Senior Jayden Moore and Caleb Butler saw to it that Dr. Joaquin Garcia’s debut in a state championship game was a successful one.
Butler completed 11 of 20 passes for 167 yards and a 19-yard TD to Moore, while Gavin Floyd added a 24-yard field goal as the Bulldogs downed Tate, 10-0, on Thursday night in the inaugural Florida Invitational Tournament (FIT) 7A-4A South Division Championship game at HG Morse Stadium at The Villages Charter School near Orlando.
Bulldogs senior linebacker Dominic Luchina had a game-high 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as Dr. Joaquin Garcia (11-3), winners of six straight, recorded its sixth shutout of the season and second straight in the playoffs. It is also the school’s first state championship in any sport.
Dr. Joaquin Garcia opened three years ago to a 1-9 season and has gone 7-3 the past two years during the regular season. After missing out on a FHSAA playoff bid this year, Bulldogs’ coach Brandon Walker said his team has come a long way.
“This means everything,” Walker said by phone. “You know, if you’d asked me if we’d have been playing for any kind of championship when we opened the doors three years ago, I would have laughed you out of the building.
“Our kids are all about the work; this is all their hard work. My staff’s hard work and our school’s belief in our football program,” Walker added. “This means that the bar has been set; it’s been set high. We’ve had success, so we have to set the bar higher because we have big challenges in front of us. It is only the first step, and we have many, many miles to go. We have mountains to climb.”
Butler connected with Morton to give Dr. Joaquin Garcia a 7-0 lead with 8:30 left in the third quarter to cap a seven-play, 73-yard drive to open the second half.
“I don’t think, for the first half, we came out full gas like we usually do,” said Butler, who threw for 11 TDs in the postseason and finished with 28 for the year. “Usually, during our games, when we start fast, we end the game really quickly. Tonight, our defense held the ground. I am really proud of them.”
Morton caught his seventh TD of the season in the corner of the end zone as the Bulldogs drew first blood in the game.
“We trusted each other, and made some mistakes in the beginning of the game, and we knew how to work through it and overcome the struggles,” Morton said. “The touchdown was magical. I saw where the cornerback was playing, and Caleb threw a beautiful ball. Winning a state championship senior year doesn’t get any better than that. We wanted to go out with a bang, and we did.”
The Bulldogs put together another 73-yard drive to extend the lead to extend the lead to 10-0 on a 24-yard field goal by senior kicker Gavin Boyd. It was his 11th field goal of the season. Dr. Joaquin Garcia benefited from two personal foul penalties that kept the drive alive, including a roughing the punter penalty on a fourth down.
The Aggies took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Dr. Joaquin Garcia 9-yard line, where junior Ethan Priest, who was short on an earlier 40-yard attempt, had his 28-yard field goal attempt blocked by junior defensive end John Georges with 3:38 remaining in the contest.
Morton closed out the game with an interception to seal the game with 1:26 remaining, and the Bulldogs ran out the clock for the win.
Jupiter Christian rolls by Mount Dora
Jupiter Christian jumped out to a 27-7 halftime lead and coasted to a 41-19 victory over Mount Dora Academy in the recent Sunshine State Athletic Association Class 5A state championship game at Villages High School.
It marked the Eagles’ second straight 11-man state championship, and the Eagles soared to a 12-1 record and their 11th consecutive win and 22nd victory of the past 26 games. They defeated St. Joseph Academy last season 37-35 in the title game of the Orlando Health Sunshine State Athletic Association Football, Florida’s Independent High School Athletic Association.
Junior Christian quarterback Dorian Fauntleroy completed 12 of 14 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns, and carried four times for 90 yards and one score to lead the Eagles to their second straight championship. It also ended a 12-game streak by the Bulldogs.
Senior running back RJ Wilkerson carried 19 times for 134 yards and a TD as the Eagles rolled to the title. Junior Luke Beach (77 yards receiving, 2 TDs) and senior Cayden Alula (55 yards receiving, TD) also played well. Alula was also a monster on defense with 11 tackles.
“Winning this year’s championship was a testament to all the hard work we put in during the offseason,” said Jupiter Christian coach Baz Alfred. “From the start of the season, we set a goal, and that was to return to the championship game and win another one… For me personally, it’s not about the trophies. I enjoy seeing the boys develop into athletes, leaders, and young men while in our program.”