High School

Evans topples Central Florida’s No. 1-ranked team in “Soul Bowl”

Two fourth-quarter touchdowns spark Trojans, who snap Jones’ 18-game regular-season win streak

Jeff Gardenour

Evans senior running back Li'Darious Pryor looks for running room in a game last season. Pryor on Saturday broke loose for a 40-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to ignite a comeback and lead the Trojans to a 28-25 upset of Jones, ranked No. 1 in the High School on SI Central Florida Top 10.
Evans senior running back Li'Darious Pryor looks for running room in a game last season. Pryor on Saturday broke loose for a 40-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to ignite a comeback and lead the Trojans to a 28-25 upset of Jones, ranked No. 1 in the High School on SI Central Florida Top 10. / Photo courtesy of Li'Darious Pryor

Don’t look now, but Central Florida has a new budding high school football power.

The area produced its first big upset of the 2025 season on Saturday afternoon when Evans stunned host Jones, 28-25, in a longtime rivalry known as the “Soul Bowl.” The Tigers (2-1) came into the game ranked No. 1 in Central Florida and No. 4 in the state by High School on SI. But that ranking didn’t stop the Trojans from pulling the shocker.

Per a story in The Orlando Sentinel, Evans (2-1) used two big plays in the fourth quarter to rally from a 17-14 deficit and then held on for the win.

Senior running back Li’Darious Pryor (5-foot-11, 195 pounds), one of the most powerful runners in the area, jumpstarted the Trojans with a dramatic 40-yard TD run to push his team ahead, 21-17, with 5 minutes, 5 seconds remaining.

After Jones drove to the Evans’ 9-yard line, senior quarterback Dereon Coleman, a Miami commit, lost a fumble under heavy pressure and senior linebacker Jiah Walls scooped the ball up and ran 89 yards the other way for a TD. That proved to be the winning touchdown for the Trojans, who beat Jones for the first time since an 18-6 victory on Oct. 3, 2009.

"It was a great team win," Pryor said. "A big rivarly we were looking forward to since they came to Evans and beat us last year. So, it was definitely a great game. The team knows what we have, and I know we can make a deep playoff run."

Jones on Friday, Sept. 12, visits unbeaten Edgewater (3-0), which is averaging a whopping 51 points per game and ranked No. 3 in Central Florida.

Evans, which is expected to be ranked in this week’s Central Florida Top 10, has won two straight after falling to West Orange, 28-18, on Aug. 22. The Trojans host Poinciana (1-2) on Sept. 12.

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Jeff Gardenour can be reached via email at jgardenour1962@gmail.com or X @JMarkG1962

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Jeff Gardenour
JEFF GARDENOUR

Jeff Gardenour is a Florida native and long-time resident of the Sunshine State. He is a journalism veteran of more than four decades, having worked in a number of news divisions through the years for multiple media outlets, including Gannett and Tribune Company. A University of Florida journalism graduate, Jeff has covered every level of sports, including MLB, USFL, XFL, WNBA, NCAA, IMSA, high schools and more. He is a former award-winning sports editor of the Sebring News-Sun and current freelance writer for SBLive Sports, PrepVolleyball.com and The Orlando Sentinel. Jeff is married with two children and resides in Oviedo, FL. He can be reached at jgardenour1962@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JMarkG1962.

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