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Hernando Today

Foundation Academy out to ruin HCA's Homecoming Game

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By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: October 22, 2009

How would you like to go through a year in which everything you did or every decision you made turned out right? And then in the next year, the reverse happened, everything turned out wrong.
In some ways, that's what Hernando Christian Academy Head Coach David Raley has been going through this year.
His Lions, who last year were 10-0, play Foundation Academy of Winter Garden tonight at 7 p.m. at Ernie Wever Youth Park in Brooksville hoping to finally break through into the win column. Tonight also serves as the Lions' Homecoming Game.
With their record this year at 0-7, Raley has found that even though his team has not had much luck during their games, his kids still are working and trying their best.
"These kids don't take any of this stuff badly," Raley said during the week. "Their spirits are high; it's just that we can't seem to hold down the competition."
Tonight the Lions face a 4-2 Foundation Academy that averages 36 points a game and lost to HCA last year 60-20.
When Foundation Head Coach Brad Lord was asked what the difference was between last year's team and this one, he just laughed. "Right now, about 40 points. I don't know but we'll see Friday night," Lord said. "They put it too us pretty good last year."
HCA comes off a 56-12 loss to Ocala-St. John Lutheran and like most coaches; Raley says that with the losses piling up, it has made him re-think what he is doing this year.
"That's absolutely normal," pointed out the second-year Lions mentor. "We thought at the start of the year we could do what we like to do which is run power football. But after we got going, we realized we're starting a lot of young lineman, some of whom have never played football before."
Raley also believes that while his team has lost some games in blowouts, they also have played some close games.
"We've been in four games where we lost by nine points or less," stressed Raley. And I believe we could easily have been at least 3-4 right now."
But he also said that losing has been something that he really isn't use to.
"I'm not really accustomed to this," said Raley. "I've been blessed in my life and I think it's harder on me than it is on the kids."
Foundation uses the same spread offense the Florida Gators run and are lead by running back Kenny Strong, who has gained 768 yards rushing this year with nine touchdowns and averaged over 150 yards per game.
He's helped by quarterback Wes Murray who has rushed for 455 yards and nine touchdowns himself.
"They're real good," said Raley about tonight's opponent. "Their system is very much like Florida's and they have seniors at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. It's going to be a very tough challenge for us."
But even if his team is a huge underdog, and the Orlando Sentinel has Foundation as a 27-point favorite tonight, Raley believes he is building for the future.
"In a way, it is like an expansion team," Raley said. "And in a couple of years, they will be stronger and better. We're almost at the same position we were in 2004 when we started the program. We didn't want that to be but it wasn't our choice. It is what it is. But in a couple of years, we'll be back again."

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