FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.– The 4M class state championship between Columbus and Apopka is not a remix.
It’s the trilogy.
It’s the third time these two programs will go head-to-head when it comes to all marbles, and this will also be a rubber match. Each team has won a state title against each other.
This state championship rivalry began in 2014, and in the first meeting the Blue Darters defeated the Explorers 30-23. Then, five years later, the 2019 Explorers would defeat the Blue Darters 21-20 in a nail biter.
What did the first two duels between these two clubs tell us? That we should all have a fun four quarters of high school football. It is believed that this competition will be the Saturday night 7pm nightcap to close out the high school season in Florida.
The road to the Class 4M title game was rigorous for both teams. There’s no escaping that, as both have schedules that would rival almost anyone’s. If we examine it a little more closely, you get the picture that these two teams definitely played a lot of quality programs on the way to DRV PNK Stadium.
With the exception of Miami Killian and Goleman on the roster, every other team Columbus faced during the season was a playoff club. The Explorers started the season at home against Benedictine of Savannah, Georgia, defeating the Cadets 41-15. Benedictine won the AAAA state championship in Georgia just last week.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Football
The list for Columbus goes on and on when it comes to the who’s who of the programs they played ahead of the postseason. However, the game that really opened a lot of eyes was the GMAC championship game against Miami Central. Though the Explorers lost that game 42-35, it helped Columbus prepare for a strong playoff run that culminated in a state championship berth.
There is one common opponent between the two teams that they have both played against and that is Ocoee. Coincidentally, this was Apopka’s first game of the season and Columbus’ youngest in the Class 4M semifinals. The Explorers defeated the Knights in a 41-36 shootout in Miami.
Apopka defeated Ocoee 13-12 in the season opener, which was almost a surprise for the start of 2022. The Blue Darters’ first loss would come the following week to West Orange and a few weeks later to Edgewater.
Blue Darters head coach Jeff Rolson has navigated his team through the playoffs in a very similar way to last year’s 2021 run, leaning heavily on their very talented defense and getting just enough offensively to win games. A regular season finale loss to Wekiva hurt but set Apopka up for the treacherous road to Broward County.
Photo courtesy of Apopka Football Twitter
Of all the playoff wins, the 27-24 win over Palm Beach Central was the one that showed the team’s determination and will to come back from behind. Apopka eventually trailed 21-6 and fought back to defeat the host Broncos on the road. This isn’t your Rick Darlington Blue Darter’s offense, but one that can get it done when it needs to.
Columbus’ offense is under the control of quarterback Alberto Mendoza, who threw for 2,470 yards and 34 touchdowns against just seven picks. Mendoza’s target will be sophomore Darriel Harper (553 yards).
Columbus head coach Dave Dunn pairs Mendoza in the backfield with 1,000-yard rusher Sedrick Irvin, who has 10 touchdowns this season. Throw in talent like senior AJ Arellano (412 yards) on offense and you have a well-rounded unit yourself.
Defensively, the Explorers are one of the best groups in all of South Florida, and there are many reasons for that. Take away the 42 points allowed from Miami Central, and Columbus only scored 10.6 points in the 13 other games played. Outside linebacker Ja’Juan Bradshaw leads defense with 62 tackles and cornerback Jeffrey Brandy leads secondary with a team-high four picks.
It all starts on defense for Apopka as that is the team’s overall strength. The Blue Darters had one of the best defenses, allowing an average of 16 players per game. Rolson’s top player in the front seven is linebacker Rashad Watson, who has a team-strength with 141 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions.
In total, the Blue Darters as a team have sacked opposing quarterbacks and made nine passes 27 times. Senior defensive end Kaven Call is coming off the edge with a team leading eight sacks this season.
On offense, it’s been a work-in-progress all year for a Blue Darters side who continue to look for some fluidity from game to game. Apopka deals most of its damage offensively on the ground, as the team has rushed for over 2,600 yards and thrown nearly 600 yards.
Leading in football are running backs Zeldrick Roberts (920 yards), Kaleb Hicks (455 yards) and Noah Morgan (326 yards). Freshman quarterback Ty Davison has thrown for 580 yards and rushed for 459 yards.
Personnel Selection of SBLive Sports Florida
Andy Villamarzo: Columbus
Gary Adornato: Columbus
Joe Frisaro: Columbus
Adam Fisher: Columbus
Lynn Ramsey: Apopka
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.
