TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Berkeley Prep head football coach Dom Ciao has been at the helm of the Berkeley Prep-Buccaneer program for 15 years.
He believes his seniors and the chemistry of this team will lead them to a successful season.
“We challenge our leaders on senior leadership, and they’ve done a tremendous job. It’s early in the season, and they have stepped up and let us in every way,” said Ciao.
“Team chemistry is the most important thing and you can see it on the field a little bit of ways that we try to do that is go out for dinner and hang out with each other outside of football,” said OL/DL Nikhil Jefferson.
Jefferson also spends time making music outside of football, he was in the Berkeley Prep band, and spends time making beats in his room.
“Percussion was always the heart beat of the band, so I felt that was a really big role for me,” said Jefferson.
“Music just kind of puts you in a place where it’s peaceful and you can kind of just let all of your emotions go. That goes along with football whatever happens at school or outside of football, once you step on the field you can just let all of that go it takes you to a whole another place.”
It also takes him to the basketball court, where his quarterback Rico Garcia is his teammate and guess who’s the head coach? Rico’s father, who graduated from the school they’re facing, Tampa Catholic.
“My dad and I are best friends. That’s my guy. I love playing for him and having him around the school. He’s always giving me advice. He’s a great role model for me and I just try to model myself as a man after him,” said Garcia.
