Dante Johnson-Turner runs for 6 TDs to lift Mount Dora past Umatilla

MOUNT DORA, FLORIDA – Mount Dora High’s Dante Johnson-Turner just got voted Scorebook Live’s National Athlete of the Athlete by readers. He may very well win it again.

The 5-foot-9, 184-pound senior running back rushed for six touchdowns on Tuesday night to lead the Hurricanes to a wild 45-36 Class 2 Suburban, District 10 win against visiting Umatilla in Central Florida’s Game of the Night. The speedy athlete carried the ball 21 times for 231 yards and scored two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters to help Mount Dora (3-2 overall, 1-0 in district) stave off the feisty Bulldogs (2-3, 0-1).

“Just a great game against a well-coached team,” Johnson-Turner said. “Everybody on the team poured their hearts on the field, especially the offense, to get us this win, and the great coaching staff we have, especially our offensive coordinator.

“Although this game was just a steppingstone, we will continue to rack up wins as we get better every day and progress throughout the season,” Johnson-Turner said.

Johnson-Turner scored on TD runs of 5 and 8 yards to help the Hurricanes rally from a 7-0 deficit and take a 13-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. Umatilla’s BJ Jefferson caught a 51-yard TD pass from Mason Cannon to open the scoring.

The star Mount Dora back then exploded for a 25-yard TD run to put the Hurricanes up by double digits, 19-7, in the second quarter. But Umatilla refused to go away as Troy Saladin scored on a 1-yard TD run.

Johnson-Turner then scored his fourth TD of the night on a 1-yard run to push Mount Dora to a 25-14 lead.

The Bulldogs cut their deficit again, though, this time to three points, 25-22, on a 15-yard TD pass from quarterback Logan Bowling to Mekhi Benn and a two-point conversion run by Cannon to end the first-half scoring.

Johnson-Turner pushed Mount Dora back out by double digits again, 31-22, when he scored on a 15-yard TD run in the third quarter. But Umatilla countered when Saladin scored his second TD of the night – a 2-yard run – and Tyler Pounders made the ensuing PAT to cut the Hurricanes’ lead to 31-29.

Not finished yet, Johnson-Turner responded with his sixth TD, a 38-yard scamper, and added the 2-point run to give Mount Dora a 39-29 lead to end the third quarter.

Bowling scored on a 1-yard TD run and Pounders added the PAT to bring Umatilla to within three points, 39-36, in the fourth quarter. But then Zyshonne Perry caught a 31-yard TD pass from Matthew Butler to give the Hurricanes a 45-36 lead and ice the win.

“It was a huge win for us and we are beginning to see improvement from our very young defense,” Mount Dora coach Luke Hutchinson said. “Umatilla is an extremely well-coached and disciplined team and battled all night. Our offensive coordinator, Sean Markham, keeps dialing up incredible play calls.

“We have a special running back with Dante Johnson-Turner,” Hutchinson said, “and he’s the first to give credit to our O-line. The run game, coupled with our quarterback Matt Butler throwing the ball to our young receiving core, is hard to defend. At the end of the night, it was a great team district win for our program, the school and the town of Mount Dora.”

In other Tuesday action, Titusville overwhelmed Space Coast 40-0 in a Class 2 Suburban, District 12 game. The Terriers (3-2, 1-1) have won two straight after a slow start, while the Vipers (1-4, 0-2) continue to look for consistency.

Also, in a Sunshine State Athletic Conference game, Faith Christian (3-2) beat Bell Creek 22-6. Bell Creek (1-4) out of Riverview played one of its closest contests of the season.

In Monday action, here is a brief recap of what happened across Central Florida:

Vero Beach 47, Fort Pierce Central 7

The unbeaten Indians (6-0, 1-0) got five TD passes from junior Tyler Aronson, with four going to senior wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs, in a Class 4S, District 12 blowout win at Billy Livings Field at the Citrus Bowl.

Aronson completed 17 of 23 passes for 293 yards with one interception. Jacobs, an FSU commit, caught eight passes for 190 yards, including an 89-yard TD catch.

Senior Brock Thomas also caught a TD pass, Efrem White returned a kickoff 83 yards for a TD, and Antwan Frederick had a 43-yard pick-6 for Vero Beach.

The Indians’ defense held Fort Pierce Central (1-5, 0-2) to less than 240 total yards. The Cobras have lost four straight games.

Mount Dora Christian 13, Gainesville P.K. Yonge 12

In the completion of a game suspended from Week 3, MDC (3-2) edged P.K. Yonge (1-4).

Dillon Gordon led the Bulldogs with 135 yards rushing and six tackles. Also, for MDC, Isaiah Bryant, 80 yards rushing and two TDs, two forced fumbles, one pass break-up, four tackles; Connor Calfy, two fumble recoveries, five tackles; Owen Draves, seven pancake blocks; Preston Smith, played well at new position on the offensive line; and Cari Minnis, six tackles, one sack.

“As a whole, our kids played hard and I’m proud of them,” MDC coach Mike Kintz said. “P.K. Yonge is a talented and physical team with a lot of youth.”

Bayside 7, Satellite 3

The Bears (3-2, 1-1) remained in the hunt for a playoff berth with a hard-fought 7-3 Class 3 Suburban, District 10 win against Satellite (3-3, 0-2).

A late third-quarter turnover by Satellite led to a 2-yard TD run by David Francis by Bayside in the fourth quarter.

Merritt Island 14, Eau Gallie 13, OT

The Mustangs (3-2, 1-0) stunned previously unbeaten Eau Gallie (5-1, 1-1) in a brutal defensive battle.

The schools each scored a touchdown in the first quarter and remained tied until the end of regulation. Merritt Island then won it in overtime when Luke Knight ran for a TD and the Mustangs made the PAT, while Eau Gallie got a TD run from Alvarez Baker but missed the 2-point conversion in an attempt to go for the win.

Robert Stafford had given the Commodores the early lead when he returned the opening kickoff for a TD. Byron Johnson then recorded a pick-6 for Merritt Island to tie things at 7-7 in the first quarter.

Daytona Beach Father Lopez 54, Melbourne Central Catholic 7

Jackson Oldham ran for three TDs, scored four 2-point conversions and returned a free kick for a touchdown to lead the Green Wave (3-2, 1-0) past MCC in a Class 1 Suburban, District 4 game.

Alex Westfield caught a TD pass for MCC (1-5, 1-1).

Cornerstone Charter 46, The First Academy-Leesburg 20 (Sat.)

Leading Cornerstone (2-3) were Caleb Harris, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 137 yards and three TDs; Chase Rabaja, 167 yards rushing and three TDs; Max Edmonds, seven receptions for 88 yards and two TDs; and Trey Oyegun and Nathan Barker, one TD catch each. TFA-Leesburg (0-6) remained winless.