By Kyle Coppola
Umatilla High Football Makes History And Wins Home Playoff Game
(Bryce Norflee has been the lead receiver for Umatilla High this season.)
Quarterback Josh Wilson was a standout for the Bulldogs, completing 13 of 21 passes for 251 yards and one touchdown. Wilson also added 32 rushing yards, keeping the offense dynamic and the defense on its heels. Senior running back Dallas Cottle was unstoppable on the ground, racking up 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Additional touchdowns from sophomore Isaiah Brown and freshman Payne Brunson helped Umatilla stay in front, while Tyler Pounders contributed 131 receiving yards on five catches, including a pivotal touchdown.
(Quarterback Josh Wilson has been fantastic down the home stretch of the 2024 season. He will need to be nearly perfect against Space Coast for shot at the SSAA Super Bowl.)
Head Coach Eric Samuels, a Umatilla alumni and former Vanderbilt standout, reflected on the significance of the win for both himself and the community. “I grew up watching my older cousins ball on Friday night at Umatilla High,” Samuels said. “I remember saying to myself, ‘that’s gonna be me when I get in high school.’ I got to high school and did just that! Was blessed to go on and play at Vanderbilt and the pros. Now being back home leading my hometown team to a playoff victory is just an unbelievable feeling. Love my guys and my town!”
(Coach Eric Samuels has done an incredible job with the Umatilla High program this season. To be playing for a berth in a championship game in just his 2nd season is a huge accomplishment.)
The win keeps Umatilla’s playoff hopes alive as they press on to the next round. They will be going up against Space Coast who have been dominant this year. Umatilla High will come in as the underdog in that matchup but with plenty of momentum on their side. That will be an SSAA Semifinal. The winner of that contest will play in the SSAA Atlantic Super Bowl against either Bell or Interlachen. Space Coast won via a forfeit from Tradition Prep.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
