Spring Football Practice Is In Full Swing At Sunlake

Visit the Sunlake High School campus during spring football training and it's evident the players and coaches are serious about having a winning season in the fall.

They are returning a lot of veteran talent and leadership as well as maintaining a focused, and devoted coaching staff. They only lost two district games to Land O’ Lakes and Pasco last season and Pasco is out of the picture with district re-alignments. Sunlake could get up in the top three again this year but even if they go 1-9, it will all be worth it, just as long as they beat Land O’ Lakes.

There is no love lost between these bitter rivals.

“They’re already talking smack on Facebook saying we can’t beat them and it’s only May,” said soon-to-be senior Rashaud Daniels.

Land O’ Lakes has been the bully on the block for Sunlake ever since the program started in 2007; the bully that was older and pretty tough for its age.

The Gators devoured the Seahawks in the first contest in September of 2007, 26-0. The Gators came to Sunlake the next October and knocked them around in a 28-0 victory. The bully caught them coming home from school, the October after that and thumped them 42-14.

By the 2010-11 season the little seahawk was a little older, a little stronger and a whole lot tougher.

Last season, the Seahawks were riding a seven-game win streak when Land O’ Lakes cornered them in their own back yard. This time, the little seahawks hit back. Last year’s starting quarterback Jacob Jackson hit soon-to-be senior Jamal Jones for a 31-yard touchdown pass, setting up Sunlake with a 14-10 lead going into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Gators got back in front 17-14, but Sunlake came right back when Jackson scored on a quarterback draw that went for 60 yards. It was 21-17 Seahawks going into the fourth quarter and it looked like Sunlake might knock the Gators out of the playoffs, snapping a 13-year post season streak.

Yet, the bully was still a little too tough, he still had another trick the little seahawk hadn’t seen. The Gators' aerial attack got the go ahead score to make it 23-21 Gators but that should have been the final score, if it were any indication of how close the game was. The Gators got another quick score after a turnover on downs to make it 29-21. The Seahawks went down but they were finally fighting back.

Now they’re not so small anymore.

“I think we can improve on our performance last year and that we’ll be right in the thick of things for the district title,” said Head Coach Bill Browning.

The Seahawks are returning some key players that could make the difference down the stretch.

Rashaud Daniels is one of the first names that comes up. Rashaud is going into his senior season and is primed for a big year. Last season he put together 969 combined yards between rushing and receiving alone. Combine that with 16 combined touchdowns and 37 tackles from his defensive back position and you have a player with big potential in front of him.

And you never know where he might line up on the field.

“He (Daniels) could line up anywhere on the field, offensively,” said Browning.

Daniels probably won’t be lining up at right guard but his speed, power and most of all, versatility, make him a dangerous weapon.

They’ve just hit the practice fields. So it’s hard to get a gauge on a team this early in the year but things at least seem as though they’re headed in the right direction.

“We’re waiting to see which leaders emerge,” said Browning.

Daniels is ready to step into that role.

“I like the responsibility. I want to be a player the team depends on,” said Daniels.

Another player that must step into a leadership role for the Seahawks to be successful is first-year starting quarterback, Cameron Stoltz. Cameron is heading into his senior year and has some big shoes to fill after Jacob Jackson graduated last year. Jackson passed for over 1,200 yards and rushed for over a thousand. Stoltz is not likely to rush for close to a thousand yards but to be successful, he’ll have to throw for similar yardage.

“I don’t wanna take any step back from last year. I’m going to do my best to help the team to get where it needs to be,” said Stoltz.

Stoltz will have Josh Zifer, learning the plays and pushing for playing time but for now, it’s Stoltz’s team. He only threw nine passes last year so his development is tantamount to the team’s success.

The team’s leading tackler last year, Nick Morrison returns and will contribute on both sides of the ball from linebacker and tight end. He had five sacks last year and averaged just under 10 tackles per game. Morrison is out on the practice field but the team is being cautious with him, because he is still recovering from injury.

What might end up being a strength or the strength of the team is their receiving corps. Eddie Burgos and Jamal Jones return to join forces with Rashaun Daniels in the slot. Burgos will be a junior in the fall and Jones will be a senior. Jones and Burgos were second and third in receiving last year, combining for 35 receptions, 578 yards, and nine touchdowns. Each of them averaged over 16 yards per catch. Jones and Burgos are teammates on the track team, too. They are a tight unit.

“We really have come together. There’s a connection out there on the field. We’re always asking each other questions, always communicating,” said Burgos.

The Seahawks will have to address a couple positions that have been vacated after last season. Matt Sanders graduated and he was a big contributer on the offensive and defensive line. He had 42 tackles last year but perhaps the biggest loss will be his leadership at the position.

“He was one of our primary leaders,” said Coach Browning.

Browning is very confident that, “new leaders will emerge.”

When asked who some of those players might be, his reply was, “that’s up to them.”

Two starting linebackers will have to emerge as Craig King and Dominic Zonfrillo vacated spots. Their 64 combined tackles from last year will have to come from somewhere. Kyle Fraser will hopefully step up and grab one of those spots but who will play the third is completely up in the air. Stoltz might make a logical choice, as he played a bit of linebacker last year, piling up 16 tackles and 14 assists but now that he is the starting quarterback, he will probably be kept out of the defensive huddle for his own protection.

The defensive secondary should be a strong unit as it returns three of four starters from last year. Daniels, Burgos, and Jones all play in the defensive secondary. Burgos had four interceptions last year to go with his 26 tackles.

“Coacg Caroll’s got us working hard, we’re gonna bring it this year,” said Burgos.

Neither Sunlake or Land O’ Lakes could be considered young anymore. After a few years in class 3A, the re-alignment and school population increases, vaulted them both up to Class 6A. Not to worry, they are still in the same class as Jefferson. The Dragons were shot up to 6A as well, along with Armwood and Hillsborough. 6A schools have roughly between 1,500 and 1,900 students.

Size is no longer an issue between Sunlake and Land O' Lakes. The two will duke it out on relatively even terms, this October. 

And if that's the only game the Seahawks win, it will all have been worth it.

When asked how important it is to beat the Gators this year, Rashaud Daniels replied, "Oh my God, more than anything."

As the football season, this rivalry and the summer season heat up, make Land O ’Lakes Patch your source for Sunlake Seahawk football.