Valiant team uplifted a school and city happy to go along for unforgettable ride

The loss in the Florida championship game Saturday night – on a last-gasp, one-in-a-million combo Hail Mary pass and handoff – was heartbreaking to Vero Beach High School’s football family, which was poised to celebrate a perfect season.

But Vero still has an undefeated regular season record and three playoff wins to remember.

“Coming up a few seconds short of winning it all does not take away from what this team has accomplished,” said David Carter, a partner at the Gould Cooksey Fennell law firm and a defensive tackle on Vero’s 1981 state champions.

“This is the first team in nearly a half-century to make it to the finals since then and they did so much to bring this community together in support of their quest,” Carter said. “Vero football, and its unmatched tradition, took another big step on the backs of this team and that will never be forgotten.”

Local school officials also were quick to focus this week on all the good done by the 2025 Fighting Indians’ run to the Class 7A final.

The way the community embraced the team’s triumphs throughout the regular season and especially in the playoffs, they said, can only enhance the district’s efforts to convince students and parents to choose the county’s public schools.

Not only did thousands of supporters pack Vero’s Citrus Bowl each Friday night through the season, but the hundreds of fans who attended last week’s pre-championship events, followed their team to Miami, or turned out for watch parties Saturday night at clubs and bars on both the mainland and the island clearly attested to that support.

“Anyone who attended the pep rally last week could see how much this community loves its high school,” School Superintendent David Moore said. “And the vibe inside the school is 1,000 times better.

“It just feels different if you’re at the school and you’re a part of it,” he added. “The band, the cheerleaders, being in the crowd at the games – it’s a special feeling here. The stadium was packed.”

Moore said the competition for students in Florida, where school choice and state vouchers provide parents with an option to their local public schools, is real – as the local district’s enrollment has decreased.

He believes offering parents and students more than an A-rated district can be a pivotal factor in recruitment, which is why his staff promoted Vero Beach football team’s success via Facebook and other social media platforms.

“Our goal is to continue to have one of the highest-ranked districts in the state, but it’s also important that we offer kids different opportunities through different experiences,” Moore said.
“Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, I don’t think people realize what an advantage that is,” he added. “It’s a recruiting tool.”

Vero Beach football coach Lenny Jankowski agreed, acknowledging that public school is only an option in Florida.

“In the world we’re living in, we need to face it: Kids are attracted to schools for reasons that can go beyond academics – and I say that as an old math teacher,” said Jankowski, who has coached for 31 years and just concluded his 15th season at Vero Beach.

“The reality is, extracurricular activities matter,” he added. “I’m not saying it’s all about football, or band, or other programs and activities. But they can be a factor, especially if you’re doing things the right way.

“My goal, as a coach, is to try to help the kids have the best high school experience they can.”
At Vero Beach, Jankowski said, Fighting Indians football is part of the school’s culture.

“Football is such a big piece of school spirit and campus morale here,” he said. “The season starts right at the beginning of the year, and it sets the tone. The football program, because of the years of success we’ve enjoyed, is something a lot of people – on campus and off – can and want to be a part of.

“And it’s not just football,” the coach added. “Look at the following our teams get in other sports, too.”

More directly, Vero Beach’s football reputation also attracts players from outside the school district. This year’s team, in fact, featured several key players who transferred from St. Lucie County.

Among them were offensive lineman Micah “Big Champ” Smith, wide receiver Xavier Stinson, safety Jordan Crutchfield, and super sophomore quarterback Wonderful “Champ” Monds.

Crutchfield said Vero Beach having earned an “A” rating from the state was a factor in his decision to transfer.

“They have a good rating, education-wise,” he said, “and football-wise, I really wanted to get pushed on the field.”

Jankowski said Vero Beach probably gets fewer transfers than most schools, but the players on this year’s team stood out. Still, he knows his program – especially with the community support it receives – is an attractive option.

“The relationship we have with the community is such a cool thing,” he said. “The energy that the community and crowds bring to the Citrus bowl oozes through our players. And I think it’s infectious both ways.”

That’s why, despite the gut-wrenching loss in the title bout, school officials hope the Vero Beach football team’s rousing run this season caught the attention of parents who hadn’t yet decided whether public school was the best choice for their children.

“Everybody wants to be a part of a winning team,” said School Board Chairwoman Teri Barenborg.