Lake Buena Vista football coach steps down

After former head football coach at Lake Buena Vista High School, Joe Rienzi, made the decision to step down, Grant Peddy will lead the Vipers during the 2023-24 football season.

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

Lake Buena Vista High School just bid farewell to its founding head football coach, Joe Rienzi.

“I’m going to miss everything about (Lake Buena Vista),” he said.

“It’s a program that I started. I was the first real teacher hired there. I’m going to miss the kids. I’m going to miss the community. I’m going to miss the student section on Friday nights — that was probably the best I’ve been around. It’s like moving away from your family, so it’s tough.”

Rienzi built the Vipers football program from the ground up, teaching his players everything about the game. Even though there was no plan to leave, the decision to step down from his head football coach position came after his wife, Gabby Rienzi, was offered an opportunity to advance her professional career in the small city of Lebanon, Tennessee.

“She’s been my cheerleader for a long, long time,” Rienzi said of his wife. “I’ve been coaching for 15 years. She’s been my cheerleader for forever. So she wanted to go for an opportunity, so I said, ‘Go for it.’ … (My wife and I) put a lot of thought into the decision. … To be able to support her and be the kind of spouse that she’s been to me through my entire career, (well) it’s nice to have the opportunity to be that for her.”

Two seasons in and a handful of memories later, Rienzi will forever treasure his time at Lake Buena

Vista, the place that allowed him to live his dream. “As a coach, I had dreams, too,” he said. “I always wanted to be a head coach. I’m always going to be appreciative of Dr. (Guy) Swenson and Ms. Bradley. … They gave me an opportunity at a brand-new school … to live my dreams. But (it’s more than that). It’s the relationship with the kids — the guys you work with and the students on campus. That’s the stuff I’m going to remember the most and the stuff I’m going to hold onto.”

For Rienzi, the biggest thing he wanted to pass along to his athletes was not the fundamentals of the game but rather how to be good

The Windermere Little League 10U softball division became Section 5 champion after defeating Oviedo Little League 4-3 during the sectional championship game Sunday, July 9. The girls advanced to the state tournament that will take place the weekend of July 14 to 16 at Woodville Little League.

The Windermere Little League 11U baseball team defeated Oviedo Little League 20-0 during the Section 5 championship game Sunday, July 9. The boys advanced to the state tournament that will take place the weekend of July 14 to 16 at Zephyrhills Little League.

The Dr. Phillips Little League AllStar Major (12U) division and the All-Star Intermediate (13U) division both became sectional champions this season.