The Sickles football team has lofty goals. Why shouldn’t they? They are only coming off the most successful season in program history.
“My freshman year we were good," said rising junior linebacker Jake Hampton. "Last year we were great and this year we going to be excellent.
Sickles made it to the Class 7A regional finals in 2013.
“We expect to go far,” said rising senior quarterback Isaac Holder. “At least the same playoff run we had last year. We are just playing to go to states. We have the team to do it.”
They certainly have the offense to do that.
Last year, Ray Ray McCloud III ran for a district-best 2,316 yards with 26 TDs. He is one of, if not the most, dynamic running back in the state of Florida.
“My goal is 3,000 this year,” said McCloud III, of how many yards he wants to run his senior season. “Better running and a longer season.”
“I want to throw 2,000 yards and run at least 1,000,” said Holder. “I just want to make a big impact on the area and my team.”
“Ray Ray and Isaac returning, to me they are the best in the county, probably in the state,” said Sickles head coach Brian Turner.
“It's hard to have a defense stop a running quarterback and a runner like Ray Ray McCloud,” said Holder.
McCloud III combined with Holder feel this is their year.
“Me and Isaac feel like we are the best in the state,” McCloud III. “Even with that, our line is great. They're young, but at the end they're going to be great.”
The Gryphons march to Orlando starts with their spring game May 22nd against Gaither.
“It will be a good learning opportunity for the younger guys,” said rising senior Logan Braswell. “It’s pretty much to show everyone that we still have the capability to go the same or further than we did last year.”
“We want to find out what our new guys can do,” said Turner. “I know what our guys can do from last year. I want to find out what our new guys can do. We are going to be very physical.”