FULL CIRCLE
Four new head coaches lead Orlando area teams they played for
Four of the new head coaches entering the Orlando area high school football scene this fall are directing the teams they played for. The new faces at Cypress Creek, Deltona, Seminole and Umatilla are driven by a unique allegiance to their school and the opportunity to prove their leadership. They up the number of Orlando area head coaches serving their high school alma mater to 10. That list includes Scott Perry, entering his 19th season at Lake Mary, and Rodney Wells, in Year 13 at Dr. Phillips; along with Kissimmee Osceola’s third-year Eric Pinellas. Skip Clayton at Lake Brantley, Geno Thompson at West Orange, and Eric Poyner at Pine Ridge are second-year head coaches.
Official practices begin Monday but these coaches, alongside others, have been putting in the work over the hot summer months.
Karl Calhoun Jr.
At age 28, Calhoun accepted the head post at Seminole High of Sanford, one of the top football programs in the state. He graduated from the school in 2013.
“I had aspirations of doing this, but I didn’t think it would happen so early,” Calhoun told the Sentinel. “I’m ready for the challenge. I’m just very fortunate to be in this position.”
He takes over for Eric Lodge, who went 32-5 in three seasons, including a 12-0 Class 8A state championship season in 2020, before he left for a higher-paying head coach position in South Carolina last spring. Lodge followed Don Stark, who departed for a more lucrative Georgia coaching job after compiling a 40-6 record in four seasons (2016-19).
Seminole also won a state title in 2008 under Mike Cullison.
Calhoun played on varsity his junior and senior years, racking up 104 tackles at linebacker.
“Playing at Seminole, the feeling of wearing orange and black is just so thorough,” he said. “To come back and coach some of the same kids that remind you of yourself is something I can’t describe.”
Calhoun played for Virginia Union University and tallied 171 tackles in 38 games.
“I think playing at the next level is a feeling and standard that needs to be upheld,” Calhoun said. “It is my job to get the kids to understand the academics, wake up every day with a goal they have to do, go to practice and workouts, eat right, go to meetings. It is easy for me to tell the guys what they need to do to get there since I’ve been there. It’s been really beneficial to them, and they are buying in.”
He added: “We currently have 18 guys with at least one [college] offer. One is committed to Duke [senior Preston Watson], another has 30 offers [ junior Ethan Pritchard].”
Calhoun began his coaching career in 2018 as an assistant at Huguenot High in Richmond, Virginia. He returned to Seminole in 2021, serving as the defensive coordinator under Lodge the past two seasons.
He is familiar with the program’s success, unafraid of the challenge to maintain it.
“I think my job is to show the kids that the standard is the standard,” Calhoun said. “We’re still Seminole year in and year out, and you have to keep the same edge and mentality that you’ve had. Whether I am a first year head coach or 10 year head coach, it needs to be the same standard and same attitude going forward.”
Yet Calhoun is eager to make his mark. “We’ve got tricks for some guys this year, some special things,” he added.
The Seminoles host a Kickoff Classic preseason game, Aug. 18 against Edgewater.
After 17 years as someone’s second-incommand, former Cypress Creek coach Raul Gomez is the Bears’ new head coach.
“Very honored and excited,” said Gomez in a social media post. “For those who know me personally know how much I wanted this to happen. Finally going back home to where it all started.”
Gomez is the program’s fifth coach in seven seasons but Cypress Creek finally gained some momentum last year. The Bears went 7-3, counting a forfeit win vs. Lake Nona — joining 2004 (6-5) as their second winning season in 31 years of football.
“We’re going to compete, not just in the playoffs but at states,” he told the Orlando Sentinel. “People think it’s crazy, but I think there is talent in Cypress to do it.”
The 2002 graduate played on the Bears’ offensive and defensive lines and
earned a scholarship to Morehead State.
