HCA Joins New Conference

Throughout the five-year existence of its program, Hernando Christian Academy has lived the life of an independent.

Though officially a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association, HCA has never joined a district, leaving it ineligible for the state playoffs.

That fact has cut particularly deep considering the Lions have put together three straight seasons of no worse than .500.

Finally, postseason play will become a possibility for HCA this upcoming season.

The Lions are still considered an independent. However, the school officially announced it has joined the newly-formed Sunshine State Athletic Conference.

"The kids want something to play for, to see how they match-up with other teams and the chance to win a trophy," HCA Athletic Director Mike Drummond said. "Now that we're in this conference, they are really excited about that. I think it's a real positive move for us."

Football only

The conference will include eight schools, all FHSAA independent private schools. For this season, it will be a football-only conference, with the possibility of expanding to other sports down the road.

The teams are divided into two divisions, with Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, Tampa-Carrollwood Day School and St. Petersburg-Canterbury School of Florida joining HCA in the Southern Division.

The Northern Division includes First Academy of Leesburg, Winter Garden-Foundation Academy, Mount Dora Bible School and Ocala-St. John Lutheran School.

On Nov. 14, the final week of the FHSAA regular season, the two first-place teams in each division will play for the conference championship.

In addition, the remaining six teams will play the corresponding team from the other division. According to Drummond, the conference is in talks with The Villages Charter School about using its facility for those playoff games.

Drummond said the school attempted to join a "no-name conference" loosely formed by St. John last year; however, that conference fell through because of travel issues.

While speaking to Canterbury A.D. Dave Smith as he put together this season's schedule, Drummond found out about a then six-team conference forming.

It soon grew to 10 teams, though Land O' Lakes-Academy at the Lakes and Bradenton-St. Stephen's Episcopal eventually pulled out.

HCA will play all seven teams from its conference this season, though the bylaws only require a team to play the three teams within its division.

"Absolutely great," HCA Head Coach David Raley said. "I think it's going to change the way we practice and also the way we function. Having the possibility of postseason play and a championship and the availability of a bowl game in excess of that, it's more like a college than a high school system."

Though the Lions are coming off a solid 6-2 campaign in 2007, they are reeling from the defection of several players to Hernando High.

The headliner of that group is running back Clay Kessler, who ran for 722 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, while catching 32 passes for 343 yards and three scores. He also led the team with 68 tackles.

"It's (the season outlook) changed in the last couple of weeks because of changes in the make-up of my ball team," Raley said. "We have many changes. Private schools have a lot of turnover. This year we have a lot of turnover.

"It's still a little early for me to have a feel to say how we'll do. But I expect success and I expect perfection."