Last Monday may have marked a milestone in more ways than one for the Apopka Pop Warner football organization. Apopka football’s new head coach, Marcus Neeson, and members of the team attended the first day of pads for Apopka Pop Warner practice, aiming to bridge the gap between the high school and youth programs.   

For the past few years, tensions have formed between the high school and Pop Warner football organizations. Through this, the foundation of Apopka football and the high school’s feeder program has eroded, making Pop Warner a pitstop for Apopka athletes on their way out of town.   

For the youth of Apopka, being a Blue Darter isn’t the holy grail of being a high school athlete anymore. That’s why many Apopka athletes, not just football players, choose to attend other schools in the era of open enrollment.   

Now, Neeson is doing everything he can to mend the relationship between the school’s program and Apopka Pop Warner. He said that he has many connections with the Pop Warner organization, having worked with numerous coaches and their children.   

“We came out here to support our youth program,” Neeson said Monday. “We’re here to let these guys know that we care about them, and we want to be around.” 

Ken Bryant, Apopka Pop Warner’s 12U football coach and president, said the organization wants to be the foundation for Apopka football. He wants his players to transition directly from performing at the highest level and competing for a championship with Pop Warner to doing the same thing with the Blue Darters.   

It helps that Bryant and Neeson already have a relationship. They coached together in a seven-on-seven football league, and Neeson coached Bryant’s son. Neeson and Bryant both believe that the relationship between their programs will be easy to rebuild and should be stronger than ever.   

During practice, the high school players offered tips in drills and helped maintain the energy of the younger kids. Neeson and a member of his coaching staff, Kelvin Joyner, camped out near the older kids watching them scrimmage in full pads.  

Neeson said his players must set a good example for the Pop Warner kids and said it helps them. He built on what he said at Jalen Carter’s recent camp about how teaching can be a great way to learn.   

“You learn best when you can teach it to someone else. So, when you can reach one, teach one,” Neeson said.   

Bryant said he does not blame anyone in particular for the separation between the programs over the last few years. He just wants the divide to be a thing of the past. Neeson agreed.   

“To have the head coach come out and visit with the kids, speak to them, and see who is actually on the field… it’s a great thing, and a step in the right direction,” Bryant said.  

Roger Williams, a former Blue Darter football player and a pillar of the Apopka athletic community, said he was happy to see the high school program reaching out to Apopka Pop Warner.   

“I am greatly encouraged to see that Coach Marcus Neeson is paying close attention to Apopka Pop Warner football,” Williams said. “I personally consider it to be a part of the job description of the Apopka High School football coach, written or unwritten, to pay close attention to the youth football teams of Apopka, including offering to help and support those programs as much as possible.”   

Williams, who also attended the Monday night practice, said the Apopka football coach must have first-hand knowledge of the talent of the next generation of Blue Darters, which takes initiative.  

“I am very, very pleased that Coach Neeson obviously recognizes these realities and is enthusiastically making working closely with Apopka Pop Warner a top priority,” Williams said. 

Bryant and other Apopka Pop Warner coaches agreed that consistency and communication will be key between the organizations. Neeson also said that coming down to practice whenever he is free and being involved in any way the high school program can will be a top priority for him.   

“It’s so great to see them out here,” Bryant said. “To see the show of support from the high school level is amazing. We have been trying to get back to the days of becoming the true feeder program for the high school.”   

Bryant went on to say that there was an immediate and obvious difference in his players’ energy and determination during drills when the Blue Darters arrived.  

“As soon as they saw the high school players come out, you could see our players’ energy and excitement levels go up,” he said. “We are already excited because it’s the first day of pads, but to see them here has just brought the level up even more.”   

But Bryant wants this to be the start of something and not a one-time thing. He wants consistent interaction between the two programs. Bryant said Pop Warner has a very full schedule and will likely need support from the team in the future.  

“We got to keep that communication open, keep that connection going and keep building this relationship,” Bryant said. “We have to keep setting up opportunities for interaction between both programs, whether it’s us supporting them or them supporting us.”   

Williams also said the relationship needs to be a two-way street.  

“The leaders and coaches of Apopka Pop Warner need to be loyal to the high school that serves our Apopka community,” he said.  

Williams said that many people in the Apopka community support the Pop Warner organization because they assume that those kids will one day be Blue Darters. He said the problem is that many of the kids going through Apopka Pop Warner have not ended up in Apopka in recent years. 

“Unfortunately, currently, and in the recent past, many products of Apopka Pop Warner are not going to Apopka High School but are actually ending up at rival high school football programs,” Williams said. “Some close observers have the perception that certain Apopka Pop Warner coaches have encouraged this migration. It is obvious that Coach Marcus Neeson and his 2025 Apopka Blue Darter players are committed to supporting Apopka Pop Warner. The question now is, will the leaders and coaches at Apopka Pop Warner, from 2025 onward, be loyal to Apopka High School and Apopka Blue Darter football?” 

According to Bryant, the current league president, that’s all Apopka Pop Warner wants.