4 minute read

SPORTS

from 07.01.21 Local Motion

by Orange Observer

from 07.01.21 Local Motion, page 44

FOOD

Fields of Dreams

Rejoice, sports fans: West Orange and Southwest Orange residents have plenty of teams to support — and action to enjoy.

If you’re a sports fan, then the good news is you have stumbled into a goldmine of incredible programs filled with even better talent.

Florida is known for producing some of the best athletes in the country, and Orange County is most assuredly one of the hotbeds. West Orange is home to 12 high schools — including the brand-new Horizon High and Lake Buena Vista High — and each not only offers incredible talent in athletics but also provides a way for the communities to establish their identities.

In the West Orange area, West Orange High, Ocoee High, Legacy Charter, Foundation and CFCA have put out a ton of talent and have won championships to boot.

Obviously, football is king in Florida, and the West Orange/ Ocoee game, also known as “The Shield Game,” is easily one of the best rivalries in the land. While you’re at it, enjoy the bands — they’re two of the best.

Not to be overshadowed by football, the area has grown in other sports, including basketball (the CFCA boys won their first title just two years ago) and softball; the West Orange Warriors have two titles to their name.

In the Horizon West and Southwest Orange communities, there are power schools, including Dr. Phillips, Olympia, The First Academy, Windermere and Windermere Prep — all of which have found tremendous success in athletics.

At Dr. Phillips — which sits across the street from Universal Studios — winning has become a habit. The school boasts numerous state titles in a variety of sports — including football, which has produced serious NFL talent — but its girls wrestling program is a dynasty with five consecutive state titles. The school’s football program has big rivalry with West Orange in the battle for the “Ole Orange Crate.”

The school also has a strong presence in baseball, water polo and basketball — the latter of which won its first state title earlier in March.

On the baseball diamond, fewer schools produce quite like Olympia and TFA. The Olympia Titans have a consistent history of producing MLB-level talent, while TFA recently won its first state title. TFA also maintains incredible showings out on the greens — winning state titles — and Olympia’s water polo programs (boys and girls) are among the best in the state.

One of the newest — and probably fiercest — rivalries in the area is between Windermere High and West Orange. Windermere was built as a relief school for West Orange and opened in 2017, and ever since then the rivalry between the two has turned every matchup — regardless of sport — into much-watched entertainment.

COMMUNITY SPORTS Outside of the high school sports realm lies a bevy of youth sports and even some pro sports.

Just about every big community offers up Little League baseball — including Winter Garden LL, Dr. Phillips LL and Windermere LL — or Babe Ruth (Ocoee), and the kids have fun while also growing in the game. Meanwhile, the West Orange Girls Club — part of the Babe Ruth League — offers girls a place to learn and develop in the game of softball.

Although those leagues take to the field during different times of the year, the Winter Garden Squeeze baseball team revs up its summer season as a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Comprising some of the top in-state and out-of-state talent, the Squeeze offers a place for collegiate players looking to hone their skills in one of the few leagues that still managed a season during the COVID-riddled 2020.

— TROY HERRING

The area offers some incredible courses to try, including Forest Lake Golf Club, West Orange Country Club, Metrowest Golf Club, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge and Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge.

It’s at Bay Hill that the biggest major sporting event — the Arnold Palmer Invitational — occurs. Every March, some of the PGA’s best players play the course that was owned and operated by the legendary Palmer.

Bay Hill Club & Lodge 9000 Bay Hill Blvd., Orlando Website: bayhill.com Phone: 1-888-422-9445

Forest Lake Golf Club 10521 Clarcona Ocoee Road, Apopka Website: forestlakegolf.com Phone: (407) 654-4653

Golden Bear Club 6300 Jack Nicklaus Parkway, Windermere Website: thegoldenbearclub.com Phone: (407) 876-5775 MetroWest Country Club 2100 S. Hiawassee Road Website: metrowestgolf.com Phone: (407) 299-1099