September 18, 2024
Rhett Walsh Powers First Academy-Leesburg Football To Stellar Start Of Season
By Kyle Coppola
Rhett Walsh Powers First Academy-Leesburg Football To Stellar Start Of Season
LEESBURG, Fla. (AP) — Senior standout Rhett Walsh is off to a tremendous start for First Academy-Leesburg (FA-Leesburg), helping the Eagles to a 2-2 record in their 2024 football season. Walsh, a versatile 6’4″, 200-pound athlete, has excelled on both sides of the ball, playing tight end and defensive back for FA-Leesburg.
Through the first four games, Walsh has recorded 240 receiving yards and three touchdowns, averaging an impressive 15 yards per catch. His presence on defense has been equally impactful, with 20 total tackles and a key interception. He’s been a big reason for the success that the Eagles have had this season.
(For Sunshine State Conference Player Rhett Walsh is a big player. Standing 6″4 and nearly 200lbs, he has dominated as a tight end. He’s a good blocker and plays hard on defense too.)
“Rhett’s been a game-changer for us,” said FA-Leesburg head coach Cahn Bui. “His work ethic and leadership on both sides of the ball are crucial to our success this season.”
Walsh’s contributions have paired well with quarterback Cason Cherry, who has thrown for 570 yards and leads the team with eight touchdowns. Together, they have anchored an FA-Leesburg squad that is finding its rhythm early in the season.
(Walsh is a physically imposing player. He plays with great heart and helps the team out in so many ways both as a leader on and off the field.)
The Eagles, fresh off a competitive start, look to keep the momentum going as they travel to St. Augustine this Friday to face St. Joseph’s Academy at 7 p.m.
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.
