The Vanguard football trophy room has seen coach Edwin Farmer and his team open its doors four times this summer. Naturally, they’ve had to make room for its fourth FHSAA 7-on-7 tournament trophy and several others from FSU and UF events.
This summer has exposed the swathes of talent on Vanguard’s roster. More than a dozen athletes picked up Division I football offers during their winning streak. It’s earned highly coveted receiver James Bethea earned an invite to NXGM camp and a nomination to the Navy All-American Bowl.
The FHSAA 7-on-7 field had 61 teams from across the state. Forest transfer Roger Stevens emerged as a real player in the backfield with a pick six showcase in the FHSAA tournament. Dominic Burgess joined the fun with pivotal two-way production in the title run. Scouts left the tournament impressed by sophomore starting quarterback Terrance Lewis’ ability to make plays with his arm and legs.
“It started off rough after we lost our warmup game to Plant but after that the team slowly picked up and by the championship game, we were on fire winning 39-6,” Lewis said.
The offseason has been nothing but work for the Knights. The weight rooms call at 8:30 a.m. and a tournament day may see them dropping their equipment off well into the evening.
“The secret is work,” Farmer said. “There’s no secret. It’s just the want to and attitude towards work.”
Farmer touts this group as one of the most competitive in the 11 years he’s ran Vanguard’s football program. Add in their talent level and the young Knights may have what it takes to rival the production of the last teams to reach the final four.
One thing that separates them from their predecessors is their togetherness. If one is on the practice field or in the weight room, the rest of the team isn’t far behind.
Vanguard’s staff holds them to a high level of accountability only seen at the college level. One mistake could mean you’re on the sidelines preparing for pushups while another talented player takes reps at the position.
It’s exactly the environment that’s helped Vanguard push itself deeper into the postseason the past two seasons. If this group of Knights stays healthy and committed to the cornerstones of Vanguard football, they’ll keep pushing the culture forward under Booster Stadium’s bright lights during the 2025-26 season.
“It’s a team, it’s a unit,” Farmer said. “It’s not just one person working; everybody buying in. And it’s not a lot of these guys who are getting those offers right now, but it’s not really about that right now. This will put more focus on just working, you know, and praying together, then up on the, you know, the hype of offers, you know, but now it’s coming.”
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Is Vanguard’s 7-on-7 success a precursor for a special 2025-26 football season?
Reporting by Allen Pettigrew Jr., Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
