When you walk up to the Edgewater High football practice field these days, there is an energy that can’t be missed.
It’s obvious there is something new going on at the once proud high school football program. There is an aura in the air and it’s pumped in and proliferated by new Edgewater coach Cameron Duke.
“Things should never have gotten to be this way around here,” said Duke, who heads up an Edgewater program that had just gone through a year of disarray under former Florida Gators quarterback Chris Leak.
Duke was at Lake Highland Prep, where he had started to rebuild enthusiasm there after a few down seasons for another once proud program. Now he’s at Edgewater looking to do the same.
He has the music pumping at practice. He’s running all over the field, barking out instructions, slapping guys on the helmet with kudos and encouragement. Duke has everyone buying in to the resurrection of Edgewater football.
This is what used to be expected of Eagles football. Former players Mike Brewster, Karl Joseph, Quincy McDuffie, Pig Howard, Mike Jones, Mike Sims-Walker, Kenny Ingram, Aaron Jones, E.J. Dunston and so many others were proud to be part of an elite Edgewater tradition.
Aaron Jones and Dunston are able to see the new energy firsthand. The two former Edgewater stars have returned to their roots as part of Duke’s coaching staff and you can see the excitement in their eyes. They want to restore the glory.
Dunston has seen many different phases of Edgewater football. He played for the Eagles, of course, and then spent four seasons at UCF, during which he helped the Knights to a top 10 national ranking in 2012. He saw the Edgewater program at its worst last season, an 0-10 debacle that even had opposing coaches scratching their heads.
Now he sees Duke trying to restore a foundation that was built by his former Edgewater mentors, head coach Bill Gierke and his brother, defensive coordinator Chip Gierke.
“It feels great. I would love to get it back to where it was when Coach Bill and Coach Chip and all those guys were here,” Dunston said. “One thing that I feel we have now that we might have not had last year is just the love and chemistry from the coaching staff with the players. . . . One thing I would always tell myself was that if football didn’t make it as far as I wanted it to, one thing I would mainly do is come back to where I started and help someone.”
Winning became synonymous with Edgewater football during the Gierke run. From 2001-2010 Edgewater won 99 football games, and during a six-year span the Eagles won 10 games or more each season.
After three consecutive trips to the Class 6A state title game — Edgewater lost to Miami Norland (2002), Miami Carol City (2003) and Miami Killian (2004) — making the yearly trip to the Citrus Bowl was no longer a goal, but an expectation.
Edgewater football took a downturn when Gierke took mandatory retirement after 35 years in public school coaching and ended up at Orangewood Christian. The Eagles made playoff appearances under Zac Yarborough (2011) and Rich Bedesem (2014 and 2015) but went through six head coaches in the past six seasons while winning one district title.
Duke is now the man with the task of righting the ship. He has his own expectations, and the energetic young coach has everyone buying in, especially his young players. One of those players is rising junior safety Jay Ward, who recently picked up a scholarship offer from FAU. The offer is only the second NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offer to an Edgewater player since Howard and Joseph, now an Oakland Raiders safety, graduated in 2013.
“We’re coming with a new attitude. I like the new coaches and they’re trying to restore the pride. We got a great history here at Edgewater,” Ward said. “I’m very eager and that’s all I really want [restoring pride]. That’s what I’m working for and that’s what the team is working for.”
Duke is no stranger to this task. Lake Highland had gone 0-9 the season before he took over with the Highlanders. He quickly ramped things up again and his energy directly reflected in the product on the field. Oh, and his team also won football games. He was 1-9 his first season, the one victory snapping a 17-game losing streak. Things just climbed from there with 6-4 and 7-3 finishes, and Lake Highland nearly made the state playoffs last season.
Duke has an infectious vitality. His players can’t help but embrace what he’s preaching. Get in line, because they aren’t the only ones. The assistant coaches are on board and soon, so will be the Edgewater community, which is sorely in need of some good news on the football field. It’s been a long time.
“We want the communities of College Park, of Eatonville, of Rosemont … this is their home school and there have been so many great teams and great coaches come that have come through here,” Duke said. “We want the community involved in building this program back up.
“Having former players that played here, they knew what it was when it was great, so it’s great for them to share … things that they did, we want to emulate.”
Dunston is all about the new culture.
“The energy here, I love atmosphere now … when I come out here on the football field it’s like the gates just open up for me,” Dunston said. “These kids, they come out here with energy. … Last year we didn’t really have that much energy, we didn’t have that much enthusiasm. Now, they come out here, they’re juiced up, and I can feel it.”
And if you can’t feel it, just listen to Duke.
“I’ve been so pleased with our kids and their demeanor. … It’s been a blast,” Duke said. “For the longest time this was a phenomenal program … we embrace the past and we talk about restoring the pride. It’s our motto … We’re going to hopefully get this place moving in the right direction.
“[The players’] energy has been awesome and it’s uplifted us as coaches. We got a long way to go, but the best part is the journey.”
Chris Hays covers college football recruiting, as well as college and high school football for the Sentinel. Reach him at chays@orlandosentinel.com.
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