PIGSKIN PREVIEW 2022: Central Florida Christian Academy

The Central Florida Christian Academy Eagles are ready to step onto the field come Aug. 19 to battle against Northside Christian. 

“(That’s) our biggest game,” head football coach Jeremy Campbell said. “We are excited; the energy has been very good at practice these first couple of days of the fall season.” 

The team’s motto for the 2022-23 football season is “War Over the Battle,” which means that, although the ultimate goal is the state championship game, the war becomes the longevity of the season and the battles are the games on Friday night. 

This year, the team will have a tougher schedule compared to that of previous years. 

“What happens is, when you are successful — we’ve been very successful the past couple of years here at CFCA, certain schools don’t want to play you,” Campbell said. “So, for me, I’d rather play schools who are maybe a little bit higher in classification than us, so that we can get some quality work in during the regular season. And again, yes, we may lose some of those games, but that’s OK, because we are preparing for a war not a battle.”

Some key players to watch this football season include Jaylin Acevedo, Jacob Kania, Justin Preaster, Anthony Milton and West Orange transfer Jeremiah Byrdsell. 

“Some are seniors, some are juniors,” Campbell said. “Jaylin and Justin have been with me three or four years now, so it’s their natural time. Jeremiah transferred in the spring and really blossomed. He’s really put a stamp on him, defensively.” 

The Eagles have been eager to get to work and are looking forward to show what they can do on the field beginning Aug. 19. 

“These kids are hardworking and dedicated,” Campbell said. “We are really excited about the group of guys that we have. We are excited about the guys that we have returning, and even some of the new guys that have transferred in and some of our young guys as well. … (We are) looking to continue to get better and take it game by game.”