Windermere football finishes its first unbeaten regular season

Wolverines edge Horizon, 13-7, in overtime to run record to 10-0

Windermere quarterback Jack Reilly (9) passed for a touchdown and ran for another score to lead the Wolverines past Horizon, 13-7 in overtime, and to their first unbeaten regular season (10-0). / Courtesy of Jack Reilly

Windermere High is known for its great basketball, baseball and softball programs but now the Wolverines can stake their claim to greatness on the football field, too.

Sparked by clutch play from senior quarterback Jack Reilly, Windermere edged Horizon, 13-7, in overtime on Friday night to finish the regular season unbeaten (10-0) for the first time in school history.

Reilly’s 1-yard touchdown run in OT was the winning score in a tight defensive battle between the two Southwest Orange County schools. That play followed a fourth-down stop by Windermere’s defense on Horizon’s overtime possession.

"It's surreal," Reilly said. "I am happy for my brothers on the team. Coach Riki (Smith) and staff, cheerleaders, dance girls, our great band, amazing student section, Principal (Andrew) Leftakis, and his administration, I am proud to be at the start of something great. This is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life. It's great to be a Windermere Wolverine!"

Defense proved to be the story in the first half as the schools fought to a 0-0 tie. Horizon blew an opportunity to take the lead when it fumbled away the ball inside the Windermere red zone with less than a minute left.

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>>FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD<<

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Windermere finally broke the scoreless deadlock when Reilly hit Lane Frost for a 9-yard TD pass with 9 minutes, 19 seconds left in the third quarter, giving the Wolverines a 7-0 lead.

The score remained that way until a special teams breakdown and penalty on Windermere gave the Hawks the ball at the Wolverines’ 24-yard line in the fourth quarter. Horizon took advantage of the short field when Emmanuel Blackwell blasted into the end yard from 1 yard out to tie the game at 7-7 with 3:06 left.

The schools then finished regulation play tied, setting up overtime and Reilly’s heroics. His two TDs on Friday give him a combined 28 passing and rushing TDs for the season.

Coming into the game, Reilly had passed for 1,912 yards and 24 TDs with only three interceptions, and rushed for 116 yards and two TDs. He already has passed 2,000 total yards for the season.

The regular-season finale was the second closest margin of victory this season for Windermere, which earlier beat Orlando Colonial, 14-12.

The Wolverines’ offense has been explosive for most of the season. Windermere scored 40 or more points six times, and 50 or more twice.

Windermere beat University High (Orlando), 57-7 – its biggest margin of victory this season – and Oak Ridge, 52-6. 

Junior Henry Rogers and senior Octavio Ulloa combined for more than 800 yards through the first nine games for the Wolverines. Senior Bryce Speed had more than 660 yards receiving, and senior Shawn Falahpour, more than 500 yards in receptions. Senior Lane Frost had more than 400 receiving yards.

Defensively, Windermere held eight opponents to seven points or less, including a 42-0 shutout of Cypress Creek. At least 3 Windermere players had 40 or more tackles through nine games. Junior linebacker Willems Noel had 54 tackles, including six for loss, to lead the way.

Senior guard/defensive tackle Enzo Fernandes (6-foot, 255 pounds) and senior defensive end/outside linebacker Nikolas Pommells (6-3, 235) each had 40 stops through nine games. Fernandes also had six sacks; Pommells, three.

Senior defensive end/outside linebacker/tight end Daniel Bradley had 14 sacks, and junior cornerback CJ Bronaugh, six interceptions, for the Wolverines.

Although Windermere is not a member of the FHSAA and plays outside of district, the Wolverines likely will play a bowl game prior to Thanksgiving.

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