Team: Bishop Moore Hornets
Sunshine State 25 Preseason Ranking: No. 25
Head Coach: Matt Hedrick
2014 Record: 13-1
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Look Back On 2014
Bishop Moore was a lovely surprise in the Class 5A playoffs last season, making a run to their first state semifinal appearance since the Hornets won the Class A state championship in 1970. The Hornets which relied a lot on the ground game last year as well as passing cruised past some tough opponents before being defeated by eventual Class 5A State Champion, American Heritage (Plantation), by a score of 20-17.
Players To Watch
OL Parker Bouderaux, Sr.; QB Collin Hartman, Sr.; CB Rayshad Lewis, Sr.; WR/QB Nick Fries, Sr.; RB Joe Wallce, Jr.; DB/WR Robert Cheathem, Sr.; DB/WR Ben DeLuca, Sr.; DT Josh Keeler, Sr.; K/P Jake McIntrye, Sr.
Outlook
Bishop Moore will be looking to repeat the success it had in 2014 as it returns a solid amount of players that contributed to the run last year. However, all eyes will be on offensive lineman Parker Boudreaux who is one of the top offensive linemen in the 2016 class.
Boudreaux, who committed to Notre Dame in early July, will anchor the offensive line that has been known to be big over the years. The size of the line has helped control the tempo of the games under head coach Matt Hedrick who is all-time leader in wins at Bishop Moore.s
The Hornets hosted a three-team spring jamboree back in May that included Boone and Dr. Phillips. In the two split games with Boone and Dr. Phillips, Bishop Moore was able to defeat Boone 14-7 while The Hornets drew to a 14-14 tie against Dr. Phillips. Rising senior quarterback Collin Hartman, was able to connect up two touchdown passes between the two game from 18 and 30 yards out, while Rayshad Lewis was able to intercept a pass on Dr. Phillips returning it for 87 yards and a touchdown.
The District
The Hornets were placed in District 5A-13 in the recent reclassification by the FHSAA which includes Eustis, Poinicana, South Lake and Tavares as district opponents. Given that only one of those four teams outside of Bishop Moore reached the playoffs in 2014 (South Lake in Class 6A), there should be no reason to doubt that another district championship will come back home with the Hornets this season.
Three Games To Watch
Friday 8/28 vs. Edgewater – The Battle of Edgewater Drive is back again for the third consecutive season. The neighboring schools only separated by a few hundred feet on Edgewater Drive in Orlando, will kickoff the regular season for both programs. While Bishop Moore has won the first two meetings since renewing the rivalry. Edgewater is a team to keep an eye after reaching the Class 6A playoffs last year, nearly knocking off state semifinalist Mainland. A win here for the Hornets should set the tone for the rest of the season.
Friday 10/2 at South Lake – A trip west on Highway 50 for the Hornets will take them to Groveland where they will take on the Eagles in what could likely decided the district championship early. South Lake which drops from Class 6A to Class 5A this year has shown over the last couple of years that they can compete. Depending on which South Lake team shows up, this could make or break the chances for the Hornets to repeat as district champions.
Fri 10/23 at Bartow – Bartow which reached the Class 7A playoffs last year has a new head coach this season, but that can not be automatic as a possible win by the Hornets. Bartow will be a team tested early through the season as it faces Osceola (Kissimmee) and Lakeland early. If Bartow is on winning path by the time game rolls around, this game could certainly provide an extra test for the Hornets before the playoffs start three weeks later.
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