Doug Fernandes
Sarasota Herald Tribune, December 21, 2021
Venice coach John Peacock told his team before the season that they should win a state title in 2021
For John Peacock, the elation from winning his second state football championship had ebbed. In its place was the residue.
The Venice High head coach was wiped.
“I’m just really tired,” Peacock said Sunday night. “It’s been a long season."
For Ryan Browne, the elation from winning his first state football championship had not. It was forced to share space with disbelief.
“I can’t even say I’m on Cloud 9,” the Venice quarterback said. “Because I’m almost in shock. For my entire life, it’s been a goal of mine to win a state championship. It’s amazing. It’s unreal.”
Unfortunately for Apopka High, Venice’s 35-7 dismantling of the Blue Darters in Saturday’s Class 8A title game was all too real. They may have thought their single-wing offense would give the Venice defense fits. They may have thought a defense which had allowed 30 points in its previous four playoff games could stymie an offense which had scored 195 in its previous four.
On both counts, Apopka couldn’t have been more wrong.
“A lot of nerves are pre-(game) nerves,” Peacock said. “This past Saturday, no. After our first drive, the focus, the kids just did a really good job of being locked in and focused on what we were trying to accomplish and bringing their intensity level. This was something I didn’t have to do a whole lot of coaching.
“We thought we’d be able to score. We didn’t think they would be able to contain us and stop us.”
Still, despite trailing 21-7 at the half, Apopka had done a decent job of bottling up Venice’s running game. When that happens, a head coach has but one option at his disposal.
And Peacock used it. In the biggest game of his young life, Browne delivered, throwing four touchdown passes, assuming a much larger role than in the first four Venice postseason victories.
“The way our games had been going,” Peacock said, “we’ve been so dominant in the run, we didn’t need to take a chance (to throw), but this Saturday, he did a great job. Made some great reads and threw some great balls.”
“I was on the biggest stage,” Browne said, “but I was prepared to have a game where I was 7-for-10, like I was. Whatever it takes to get that ring is what really mattered. As long as we win.”
Capturing a second state crown, Peacock said, removes the fluke factor. “I think when people see one state championship, they can say a lot of things — ‘oh, you got lucky that year’ but you win two, people say, ‘man, they must be doing something right there.’ I think one thing (the title) does is it kind of solidifies what we do as a staff.”
Peacock called this year’s team “the most talented” he’s ever had. Which means not winning it all was non-negotiable. Before the start of the season, he said as much to his players.
“We knew what kind of team we had,” he said. “We talked to the team before the season. I told them, ‘Listen, we should be winning a state championship this year. I’m telling you, it’s different this year. You guys should win it. If we don’t win it, we did something wrong.’ This year, it’s like we already had it won. We just had to go out there and do it.”
And next season, Peacock’s motivating theme to his team will be doing it again. Back-to-back titles. But before that, he needs to raise money to pay for championship rings for his players. He’ll be an assistant coach in Wednesday’s FACA North-South All Star Game at The Villages.
Before long, he’ll begin preparing for a 2022 season and a Venice team that is graduating a host of players who made this campaign so memorable.
And for one, utterly unforgettable.
“Two years ago, a year and a half ago,” Browne said, “I would have never imagined I would be in the state of Florida playing football and winning a state championship in the biggest division.”
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