Mount Dora Christian beats Saint Stephen's for SSAA's 5A state title
Heading into Saturday afternoon's Sunshine State Athletic Association's (SSAA) Class 5A state championship tilt between Saint Stephen's Episcopal and Mount Dora Christian, the latter's defense knew the assignment.
Stop Falcons' quarterback Evan Brown and you've got a shot to win it all.
Not only did the Bulldogs do that, but they nearly pitched a shutout in the process. Mount Dora Christian (6-5) held Saint Stephen's Episcopal to just one score on a humid afternoon as they rolled to a 28-7 victory at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland.
Winning it all this time around became a sigh of relief for a Mount Dora Christian program that came so close to taking home a state crown in 2021. The Bulldogs just narrowly lost to Lake Highland Prep 14-13 that season and also reached the state championship in 2022, losing to the Highlanders 44-6.
This time around, the Bulldogs got to have the feeling of hoisting a state championship and they did it primarily on the heels of their defense. Mount Dora Christian faced the task of slowing down Brown, who entered the contest with 2,331 all-purpose yards and 28 touchdowns for Saint Stephen's (8-3).
Before the Falcons could ever really find their footing on offense, they were already facing a 21-0 deficit in the second quarter. Saint Stephen's lone touchdown would actually come on the offensive side of the ball as Brown and the Falcons never got materialized as turnovers became an issue.
By intermission, though both teams were somewhat even when it came to overall yardage (Mount Dora Christian 141, Saint Stephen's 103), the Bulldogs had a commanding 21-7 advantage. It was a lead they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the day.
The Bulldogs' defense ended up holding the Falcons to under 200 yards of offense on the afternoon, en route to the state crown. Saint Stephen's bid to make it two straight state championships were foiled by a stifling Mount Dora Christian defensive unit.
They say it's not how you start, but how you finish and that was the road to the title game for the Bulldogs. After starting off the season at 2-5, Mount Dora Christian won four straight games, including Saturday's championship victory. Wins along the way included Interlachen and Bishop Snyder, with a forfeit victory over Impact Christian Academy.
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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
