2015 Preview Guide: Southwest Florida Region Notebook

Big time football takes place each year in the Southwest Florida and this year should be no exception. From Bradenton to Naples and over to the muck in Glades and Hendry counties, there will be plenty of football to watch and talk about for the 2015 season.

Travel Time

Several teams in the region will be taking on at least one Out-of-State opponent this season, which has become a way for teams to measure themselves against other top programs from around the country.

This year Manatee, Venice, Marco Island Academy and IMG Academy have all dialed up bus tickets or plane tickets to travel across the country.

Manatee will open the season against Hoover, Alabama, in what will be a tough test for the Hurricanes against a nationally known powerhouse.

Venice will also open the season on the road against Stephenville, Texas. The Indians hope to use this game as a launch point for a highly successful 2015 season as they move back up to Class 7A.

Marco Island Academy will join Venice in traveling to Texas for the season open as they will take on Edgewood as part of a three-day series of games involving teams from Texas and around the country.

For IMG Academy, they will be playing multiple teams from out-of-state as a majority of teams in Florida have rejected advances to play the Ascenders, thus forcing the program to settle on teams from outside Florida.

Coaching Changes

Of over 100-plus coaching changes around the state this offseason, 13 coaching changes took place in Southwest Florida, according to our 2015 Coaches Moving Van.

• Barron Collier: Dan Pallente, Mark Jackson
• Cardinal Mooney: Josh Smithers, Drew Lascari
• Estero: Mark Jackson, Jeff Hanlon
• IMG Academy: Chris Weinke, Kevin Wright
• Immokalee: Rich Dombrowski, Dale Moore
• Island Coast: Wayne Blair, John Schowchow
• Lehigh: Nate Sund, James Chaney
• Moore Haven: Alphonso Smith, Richard Roudybush
• North Port: Larry Detweiler, Brian Hatler
• Out-of-Door: Brett Timmons, Ken Sommers
• Palmetto Ridge: Ryan Mitchell, Chris Toukonen
• St. John Neumann: Alfredo Molina, Simon Codrington III
• South Fort Myers: Grant Redhead, Anthony Dixon

Manatee Getting A Jumbotron

The Manatee Hurricanes announced a couple of weeks ago that they will be adding a Jumbotron scoreboard at Hawkins Stadium located on the school’s campus.

The Jumbotron which will measure 15 feet by 28 feet and will feature a Bose surround sound system.

However, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the Jumbotron has yet to be approved by the School District of Manatee County and was not on the agenda for the end of July meeting as it appears that finalized details are still being worked upon according to Manatee athletic director, Jason Montgomery.

The report also indicated the Jumbotron’s $200,000 cost will be paid for by sponsors and will not be using any taxpayers dollars.

The Jumbotron plans to be installed sometime in October.

Southwest Florida Christian Goes Under The Lights

No one likes playing a football game at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon.

For Southwest Florida Christian, they have done just that for the last six seasons, however, that is changing starting this season.

According to the Fort Myers News-Press, the Fort Myers-based Christian school was able to install lights thanks to a substantial donation that allowed the Kings to play their first game under the lights this past spring. Now, the Kings will be able to play a full home game schedule this season under the lights.

As for the spring game, Southwest Florida Christian defeated LaBelle 22-14 to proclaim the first victory for the Kings, under the lights, according to the report.

Southwest Florida Christian will be rejoining district play this year as team in District 2A-7.