HUDSON – Second-year Fivay High set the bar for its future last season, when the football team advanced to the postseason for the first time in program history.
Now, the Falcons are hungry for more.
“If we make progress and improve on the things that hurt us last year, we can win the district and revenge our losses,” said junior ATH Willis Reeves. “We earned our respect last year so we know teams are coming at us out of the gate…but we’re ready.”
Reeves, who transferred from Tampa’s Freedom High after his freshman year, said the Falcons’ postseason run was remarkable. He added the loss to North Marion High in the first round stung, but it was a learning experience for everyone.
“It was just a crazy feeling because I’ve been to the playoffs before with Freedom as a freshman starter, but this time was better cause the bond the team had with each other and our community being at all our games to show support and start the tradition coach (Chris) Taylor always talks about,” Reeves said. “The tears and smiles on our fans, players and coaches faces after the Zephyrhills game coming back from down nine in the fourth with maybe three minutes left to win and make the playoffs was something me or anybody there will never forget.”
With the postseason appearance in just the program’s second year of existance, Reeves knows a target will be painted on its back, but said that’s just part of the process in building a winning tradition and he’s working to make sure his squad is ready.
“I’m just working hard in the weight room doing stuff on my own to get better and just doing what my coaches ask me to do,” Reeves said. He then added, “I’m also helping out the underclassmen by giving them advice on the field and in the classroom. (I’m) trying to do everything I can to be a good leader going into this upcoming season.”
While the team looks forward to the 2012 season as spring workouts get in gear, it also looks to a fellow member of the athletic department, Justin Kunick.
Kunick, the second-year head baseball coach for the Falcons, passed away from cancer late last week. Reeves said the loss of Kunick stunned the Fivay family and added Kunick’s motto of “Rise Above” is something himself and fellow teammates will be living by.
“It was a hard loss for the school as a whole, because he was a popular teacher and coach and just a member of the Falcon family,” Reeves said. “He’ll be greatly missed. All the sports teams just dedicating our season keeping him in our memories to ‘Rise Above’ everything we face.”
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