Josh Sullivan and Matt Mendez have good reason to be looking forward to their senior season at Lake Nona High.

Lake Nona’s first year of existence was last season. This year was the first time the players were able to go through spring practices, and the familiarity they have with one another will be quite different than in 2009, when the Lions went 1-9.

“We’re very excited because no one really knew each other or knew the plays or anything,” Mendez said. “Now that all of us are coming back, we already know the plays and we are just getting right to it [snaps his fingers, snap snap snap] … it’s coming back quick.”

It’s possible he might hear some different kind of finger snaps during the season. Mendez and Sullivan do have the luxury of catching balls from the No. 2 quarterback in Central Florida.

But when Michigan commitment Kevin Sousa lets it loose, those passes are coming hard and tight. Sousa has a rifle arm and loves to drill the ball into the receivers hands.

Sometimes, that can hurt.

“It actually feels good,” Mendez said. Reasoning that if you catch it, you’re open, “so you just go.”

“At first it was difficult,” Sullivan said. “But you just have to adapt to it.”

Sullivan had a breakout season a year ago, leading the area in receiving with 53 catches, which also added up to a Central Florida-leading 903 yards. He also had six touchdowns.

“Catching 53 balls last year was like a blessing to me because as a sophomore at University, I didn’t catch no balls … none,” Sullivan said.

“So when I came up with 53 last year, it was like, ‘Whoa.’ I didn’t know I had this much talent. “Now I want to see if I can catch more than 60 balls, and just get better.”

The players might even find themselves open more often as teams have to stay honest with the addition of transfer running back Jarius Pace.

“We didn’t have a running game last year,” Sullivan said. “Now with Jarius Pace we have like an equalized offense … teams are going to have to check us now.”

Mendez (6-3, 210), along with Sousa, is at the Top Gun camp in Virginia this week and will also be going to camps at Delaware, Richmond and Towson State. Mendez had 32 catches for 560 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Neither Mendez nor Sullivan have scholarship offers to date, but they are hopeful given Sousa’s status as a top prospect.

Sullivan has been in contact with UCF coaches and something could come out of that, but given Sousa’s commitment to Michigan, it will be interesting to see if college scouts back off Lake Nona games this season.