Springstead hopes 2015 proves to be the aberration, not the new normal. If the Eagles can continue with what they did the last three games of that season, this could go down as a rebound year.
Between 2012-13, Springstead pieced together one of the finest two-season runs in local history, going a combined 20-4 with a pair of district titles and the county’s first trip to the Elite Eight in 2013.
But the Eagles slipped to 6-4 in 2014, then got off to a 1-5 start a year ago before finishing out with three straight victories – averaging a double-take inducing 47 points per game.
So despite coming off just its second losing campaign since 2002, Springstead has reason to believe in its chances of bouncing back.
“I think the expectations are pretty high,” fourth-year Springstead head coach Mike Garofano said. “We finished the season pretty well, had a lot of weapons back on offense. Defensively, we’re a lot stronger.
“We have to bounce back. There’s no other way. There’s too much talent on the field, in the locker room for us not to win.”
It starts at quarterback, where senior Jordan Wright is in his third year as a starter. As a junior, he completed 55-of-112 passes for 863 yards, with eight touchdowns against two interceptions. He ran for an additional 116 yards and four scores.
Elsewhere in the backfield, the Eagles did lose two of their top three leading rushers, as Dominique Walker (670 rushing yards, seven total touchdowns) transferred to Central and T.J. Owens (409 rushing yards, 12 total touchdowns) landed at Nature Coast.
Back in the fold, though, is junior Randy Morgan, who ran for 465 yards and four touchdowns, and was the team’s leading receiver with 24 receptions for 308 yards and a pair of scores.
Sophomore Nathan Sims, who had impressive showings in the spring and preseason exhibitions, also figures to become a key contributor. Senior Demetrius Barry should be in the mix, as well.
Zack Meyer, a 6-foot-4 junior, will provide Wright with a big target down the field. Across the offensive front, junior Cory Fulkerson returns at center, along with the two tackles, senior Donovan Giles and junior Camden Richardson. Seniors Jacob Gagnon and Zack Lawrence are the new guards.
“We have 4-5 running backs, including the quarterback, who can take it the distance on any given play,” Garofano said. “We feel like as long as the line opens up holes and protects, we feel like the only ones who can stop us is ourselves.”
With former offensive coordinator Dustin Kupcik stepping aside from coaching and becoming the new athletic director, Garofano has taken over play-calling duties on offense. It’s a significant change for the headman, who has been in charge of the Springstead defense since 2003.
He’ll continue to at least share in the defensive calls with assistant Frank Hines, and the goal is to get that unit back to its suffocating tendencies after the Eagles permitted 234 points in 2015.
“Our defense was slightly disappointing last year,” Garofano said. “We had a lot of injuries. Our whole starting defensive line got hurt the first week and we didn’t see them again the rest of the year. Now defensive line is our position with the most depth. So we’ll have a lot of guys that can switch in and out and we won’t miss a beat.”
Lawrence was supposed to be the anchor of the defensive line last year, but an early knee injury severely limited his time on the field. Barry, who had 64 tackles and three interceptions his junior season, will be counted on to make plays at linebacker and safety, and junior outside linebacker Kevin Rivera (55 tackles) is a third-year starter.
Garofano also thinks the Eagles have solved some issues they had in the kicking game, with sophomore Joey McClure taking over as long snapper. Junior Parker Knight returns as the kicker.
In Class 6A, District 6, Springstead will once again battle Land O’ Lakes, Mitchell, Pasco and Sunlake.
“All of those teams are talented. They’re all well-coached,” Garofano said. “But I think we stack up well. We have just as much talent as anyone. It’s a just a matter of execution.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.