Sam’s 2025 spring football stops: Central Florida Christian Eagles

The fourth and final week of the 2025 spring high school football session is here, and West Orange and Southwest Orange teams have squeezed every ounce they could out of their allotted spring practices, scrimmages and exhibition games as they now await the start of fall camp.

This week, we dive into the area’s top 2024 team, the Dr. Phillips Panthers; update readers on the massive changes at the area’s only postseason trophy-winning team, the Legacy Eagles; and discuss one of the top candidates for this season’s breakout team, the Central Florida Christian Academy Eagles.

Central Florida Christian Eagles

2024 record: 3-6

Coach: Kevin Blackman, third season

Key returners, additions: QB Mason Mathis, QB Gavin Pritzkau, ATH Davy Murphy, OL/DL Teagen NAME, OL/DL Cole Harbin, ATH Jace NAME and ATH Nyshaun Dyer

After a winless first season in charge of the CFCA Eagles, Kevin Blackman and his staff showed the ability to grow and develop their players and program in year two by winning three games in 2024. 

This upcoming season, however, will be more than just another step in the right direction for Blackman’s program. Based on what I saw during my time with the Eagles this spring and what their coaches are expressing, the expectation for 2025 is that this ball club will take a massive leap. 

No. 1: Athletes on the outside
If you ask Blackman about his collection of playmakers on the perimeter, on either side of the ball, the word optimistic is an understatement. He flat-out thinks his group can be compared to any other team in all of Orlando, not just in the area. Based on what I saw this spring, CFCA’s collection of receivers, running backs, corners and safeties is impressive and, most important, a significant improvement from last season.

“I could argue that we have the best core of skill group players in Orlando,” he said. “I know that’s a lot to say, but at every position we have a playmaker. Davy Murphy, who had a breakout season for us last year as our top receiver, is not only back but has grown tremendously both mentally and physically. Deshaun Jones, who was big at the end of last season for us is back — I think he scored in each of the last three games and against Cornerstone had 140 yards or so receiving. Nyshaun Dyer, our leader on defense last year as an eighth-grader, is back and better and will be a factor on offense, as well. All those guys are coming back, and now we’re adding Jase (Gibson), who is a rising freshman. He might be the most dynamic player on the field for us. … I believe he has all the tools to be special and we have the quarterbacks to get him the ball in space. When that happens, I don’t think anybody’s going to touch him.”

No. 2: QB battle is neck-in-neck
After last season, it seemed rising junior Mason Mathis would have locked up the Eagles’ starting quarterback position entering the spring, but with rising eighth-grader Gavin Pritzkau joining the team, the competition for CFCA’s QB1 is as tight as could be. 

When asked if he has named a starter before the Eagles’ spring game against Cornerstone Charter, this was Blackman’s response: “Honestly, no,” he said. “I will say Mason in the fall was almost our everything on offense, and he did everything right on the field, everything we asked him to do. But then we were blessed with adding Gavin, who wants to come here and also play. It’s never a bad thing having competition at any position, but especially at that position, right? My philosophy is: The best man is always going to play. … That’s what iron sharpening iron looks like, and that’s my mentality at QB, too. … Honestly, they’re both killing it right now, which is good for our team, but as a coach, it’s making this decision very, very hard. A lot of sleepless nights for us, because both of the guys are doing exactly what we’re asking them to do.”

No. 3: Championship expectations
“We now have championship expectations,” Blackman said. “I know that’s big coming from two seasons ago, where we didn’t win a game and last year, when we won three. But … what I see every day is these guys are putting in the work. I wouldn’t set these expectations if we didn’t deserve it, but we have guys filling up the weight room during the offseason. We have guys locked in on watching film. … Everybody’s locked in and moving in the same direction. We feel like a ship, where we’re all paddling together in the same direction, and I feel like we can be competing for a championship, as long as we continue to go the way that we’re going. As long as we come into the fall with the same mindset as we do now, we’ll be fine.”