Edgewater had a breakout season this year in reaching the Class 7A regional quarterfinals. The Eagles went 7-4 with losses to Bishop Moore, Apopka and Hagerty. Those are not losses to be upset about as they ran through the district into the playoffs.
The Eagles though are not the image of stability. They have had five coaches in the last six years and coach and sought another one Rich Bedesem left after two years to take over at Wekiva.
One of Orlando’s big high schools was in need of a big name who would be willing to stay even.
That name was another state-wide hero. Someone who has some ideas to bring the Eagles forward and make playoff appearances a little more regular.
Former Florida Gators quarterback Chris Leak accepted the job at Edgewater earlier this week promising to bring a high-powered offense resembling Baylor’s offense early in Art Briles’ tenure and, most importantly, to stay.
“Helping to impact student-athletes first in the classroom, helping them move onto a high education, whether it involves football or not is really important,” Leak told Alicia DelGallo of the Orlando Sentinel. “I just know the impact of high school athletics, specifically what football did for me.”
Leak and his family live in the Orlando area where his wife works in the community relations department for the Orlando Magic.
Leak was the starting quarterback for four years at Florida, leading the team to the 2006 National Championship in an upset victory over Ohio State in Glendale. That year was famous for being Tim Tebow’s freshman year.
Leak though was an incredibly accomplished quarterback in his own right. He set several passing records and was a leader for the Gators.
After leaving Florida he was on the practice squad for the Chicago Bears before bouncing around the CFL and Arena Football League with the Jacksonville Sharks. He was a graduate assistant and wide receivers coach at Florida the last two years.
He has limited coaching experience, but still a lot of knowledge about the game and plenty to share. Edgewater should be a team that does well in the area.
Having a big name like Leak helping the Eagles should be a nice boost.
