Jacksonville - Fleming Island High football had a banner year last year amidst a fast coaching turnover due to unforecast circumstances, but the coaching staff stepped up; mainly Chris Otero, as a one game interim head coach with a win over Clay, and Derek Chipoletti as the head coach for the rest of the season leading the Golden Eagles to a region semifinal finish with the talents of a four year quarterback, Cibastian Broughton, and a dump truck sized running back, Dehmir Jackson, plus two jet-speed athletes on the fringes that could break games in a blink of an eye; Sebastian Cruz and Trace Burney, but, in 2025, a lot has changed.
A new coach, Tom Macpherson, brought into be an assistant coach and wide receivers coach under Chipoletti, took over as head coach just two weeks ago with Chipoletti stepping back to defensive coordinator with time constraints on his outside business his primary reason for the change.
On the field, Macpherson steps in minus Burney, who recently transferred to Oakleaf. Macpherson also loses a standout defensive lineman in Cohen Cioffi, who transferred to Bradford County High.
Ultimately, and not a negative, Macpherson has a new quarterback to install with Broughton headed to Akron and a new running back with Jackson heading to college.
"Right now, we have a kid in the quarterback slot that started a game early, scored a bunch of points and later played at wide receiver when Cibastian returned to the lineup," said Macpherson, referring to Eric Gentry. "He's been on the field before and has done a decent job when called upon, but to replace a player as electric as Cibastian is a big ask and we just ask him to do the things we need him to do to protect the ball and move the offense. There are not a lot of kids that replicate what Cibastian did."

With Macpherson on the Baker Sports Media Day stage were senior kicker Parker Sirdevan and senior defensive end Jarius Rodgers who is slated to next play at Syracuse University, plus a new senior offensive lineman Corbett Yarbrough, a 6'-5", 280 pound transfer from Bradford County.
"We trust in coach Macpherson because he has been in great programs around here for a long time,"said Sirdevan.
Rodgers noted that, with Chipoletti still on the sidelines, he wasn't expecting too much change in strategy.
"We had a pretty good season last year and we saw what it took to get to those playoff games," said Rodgers. "I don't expect much change, more just changes in personnel."
Yarbrough, whose dad is Fleming Island offensive line coach Cory Yarbrough, a University of Florida national champion team member, his initial read on the changes is positive.
"I don't have much interaction from my end being a younger player," said Yarbrough, part of Bradford County's 10-2 region semifinal finish last year. "And from what my dad tells me, I'm a little like him at this point, so I think that's a good thing."