Apopka running back Tom Smith committed to the University of Tenessee during a two-day trip to Knoxville with teammates Spencer Waseem and Keon Brooks.“He’s our ironman,” said Blue Darters’ coach Rick Darlington. “All our linemen are, but he has missed nothing…We’re going to need that [tonight] because it’s going to be a battle.”
Tonight Apopka (12-1) hosts DeLand (12-1) in a Class 6A state semifinals matchup that pairs arguably the area’s best offensive and defensive fronts.
Apopka’s offensive front five averages 250 pounds and supports two of Central Florida’s most explosive running backs in junior Tom Smith (1,571 yards, 25 touchdowns) and speedy sophomore Quay Barnes (1,229 yards,18 TDs). Its defensive front four comes in at just under 220 pounds collectively, but leads a unit that is surrendering just 13.9 points per game and coming off a 7-0 shutout of Treasure Coast last week.
DeLand’s lines have been just as formidable in 2009. The offensive line has opened holes all season for running backs Shontrelle Johnson (1,861 yards, 18 TDs) and De’Ante “Pop” Saunders (1,584 yards, 20 TDs). Meanwhile, a feisty three-man defensive line (averaging 220 pounds) has been a big contributor to the Bulldogs’ eight shut outs and opponents scoring only 7.8 points per game on them.
This will be the second time this year the schools have seen each other, with Apopka beating up DeLand 49-21 in the spring classic. But aside from an entire season passing since then, both teams will also face players they didn’t see on the field in May.
Both Smith and Barnes sat out that game for Apopka and DeLand’s Johnson had yet to transfer from Crescent City. Bulldogs’ coach Kevin Pettis said that the shear passage of time makes him look at this meeting with fresh eyes, though he said the battle up front will “huge.”
“Everything is different now,” Pettis said. “The only thing you know is that they do a good job of getting off the ball on both sides. They’re really physical and really they do a good job of everything. That’s your biggest challenge right there.”
The edge for the offensive lines on paper at least goes to Apopka, which has a trio of three-year starters (David Barnard, Dwayne Walker and Moran) along with senior tight end and Memphis commit Henley Griffon. It also features another Division I college prospect in sophomore Ty Darlington (26 straight starts) and junior Gary Leonard, who has started the past six games.
A tight-knit group, Barnard said that they get together for pizza every Wednesday and spend a lot of time together during the offseason
Apopka offensive line coach Brandon Siefker said that has made making personnel changes seamless this season.
“They know what to do,” he said. “Teams come out in different defenses than we expected all the time and they know how to adjust without us telling them because of the way they communicate. And yeah, they’ve been in the system for so long that it’s second nature to them now.”
DeLand’s O-line is slightly bigger (260-pound average) and has next-level talent (led by Florida State pledge Trey Pettis), but it has had to adapt to more offseason tweaks over the past two seasons.
The same is true for the Bulldogs defensive line. Senior nose tackle Nic Booton is the only returning starter in their 3-4 base set, but has fast-learning pupils alongside him in sophomore Moroa White (51 postseason tackles) and Latre Grayson (two fumble recoveries).
“It’s hard being with only a three-man line for most of the year,” Booton said. “But we’ve done really well and progressed, especially from the spring. In the spring we got torn up by [Apopka]. But we had a lot of young guys who over the last 13 games have really matured.”
Lake Brantley coach George Clayton saw both teams this season, falling 31-14 to Apopka in the Patriots’ season opener and 27-0 DeLand. He said there isn’t a lot separating them.
“I don’t know if I could chose between them,” Clayton said. “Neither of them have any weaknesses. Apopka maybe because of experience. That’s the only difference. Both have excellent coaches and have systems to go with it. They’re not just going out and being talented teams, they have systems they believe in.”
And it’s why players on both sides are expecting to leave the game with a few more marks on their helmets.
“We know they’re a lot better than they were in the spring,” Barnard said. “But they weren’t bad then, either. So I just think it will be a good, hard fought game. We’re looking forward to it.”
Said Booton: “I don’t know any of them personally. But those are the guys we’re playing, so we’re going to have a fight with them. Then we’ll shake it up after the game.”
Kyle Hightower’s blog can be read at OrlandoSentinel.com/varsityblog and he can be reached at khightower@orlandosentinel.com.
