Photo by Jim Wentz, Special to the Herald. Jeff Driskel accounted for 320-yards of offense and four touchdowns to lead host Hagerty to a 30-27 class 5A-District 3 upset of neighborhood rival Oviedo.
The victory helped lick the wounds of losing to Winter Springs last week and put the Huskies right back in the Class 5A-District 3 race and keeping their hopes of making the playoffs for the first time alive.
Hagerty is now 5-2 overall and 2-1 in 5A-3, while the Lions, who saw their four-game winning streak end, fell to 5-2 and 1-1.
If the Huskies win their final district game at home this Friday against Evans (0-2) at 7:30 p.m. they will clinch at least a spot in a district playoff.
Oviedo, which hosts Lake Howell (0-2) this Friday and Winter Springs (which has already clinched at least a spot in a playoff with a 3-0 record) at John Courier Field next Friday, needs to win both of its district games, plus have Hagerty win this week, so there would be a three-way tie in 5A-3 and force a Kansas tie-breaker among the trio on the Monday after the final game of the regular season.
Hagerty would make the regionals if it wins on Friday and the Lions lose either of their final two games, while the only other conceivable way for Oviedo to make the playoffs is for it to win the district outright by winning both district games and having the Huskies lose to Evans.
All of those scenarios looked like they would be moot after the way this game started.
Oviedo’s Qamar Lewis made a perfect read of Driskel pass attempt, stepping in front of a Hagerty receiver for an interception and then plowing through several defenders at the 10-yard line before finishing off a 60-yard return.
The extra point was missed, but the Lions got the ball right back when Driskel fumbled and Anthony Gonzalez capped a short drive with a 1-yard run making the score 13-0.
Driskel finally got his team moving and got the hosts back into the game with a 3-yard run off right tackle to make the score 13-6 at the end of the first quarter after the extra point attempt failed.
The second period saw both teams score a pair of touchdowns each.
Lewis scored his second touchdown of the game, this time on a five-yard run from the running back position, to give Oviedo a 20-6 advantage, but Driskel brought the Huskies right back when he hit Treyous Jarrells over the middle off a play-action pass and the junior ran for 63-yards, including running through a pair of Oviedo defenders to set-up a 17-yard touchdown run by Driskel to make the score 20-13.
The Lions looked like they would carry a 14-point lead into the halftime break when quarterback Sean Long snuck in from the three-yard line, but Driskel was not done as he fired another strike to Jarrells in the back of the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown to send the teams to the Lockerroom with score 27-20 in favor of Oviedo.
Little did anyone know, but the Lions would not score again.
The only score of the third quarter saw Hagerty kicker Lucas Wainman cut the lead to four, 27-23, with a 20-yard field goal.
The Huskies finally completed the game-long rally from behind when Driskel capped off a drive with a 3-yard crash up the middle midway through the fourth quarter.
Oviedo was not ready to quit, however, and drove to the Hagerty five-yard line, but on third down with a minute left on the clock, Andreus DuBose came up with an interception to seal the Huskies’ second win in three years over their rivals.
Driskel finished the game 19-for-26 passing for 256 yards and a touchdown, while also running for 64-yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.
Driskel spread his completions around as Zach Haywood caught four passes for 36-yards, Tyler Thrift caught three passes for 85 yards, Jarrells caught three passes for 65-yards and the touchdown, and Ethan Albers also caught three passes for 29 yards. All told nine different receivers caught passes for the winner’s.
Defensively, Henry Naymick had seven tackles, five solo, as did Chris Elander, three of which were solo stops.
DuBose had five tackles, four solo, to go along with the interception, while Haywood also had five tackles, four solo, and Chris Bosco made five stops, three solo.
For the Lions, Gonzalez led all rushers with 152-yards on 27 carries and a touchdown.