An unexpected matchup between Sanford Seminole and host Lake Minneola highlights the high school football slate Friday in Week 5 of the regular season.
The first meeting between the schools was a late addition to schedules that were reshuffled because of delays to the season due to COVID-19. Lake Minneola went 4-6 against Seminole County teams from 2015-18 when Hagerty, Lake Howell and Lyman were routinely on its schedule.
But this looks like a different version of the Hawks. Lake Minneola, ranked No. 9 in the Sentinel Super 16, turned heads last fall while making a run to the Class 6A region championship game. No. 4 Seminole is coming off a run to the 8A region finals.
“We had a quarterback and they had a quarterback, and we thought it would be a great idea to match those two guys together,” said Lake Minneola coach Walter Banks.
Lake Minneola junior Braden Davis, a Delaware native ranked No. 5 in the nation among dual-threat quarterbacks in his class, faces a Seminole defense that yielded two TD passes last week to Daytona Beach Mainland.
Davis, listed at 6-5, 190 pounds moved to Florida and enrolled at Lake Minneola after Delaware postponed high school football from the fall to the spring.
Seminole is led by four-year starting QB and South Florida commit Timmy McClain, who ranks sixth among seniors at all positions in the Orlando area.
Despite the hype surrounding the game, Banks is confident that his team is approaching Friday the same way it does any other week.
“Our kids don’t know the difference, and that’s the way I like it,” said Banks. “That’s one thing I wanted to change with our kids when it comes to getting up for games. Now we get up for every game and just worry about ourselves, because no one game is more important than another.”
The contest is considered a sellout as only 25% capacity is permitted inside the stadium due to COVID restrictions. Just 400 tickets for the home school and 120 tickets for Seminole were distributed.
A notable absence from the Week 5 schedule is the No. 2 Edgewater (1-1) at No. 11 Wekiva (1-1) game. Orange County Public Schools announced Wednesday that positive COVID test results sidelined Edgewater’s team.
Evans will play its first game of the season on Monday at No. 10 Ocoee. The Trojans, who returned to practice on Tuesday, were forced to quarantine after multiple players tested positive for COVID two weeks ago.
A private-school double header will serve as season openers for four area schools Friday at Kissimmee’s Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.
Trinity Prep plays Lake Highland Prep at 5 p.m. followed by Windermere Prep vs. The First Academy at 8 p.m.
Below is a look at what to watch for and the predicted winners for games involving area programs. Teams are listed with current records and area Super 16 rankings. Games kick off at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Check for score updates at @OSVarsity on Twitter and our full coverage at SentinelVarsity.com.
No. 1 Apopka (2-0) at No. 15 Lake Brantley (1-1)
Blue Darters have won eight of past nine outings in series since 2007, including a 35-0 victory in 2019. Apopka is averaging just 178 rushing yards and 14.5 points per game to start the season. RB Anthony Williams and QB Noah Hudak have combined to rush for 574 yards and 6 TDs for Patriots. Pick: Apopka
No. 4 Seminole (2-0) at No. 9 Lake Minneola (1-0)
Seminole defensive back Marseille Taylor opened the season at No. 27 in the area’s Class of 2021 Sentinel Super 60. Defensive lineman Joshua Lyles ranks No. 56. Lake Minneola running back Sidarius “Duke” Walker (No. 54) and offensive lineman Alden Lee (No. 59) lead the Hawk’s senior class. Pick: Seminole
Evans (0-0) at No. 10 Ocoee (1-1), Monday
Evans safety Markeith Williams is the area’s top-ranked defensive player in the Class of 2022. Senior D.J. Boney takes over at QB for Trojans after throwing for 933 yards, 9 TDs and one interception at IMG Academy last season. Ocoee prevailed 29-6 in 2009 for its only win in the series in seven meetings since 2005. Pick: Ocoee
J.C. last week: 29 correct, 4 fumbles (.879). Season: 57 correct, 7 fumbles (.891).
Other games
(Predicted winners in bold)
No. 3 Jones (1-0) at Lake Nona (2-0)
No. 5 Dr. Phillips (1-1) at Windermere High (0-1)#
Port Orange Spruce Creek (1-1) at No. 6 DeLand (1-0)#
Cypress Creek (0-2) at No. 7 Osceola (1-0), 7:30
No. 8 Timber Creek (2-0) at Colonial (1-1)
West Orange (0-1) at No. 12 Lake Mary (2-0)
Hagerty (1-1) at No. 13 Winter Park (1-1)#
No. 14 Bishop Moore (1-1) at Tohopekaliga (0-1)
Clermont East Ridge (1-0) at No. 16 Boone (1-1)
No. 16 Orange City University (2-0) at Flagler Palm Coast (1-1)
St. Cloud (1-0) at Gateway (0-1), 7:30
Orlando University (0-2) at Oviedo (2-0)
Olympia (1-0) at Oak Ridge (1-1)
Lake Howell (1-1) at East River (1-1)
Lyman (0-2) at Winter Springs (0-1)
Freedom (0-2) at Celebration (0-1)
Tavares (0-1) at Leesburg (0-1)
Mount Dora (0-1) at Eustis (0-1)
Groveland South Lake (1-0) at Wildwood (3-0)
Orlando Christian Prep (3-0) at Mount Dora Christian (3-1), 7:30
Foundation Academy (3-0) at Faith Christian (0-4)
Orangewood Christian (1-3) at The Master’s Academy (1-2), 7:30
Lake Wales (1-0) at Harmony (0-1), 7:30
Cornerstone Charter (0-1) at Bronson (2-2)
West Oaks (0-3) at Chiefland (0-2)
Ocala Christian (0-3) at Deltona Trinity Christian (2-2)#
Liberty (0-1) at Lakeland George Jenkins (1-1)
Deltona (0-2) at Daytona Beach Mainland (1-1)#
Deltona Pine Ridge (0-1) at New Smyrna Beach (1-1)
Legacy Charter (3-0) at Gainesville St. Francis (0-4)
First Academy-Leesburg (0-3) at Lecanto Seven Rivers (0-2), 7:30
Umatilla (0-1) at Lakeland Tenoroc (0-2), 7:30
Poinciana (1-0) at Winter Haven (1-1)
At Austin-Tindall Sports Complex
Lake Highland Prep (0-0) at Trinity Prep (0-0), 5
The First Academy (0-0) at Windermere Prep (0-0), 8
#Home sites: DeLand at Spec Martin Stadium; Deltona Trinity at Dewey O. Boster Sports Complex; Mainland at Daytona Stadium; Windermere High at Pine Community Park; Winter Park at Showalter Field.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
