The 2022 OCP Football schedule has been released and students, parents, alumni and fans can start looking forward to an exciting schedule in the first year of the new FHSAA Metro-Suburban classification.

This past spring, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) agreed to reclassify all schools primarily into two main divisions based on county population - metro and suburban - and then secondarily into four classifications based on school enrollment. Previously, schools were grouped into several classifications based solely on their school enrollment. The FHSAA maintained a ninth classification for 1A schools in rural areas.

The "Metro" division is made up of schools in the eight largest counties within the state of Florida, Orange, Seminole, Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade. There are four classifications within this division, 1M - 4M. 

OCP will participate in Class 1M, Region 1, District 2. Within this district, the Warriors will compete against First Academy (Orlando), Foundation Academy (Winter Garden), Orangewood Christian (Maitland), and Trinity Preparatory School (Winter Park).

Teams will play each other once to determine the district champion. The district 2 champion, along with the other district champion in Region 1 will advance to the state playoff along with two at-large teams from the region. At-large bid will be based on rankings via MaxPreps.com. 

Reactions to the reclassification are mixed throughout the state in counties and classifications alike as opportunities to compete against every team in the state will be. OCP Athletic Director/Coach Treig Burke doesn't see the change having a significant impact on the football program.

"I don't think it effects OCP as much because of the private school sector and so it doesn't really affect the suburban and metro (classifications)," said Burke. "We try to stay in that same line."

Head coach Guerschom Demosthenes sees the change as challenging, but the familiarity puts the team and program in a good place to compete for a championship.

"I have mixed emotions. I think all the teams we play, we’ve already played in the playoffs. But getting there and getting to the state championships is gonna be a little more difficult." Demosthenes added, "it’ll teach us that it’s the kind of challenges you have to face as a football team."

"I think we got a great staff, a great program, (and) I think we’ll be in a good position to compete... the reclassification really doesn’t hurt us, but we’ll have to go out there and be a really good football team with coaches on that night.”

The Year of Faith

The Warriors will play 3 home games during the 2022 season at Warrior Field on the Orlando Christian Prep campus. The preseason kickoff classic will travel to Wellington, Florida on August 19 against Class 4M Wellington High School for a 6:30 pm kickoff. The Wolverines had a 7-4 record in class 8A last year and ended their season with a 42-7 loss to Boone.

The regular season will open at home on August 26 against 1R Wildwood High School. OCP was scheduled to open the regular season at Wildwood last year, but the game was postponed to mid-October. The Warriors won the contest 15-6 in ugly weather and field conditions.

On September 2, OCP will begin the first of two Fridays on the road. First, they will travel to Bradenton to play IMG Academy White, kickoff at 7pm. OCP last played IMG Academy White in 2019 at home to a 32-27 victory. 

Then, the Warriors play their first district opponent at Orangewood Christian Rams on September 9. OCP last played the Rams to open the 2020 season with a 23-0 victory. Kickoffs is set for 7pm. Orangewood was 5-6 in 2021, losing in the opening round of the playoffs to Holy Trinity 37-29.

September 16 will be the second of two regular season home games as the 1R Hawthorne Hornets travel to Orlando for a 7pm game start. OCP traveled to Hawthorne in the 2021 Kickoff Classic. The Hornets won the contest 28-10 and the next 10 games (regular/playoff) played as they went unbeaten until they lost in the 1A state championship game 13-12.

The Warriors will turn to the road for the next five games over six weeks starting on September 23 against district opponent Foundation Academy in Winter Garden at 7pm. The Lions were 7-4 last year and ended their season with a 24-7 loss to Victory Christian Academy 24-7 in the opening round of the 2A FHSAA playoffs. OCP has not played Foundation since 2012.

Another district opponent awaits on September 30 in The First Academy (Orlando) at 7pm. OCP played TFA last season in a 14-7 victory to kickoff a 10-game winning streak. The Royals went 8-3 last year in class 3A, losing 55-24 to (Palm Beach Gardens) Benjamin HS in the second round of the state playoffs.

Following a bye week on October 7, OCP will play at (Orlando) 2M Bishop Moore Catholic HS in the first meeting between the two programs on October 14 at 7pm. The Hornets went 5-7 in Class 5A last year losing their final game of the season 28-14 in the second round of the 5A playoffs. On October 21 OCP will match up against FIHSAA 4x state champion West Oaks Academy Flame. Last year, the Warriors defeated the 6-6 Flame 43-12.

The last district game of the season is a road game against Trinity Prep in Winter Park. Last year, OCP defeated the 1-8 Saints 55-3.

The Warriors conclude the regular season at home against (St. Petersburg) 1M Northside Christian at 7pm. The Mustangs were 7-3 last season in Class 2A. as they concluded their season losing 51-28 in the 2nd round of the state playoffs playoffs.

Bold: Home Games   *District Opponent

SPRING FOOTBALL UPDATE

OCP will participate in a 3-team Jamboree on Friday May 20 with Freedom (Orlando) high school and St. Cloud high school following a few weeks of practices in May. The jamboree is scheduled to start at 7pm.

Follow the Warriors on Twitter (@OCPFB) and on OCPAthletics.com.