Coach Mickey Lindsey of the Pace Patriots coming off a 2013 season as District I champions said, "You've got to be solid to be successful." He said his players rallied late in the season with four wins in a row and stayed strong against Escambia High School to win district.
This year, Lindsey said he has 8 out of 22 players coming back, 4 of those from offense. Right now, Lindsey said the Patriots have to find their identity as a team and maximize their talent. According to Lindsey, the Patriots gave up big plays last year and he's looking for an improved defense and improved passing by the offense. Nobody else will make it easy on the Patriots, either. This district is always tough and the non-district teams are hard, too, according to Lindsey.
The offense should not have a problem with the ground ball with the return of Quaide Weimerskirch, tailback, who was the state's leading rusher last year with 253 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. Lindsey said Weimerskirch has offers from South Florida University and the University of Alabama Birmingham, but he hasn't made a decision yet. Also, the defense will have the returning talent of Tom Piscopo, cornerback and senior, ranked first in the state going into this season.
Right now, the athletes are in the gym pushing themselves to become stronger, faster, and better than they were last season. May 1 the coaching staff will start on formations and begin to see who best will control and protect the Patriot ball. Coach Lindsey said the Patriots have worked hard and he likes their attitudes. He said they've had a great off season; he's excited about the team and he's excited for May and 2014.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pace Patriots charging up for a challenging season