ODA football chases another state title

Frankie Clark was not satisfied with The Out-of-Door Academy football team's conditioning work following an Aug. 2 practice. 

The senior defensive back tried to convince his brother, junior running back Allen Clark, to join him in extra work. 

"Come on, run one more (sprint) with me," Frankie Clark said. 

Allen Clark gave his brother an eyebrow-arching look, then shook his head and smiled while walking to get water. Frankie Clark ran an extra sprint anyway, then jogged to join his teammates. 

Though Frankie Clark was alone in this particular endeavor, the spirit he displayed — always working to maximize improvement, even and especially when it is hard — pervades the program. It is that attitude that helped ODA win a Sunshine State Athletic Association Class 4A championship in 2023 after finishing the regular season 3-5. Under Head Coach Rob Hollway, the Thunder believe the team always has a chance to win if they execute the game plan. 

Photo by Ryan Kohn

In 2024, the Thunder's only goal is another title, and ODA players plan on getting there by working as hard as ever.

"The team we have this year is the best we have had," Frankie Clark said. "We all push each other to get better. Our stock is only going to rise from here." 

In the past, the ODA game plan, at least on offense, has revolved around the running game. ODA ran for 2,238 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2023 — with 1,104 yards and 17 touchdowns belonging to Allen Clark — while the team passed for just 494 yards and six touchdowns.

Hollway would like those numbers to be more balanced in 2024, part of the reason the team brought in associate head coach and passing game coordinator Nate Strawderman, the former head coach at Bradenton Christian School. Playing quarterback will be senior Josey Rubinstein, a star on ODA's soccer and lacrosse teams who will now try his hand at football. 

Rubinstein had two touchdown runs, of 15 and 30 yards, in ODA's spring game win over Sarasota Christian School in May. He showed off his speed and did so again Aug. 2, but the team's overall passing game remains a work in progress, something Hollway reminded the Thunder after practice. The more everyone practices together, Hollway said, the faster it will coalesce. Unlocking the passing game will allow athletes like Frankie Clark and Carson Fisher, a senior wide receiver/defensive back transfer from Bradenton Christian, to thrive.

Photo by Ryan Kohn

It all revolves around the offensive line, where senior Marvin Palominos is the undisputed leader. Palominos, who is 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, said he's trying to be more of a leader in 2024 to demonstrate how ODA linemen handle business on the field. 

"I'm teaching them what I can," Palominos said. "I feel that responsibility to take those guys under my wing a bit and help them get better, because I want to have one (heck) of a senior year." 

The talent is not limited to offense. Hollway said Fisher can be a lockdown defensive back, and that he expects big leaps from players like sophomore safety/linebacker Devin Erdei, who had 43 tackles as a freshman in 2023, and senior defensive lineman Thomas Perez, who had seven tackles for loss and three sacks. 

As optimistic as Hollway is about his team's talent, he's also realistic. A football program like ODA does not have the depth of other, bigger schools. A few injuries can drastically change the team's fortunes. To wit: Allen Clark missed two full regular season games and most of a third in 2023 with an ankle injury. ODA lost all three games. When Clark returned in the postseason to run for 588 yards and nine touchdowns in three playoff games, ODA found itself again. Hollway said keeping ODA's best players on the field is paramount to its success, 

So is its desire.

Though the ODA attack may look slightly different, Hollway said the Thunder's attitude will never change. 

"Every once in a while, you get a group where it (football) just matters a ton to the kids," Hollway said. "This is that group. They hold each other accountable. The teams that commit are the ones that have a chance to go a long way, and we have a chance. If we stay healthy, we are going to be tough to beat."