Bears rally for district title
APOPKA — Winter Springs running back Julius Bennett would like to forget the way Friday night’s 7A, District 4 game started, but he made the night a memorable one for the Bears.
Bennett, who fumbled into the end zone costing his team an opportunity to score just 4 minutes and 34 seconds into the game, finished with a career-best 228 yards rushing on 30 carries, leading the Bears to a 23-14 victory over Wekiva.
The victory gives Winter Springs (6-4 overall, 5-1 district), the No. 16 team in the Sentinel Super 16, the first district championship in school history. It also ended the hopes of Wekiva (5-4, 3-3) to advance into the playoffs for the first time since it opened.
It also means Oak Ridge (6-3, 5-1) will advance to the playoffs as the district runner-up.
“One hitch, one step, one yard at a time. It was baby steps for this program, but here we are, 2013 district champs,” Winter Springs’ first-year coach Rodney Brewington said.
Although Bennett didn’t score, it was his rushing attack that played a big role for the Bears. He had a 32-yard run early in the second quarter to help set up Winter Springs’ first touchdown and he added a 53-yard run in the third quarter to kick off the Bears’ go-ahead touchdown drive.
“I always believed we were going to make it,” Bennett said. “To be a part of the school’s first district championship team feels really good.”
Winter Springs trailed 14-10 at halftime but took the lead on the first drive of the second half and never again trailed. Bennett had 66 yards on the ground during the drive before Bears quarterback Steven Frost hit Antonio Rodriguez for a 7-yard touchdown pass.
But the gutsiest play came with 4:09 to play in the fourth quarter.
Winter Springs lined up in punt formation on a fourth-and-10 situation at its own 48. Instead of punting, the Bears snapped the ball to up- back Mason Johnston, who rushed up the middle for a 32-yard gain.
Four plays later, Frost scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a 23-14 lead with 2:13 remaining.
“Here’s the thing, Mason Johnston is our captain and we have an assistant coach, who saw that the middle was open all night,” Brewington said. “We had the option of calling the play off, but the middle was open.”
Wekiva scored both its touchdowns in the first half quickly.
It took the Mustangs just 10 offensive plays to take a 14-3 lead with 9:01 left in the second quarter.
Wekiva’s first touchdown came on a 80-yard run by running back- turnedquarterback Deondre Fair. That score came just one play after Bennett’s fumble. Wekiva recovered the loose ball for a touchback, setting up Fair’s run.
The Mustangs scored on their next possession, taking just five plays before Jarvis Scott scored on a 24-yard run.
Fair finished with 130 yards rushing on17 carries.