Alum Jeremy Frioud returns to lead Tarpon Springs (FL) football

TARPON SPRINGS, FL – The Tarpon Springs Spongers’ football program is soaked full of history and tradition over the last 97 some years of existence.

From winning district championships throughout the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s to reaching the Class 4A state championship game in 1986, against Dillard, to winning campaigns in 2009, 2013, 2014, it’s not for a lack of a tradition Tarpon Springs hasn’t seen better days recently. The last time the Spongers were above the .500 mark was in 2014 when the program went 7-4 under then head coach Ron Hawn.

Now the Spongers will enter a new era under alum Jeremy Frioud, who now takes over the Tarpon Springs’ football program that is hoping to find some sense of direction as an independent team in 2022. Frioud is no stranger as a coordinator or head coach in Pinellas County, serving as a coordinator at Largo before taking on the head coaching role at Northeast High School from 2014 to 2020, going 31-37.

Frioud ended up replacing Cedric Hill, who went 5-23 during his time as Spongers’ head coach, and he will have an uphill climb with a Tarpon Springs club that will play a completely independent schedule this fall. The Spongers will kick things off on September 26th at home versus St. Petersburg and also has games against teams like rival Anclote, Gulf, Dunedin and North Port.

Tarpon Springs had a up and down 2021 campaign that saw the Spongers open up the season with a lot of promise with a 15-2 win over St. Petersburg and starting off 3-3 before losing four straight games. The Spongers lost tight ball games against Seminole, Gulf and Hollins, which could have landed the club with a record of 5-5 or 6-4. Now the program sees the up and coming season with an opportunity to rebuild for a couple seasons before re-entering district play in metro-suburban.

The team has some promising up and coming players that could be difference makers this fall, starting at the quarterback position with freshman Joaquin Kavouklis. The freshman has looked impressive in 7-on-7’s this summer and is primed for a productive 2022 season.

Some skill targets he will be looking to throw to include junior running back Parkees Harris and fellow freshman Jaylan Erby. With plenty of talented freshmen and sophomores littered all over the roster, Tarpon Springs under Frioud’s watch, could be trending back towards its winning tradition that school has accustomed to since 1925.

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.