With just one losing campaign in the past 23 years, winning is the expectation at Lafayette High School.

That standard is something new head coach Mark Beach knows well, having twice served as an assistant at LHS, including the past three years as offensive coordinator helping the Hornets go 25-9 in that span, including 8-4 a year ago with an appearance in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs.

“I think there’s a little bit of pressure on both ends of that,” Beach said as he takes over the reigns of the program from FACA Hall of Famer Joey Pearson. “I was part of this success and now I have to create my own success.

“I’m not going to lie to you, there’s always pressure on that end of it.”

Stories and Queries

1. A new era begins

Mark Beach takes over the reigns of the Hornets’ program after a successful 20-year run under Joey Pearson’s guidance.

2. Defensive progress

Lafayette allowed 311 points a year ago, the second most in program history. Will the Hornets have some sting back defensively?

3. New-look offense

Who among the new playmakers — Garrison Beach, Nic’Kel Freeman, Montae Gillyard, Robert Mattern, Mario Thomas — emerge alongside Adam Perry and Mark Crum?

Hopefully helping to relieve some of that pressure will be a potent offense led by three-year starting quarterback Jaxson Beach. The past two years, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound dual-threat has thrown for 4,409 yards with 57 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,874 yards and 26 touchdowns.

“Obviously, he’s a huge part of us,” Mark Beach said about his son and star quarterback. “He’s doing a great job of leading in the offseason. He competed all season in 7-on-7s in Jacksonville for different teams, for the Pro Impact team, and had his own team running around and doing voluntary workouts with those guys on Sundays with him and those guys.

“As a coach, I’m really proud of him because he’s taken on that leadership role.”

That leadership will be important as Beach finds new weapons to get the ball to following the graduation of offensive stalwarts Garris Edwards, Ben Massey and Ritchie James.

In replacing Edwards, who is the program’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 42 while also surpassing 1,000 yards each of the past three seasons, the Hornets have a handful of options, led by sophomore Montae Gillyard. Mario Thomas and Robert Mattern also saw time in the backfield in the spring, with Mark Beach calling Thomas the Hornets’ strongest player pound for pound.

While LHS lost All-State performers Massey and James out wide, it does return senior Mark Crum and senior Adam Perry. Last year, Perry hauled in 38 catches for 456 yards and five touchdowns, while Crum added 12 catches.

“(Perry) was really a possession guy,” Mark Beach said. “This year, he’s going to give some kids some fits.”

He added that Crum’s emergence last year as another dependable option is what allowed the Hornets to have the success they did, averaging 36.667 points per game.

“If you try to get someone the ball, it doesn’t work,” Beach said of the offense. “So it takes those role player guys to figure it out. (Crum) was the guy last year that got us in and out of jams.”

Garrison Beach, Jaxson’s younger brother, and Nic’Kel Freeman will also feature prominently in the Hornets’ passing attack.

While there will be a host of new faces on offense, LHS returns a bunch of experience up front. Center Joseph Perry was an All-State performer a year ago and combined with left guard Hayden Hinson and left tackle Parker Lawson, forms what Beach considers a top unit. They will be joined by Ty Jackson and Blake Adams, who started late last year, as starters.

“At the 1A level, those are three of the best offensive linemen in the state,” he said. “We’re pretty happy with what’s going on on the offensive line. We’re not talking about them and that’s fine by me.

“I just tell them to show up and do what they do.”

Beach and the Hornets hope they can also count on the defense to do the same. Last year was a struggle for LHS on that side of the ball, allowing 311 points, second most in a season in school history.

Beach, though, is optimistic that the improvement shown by that unit late in the year could translate to a better season moving forward. So, too, could an emphasis placed on that side.

“In all our meetings and everything that we’ve gone into and even from a practice standpoint, we’re basing everything off of defense and getting off the field on third downs,” Beach added.

Leading that defense will be 260-pound junior Tristan Deas on the interior of the defensive line as well as Chandler Padgett up front.

“He’s just a tough…he’s a Mayo kid,” Beach said of Deas, who he said will draw double teams with his strength. “He’s a tough, hard-nosed, what I think what we’re known for and I’m glad to have him in there.”

Joseph Perry and Blake Braswell (top returning tackle with 68 stops a year ago) will lead the Hornets’ linebacking corps and the secondary will be occupied by a host of new faces, including Mattern, Garrison Beach, Freeman as well as Gabe Hancock and Max Byrd.

“He weighs about 119 pounds and his heart is about 115 of that,” Beach said of Mattern. “We love him.”

Jaxson Beach also returns to handle kicking duties after punting and doing extra points and field goals.

It’s a group that has expectations on building upon that foundation of success that exists in Mayo.

Crum and Hingson said at the North Central Florida Media Days in Gainesville in July that their goal is an undefeated regular season.

The only specific goal Beach stated was to get to the playoffs.

“We want to play some teams,” he said without naming anybody specifically. “We’re allowed to cause a fuss in 1A. I know there’s a lot of great teams, but we want to be one of them.”

1	Montae Gillyard		24	Robert Mattern
2	Nic’Kel Freeman		32	Aiden Byrd
3	Garrison Beach		33	Elijah Clay
4	Kobie Osteen		35	Max Byrd
5	Craig Lamb		45	Darius Jones
6	Carter Perry		50	Joseph Perry
7	Mark Crum		51	Chandler Padgett
8	Mario Thomas		53	Tristan Deas
9	Jackson Ward		54	Hayden Hingson
10	Gabe Hancock		56	Trenton Thomas
13	Nathan Pearson		58	Isaiah Cook
15	Jaxson Beach		60	Parker Lawson
16	Colin Perry		63	Blake Adams
20	Blake Braswell		65	Ty Jackson
22	Adam Perry		75	Cody Dees