On Thursday, the Weeki Wachee Hornets traveled to Clearwater to face off against Calvary Christian High School in a spring jamboree, falling by a commanding 44-0 margin. Despite the score, Weeki Wachee Football Head Coach Justin Bland said the result does not tell the full story of this team, citing youth, injuries, and potential as factors that paint a broader picture of what the team has endured and what it could be.
The Hornets, led by Bland in his third season, are breaking in a new starting quarterback after senior Richard Hanshaw graduated following a strong 7-4 season and a postseason appearance. The new starter, a sophomore, tore his ACL, and in his absence, freshman quarterback Joseph Metz performed admirably. Bland expressed optimism about the team’s progress, noting that many young players stepped up into important roles for the first time and started to grow up. He also highlighted the potential in the trenches on both sides of the ball, citing buy-in from the team as a key factor.
The Weeki Wachee Hornets will look to build on this experience as they prepare for the fall season. Bland emphasized that the score is not reflective of what kind of team they will be in the fall, saying, “Tonight’s score definitely isn’t a reflection of what kind of team we will be in the fall. We had a lot of young guys step up in important roles for the first time, and they definitely started to grow up. Freshman quarterback Joseph Metz stepped up to fill a role that was left due to graduation and our sophomore quarterback tearing an ACL.”
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
