One thing for all Marion County high school football teams to watch for in 2024

Sports preludes and recaps are best told like a storybook. You have the preseason, the beginning of the story. A season can culminate in a championship or a victory against a great rival. The end, well, it’s a path to the state finals that everyone wants.

The Marion County high school football season has its own set of stories brewing. Coaching changes are signaling cultural shifts at several schools. At times, it almost feels like the start of a new Netflix series.

We’re here to give you a preview of the guiding forces ahead of the 2024 high school football season. We’ll follow how these stories evolve throughout the grueling 10-week season.

Belleview: a trend in the right direction

With the Rattlers in the midst of a management change, there is time to observe a trend. Over the past five seasons, Belleview football has been led by four different coaches.

The current seniors, as well as honorable mention all-county running back Nick Mills, played for three coaches in three varsity seasons. Three different systems. Three different positions. Three times forced to gain the trust of a new employee, but this year is a little different.

Belleview has a new coach, Josh Seigler, but he is familiar with the lineup after spending last season as an assistant. He saw the foundation that was laid last year; Now it’s time to see what’s taking shape at the next level. Armed with a growing program, a few surprises and a team that knows what to expect, Seigler has something other coaches haven’t had: Continuity, and that could be the difference for a winless team that returns most of its roster.

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Dunnellon: an unforgettable class

Dunnellon has a chance to take the top spot in Marion County football. Few schools are bringing back the depth, talent and production that the Tigers have on their roster.

Six of their 13 all-county selections return for their junior or senior seasons. There are 2,516 total yards, 32 touchdowns, 210 tackles, three interceptions, 3.5 sacks and five forced fumbles, about 35% of the total production of six players.

Sean Martin was the first of 2025 to make a college decision and there are others with big decisions to make about where they will play at the next level. Before that happens, they have the opportunity to do what Dunnellon hasn’t done since the early 2000s: be the best team in the county with the track record to prove it.

Forest: Competition

Forest’s training ground is a battleground for competition. The Wildcats are young this year, but they have talent at every important position.

The quarterback battle has young, dynamic arms, with Vanguard sophomore transfer Grayson Yancey and “lightning in a bottle” freshman Armani McFarland preparing to lead Forest’s potent offensive scheme. The running back room has Division I talent in Jordan Strickland, who is currently injured, leaving room for rookies Jamarian Whitter and Kez Rivers to fight for more reps with the first team. The tight end room is the epitome of cutthroat with three athletes standing 6-foot-4 or taller, including senior Wesley Dinkins, who earned an offer to Indiana Wesleyan over the summer.

The Wildcats live by the saying: iron sharpens iron. Every snap, every replay, there is a talented player behind. This is the perfect environment to cultivate players ready to compete on game day.

Weir Lake: Defending the Throne

The newly expanded Sunshine State Athletic Association will certainly make the quest for a state title more difficult than last season’s 12-team spread. As the pool depends, the new fish will realize that passing through Lake Weir is the only way to become big fish.

In the Hurricanes’ first season in the FHSAA alternative league, they have risen to the top of the food chain, becoming the hunted in 2024. Every week, they will get the best of their opponent, knowing this is their chance to stack up with the crowned champion.

The question for Lake Weir: Is he ready for the pressure? With several returning starters and battle-tested individuals across all classes, they have the DNA of a winner. Coach Jason Roberts’ military approach and background will make it difficult for his team to veer off course. We’ll see how they fare during the first test on August 16 against Bronson.

North Marion: First-time head coach

North Marion’s move as head coach puts Jeremiah Gates in charge of a team that always has raw talent. The Colts, weighed down by transfers at quarterback, running back and others, struggled a season ago.

This leaves plenty of room for the Gates era to be abandoned in the future. The new opportunities in North Marion have attracted several of the area’s best positional players. Last year’s Colts had a freshman, Isaac Smith, throw the rock. They will have West Port’s two-year varsity starting quarterback, Brittin Stevens, this year.

Stevens was the first of many to join Gates in attempting to revive the Colts. They’re mixed in with the hidden gems that dotted the 2023 roster. All eyes are on how Gates runs his ship and how far he navigates the waters of a heavy 2S class.

Trinity Catholic: New team

Over the past two seasons, the Celtics have spent their final game in Tallahassee fighting for their first state championship since 2010. Since then, the coaching staff has undergone many changes. It happens. Coaches grow and opportunities open up, but the 2024 team has one thing in common with 2023: coach John Brantley.

Offensive coordinator JB Bynum is calling plays for Dunnellon. Defensive coordinator Steve Young is at Georgia. The Celtics have cleaned house and are about to change the culture with it. Gates, an assistant coach last season, manages his own team.

Division I prospects G’Nirve Carr, Zach Johnson and Gerrick Gordon, anchors of the offensive and defensive line, all transferred in the off-season. Trinity Catholic may go through a rebuild between the transfer portal movement and the new team, but you never count out a team that knows how to win.

Vanguard: Chemistry

Vanguard intends to continue its historic season with another squad full of talent. Last year’s group was homegrown, this one has more players from the transfer portal. With widespread coaching changes, several of the region’s top football weapons looking for new homes have found Booster Stadium.

You may remember Gerald “Juice” Walton, an all-county receiver who will now attack the Knights’ defenses this season. There are also talented sophomores, headlined by James “Bubb” Bethea, Sergarion Gunsby, and juniors ready to raise the “V” in bigger roles.

The talent of the cast is undeniable. The sheer depth reminds them of last year’s team, which sent 19 players to play higher-level football. If the new Knights manage to put it all together, expect fireworks, even if growing pains come along the way.

West Port: Chasing History

By the end of this season, the Wolf Pack seniors could set the standard for success in West Port. The group finds its acclaim in a series of victories that no one in West Port’s 24-year history can match.

Ethan Shepp, captain for two years and owner of the highest bench press, spent four years defending his quarterback. With another exceptional season, possibly one that recreates the magic of last year’s school-record six wins.

It’s a tall order to ask of anyone, but hungry wolves get the job done. The record will hang over the heads of some players and fan the competitive flames of others. Shepp and the Class of 2025 seek history when kickoff begins on August 23.

This article originally appeared in the Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County, Florida High School Football Stories for 2024