THY WILL BE DONE: CFCA ready to host Boca Raton Christian

The Central Florida Christian Academy football team has returned to the basics this season, and coaches hope to spend more one-on-one time with players. 

“Our goal this year is to set a foundation, with this group being the first stones laid,” head football coach Kevin Blackman said. “We really want to emphasize to our kids that the game is beyond football. We are a Christian football team, and we need to live and work toward that. So that’s our No. 1. No. 2 is teaching the game, (because) everybody is so young. We have a lot of kids (who) had never suited up for high school until two weeks ago.” 

Before every practice and every game, the Eagles huddle and recite the Lord’s Prayer to get them started and guide them on the field. 

“We don’t start practice without it; we don’t end practice without it; we don’t start a game without it,” Blackman said. “We have to do that before anything we do. So, I’d say the Lord’s Prayer has become our team prayer, and if I forget, the players make sure we do it.” 

And, even though the Eagles are used to having a small roster, this year, the word small is an understatement. The team began with 21 players in the roster, but only two weeks in, that number has shrunk to 17 because of injuries.

“We always preach it’s the best 11 on the field,” Blackman said. “For us, it really is the best 11 out there, but for us, our best 11 guys are going both ways. It’s tough at a smaller school, but we are used to it.” 

This year is junior Dominic McCrory’s first season with the Eagles, but he fills several critical roles — quarterback, tight end, linebacker and punter.

“I feel like (in the linebacker) position, I’m more in control, and I can dictate … how I want things to happen on the field,” he said. “Tight end, I’ve been playing (that position) since last year, and (this year) my coach called me up and asked, ‘Have you ever played quarterback?’ Because we were short. … So since that day, I’ve just been playing quarterback trying to do my best out there. … With punter, I was at practice and then coach asked me if I’d ever kicked before.”

On the field, CFCA has a set rotation for players on both sides of the ball. The linebackers, offensive and defensive linemen, and the defensive backs, corners and safeties usually are aware of where they will play during a game. However, that may change. 

“They may switch depending on what the need is in that game, but for the most part, they are set in stone,” Blackman said. “Offensively is where we get more of the rotation to give guys a break. I have two running backs, so one of them starts at linebacker on defense, the other one starts at nickel. So, whichever one is tired is the one that’s off. As far as wide receivers go, they get more of a break because we don’t pass as much, they are not needed in every play.”

And moving into their game against Boca Raton Christian, the Eagles are excited to show what they can do. 

“We definitely are hungry; we want it,” McCrory said. “It’s just a matter of how we get there. Our culture is alive and moving, and we are learning.”