TAMPA, Fla. — You’ll hear some unusual phrases yelled out at Alonso High flag football practices.
Like applesauce and your mama.
That’s what you get when the head coach allows the student-athletes to name the plays. But that’s also why the Alonso Ravens are so successful on the football field, because their coach, Matt Hernandez, gives them a voice.
It’s not unusual to see Hernandez line up to help break down a play. Ultimately, he’s a teacher, by profession, and that extends outside the classroom. Every time he sets foot on a football field, he’s teaching, and it takes a special teacher to get a diverse group to work together toward a common goal.
“We have the valedictorian, we have the senior class president, we have the SGA president,” Hernandez said of his players. “We have kids who are dance captains, soccer captains and kids who use school to coach their own niche in life. And to have them be a part of this team and this program and lead us the way that they have makes us super proud of this group.”
So much is going the Ravens way this season — they’ve put together a perfect record for only the second time in school history. They’ve outscored their opponents by an average of 30 points per game, and they’re on a direct path to win the program’s third state championship Saturday in Jacksonville.
“I’m proud of our group now," Hernandez said. "(They have) kind of formed their own kind of, not so much pressure, but expectations and standards where I feel they are comfortable playing to their expectations which is their own level of excellence made themselves."
Hernandez has already done so much for flag football in the Sunshine State, and he’s helping to spread the love nationally. Recently, he was named to the U.S National Football Team’s girls flag coaching staff. And for all he has done to promote his favorite sport, Hernandez was named the NFL Flag Coach of the Year during Pro Bowl festivities in February.
“It’s been really neat seeing new kids get involved in this sport and experience what our kids have got to experience for the past, basically two decades, decade and a half,” he said.
As Hernandez has helped further the cause of flag football, he’s brought along his Alonso team for the wild ride. That includes being featured in a Nike commercial. Unveiling new uniforms in the Tampa Bay Bucs locker room before playing in the first girls flag football game on the Nike campus. And of course, there were the back-to-back state championships in 2018 and 19. It’s all about making memories for Hernandez.
And the Ravens aren’t done adding to this year’s scrapbook.
“It’s always the kids and what it adds to the daily life,” Hernandez said. “My daily life is better because I have these kids be a part of it. And being a part of the program and seeing them grow and succeed.