The FHSAA is currently in the process of handling appeals for football teams that filed one with the association after tentative districts were released back on December 21. We know that a few schools filed for an appeal and news has been coming out as to who has won and who has lost in the appeals process.
If you know of an appeal that was filed and not listed here or know the status of one, let us know by tweeting to us on Twitter @FlaHSFootball or emailing football@floridahsfootball.com
Here is what we know so far:
Booker | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Tornadoes were having to make trips that took them down to Fort Myers, Highlands County and as far east as Clewiston the last two years, but that will now change. Booker was notified Thursday that they will now move up 12-5A which will include local schools including Bayshore, Southeast, Hardee and DeSoto County. Dennis Maffezzoli at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported the news of the approval.
Community School | APPEAL STATUS: Denied
Community School wanted to play down from Class 3A into Class 2A where the district they played the past two seasons would have given more localism in the Naples/Fort Myers Area, but the FHSAA has rejected the appeal. However, Community School was not in the bottom 10 percent of Class 3A to appeal to go down, the Naples Daily News reports and is likely what got the appeal denied overall.
Dunbar | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Tigers will now stay close to home after they faced a similar situation the past two years like Booker did. The Tigers were approved to move to Class 5A and will now be in a 7 team district that includes two other schools who appealed down and won. The Tigers appealed up from Class 4A and the news was broke on Twitter by Fort Myers News-Press Sports Reporter Dan DeLuca
Dunbar football coach Phil Vogt said team won appeal to move to District 5A-13. #npfootball
— Dan DeLuca (@NewsPressDan) January 24, 2013
Estero | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
Estero was simply looking to play schools closer than the ones up in Fort Myers, but not move to another classification. The FHSAA apparently felt it was a good enough request to make the switch, meaning Estero will now play in 13-6A and not 12-6A as originally planned. This will give them opponents in district play including Naples and Barron Collier among a few others. Naples Daily News reported the change this afternoon.
Gainesville | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The 2012 Class 6A State Runner-up was not happy about a potential move in district play that would have included some long road trips to Tallahassee that would have been 5 hours and over 300 miles round trip. Gainesville Athletic Director Cindy Boulware, told the Gainesville Sun that they won their appeal and credit head coach James Thomson for the work he put into researching everything for the appeal. Gainesville is likely to stay in the same district they have been the past two years, 5-6A that includes Vanguard, Citrus, Lecanto and Citrus.
Gateway (Kissimmee) | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
Like its rival Osceola, Gateway is now headed back down from Class 8A to Class 7A where they will be partnered up in a mostly Osceola County league that will include rivals St. Cloud, Liberty, Harmony plus Lake Nona from Orange County. Buddy Collings of the Orlando Sentinel reported the change this afternoon.
Godby | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The defending Class 5A champion from 2012 wanted to stay put exactly where they have been comfortable and the FHSAA felt the same way as the Cougars have won their appeal based on information from the official Godby Football Twitter account.
We have been approved to move back to 5A.
— 5A State Champs (@GodbyFootball) January 23, 2013
Gulf Coast | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
After playing two years at the Class 7A level and projected to be at the same level again for the next two season, the Sharks are moving down and staying very much close to home where they will be placed into 13-6A with Naples, Barron Collier, Estero and Lely. Travel was the biggest concern and the nearest district opponent the past two season was in Charlotte County. Naples Daily News reported the change this afternoon.
Harmony | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
Harmony not so much appealed in this case it appears but is voluntary playing up to help make the mostly Osceola County Class 7A district a reality. Buddy Collings at the Orlando Sentinel reported the news this afternoon.
Homestead | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
We have been told by numerous sources that the Broncos have appealed to stay in Class 6A and keep the current 16-6A alignment together that will also add in Miami Norland for the next two years. If this is the case District 16-6A could be one of the most challenging districts in the entire country the next two years and possibly even having to have tiebreakers to determine playoff spots.
Island Coast | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
We were originally unaware that Island Coast would appeal down considering that they were already slatted to be in a Fort Myers/Cape Coral area district. We are not sure why the school exactly appealed, but Fort Myers News-Press Sports Reporter Dan DeLuca broke the news via Twitter.
Vogt said it will be seven-team district, including North and Island Coast, who successfully petitioned down from 6A. #npfootball
— Dan DeLuca (@NewsPressDan) January 24, 2013
Miami Central | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
We have heard from multiple sources including coaches in South Florida that Miami Central will not be going to Class 7A after all and keeping the challenging district in 16-6A together where Miami Northwestern, Miami Carol City and Miami Norland are assigned to. We are not sure exactly why the Rockets appealed, but the factor a 10-team district could have been one of them.
Mosley | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Dolphins have been playing in Class 6A, but would like to stay closer home due to budget and have their rivaly games against in-county rivals, Arnold, Bay and Rutherford also count as district games. The FHSAA saw enough in the Mosley appeal to move down to Class 5A and will be able to enjoy being close to home for most of the season for the next two years. Brady Aymond of the Pensacola News Journal reported the change last night via Twitter.
Navarre | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Raiders were seeking to stay put in the district they are all too familiar with in 2-6A and that is likely where they will be at once the finalized districts are settled. Northwest Florida Varsity and Pensacola News Journal both reported that Navarre won its appeal and likely won it due to the fact they were in the lower 10 percent of Class 7A. