The Gainesville football team had quite a turnaround in 2024.

The Hurricanes, who finished the season winless in 2022 and won just one game in head coach Ian Scott’s first season last year, finished with a 5-5 record this past season.

On Wednesday, GHS celebrated three of its seniors on early signing day.

The trio will not only get to continue their athletic career, but they will get an opportunity to earn a college degree while living out their dream of playing football.

“As a coach, it’s an exciting time,” Scott said. “Next to being able to see them successful on the football field, the most important thing for us is to be able to see them being successful off of it…it’s exciting for them…these are precious moments, so we’re excited for them.”

Calvin Thomas, who transferred from P.K. Yonge for his senior year, decommitted from the Air Force Academy and signed with Division-I Delaware.

“It means a lot,” he said. “Four years put into this, well really since pee wee days I’ve always wanted to play on the next level. I love playing football and being able to pack up the pads in high school and play again is a blessing. It’s special.”

As a junior, Thomas (6’2, 185) had 13 catches for 210 yards, rushed for 80 yards on 19 carries, and also threw for 206 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

He stepped up in competition transferring to Class 4A GHS which is a bigger school.

“It’s a higher level of football, it was a lot more fun, a lot more opportunities, especially in these big games, higher competition,” he said. “It was a nice little push, especially for my senior year.”

He led the team with 640 yards receiving and nine touchdowns on 23 catches.

“Calvin can really do anything he wants to do on the football field,” Scott said. “His ball skills are really what set him apart. He’s a really good route runner as a receiver and he’s got awareness of what is going on because he also plays some safety, so he kind of understands the spacing and where the defense is trying to be so that helps him with his route running.”

His best game was in a 36-8 win against Lake Weir (Ocala) when he had six catches for 211 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 71 yards on 14 carries (5.1 yards per carry) and averaged 71.1 all-purpose yards per game.

“What really surprised me was his ability to run away from some people,” Scott said. “He took a couple of five, six-yard passes for I think 70, 75-yards at Leon (Tallahassee) and he had another one, another slant that I think he took against Lake Weir (Ocala) where he went about 65 yards so being able to take a short pass like that and turn it into a very explosive play, that’s a big skill as a receiver.”

Defensive back Saalim Davis, who transferred from North Atlanta High School in Georgia late in the year, signed with Austin Peay and will play cornerback.

“It means a lot,” Davis said. “A lot was put in this since I was young. I’ve been playing football since I was 5, so it’s always been a dream to go D-I. Doesn’t matter FCS or FBS, I really didn’t know the difference until I got here, but dreams are being made as of today so just keep looking out for me because I’ll be on TV for sure.”

Davis (6’, 165), who played his first game at Vanguard (Ocala) as a safety, was committed to the Governors before he arrived in Gainesville. They sent him an offer following his sophomore season going into his junior year.

“Fantastic athlete, very smooth, obviously a short time with us so not a lot of opportunity to be able to show a lot, but you could definitely tell the type of athleticism he has,” Scott said.

Aidan Bell, who started at tackle but was moved inside to guard because of his athleticism, signed with Kentucky Christian University.

“This means a lot,” said Bell, who transferred to GHS from P.K. Yonge after his sophomore season. “Growing up I’ve always wanted to play college football at the next level so it’s just a dream come true and I’m excited to see what my future brings. I want to leave a mark at GHS also. Knowing my teammates behind me seeing us sign, just encouraging them to want to play college football. I’m really happy and really excited to see what my future is.”

Bell (6’5, 285), who was recruited as a tackle but moved to guard during the Lecanto game the fourth game of the season, feels like he could play both positions in college.

“He creates problems for the defense because of his feet and his ability to run and be able to block in space,” Scott said. “He’ll get bigger and stronger as gets into a real college system and is able to develop. Being a basketball player, he’s still got some football body to build on him, and as he does that the power aspect will come because he’s such a great athlete.”

The senior, who was the backup long snapper and also punted, is considering walking on to the KCU basketball team. In the Hurricanes’ first two wins of the season against North Marion (Citra) and P.K. Yonge he had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

“That would be kind of fun if I could do that, play two sports,” he said.

GHS started the year at 3-0 and won four of its first five games and had a narrow loss at Leesburg, 35-34, which prevented the ‘Canes from finishing over .500.

“We won some games that we probably would not have won last year,” Scott said. “We were in some games that we definitely would not have been in last year. As a head coach, you want to be able to appreciate the progress that we made as a team and I’m trying to balance out the feeling that we probably had a couple of games that we let get away where we could have been in the playoffs. I think that’s a good thing though because it keeps the guys that are coming back, it keeps them hungry. It gives us as a coaching staff a way to be able to push them.”