Cory Fleming will make few changes to football team

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Chacory “Cory” Fleming recently played high school football under two Central Florida legends: John Maronto at Daytona Beach Mainland, and former Edgewater Coach Bill Gierke.

Now, at the young age of 26, Fleming has his own program at Poinciana High.

PHS Athletic Director Mal Harpell officially announced Fleming as the school’s seventh head coach since 2001 Monday.

“He was an assistant here last year, and he and Coach (Joe) Marcheggiani have done a great  job of holding the program together this summer,” Harpell said. “I think he’ll do a good job for us.”

Fleming was the defensive coordinator under Michael Timpson last season, when the Eagles were winless for the fourth time in 10 years.

Timpson was not retained by Principal Belynda Pinkston and left in June.

Fleming acknowledged that the transition comes at a difficult time, just weeks before the start of the season, but he thinks it will go smoothly.

“I’ve had a chance to work with the kids since I was an assistant here last year, and I think we’ve had a good summer,” Fleming said. “I gave them off this week because we’ve been going pretty hard with the team activities and the 7-on-7 (tournaments). I’d say our participation this year is better than it was last year.”

Fleming was a defensive back at Mainland and Edgewater. He transferred during his sophomore year.

He said that it was an advantage playing for respected coaches like Gierke and Maronto.

“Playing for Coach Maronto was special because he teaches you a lot of things,” he said.

Fleming was on the first Edgewater team to play for the state championship in 2003, during his senior season. Edgewater made two more appearances at the state tournament after he graduated.

Fleming said he also learned from Timpson, a former NFL player, and plans to keep the program on the course that Timpson set for it.

“Coach Timpson for sure did a lot of good things while he was here. We’ll definitely continue a lot of the things he started, and we’ll also be trying some new methods. It’ll be a lot of trial and error at first as we get the new staff together.”

Fleming said that he will likely coach the defense and Marcheggiani will work with the linemen. He is in the process of completing his staff.

“Coach Marcheggiani has been right there with me as we went through the summer, and he’s going to play a huge role for us,” Fleming said.

Fleming played safety four seasons at Florida International University under

coaches Don Strock and Mario Cristobal and graduated in 2008.

St. Cloud High Coach Mike Short, also beginning his first season, said that he is happy to welcome Fleming to the local football coaching fraternity.

“I’ve been real impressed with the job he has done over there. I’m happy for him,” Short said. “I’ll tell you something else and that is that Poinciana has some players. You don’t want to sleep on Poinciana this season or you might be surprised.”

The Eagles will play this season in 5A District 6 against Port Orange Atlantic, Bishop Moore, Eustis, Tavares and Lake Nona.

Fleming said he told his players that they should not limit themselves.

“You can speak of making the playoffs, even of winning a state championship. If you talk about it, it’s out there, it’s something to strive for,” he said. “Last year, we had guys talking about hopefully beating Liberty, not even thinking about the playoffs. If that’s the way you are thinking, that’s where you’ll end up.

“I tell them to shoot for the stars. That way, even if you only reach the moon, at least you can say that you’ve been in space.”