands out above all during Week 7 of the high school football regular season.
Sanford Seminole (5-1) travels to defending Class 2 Suburban state champion Cocoa (4-1) in a marquee matchup of the state’s top-tier teams.
It’s a rematch of last year’s 35-29 overtime thriller won by the ‘Noles.
Cocoa ranks No. 6 among all classifications in Florida High School Athletic Association playoff power ratings. Seminole sits at No. 23 overall and No. 3 in Class 4 Metro.
Sophomore quarterback Brady Hart is 118-for-166 passing for 1,505 with 16 TDs and 4 interceptions for the Tigers, who opened the season with a 22-20 win at Jones. Jayvan Boggs and CJ Bragg have combined for 78 receptions.
Cocoa, coached by former UCF quarterback Ryan Schneider, won 38-0 at home last week vs. Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (4-2). Seminole lost 14-9 at Treasure Coast on Sept. 8.
But plenty has changed for the ‘Noles since that lone loss.
“It’s starting to show with the way we’ve been playing that we’re getting healthy at the right time,” Seminole coach Karl Calhoun Jr. said after Friday’s 21-3 win vs. Apopka.
Seminole’s defense is holding opposing teams to 11.7 points per outing while tallying 12.5 sacks, 5 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles.
Senior quarterback Karson Siqueiros-Lasky enters 75-for-124 passing for 936 yards, 14 TDs and 4 INTs.
No. 6 Olympia (4-1) hosts No. 7 Apopka (3-2) and No. 8 Winter Park (5-0) is home vs. No. 13 Ocoee (3-3) at Showalter Field in the only games between Sentinel Super 16 teams.
Ocoee will be without senior running back Nathaniel Worrell for precautionary reasons, according to coach Buck Gurley. Worrell, who has rushed for 256 yards and 3 TDs, was hospitalized Sept. 14 after taking a hit in the fourth quarter of a game at Olympia.
It’s a quick turnaround this week for local teams in Lake and southwest Volusia counties.
No. 10 Lake Minneola (3-3) won 47-3 at Clermont East Ridge (3-2) and Deltona (0-5) lost 42-13 vs. Palm Coast Matanzas (4-2) in postponed games that were made up Monday.
The Hawks play at Orange Park Fleming Island (2-3) and East Ridge travels to Lyman (4-2). Deltona faces another daunting task at home vs. No. 4 DeLand (4-1).
Dr. Phillips coach Rodney Wells will be greeted by a former assistant on the opposing sideline for the second time in three weeks.
No. 11 Dr. Phillips (3-2) plays at Lake Nona (2-3), where David Aubrey is in his first season as head coach. The Panthers won 58-35 against Windermere High and former DP assistant Riki Smith in Week 5.
Windermere (3-3) hosts Groveland South Lake (1-4), which snapped a 14-game losing streak last week during an 18-14 win at Ocala Forest (2-3). Senior Keven Charles has rushed for 563 yards and 5 TDs for the visiting Eagles.
Edgewater, ranked No. 1 in the Super 16, carries a 24-game regular season win streak into Timber Creek (2-4). That run dates to a loss at Venice in the Eagles’ second game of 2021. Edgewater went 10-0 last year before losing vs. Jones in a Class 3M regional final.
The Week 7 schedule is listed below. Rankings are from the Sentinel Super 16. Team overall win-loss records are included in parentheses.
Top matchups
No. 7 Apopka (3-2) at No. 6 Olympia (4-1), 7
Buzz: Juan Gainous has thrown for 1,061 yards, 12 TDs and 3 INTs and Romelo Ware has rushed for 484 yards and 9 TDs for Olympia. Apopka is averaging 7.4 points scored and 13.8 points against. Blue Darters won 38-23 last year and three in a row from 2013-15. Olympia won in back-to-back seasons in 2011 and ‘12.
No. 13 Ocoee (3-3) at No. 8 Winter Park (5-0), 7#
Buzz: Ocoee’s 31-28 overtime win last year snapped an eight-game losing streak vs. the Wildcats. Sophomore outside linebacker Michael McClenton has 20 sacks and 3 forced fumbles for the Knights. Winter Park, which is scoring 31.4 points per game, is led by senior quarterback Aaron Williams (1,173 yards, 13 TDs, 2 INTs).
Orlando Christian Prep (6-0) at Tohopekaliga (4-1), 7
Buzz: Tohopekaliga averages 42.4 points per game. Sophomore Sabby Meassick has passed for 2,134 yards, 26 TDs and 4 INTs. OCP, winners of 95 regular season and postseason games since debuting in 2010, is holding opponents to 14.2 points against. The Warriors have rushed for 1,435 yards and 22 TDs as a team. OCP won 32-22 in 2020.
Other area games
(rankings are from Sentinel Super 16)
No. 1 Edgewater (6-0) at Timber Creek (2-4), 7
No. 2 Seminole (5-1) at Cocoa (4-1), 7
North Miami Beach (1-4) at No. 3 Lake Mary (5-0), 7
No. 4 DeLand (4-1) at Deltona (0-5), 7
Cypress Creek (0-5) at No. 5 Jones (2-3), 7
No. 10 Lake Minneola (3-3) at Fleming Island (2-3), 7:30
No. 11 Dr. Phillips (3-2) at Lake Nona (2-3), 7
Naples First Baptist (3-2) at No. 14 Wekiva (3-3)
Oak Ridge (2-2) at No. 15 Evans (3-3), 7
Groveland South Lake (1-4) at Windermere High (3-3), 7#
Harmony (1-4) at Hagerty (3-2), 7
Gateway (0-5) at St. Cloud (2-3), 7:30
East Ridge (3-2) at Lyman (4-2), 7
East River (1-5) at Colonial (1-4), 7
Deltona Pine Ridge (3-2) at Mount Dora (4-1), 7
Cornerstone Charter (2-4) at Trinity Prep (0-5), 7
Windermere Prep (1-3) at Lake Highland Prep (3-1), 7
Orlando University (1-4) at Horizon (3-2), 7
Lake Howell (3-2) at Lake Buena Vista (3-1), 7
The Master’s Academy (4-1) at Legacy Charter (1-3), 7
Melbourne Central Catholic (4-2) at Mount Dora Christian (2-4), 7:30
Titusville Astronaut (0-6) at Winter Springs (0-6), 7
Ocala Forest (2-3) at Tavares (3-2), 7
Leesburg (5-1) at Wildwood (1-4), 7
Bishop Moore (2-3) at Haines City (2-3), 7:30
Poinciana (2-3) at Davenport (2-3), 7
Foundation Academy (3-3) at Seffner Christian (2-3), 7
Deltona Trinity (1-4) at Bronson (0-5), 7
Faith Christian (2-3) at Lecanto Seven Rivers (3-3), 7
Umatilla (0-5) at Daytona Beach Father Lopez (1-5), 7
#Home sites: West Oaks at Northwest Recreation Complex, Apopka; Windermere High at Scott Pine Community Park, Winter Garden; Winter Park at Showalter Field.
Off this week: No. 9 Orange City University (6-0), No. 12 West Orange (2-4), No. 16 Oviedo (4-2), Boone (3-3), Celebration (1-5), Eustis (4-2), First Academy-Leesburg (2-4), Freedom (1-5), Lake Brantley (1-5), Liberty (2-4), Orangewood Christian (3-3), Osceola (1-5), The First Academy (4-2), West Oaks (3-3).
Played Thursday: Central Florida Christian (0-3) at Winter Haven All Saints (3-2).
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
