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By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: September 4, 2008

In 2007, Hernando Christian Academy had some funny things happen to it on the way to a school-best 6-2 record.

It brought in a new head football coach in David Raley, had two home games canceled and had probably the best football team ever in the school's brief history.

But in a busy offseason, the Lions lost their legitimate Division I prospect when Clay Kessler transferred to Hernando High.

Raley still has maybe the best throwing quarterback in the county in David Rotteveel and enough help in the offensive and defensive lines to improve on last year's record.

"We did much better than I thought we would last year," said second-year Raley. "There was only one game last year that we were blown out, every other one we were close. But it's another rebuilding year this season."

With the loss of Kessler, Thomas Bronson (another transfer to Hernando) and Sean Byrne (whose family relocated to Tennessee), the Lions lose their top two or three rushers, receivers, scorers and tacklers from last year.
Sudden impact
The loss of Kessler alone hurts the Lions. Last Year Kessler led the Lions in rushing (722 yards), receiving (32 catches for 343 yards and three touchdowns), scoring (102 points) and tackles (68).

"Clay was part of everything we did and we built everything around his skills," Raley said. "On defense is where we're really going to miss him."

But they still have Rotteveel and he will be counted on even more this year for the bulk of the Lions' offense.

Last season, Rotteveel completed 47 percent of his passes for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns across eight games.

However, Raley thinks he will have to throw the football more this year.

"With one returning running back (Jeremy Knight) and two good wide receivers (Sam Kautsky and Ian Townsend), we'll throw the ball more this year than we did," indicated Raley.

O-line stance

The offensive line for HCA returns with Josh Romeo, Ethan Whitten, Kevin Wilcher and Ben Clark along with tight end Garrett Mikkola. Besides Knight, the HCA running backs this year will include Jake Foster.

According to Raley, his team is still trying to put together a defense.

But the second-year HCA coach admits most of those players will have to come from the offense.

"When you've only got 28 people, you end up having to play a lot of people both ways," lamented Raley.

Along the defensive line, Raley plans on using Nick Adams and Josh Westfall as the ends while Mikkola and Romeo will man the defensive tackle spots.

The four linebackers for the Lions this year will be Knight and Daniel Keys on the outside while Foster and Nate Kautsky will be inside.

In the defensive backfield, Raley says he will start Townsend and Sam Kautsky as cornerbacks with Kenny Lehman at safety.

This year, the Lions will play football as an independent, joining the Florida Sunshine State Conference. The league is made up of nine small schools who decided not to play this year in the Class 1A Florida High School Athletic Association.

Instead, HCA has joined the conference and will play in the same division as Bishop McLaughlin, Canterbury and Tampa-Carrollwood Day School.

"It's going to change the way we look at games now," said Raley. "When you have the possibility of playing games in the postseason, it changes everything. I think it will make each game that much more important to us."

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