No. 17 Edgewater Eagles (8-1) at No. 14 Boone Braves (7-2)
When: Friday, 7:30pm
Where: Norton Baker Field, Orlando (1000 E Kaley St.)
TV: Spectrum Sports (Channel 47 and HD 1147)
Coaches: Edgewater – Cameron Duke (1st, 8-1); Boone – Andy Johnson (5th, 28-23)
About the matchup: The 66th annual Battle for the Barrel features playoff bound teams trying to close out the regular season with a win in Orlando’s oldest rivalry.
Edgewater is in the midst of one of the greatest turnarounds in Central Florida history. After going 0-10 last year and getting outscored by an average of 40 points per game, the Eagles are 8-1 and locked up the 7A, District 4 title by beating Hagerty last week. Edgewater has a true dual threat quarterback in junior R.J. Harvey, who has passed for 1,281 yards and rushed for 1,078. He’s accounted for 30 total touchdowns. Quondarrius Whitfield, one of the few senior contributors on a young team, has scored eight touchdowns with 794 yards rushing and receiving. Sophomore Isaiah Connelly has added 829 yards on the ground with 10 scores. Defensively, inside linebackers D.J. Hampton (96 tackles, 7 TFL) and Hudson Driggers (95 tackles, 10 TFL) are the top tacklers. That unit has 22 takeaways and the Eagles have a +13 turnover margin.
Boone missed its chance at a district title with a 27-7 loss to Winter Park on October 20. The Braves look like a solid bet to make the postseason as a wild card team regardless of the outcome of Friday’s game. Boone features a stout defense with an intimidating defensive line. The Braves are allowing 11.7 points per game. Defensive ends Jay Swegheimer and C.J. Reeves have combined for 37 tackles for loss and 28 sacks and each has a defensive touchdown. Both players are receiving attention from FBS schools. Linebacker Devonte Booker is the team’s leading tackler with 110 and cornerback Jack Dixson has four interceptions this year to give him 27 in his career. Offensively, fullback Dai’One Creal is the focal point of the Braves flex bone offense. He has rushed for 1,017 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Jaxsen Anagnostis, a second year starter, has thrown for 680 yards and eight scores with 244 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Three and out:
1. Boone has won four of the last five games in this series but Edgewater leads all-time 43-20-2.
2. Cameron Duke is the eighth different coach at Edgewater in the last eight seasons and none of the coaches have stayed longer than two seasons.
3. Between 2012-15, all four games between Boone and Edgewater were decided by 10 points or less.