It has become something of a rallying cry for Weeki Wachee head coach Mark Lee over the Hornets’ first four varsity seasons on the gridiron: moral victories just aren’t enough.
As Lee and his coaching staff have worked to build a football program from scratch, they have craved a corner-turning campaign in which the Hornets shed their fledgling ways and become a force on the North Suncoast.
Last year’s 4-6 mark ranks as Weeki Wachee’s finest to date, a fact Lee would very much like to change as his squad embarks on the 2016 schedule. The Hornets are at Fivay next Friday at 7 p.m. for a preseason classic.
“I’ve got big expectations. The coaching staff has big expectations,” Lee said. “The kids just have to have those same kind of expectations and realize the kind of work that goes into reaching those expectations.
“We made progress last year. The record was 4-6 but it very easily could have been better. The biggest thing is we’ve got to get better at defense and I do like the way the defense is playing. They’re making progress every day, which I like to see. They’re flying around and hitting people, which we haven’t done the last couple of years.”
The Hornets’ defensive woes are impossible to ignore, particularly against the run. A spring classic versus Wesley Chapel offered no encouraging signs, as the Wildcats rushed for 542 yards and eight touchdowns in a 54-20 victory.
Ryan Wilson, a veteran assistant at Nature Coast before shifting to Weeki Wachee the past two seasons, has taken over as defensive coordinator, and Lee feels the players are buying into the system.
“The guys know their assignments now and they’re active. They’re using their hands and tackling. It’s knowing their positions,” Lee said. “That’s something we’ve struggled with in the past and we’re going in the right direction.
“We’ve got to stop the run. It doesn’t matter who we play. If we can’t stop the run, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”
Lee pointed to a solid secondary featuring senior cornerbacks Montae Bostick and Eli Mendoza, as well as talented sophomore free safety Sebastian Class. Mendoza paced the team last season with three interceptions and 15 passes defensed.
Pennsylvania transfer Shane Davidson figures to boost the defensive line, along with returning senior Dalton Tolbert.
Offense is where the Hornets have established their identity, employing an effective passing attack that’s rare in an area chuck full of power running games, though a reflection of Lee’s quarterback background.
The man under center is senior Alec Cromie, entering his third season as a starter. Over the past two years, he’s thrown for a combined 3,386 yards and 29 touchdowns. As a junior, he completed 114-of-225 passes (50.7 percent), with 19 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
He’ll have some weapons to work with, including Bostick (team-high 706 rushing yards, five touchdowns), and what Lee anticipates will be a solid group of receivers in juniors Shaun Young and Diante Thomas, seniors Bobby Koebler and Trevor Hamilothoris, plus Illinois transfer Amar Walker.
Still, the Hornets will have to make up for the significant loss of Shawn O’Gorman, who totaled 1,760 all-purpose yards, including a team-best of 714 receiving yards on 43 receptions, and 12 touchdowns. Class is being asked to fill that role.
“We’ll miss Shawn, but to put that on Sebastian, Shawn was a great player. I think Sebastian can be,” Lee said. “He can do a lot of things like Shawn as far as catching the ball and running the ball.”
The performance on that side of the ball, however, will come down to how well the offensive line comes together, Lee said. The Hornets will likely need a productive offense to compete in Class 5A, District 7.
Nature Coast dominated the district last year and reached the Elite Eight. But the Sharks must somehow make up for the graduation of the nation’s leading rusher and scorer, DeShawn Smith. County rivals Hernando and Central, plus the Citrus County trio of Citrus, Crystal River and Lecanto comprise the rest of 5A-7.
“I think it’s a pretty even district. You’ve just got to get the Sharks off the top,” Lee said. “I don’t think we’re the doormats. I think we’ve gained a little bit of respect. We’ve just got to gain more respect.”
Weeki Wachee must overcome a lack of depth while correcting its issues against the run and breaking a habit of turning the ball over inside the 20-yard line, Lee said.
“We’ve got to have a winning record,” Lee said. “If we get a winning record and have a shot at the playoffs, then that’s a successful season.
“For me and the rest of the team, moral victories don’t mean too much. We need to find a way to get that done and get the school’s first winning record, and hopefully be in a position to be in the playoffs.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.