Mike Ridaught
Following an 0-9 start to the 2022 high school football season, Gainesville High football coach Dock Pollard has announced his resignation.
“Gainesville High School would like to thank head football coach Dock Pollard for his service at our school,” said GHS Athletics Directors Phillip Knight. “He has served our students very well for the past three years.”
Pollard’s accomplishments at GHS include a district championship last year. The Hurricanes finished 8-3 and a perfect 4-0 record in Class 6A-District 4, which included a 17-14 win at perennial power St. Augustine.
It was Gainesville’s first district title in football in seven years.
“However, Coach Pollard has made the decision to resign at the conclusion of the season,” Knight said. “The Eastside game on November 4th will be his last game. We wish him the very best as he continues his career.”
GHS was looking to build on its 2021 success.
But with several key players transferring, and a team comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores, the ‘Canes struggled immediately.
They lost 68-0 at Vanguard (Ocala) in a game that was moved from Citizens Field on Friday due to weather and played the next morning at Booster Stadium in Ocala.
After beating Trinity Catholic (Ocala) last year on the road, they struggled at home against the Celtics in a 48-3 loss.
Their best chance for a victory came on Sept. 23 at winless Santa Fe (Alachua), where Pollard was previously the head coach, but the host Raiders held on for a 14-7 win.
Two weeks ago, at home against Matanzas (Palm Coast), the Hurricanes had another opportunity to pick up their first win of the season. Unfortunately, the game was marred by unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, injuries, and ejections in a 22-14 homecoming loss.
The Hurricanes have been outscored 359-65 this season.
Pollard, who has a 10-16 record at GHS, will guide his winless Hurricanes against rival Eastside next Friday night at 7 p.m. at Citizens Field. The Hurricanes have won 14 in a row in the series.