At this point, Alec Cromie feels like a permanent fixture at the quarterback position for Weeki Wachee.
He has spent the past two seasons under center for the Hornets, providing head coach Mark Lee the type of classic signal caller required to properly execute his pass-heavy offense.
But this is high school football, where there’s a very finite amount of time to etch even the most enduring of legacies. For the senior Cromie, that small window will slam shut in the coming months.
“This year is definitely a big year for me,” Cromie said. “I feel like there’s a lot of big things coming for me. I never wanted it more than now. Being my senior year, I need to go out with a bang. I’m doing whatever I can to help the team and leave a legacy behind.”
If Cromie doesn’t play another snap, he’ll already go down as one of the most prolific passers ever in a county long dominated by run-based, option offenses. He’s already thrown for more career yards (3,386) than any local ever has, and is tied for the record for most career passing touchdowns (29), according to Hernandosport.com.
Last year, he was 114-of-225 for 50.7 percent with 2,040 yards and 19 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
“He’s a great quarterback, a great leader, and he’s done a hell of a job for us so far,” Lee said. “He has got to keep getting better and lead us as far as we want to go.”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Cromie has been an ideal fit with Lee, himself a former quarterback with an old-school mentality about the position. It has become an inside joke within the program that Cromie and Lee have a father-son type of relationship.
That doesn’t mean Lee takes it easy on his quarterback; far from it. There are plenty of moments of tough love throughout their interactions, and Lee doesn’t mince words on his expectations.
“He better be damn good,” Lee said. “With Alec, we’ve got a great relationship where he knows what I want from him and I’m not going to accept anything less than the best from him.
“He’s a very coachable kid. He doesn’t take anything personally. He knows I’m trying to make him better. He does a great job of handling the criticism and the pressure.”
Cromie certainly seems to have plenty of self-motivation, as well. He’ll have enough credits to graduate in December, and plans to get a jump on joining whichever college program provides the best opportunity.
Meanwhile, he spent this summer working three times a week with trainer John Kaleo, who runs a quarterback academy out of Tampa. Kaleo made adjustments to Cromie’s throwing motion, and worked on getting him to deliver the ball in tighter spaces.
“A lot of it has to do with playing quicker, but also being a leader,” Cromie said. “I’ve learned over the last few years that playing quarterback comes with a leadership role.
“I feel like I’m at the top of my game. I feel like I know the offense inside and out. I’m more comfortable with the play-calling and being able to audible. I’m way better at reading the defense, getting the ball where it needs to be and knowing where to put the ball before we start the play.”
One thing Cromie said he’s focused on is leading by example. However, it was Cromie who stood up and addressed the team in the postgame huddle following a humbling 54-20 loss to Wesley Chapel in the spring. He also speaks with defensive teammates, lending them perspective on how an opposing offense might attack.
“He’s worked hard at getting better,” Lee said. “We talk constantly about ways to get better and he works on that. He doesn’t settle for second best.
“A lot of things reflect back to the quarterback, whether you win or lose. You win and you get all kinds of credit, even if you play horrible. Lose and people don’t care how great you played, nothing matters. He knows what needs to be done. He has done a good job of getting guys’ attention.”
He’d like to bring some positive attention to the Hornets, who have yet to muster a winning record in four varsity campaigns. Last year’s 4-6 mark ranks as the finest in school history.
Though Cromie no longer has his primary target of past seasons, versatile running back Shawn O’Gorman, he feels there’s enough talent across the skill positions to allow him to spread the ball around.
His goals include completing 65 percent of his passes along with 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Perhaps more importantly, he wants to lift Weeki Wachee to the top of the county and district, into postseason play for the first time. The Hornets and Cromie clearly hunger for that level of success.
“I guess you can say we’re starving,” Cromie said. “We want it bad. Us working as hard as we have all offseason, we want to come out and show the things we’ve worked for. We want to showcase everything we’ve done.
“Everyone has doubts about Weeki Wachee. It’s time for us to show that Weeki Wachee is a force to be reckoned with.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.