Windermere Prep's offseason growth is reflecting this season

Football is a long season. 

Over the course of 11 weeks, high school teams compete on Friday under the rays of Florida’s sun. As night falls, games are highlighted by the bright lights of the stadium, illuminating the players for fans. 

Each game is unique. Yes, the team knows the root of its playing style, but it has to prepare in different ways depending on the opponent. This is why Windermere Preparatory School’s head coach, James Hamilton, emphasizes mentally restarting for each game. 

Windermere Prep Lakers finished last season 2-7. They already eclipsed that win total and are sitting at 3-0 with five more games to go. At the root of the change is this year’s mentality and growing in the offseason.

PRIORITIZING GROWTH

During the summer, Windermere Prep’s football team might have had a break from school, but that didn’t mean a break from football. 

“Coach Ham completely just switched up how we were going to operate around here,” senior Peyton Hollern said. “It was mandatory to be here in the summer. He wanted us all in the weight room a lot.” 

Hollern said the team spent time running seven-on-seven work — especially with the incoming freshmen to get them involved and experienced with the team’s offensive style. It paid off, and Hollern has seen improvements in the amount of weight his teammates can push. 

This offseason felt different in Hollern’s eyes compared to the summers of his freshman and sophomore seasons.

“With coach Ham here in our junior and senior season, we’re more of a team and connected in the offseason,” Hollern said. “We were waking up at 7 a.m., getting to the school, getting working and making sure that we could be ready for this season.” 

It’s Hamilton’s second season as Windermere Prep’s head coach. He started at the school in 2021 as the offensive and defensive line assistant coach. Hamilton said he’s seen their struggles with success, but this year’s flip started during the summer. 

“For us to start off like this shows that the hard work that you put in and the extra work that you put in, shows up on the field, and I think they’re starting to believe in it and see it,” Hamilton said. “To be able to see these guys (who have) been here all four years, being able to see that is a real testament to what our coaches and I believe in.” 

After using the summer as a time of growth, the team focused its mindset back to each game and improving after each.

The Lakers won its last game against Faith Christian 22-8 Friday, Sept. 12. But they didn’t rejoice in the moment for too long. Hamilton said they took the night to celebrate, and the next day, they began focusing on their next competition: Bishop McLaughlin Catholic. 

“It starts on Mondays,” Hamilton said. “It’s just executing on offense and defense and just limiting the penalties. We control what we (can) control.”

During Monday practices, the team talks about winning the week 1-0. Hamilton said the mentality this year is “start fast and finish strong,” which is what they strive on doing each game. 

“These last few games, we haven’t started off as fast as we want to,” he said. “But we definitely have finished strong, and it all starts with a mentality. … No matter what’s thrown at us, we can overcome it.” 

Windermere Prep has a young team still trying to learn the ropes and culture. The Lakers have been in close games or losing at halftime but have finished strong, Hamilton said. He credited the upperclassmen for setting the tone and developing the younger guys to produce. 

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Hollern is one of eight seniors on Windermere Prep’s team. He has played all four years and is playing his best season, leading the team with four touchdowns and 298 rushing yards. Hamilton described him as the team’s “bell cow” because of his ability to play in any position. 

During his freshman and sophomore years, Hollern said he was “really nervous.” As an underclassman, he went into each game strictly to play, but this year it’s shifted. 

“My previous years have made me better,” Hollern said. “It’s just fun; I just enjoy being out there. There’s not really any nerves.” 

He credited his experience and the type of team Windermere Prep is to the shift. Hollern said the team this year truly enjoys playing together rather than as individuals as they did years back. They don’t worry about self achievements; it’s more about the final score. 

“As long as we win, we win as a team,” Hollern said. 

That’s the message Hamilton and the coaching staff share with the team. They push the players throughout the week to build up for the game-day moment. The team enters the field to play “Windermere Prep football.”

“We tell our guys to just stick to it and hold (one another) accountable — and everybody just do their job,” Hamilton said. “If we take care of our job and do what we’re supposed to do, it’ll come to us.” 

As a senior, Hollern can use his previous experience to help the younger players. 

“I don’t like to be on their backs and tell them exactly what to do, but if they come to me for help and anything, I’m glad to help any guy that asked for help on certain things, whatever they need,” he said. 

All eight seniors agree they want to shape and set the standard for Windermere Prep’s future. Hollern said they have seen when the program wasn’t successful compared to where it is now, and they are striving to continue it.

“We don’t want Windermere Prep to fall back to what it used to be like,” he said. “We want to make sure these ninth-graders and these upcoming seniors know that this is what we need to be in the future years of just a winning program, nothing below that.” 

Winning is contagious, but so is losing, and it’s challenging to get out of a losing streak. Hollern said the team won its spring game and since then the wins have piled up, which has brought them more supporters. 

“We have at least four kids last week (who) just joined the team,” Hollern said. “It was just nice to see some of those guys want to play now, actually want to join the team.”