Horizon Wins 2nd Battle of the Groves - Big Night for HW Community

Horizon High Hawks Take Title, Whole Horizon West Community Wins

Breaking Down the Game

While the results of the game favored the Hawks, the Wolverines did not go down easy. Turnovers and penalties were the story of the scoreless first quarter. Then the Hawks turned it on in the second quarter, to get up to a 15-0 halftime lead. After the Hawks went up 22-0 about halfway through the third quarter, the Wolverines came barreling back. They made two quick touchdowns late in the third and early in the fourth to make the game interesting.

Senior running back Trei Ginn had a huge game for the Hawks with 172 yards rushing (199 total yards) and three touchdowns. He also returned two punts for a total of 54 yards. Sophomore running back Devon St. Clair would have a receiving touchdown as well. On the defensive side of the ball for the Hawks, Junior linebacker Bo Kenney and Senior linebacker Bo Wargel came up big. Kenney had five total tackles and 1.5 sacks, Wargel had eleven total tackles and 1.5 sacks. Wargel recovered a fumble late in the fourth quarter to help seal the deal for Horizon.

On the Windermere side, Sophomore quarterback Bryce Speed had a strong performance. He racked up 283 total yards (183 passing, 92 rushing, 8 receiving) and threw a 50-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. On the defensive side, Junior defensive end Anthony Rosier created two hurries and one sack.

Bringing the Community Together 

While there was plenty of action on the gridiron, this game provided a showcase for the Horizon West community at large. There were 3,900 local fans from both schools who packed Horizon Stadium. Students, parents, siblings and other local residents contributed to what is likely one of the largest public events in Horizon West history. 

One of the most striking moments happened when the cheerleaders from Horizon walked to the Windermere sidelines and joined them for a common cheer. It occurred to me that some of these students, particularly the juniors and seniors, attended Windermere High School together as freshman and sophomores. This moment was symbolic, in many ways, of the growth of the area. But at the same time, it was symbolic of the local culture that Horizon West already has. 

The marching bands kept the tempo going throughout the game. Both school bands performed at halftime. Prior to the game, students, and parents of Horizon seniors in the marching band, on the cheerleading squad and on the football, team shared a special moment at the fifty-yard line. Their names were announced, and photos were taken with the Horizon mascots and Principal Andrew Jackson. This is the first-ever senior class at Horizon High School!

The Future of the Battle of the Groves

After year two, the Horizon Hawks have a 2-0 record over the Windermere Wolverines. At the end of the game, Coach Dennis Thomas (Horizon) and Coach Riki Smith (Windermere) shared pleasantries and a few friendly words. Despite the loss, Coach Smith can bring stability to the Wolverines program. He plans to invest in the future of the Windermere program, bringing his expertise from his previous successes at Dr. Phillips. Coach Thomas has taken Horizon from a 2-8 inaugural season in 2021 to a 7-3 record in 2022. Horizon is likely to be a formidable program in Central Florida for years to come. Learn more about each of their programs in my recent Battle of the Groves preview article.

Rivalry Love & Horizon West Pride

The Horizon vs Windermere game seemed to fill the definition of OCPS's “rivalry love" —an initiative aimed at encouraging sportsmanship across all team sports. In this case, two crosstown schools, early in their programs' histories, brought the community out to cheer on their local heroes.

It will be fun to see how this dynamic translates to other sports and how it develops over the years to come. Witnessing it makes you proud to be a resident of Horizon West!

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