High School Varsity Football Touchdown Preview: Bloomingdale High School, 2025

Bloomingdale is expected to make a big jump in Head Coach Patrick Murphy’s third season at the helm, with veterans returning on both sides of the ball, including the whole offensive line.

Murphy and the Bulls went back to basics last season with a young and inexperienced team. They bring back key starters from last year who have bought into the system. The Bulls were one of the younger teams in Hillsborough County last season, starting eight sophomores. There is a consistency and chemistry that comes along with veteran players, which Murphy hasn’t really had in his first two seasons.

Junior transfer quarterback Sammy Zelaya will take over this spread, no-huddle, up-tempo offense. Murphy said he looks forward to calling plays for the young signal caller, who is still learning the offense but has a lot of potential with a strong arm, quick feet and athleticism. Zelaya is a dual threat, being asked to run and pass.

Murphy thinks his team’s major strength will be up front, stopping the run and running the ball on offense, with several returning players. Bloomingdale returns six starters on offense, including the whole offensive line and their running back, and three starters on defense. Junior running back Preston Beckham will have the bulk of the carries and has several Division I programs looking at him.

The head coach likes his linebacking corps. Junior transfer Nykel Young will play inside with the young and talented sophomore Messiah Rushing. The two returning outside linebackers are Dexter Snyder and one of the lone seniors on defense, Jadon Svendsen, who put on 10-15 pounds of muscle in the offseason. He has several college offers. Sophomore kicker Ben Beasley has a strong leg and will handle all the kicking duties and has a very high touchback percentage.

Murphy and his team’s mantra is #Trust. He wants his team to execute more effectively, be more consistent overall in every category and have the players and coaches alike trust each other and the process. He believes in course-correcting by watching film with his players and being able to communicate effectively what needs to be done to move forward. He thinks that if his team cleans up the penalties and turnovers from last season, they will be able to compete for a district title.

“You want to be the best, you have to beat the best,” said Murphy.

Last season was a big learning experience for Bloomingdale. They played in several one-score games that they feel could have gone their way that didn’t. They continue to use those losses as motivation for this season.

The Bulls play in a tough district with Bartow, Durant and Riverview. They open the season with a huge rivalry game against crosstown opponent Newsome. The fans and the players are always amped up for this game. It will be a big confidence and morale boost for them to start the season with a win in this key matchup. Bloomingdale has a good chance to at least double its win total from last season with the players they bring back.

“We are looking forward to the next game and to see all the hard work that we put up to this point,” said Murphy. “We just want to see the next game where we are competing against other color jerseys and see if we can put it all into action.”

Schedule:

8/22 @ Newsome

10/31 vs. Strawberry Crest