Last season, the Bishop McLaughlin Hurricanes qualified for the FHSAA playoffs for the first time in school history. The Hurricanes playoff run was short lived, though, as they were knocked off in the first round by St. Stephen's Episcopal, 49-21.
After the season, head coach Jeff Swymer decided to step down to concentrate on his duties as athletic director at the Pasco County School. He didn't have to look very hard for his replacement. Swymer promoted his offensive coordinator, Tico Hernandez, to lead the team.
Under Hernandez's guidance as offensive coordinator, the Hurricanes were the only Pasco County team to throw for more than 2,000 yards and run for more than 1,000 yards. Hernandez is looking forward to the change and the challenge of leading the Hurricanes.
“Last year, we put five kids in college, this year we hope to put seven," said Hernandez. "We just want to continue to grow and have a fun time with the program.”
The Bishop McLaughlin players are excited about the decision to promote Hernandez and keep some consistency in a program that has had seven coaches in the past 13 years. Julio Herrera is one of the few seniors on a young Hurricanes' team. Herrera echoed the thoughts of many players when they heard of Hernandez's promotion.
“He never puts you down even if we’re losing he always wants you to keep your head up and stay positive,” said Herrera.
Bishop McLaughlin finished 5-5 overall last season and is hoping to build on last year's first playoff appearance with another first - a playoff win.