APOPKA BLUE DARTERS

2015: 10-2, 8A District 4 Runner-Up

Last Playoff Appearance: 2015, lost to West Orange in Region Semi Final

Head Coach: Rick Darlington, entering 15th season (142-38)

Key Returners: QB Demetri Burch, RB Deshawn Massey, RB Jordan Thompson , OT Will Barnes, OT Ed Montilus, MLB David Britzius, CB/WR Cayvian Holmes, FS/SS Demetri King

The Scoop: Blue Darters state finals appearance streak ended last season when West Orange knocked them out in the region semifinal. The group that let the APK name down a season ago is carrying a chip on their shoulder this fall and it’s a good thing. The offense looks sound as it returns its QB Demetri Burch (USF commit) and star RB Deshawn Massey with plentiful targets on the outside. Probably the most impressive group returning is the Oline. This year the group is wiser, much more experienced and is bookended by a pair of 6’4 D1 recruits in Will Barnes and Ed Montilus. Senior MLB David Britzius will be leading the youthful defense with a solid secondary.

Quotable: “Seeing those seniors go out like that –you don’t want to go out like that. So that’s our job to make it a better year.”—Deshawn Massey

 

Apopka’s state finals streak came to a screeching halt last November.

“You know three straight state appearances, two titles you can get spoiled by that,” Head Coach Rick Darlington said.

But the fact was the team couldn’t get past its rival West Orange—twice –cutting the Blue Darters run short in just the second round of the playoffs.

“There were some great players who came back from the previous year and seeing those seniors go out like that –you don’t want to go out like that. So that’s our job to make it a better year,” senior RB Deshawn Massey said.

In that region semifinal game—Massey got hurt and left in the first half. Now he is back at 100% and has a much more experienced line in front of him.

“You know the team has come together plus the o-line gonna get together with Will and Ed on both sides bringing them all together with some old veterans –that’ll be very impressive,” Massey added.

“We started off a little bit rough but now we are getting a little bit older because we were really young last season as a line so now we are trying to get it together,” offensive tackle Ed Montilus said. “We all have each other’s backs and we are going to go hard every time.”

Along with the developing line Coach Darlington says there is strength in the backfield and the receiver corp—but it’s still blurry at this point who the leaders will be.  

“We’ve got some guys back, I’ve likened it to a puzzle,” Darlington explained. “We’ve got a lot of pieces, we have some talent but until we put the border in place of the leadership—the pieces do not fall into a puzzle.”

Two seniors, in quarterback Demetri Burch and running back Deshawn Massey are looking to be the ones to step up.

“Yeah me and Burch come together we gotta get them up,” Massey said. “From what we have come through from freshman year being on varsity as a freshman through sophomore, junior year—that’s our job to get us up.”

 

2016 Schedule

Aug. 19 vs. Lake City Columbia (Kickoff Classic)

Aug. 26 vs. Ocoee

Sept. 2 at Edgewater

Sept. 9 vs. DeLand

Sept. 16 vs. Dr. Phillips

Sept. 23 at University (Orlando)

Sept. 30 at West Orange*

Oct. 7 vs. Olympia

Oct. 13 at Wekiva*

Oct. 21 vs. Oak Ridge

Oct. 27 vs. Evans*

Nov. 4 BYE