Heading into the 2016 fall season, the Ocoee Knights varsity football team had high expectations and were expected, by most, to have a great chance at making the playoffs for the first time in modern school history. Those expectations looked like they were a bit of a stretch though after the first two games; as they were blown out by the Apopka Blue Darters 62-7 in their first game and lost a heartbreaker to the Lake Nona Lions 25-22 in the game’s final moments. While the Knights could have easily given up and become the same football team they had been in years past, they managed to use those losses as motivation heading into district play.

Ocoee would bounce back from their two-game losing streak with a 52-21 win over the Edgewater Eagles to get their first win of the season and start district play 1-0.

The Knights would follow up the win against Edgewater by going on the road the following week and dominating the East Ridge Knights; a team many expected them to lose to, some even thought Ocoee would get blown out by East Ridge. Ocoee proved those people wrong with their dominant 21-12 win to improve to 2-2 and their district record to 2-0, putting them in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs for the first time since 1969. The Knights toughest test was still yet to come, though, as they had to go on the road and face the undefeated, defending district champions, Hagerty Huskies.

In another game that many expected Ocoee to lose, the Knights defense dominated the usually dominant Hagerty offense en route to a 20-13 win; handing the Huskies their first loss of the season and in the process propelling themselves into first place in their district at 3-0 in district play with their third straight win.

In their next game, the Knights had to travel all the way up to Ocala to take on the West Port Wolf Pack, a team that was inconsistent, but very dangerous, when they were at their best. Given that the game was on the road and Ocoee was squaring off against a West Port team that was desperate and knew they needed to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive, it felt like this was going to be a tougher game than most expected for Ocoee.

After a rough first half, the Knights were able to bounce back in the second half and score 27 unanswered points to beat West Port 30-7, improving their overall record to 4-2 and district record to 4-0 and putting them one win away from doing something that hadn’t been done in 47 years at Ocoee High School.

The final roadblock for Ocoee would be in the form of the Lake Howell Silver Hawks. While the Silver Hawks were 5-1, their record looked like it was more of a result of beating teams that were nowhere near the level of competition the Knights had played. Would Ocoee prove that Lake Howell’s record was a fluke and win their first district title since 1969?

History. The Knights defense would force six turnovers en route to a 42-6 win over the Silver Hawks, winning their first district title in 47 years.