FIRST ACADEMY ROYALS

2015: 5-5, 3rd in 3A District 3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014, fell to Lakeland Christian in region final

Head Coach: Leroy Kinard, entering 10th season (69-28)

Key Returners: DB/RB Rolous Frazier (22 carries for 357, 4 TD’s), QB/DB Greg Fields (43 carries for 312yds, 4 TD’s), MLB Bryson Richards (50tkls

Key Newcomers: OT Calvin Ashley (Dr. Phillips, ESPN’s ranked 6th best OT in 2017 class), ATH Chance Bush (Dr. Phillips, 47tkls, 2 tfls, 1 sack), QB Alexander Eleyssami (Dr. Phillips), T Elijah Williams (CFCA)

The Scoop: Royals missed the post season last year after finishing 5-5 with a pair of gut-wrenching late losses. —This was just the third time the team has not advanced to the playoffs under Head Coach Leroy Kinard. Now the team has graduated 16 starters off last year’s squad and will look to rebuild on the backs of a few key transfers;  Alex Eleyssami will take the reins of the offense at QB with 6’8 Calvin Ashley at OT with just about everyone else running behind him. This team promises to interject some shotgun play and become sounder on defense this season. 

Quotable: “Calvin is going to play offensive tackle for us, he’s not going to do anything different or anything new—you know why would you do that? We are just going to run behind that cat a lot. He’s a very, very good football player, probably the best offensive lineman I’ve ever seen.”—Leroy Kinard

A program full of tradition, faith and fresh new faces.

“We’re going to be good this year.” Senior linebacker Bryson Richards said. “I feel that we have a great leadership role coming in, great transfers coming in that can help us a ton and under classmen that are stepping up too.”

The First Academy Royals are coming off an underachieving 5-5 season –that saw 16 starters graduate —Coach Leroy Kinard believes that record does not depict his team’s season.

 “I felt like the only game we really didn’t have a chance to win was Ocala Trinity.” Coach Kinard said. “We turned the ball over and we just didn’t look good in that game.”

Now the team bowed out before reaching the playoffs last season—just the third time since Coach Kinard has taken over in 2007.

“You get to take a look at what really happened?” Kinard explained. “And so when you have an opportunity to look and kinda soul search a little bit it changes everyone’s mentality you get hungrier.”

“It was tough obviously, I’m not the one that likes to lose –I hate losing,” Richards said of not making the playoffs.

“But during the off season I think that we had some transfers come in and other kids and we really just sat down and we don’t want to go through what we did last year. You know we just have to work just even harder this year—we’re under sized, not much speed but I really think we have a heart.”

A top the transfer list: 6-8 offensive tackle Calvin Ashley, ATH Chance Bush, QB Alexander Eleyssami and tackle Elijah Williams--all jumping on board to form a complete unit.

 “They’ve always had a great program,” Bush said of transferring over from Dr. Phillips. “Good thing is it’s just more depth and more leadership and I think a little bit more drive and it’s what we needed here.”

 

2016 Schedule

Aug. 19 vs. Calvary Christian (Kickoff Classic)

Aug. 26 vs. Agape Christian

Sept. 2 at Foundation Academy

Sept. 9 at CFCA

Sept. 16 Bye Week

Sept. 23 vs. Palm Glades Prep

Sept. 30 vs. Ocala Trinity*

Oct. 7 vs. P.K. Yonge

Oct. 14 at Trinity Prep*

Oct. 21 vs. North Florida Education Institution

Oct. 28 vs. Father Lopez*

Nov. 4 at The Villages