Football brought Gomez back to Florida. He began his coaching career as a Cypress Creek assistant (2006-2008) before transitioning to Ocoee (20092010), Olympia (2011-2012), Celebration (2013-2015), and Lyman (2016-2020). He was a head coach at Feltrim Academy of Haines City in 2021 before serving as the offensive coordinator at West Orange last season.
No matter where he went, Gomez kept his sights on Cypress Creek.
“It’s been my only dream job that I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’ve been everywhere, but this is where I wanted to be. I applied and interviewed four or five times.”
Gomez plans to put an end to the program’s high coaching turnover.
“I’m not going anywhere else,” he affirmed. “I told the principal that I am going to outlast everyone. There is no other job that one could offer me. This is the only place I want to be.”
The Bears ‘preseason game is at Lake Howell on Aug. 18.
Umatilla’s 2009 Homecoming King made his homecoming.
Samuels takes over for Charlie Cerney as head coach, bringing SEC and professional experience to a program that has mostly struggled since its banner 2002 and 2003 district championship teams made playoff runs.
“Coming back to my alma mater means everything,” Samuels told the Orlando Sentinel. “If you’re an Umatilla guy, you’re always an Umatilla guy. My goal is to teach these young guys the game of football, teaching them to compete and everything we do, to get back to that hard-nosed football that Umatilla is known for.”
Umatilla went 6-5 in 2021 and 5-5 last season, moved in the right direction for a program that went 2-37 from 2016 through 2019. But losing a talented senior class means Samuels has a lot of holes to fill.
“We had five or six guys graduate last year, and they were a bunch of athletes,” said senior quarterback and free safety Logan Bowling.
Samuels was a three-year starter at running back and defensive back and team captain as a senior for a 2009 Bulldogs team that went 0-10.
“In high school, we didn’t do very well, but I enjoyed my four years,” Samuels said. “If I can go back, I would do the exact same thing at the same school. We ended up going 0-10, but one thing I can say about my team is that we played hard. We competed every game.”
Samuels earned a scholarship to Vanderbilt and playing safety. He saw action all four years and concluded his
senior season with 35 tackles and 20 solo stops.
Samuels then played linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.
The Florida native returned after two Canadian winters (2013-2014) and spent two seasons at Umatilla (20152016) before becoming Wildwood’s top assistant for six years (2017-2022). He accepted Umatilla’s head position in January.
“The guys have been working hard,” said Samuels. “I was hired Jan. 23, and in February, we started right away with 6 a.m. workouts. We’ve been going nonstop with seven on seven (events). The guys are led by [seniors] Nick Adams and Logan Bowling. Those are two guys we are going to lean on this year.”
The leaders are excited for the change in coaching staff and hopeful for a winning season.
“Coach definitely brings a fire to us,” said Adams, a two-way lineman. “He has a different style of coaching and pushes us to a different level.”
The Bulldogs’ preseason game is against Halifax Academy on Aug. 18.
Matt Martin
Martin comes back to Deltona as head coach after serving as DeLand’s defensive line assistant.
“It means everything to come back,” Martin told the Sentinel. “Deltona High School is very special to me. I have been in the system for over 10 years now, and I purposely stayed away from Deltona because I wanted to come back here and see my own vision through.”
He takes over for Jeff Smothers, who accepted a defensive coordinator post in GeorgiaafterthreeyearswiththeWolves.
Deltona went 7-3 last season, achieving a seven-win season for only the fourth time in 35 years of football. The Wolves outscored opponents 401-187, but missed the Class 3S playoffs. Their only playoff appearances were 2015 and 2016 under Allen “B.J.” Johnson but Martin is optimistic.
“I do fully believe this place can be a monster,” he said. “The talent is different than when I was a player here. The demographic is different. The community is different. I am excited about these young boys that we have.”
The 2010 graduate was a tight end and defensive end on the Wolves’ varsity team.
“We went (8-3) my sophomore year,” said Martin. “The young men we have here are arguably more talented than the team I played on. We just have to get better every single day and be the best version of us.”
The Wolves preseason game is at Oviedo on Aug. 18.