Winter Park stuffs Hagerty in Monday night district showdown

WINTER PARK, FLORIDA – If defense wins championships, then Winter Park High’s football team will go a long way this season.

Forcing seven turnovers – four interceptions and three fumbles – and allowing just 124 total yards, the host Wildcats mauled the previously unbeaten Hagerty Huskies, 35-0, in a big Class 4 Metro, District 3 game at Showalter Field.

It was the third shutout of the year for Winter Park (6-1, 2-0), which moved into sole possession of first place in 4M-3 with two district games to go. Hagerty (6-1, 2-1), meanwhile, saw its school record start halted at the hands of a far bigger and more athletic team.

“They were ready this week,” said Winter Park coach Tim Shifflet, whose team hadn’t played since Oct. 6 when it lost to non-district foe Ocoee, 31-28, in overtime, “ready to work. They knew what was on the line. They knew it was a huge district game.

“They knew Hagerty was coming in undefeated,” Shifflet added. “They had something to prove after last (game) and they really came out and showed it. They did a great job. I’m proud of them.”

There were plenty of accolades to go around. Winter Park’s offense produced four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing), its defense got a pick-6 from Torian Roberts, and the special teams were close to perfect, including five PATs.

Senior Aidan Warner had a big night for the Wildcats, passing for 180 yards and three TDs. His 36- and 35-yard TD passes to Izaiah Jean-Baptiste and TJ Shifflet, respectively, near the end of the first and second quarters gave Winter Park a 14-0 halftime lead.

“Our offense played great, our defense played even better,” Warner said.

Winter Park’s defense gave the Wildcats’ offense time to get rolling. Hagerty tested Winter Park early and often in the first half, driving inside the Wildcats’ red zone twice only to come up short.

The Huskies turned the ball over on downs on the Winter Park 17-yard line, and then fumbled the ball away near midfield and at the Wildcats’ 5-yard line on their next two possessions.

Winter Park took advantage of the first Hagerty fumble when Warner threw a perfect strike to Jean-Baptiste in the left corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 49 seconds left in the first quarter.

Warner then connected with TJ Shifflet for the second score of the game with 1:39 left in the first half.

Things went from bad to worse for Hagerty in the second half. The Huskies turned the ball over five times in six possessions.

“Our defense has been playing really well all year,” said Tim Shifflet. “Last (game) was a hiccup. You want to win championships, you gotta be able to run the ball and play great defense. Those are the two things that are going to carry you.”

That defensive effort helped Winter Park ice the win with three touchdowns over the last 24 minutes: a 14-yard pass from Warner to Jean-Baptiste, a 37-yard interception return from Roberts and a 28-yard run by Amaris Shaw.

Jean-Baptiste finished with four receptions for 70 yards and two TDs, while TJ Shifflet had two catches for 70 yards and a score. Shaw ran for 82 yards to lead all rushers.

Hagerty senior quarterback Anthony Benzija, who has broken several of former star Jeff Driskel’s passing records, passed for 93 yards but was sacked multiple times and threw four interceptions.