Hanshaw, Wright turn Weeki Wachee football from winless to winning seasons

Two Weeki Wachee players capped a multi-year turnaround by signing letters of intent at the team banquet and sending the Hornets from a low point to sustained success that matters for local youth, school spirit and college pathways.

Richard Hanshaw and Leelan Wright helped lift Weeki Wachee football from a winless season before their arrival to consecutive winning records. The Hornets went 2-8 in 2022, 4-5 in 2023, reached a program-best 7-3 in 2024 and finished 7-4 in 2025 with a berth in the Florida Invitational Tournament. Accounts differ on the exact pre-turnaround record — some report a 0-11 season while others list 0-10 — but both reflect a program that was winless before Hanshaw and Wright arrived as freshmen.

The banquet on Friday night was capped by Hanshaw signing with Trinity College of Florida and Wright signing with North Park University in Chicago. Hanshaw said, "I feel like we helped change the culture at Weeki Wachee. Before, people didn’t really want to play football for Weeki Wachee. Now, it’s the place to be." Game performances underscored that change: Hanshaw completed 86 of 177 passes for 1,287 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions and added 404 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Wright ran for 1,009 yards and nine rushing touchdowns on the season and in one game against Lake Placid rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns while also catching a touchdown pass.

Coach Justin Bland has taken credit for resetting expectations and making schematic tweaks that let the roster grow into winners. "When I got hired last December, I came in and it was a mentality thing that we had to change. These kids adapted right away to it and they just started saying, 'Coach, what do we need to do? How much harder do we need to work to turn this thing around?' And I set an expectation for those kids and this group went beyond that," Bland said. Bland described defensive adjustments - "Defensively we just went from a 3-5 to a 4-4" - and an offensive shift toward "more of a spread offense kind of look and it opened things up." Bland also noted, "They showed up every single day. The hard work and the dedication that they showed to turning this thing around this year, I think that’s the biggest thing that stood out from the senior class."

Depth and two-way play helped the Hornets sustain gains. Alex Wilson led receivers with 26 catches for 526 yards and nine receiving touchdowns and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. Brock Rosario had three receiving touchdowns and a team-best 94 tackles. Sophomore James Nielson recorded 12.5 sacks, and Keavin Moss added three interceptions.

The turnaround in Weeki Wachee joins a countywide pattern of programs rebuilding and points to a local pipeline supporting athletes beyond high school. Marcus Applefield, a Weeki Wachee native who opened a training facility in Port Richey, said programs at his facility provide nutrition, recruiting guidance and life skills: "We help with nutrition. We help with the recruiting process. We help with their daily life structure. We're preparing them for life after the game or life at the next level." Applefield added that mentoring youth and building good community members is a primary goal.

For Hernando County residents the Hornets’ rise is about more than wins. It restores pride at Weeki Wachee High School, expands college opportunity for players such as Hanshaw and Wright, and highlights how coaching, community training resources and sustained commitment can change outcomes for young people. The next chapters will be the college careers of Hanshaw and Wright and whether the program can convert this momentum into long-term stability and continued opportunities for future Hornets.