Friday Finals Around Orlando: West Orange Edges Jones 25-24, Lakeland Blanks The First Academy 35-0 and DeLand Rolls to Its Eighth Straight Win
The regular season closed Friday night across the Orlando area: a one-point classic at Jones, a shutout that reshaped the state's Open Division picture, and a DeLand team that has not lost to a Florida opponent all year.
The closest finish of the night came in Orlando, where West Orange beat Jones 25-24 on Friday, a one-point result recorded on the Tigers' MaxPreps schedule page. One county line away, the night's loudest statement came at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland, where Lakeland shut out Orlando's The First Academy 35-0. The Ledger reported a 14-0 halftime lead that became a rout in a hurry — Lakeland needed just 24 seconds early in the third quarter to score back-to-back touchdowns and clinch the game.
The First Academy had entered the night near the top of the state picture — No. 7 in the MaxPreps-created rankings the Ledger cited, in position for Florida's first Open Division playoffs — and the shutout instead likely clinched a top-eight finish for Lakeland, which held the No. 8 spot entering the game. In Volusia County, DeLand beat Spanish River 44-13 for its eighth straight win, building a 22-0 first-quarter lead; the News-Journal's roundup put DeLand at 9-1, undefeated against Florida competition, and the projected No. 1 seed in Region 1-6A.
What comes next is a quiet week and then the brackets. This is the FHSAA's dead week, and the playoff brackets — including the Open Division field — are decided on Friday, November 6. The Sports Desk will file the Orlando-area bracket picture when the pairings are official.
