WINDERMERE Windermere Prep coach Jacob Doss likes to joke that his team has traveled more than the Denver Broncos, a professional football team in the NFL, the first three weeks of the season. 

With the estimated, round-trip travels of the Lakers (3-0) weighing in at nearly 2,200 miles, he might be on to something.

“We knew that those three games were asking a lot of our kids,” Doss said, praising the way the team behaved particularly during the trip to Houston for a game against The Village School. 

Fortunately, it worked out with three dominating wins to start the season for Windermere Prep. Particularly on defense, the Lakers have allowed just 21 points over their first three games — good for an average of seven points per game on the road.

“The boys are playing at an extremely high level right now — I’m very, very pleased with how our defense has come together,” Doss said. “These guys take offense to any time someone scores or moves the ball.”

Most recently, in the shortest trip of the three, the Lakers dominated Orangewood Christian (0-2), 42-0, Sept. 9.

During that contest, Doss praised the defense’s bend-but-don’t-break nature and also the continued growth of transfer quarterback Kai Patterson. Patterson, a sophomore, passed for two touchdowns and 130 yards while rushing for a third touchdown.

While the bonding and growth in maturity that occurred over the Lakers’ road-swing to start the season may prove to be invaluable, Doss said it is nice to be returning home Sept. 16 for a 4 p.m. contest against Lake Mary Prep.

“We are so excited to finally play in our own zip code,” Doss said. “They’re just itching to play at home.”