Edgewater football rolls Boone in “Battle for the Spirit Barrel”
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Rivalry week oftentimes brings out the best in high school football teams, and Friday night’s showdown between unbeaten Edgewater and Boone was no exception.
The two Metro Orlando schools battled tooth-and-nail in the first quarter before the unbeaten Eagles (10-0) scored 28 unanswered points to pull away for a resounding, 42-14, win against the host Braves in the “Battle for the Spirit Barrel.”
Edgewater player lift up the "Spirit Barrel" which they captured with their 42-14 victory over rival Boone, Friday night. With the win, the Eagles finished the 2023 regular season unbeaten at 10-0.
Photo by Jeff Gardenour
It marked the second consecutive year that Edgewater, ranked No. 3 in Class 3 Metro by SBLive Florida, finished the regular season unbeaten. The Eagles have won an impressive 28 straight regular-season games dating to the third contest of the 2021 season.
“It feels great,” said Edgewater coach Cameron Duke, whose District 3 champ team now prepares for the regional playoffs that start Friday, Nov. 10. “It’s definitely a testament to the seniors and a lot of people that made that happen.”
Two seniors – Kaden Shields-Dutton and AJ Howard – showed out big-time for the Eagles. Shields-Dutton, a powerful 5-foot-10, 215-pound running back whose running style reminds those of former Pittsburgh Steelers great Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, ran for more than 165 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard burst off right guard in the first quarter.
Howard had more than 140 yards in receiving and also scored twice – on a 53-yard catch-and run in the first quarter and a 22-yard TD catch in the third quarter.
The two seniors were part of an Edgewater offensive attack that rolled up more than 500 total yards, giving the Eagles some extra confidence heading into the postseason. Edgewater beat a Boone team (5-5) that also heads to the playoffs as the Class 4M-District 5 champ.
“It gives us a little hype,” said Howard, whose leaping ability proved to be a match-up nightmare all night for the Braves. “It allows us to come back on Monday knowing that we really can play with the best of the best.”
A wild first quarter for both teams
Boone certainly showed some moxie in the early going, forcing Edgewater to turn the ball over on downs and giving it the short field at the Eagles’ 38-yard line.
Six plays later, Sam Johnson threw a nice 20-yard TD pass to Isaiah Mizell for a 7-0 lead with 7 minutes, 7 seconds left in the opening quarter.
But Edgewater showed why it is considered one of the best overall teams in Florida when Shields-Dutton shot off right guard and ran down the right sideline for an electrifying 80-yard TD run on the Eagles’ second play of the game.
It was one of multiple big plays for Edgewater, which got a 53-yard TD catch from Howard on the very first play of its next possession to take a 14-7 lead.
Boone countered with a three-play, 70-yard drive, culminating with a 9-yard TD run by Laggarius Marshell, to tie things at 14-14 with 1:27 left in the first quarter.
Edgewater defense steps up
It was all downhill for Boone, though, after Marshell’s score. The Eagles forced six punts and two turnovers, including a 23-yard pick-6 by Jaden Brown, the rest of the way to ice the win.
Cai Bates also snagged an interception for Edgewater.
“We played lights out in the second half,” Duke said. “We pitched a shutout. When you’re playing a really good team, you have to be good, defensively.”
Scary ending for Boone quarterback
Boone got a scare late in the game when Sam Johnson got hit hard on a blitz and laid on the turf for about 5 minutes. He was escorted off the field and sat on the bench afterwards.
Head coach Andy Johnson said Boone’s staff is not quite sure what happened to the Braves quarterback, but he did pay his respects to Edgewater.
“They’re a really good team,” Andy Johnson said. “They have a chance to win a state championship in 3 Metro.”
Looking ahead to the playoffs
Edgewater is expected to be the No. 1 seed for its region in the playoffs. Boone is expected to see a tough opponent in Class 4M, which features the likes of Lake Mary, Seminole, Apopka and more.
“We’re going to enjoy (the win against Boone),” Duke said. “We got to turn around and get ready. Everybody next week is 0-0 in the playoffs.”
For Boone, the playoffs figure to be a challenge. “It’s the playoffs, you’re going to play good teams,” Andy Johnson said. “We have a decent shot to host.”
