The Beachside Barracudas are currently 1-1 and are looking to build off last season, when they went 7-3 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Head coach Pete Duffy lost most of his defensive line last year, but he still has a lot of veteran players on offense.
One of those veteran players is his senior quarterback, Eddie Jordan. Jordan is a third-year starter who is already committed to Lafayette University. Senior tackle James Harding is another veteran leader who has committed to Cornell. “Our senior leadership is definitely one of our biggest strengths.” said Duffy.
Beachside also has another weapon on special teams this season. Senior kicker Owen Carey is already committed to Tulsa, and he is one of the top kickers in the state in his class.
The Barracudas lost their first game on the road against Orlando Christian Prep but came back in a big way on August 28 to defeat Englewood 65-0. This was the biggest defeat in school history. Senior defensive back Andrew Crews added another record on the night with his 97-yard return on an interception. Jordan was not in the game, but he is expected to return on Sept. 5 when Beachside takes on Menendez.
The Barracudas are planning on advancing past the first round of the playoffs this year, however Duffy understands the importance of taking it week by week. “We are focused on our district games, those are really important, and we need to win those.” he said. One of those district games will be against the Ponte Vedra Sharks on Sept. 12. Last season, Beachside lost to Ponte Vedra 17-14.
Even though Duffy is lacking some size and experience on defense, he is still confident that his team will stay grounded and focused this season. “The games are definitely important, but we try not to get too excited when we make a good play and not get too down when we make a bad play. We tell them to just turn the page and move on to the next.” he said.
