The Buchholz football program has established itself as one of the best in the state. For the Bobcats, a deep playoff run is no longer a pleasant surprise. Reaching the final four has become the expectation.
That might create added pressure for some players, but for Buchholz junior quarterback Andrew Whittemore, it is exactly what he wants.
“When things aren’t going well, people look at the quarterback, and I really enjoy the leadership aspect of the position,” Whittemore said. “The team is resting on your shoulders a little bit, and I kind of enjoy that pressure.”
Whittemore has grown up around the Buchholz program, watching his three older brothers build successful careers with the Bobcats before moving on to play college football at the Division I level.
Luke played at Troy, Trent played at Florida and UCF, and Creed was named Florida’s Mr. Football before continuing his career at Mississippi St and now Utah.
Through it all, their father, Mark, has been a constant presence. A former receiver at UCF in the 1990s, Mark has been part of the Buchholz football program for 30 years and has been the head coach for half of them.
“It’s fun. He can get on you more than any of the other players, and when you get home, there’s a little extra coaching going on,” Whittemore said. “I enjoy it. There’s no one else I’d rather be out there with than my dad, and I’m going to make the most of it every day.”
That approach has helped Whittemore and the Bobcats get off to a 2-0 start this season. Buchholz opened the season with an overtime victory over Vanguard before beating Gainesville High School for the eighth consecutive time last Friday night.
Whittemore was perfect through the air, completing all 12 of his attempts while playing only the first half. He finished with 148 passing yards and two touchdowns and has accounted for six touchdowns through the first two games.
That performance has earned Whittemore this week’s UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Athlete of the Week.
“A big thing this year is no turnovers and trying to keep the ball on our side, don’t take sacks,” Whittemore said. “The probability of you winning when you lose the turnover battle or get sacked a bunch is really low. So looking at it from a probability side is the most important thing for me going into a game, doing the things I can do to protect the football and help the team win.”
For Whittemore, that team-first mentality is one of the biggest reasons he enjoys football.
He grew up playing golf and was a successful junior golfer, but toward the end of middle school, he realized he wanted to be part of something less individualized.
“Golf is one of my favorite sports. It’s amazing, and it’s really good for your mental side and growing in life, but I wanted to try out a team sport,” Whittemore said. “I realized I really like working together with people and being a part of a team, so football was the perfect sport to start playing.”
Whittemore has watched several of his Buchholz teammates move on to play at the Division I level, and this year’s roster includes several more players who could have that opportunity, including himself.
But while the Bobcats have consistently produced talented teams, one accomplishment has remained out of reach: a state championship. Whittemore believes this group has a chance to change that.
“I think we’re well-rounded. We don’t have a lot of holes this year, and everyone has bought in to what we are trying to do, and we have a lot of talent,” Whittemore said. “We have a big team, especially on the offensive line, so we’ll rely on them a lot when we get to the postseason. The mindset is to just play within ourselves and knowing what we can do.”
The Bobcats have scored 77 points through their first two games, while Whittemore currently leads all quarterbacks in the district in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating.
Those numbers are turning heads at the collegiate level, but Whittemore knows there is still plenty of football ahead of him. For now, his focus remains on helping Buchholz win.
“Every day is a new opportunity, especially with the hopes of going to the next level, and I just try to go out there every day and have fun with the guys,” Whittemore said. “I’m having a great time.”
Each weekly UF Health Athlete of the Week winner is eligible for the UF Health High School Athlete of the Year Scholarship, a $2,500 award presented at the end of the 2026-27 academic year.