Our guest this week in our Florida 4 Questions with the Coach segment is Edgewater head football coach Cameron Duke, who will begin his seventh season as head coach at the Orlando school. Coach Duke has taken Edgewater and rebuilt it into one of Central Florida’s top high school football programs since taking over there in 2017. Last year, Duke led Edgewater to its first undefeated regular season in a half-century of football, but was it the year he had hoped it would be? Let’s learn the answer to that and other questions from Edgewater High Eagles head football coach Cameron Duke.
Q. Coach Duke, thanks as always for joining us for our 4 Questions with the Coach feature. I apologize for hitting you with a tough question right out of the gate, but as I mentioned in the introduction, last year was the first undefeated regular season in 50 years of the program. That was a big deal in the history of Edgewater High football, but then you guys lost to rival Jones in the region championship contest three weeks later. It was an outcome that caught many observers by surprise. Your team was the favorite, yet lost 42-13. I know the Eagles had 6 turnovers in the contest, and that was not how you wanted the season to end. What happened?
A. It was a great season, and of course one that we wished would have ended differently. Hats off to Jones as they did a great job! We had played them earlier in the year at their place and won, and it is very difficult to beat a great team twice. Having said that, you cannot turn the ball over like we did. We also were not as healthy as I would have liked, but again, no excuses – Jones did a great job and made some adjustments throughout the year and got the better of us in the third round (Regional Final – final eight in the toughest class in Florida). We look forward to the opportunity to play them in 2023!
Q. Despite the way it ended, 2022 was a great season, and it has been a part of the rebuilding project you have been on since arriving at Edgewater seven years ago. At the start of every season, you like to adopt a motto that serves as the mission statement, of sorts, for your team. Does that help to form a vision for you, your staff, and your team to follow, and how do you come up with it each season? What’s the 2023 season motto? Have you developed it yet?
A. Yes, each year we have an evaluation as to where we are as a program and where we want to improve and emphasize heading into the next year. Our first year, 2017, it was “Restore The Pride.” This was what was needed following an 0-10 season the year prior. We were able to accomplish that and finish 9-3 as district champions.
In 2018 our team motto was “Rise Up.” We wanted to do this in every way as a program. On the field, in the weight room, in the classroom and in our community, we wanted to take the program to another level and Rise Up. We were able to do that as we finished 12-2 as district and regional champs, and made a final four appearance. In 2019 our motto was “One Way.” At this point in year three the culture was set and everyone in the program knew what the Eagle Way was, our way of life. We were able to take that motto and rally around it and make it to the state championship game in 2019.
2020 was the year of Covid and our motto was “This Is The Day.” This was perfect, because we had to take everything one day at a time as the season was very fluid in the middle of the pandemic. Our team was able to focus on each day and max it out. We couldn’t think past right now and our team rallied around this motto and made it back to the state championship game. In 2021 our motto was “Renew,” and since we were coming out of the pandemic we wanted to “renew” our mind daily and make sure we didn’t become stagnant as a program. We finished 10-2 and played one of the hardest schedules in the state.
2022 our motto was “One Team, One Heartbeat,” and we knew we needed to unite as a team and truly become selfless. I was extremely proud of this past year’s team. They took our motto to heart as we became a very close team and transformed into a family. Our 2023 motto is still coming into existence as we head into spring practices starting April 24. It will be revealed to our team then and we are excited about this upcoming team. We, as a staff, are in constant communication about what our 2023 motto will be as we try to continue to raise the bar in the Edgewater Eagle football program. You will know very soon what our 2023 motto is!
Q. I’m intrigued by the increase in these high-profile showcase games that we are seeing more and more teams adding to their schedule. Your Eagles team played one of those kind of games last season with Don Bosco Prep, a game that you won. Can you talk about how that game came about, and can Eagles fans expect to see more of those on the schedule this season and in future seasons?
A. We try to play great competition year in and year out, as we feel it gives us the best opportunity to prepare for the playoffs. We play really great local programs year in and year out, such as Jones, Apopka, Bishop Moore, and many others. Each year we do like to play elite national opponents such as IMG, Venice, Marietta (in 2019 we played them and they won the 7A state championship in Georgia ), and this past year Don Bosco Prep. Last year’s win against Don Bosco was a great game and one our 2022 seniors will always remember. This upcoming year we have another very challenging schedule and are planning to play Clearwater Academy International, who will come in with a national ranking and have many high-profile national recruits. This will give us a chance to see where we stack up and need to improve to compete at the highest level.
Q. Speaking of the 2023 season, what will the Edgewater Eagles look like in terms of personnel? I know you lose some top talent, including top RB CJ Baxter, TE Camp Magee, and your starting QB, Chase Carter. Coach Duke, can you fill in the other questions, including who will not return, and who is returning this year? What is your overall assessment of the 2023 Edgewater football team?
A. We lost some great players and even better young men from last year’s team with the guys you mentioned, along with many others. We love the development of our rising senior class and feel we have an opportunity to continue to raise the bar as a program. We start spring practices April 24 and will know a lot more about who has earned a starting position and where we need to develop as a program heading into the summer. We are grateful to have a few more national recruits this upcoming year with our senior class and also with our classes below. In fact we believe we have the best class of football players we have ever have ever had with our underclassmen, and we hope they can develop into the players and men that God has called them to be. Edgewater Football is in good hands moving forward!
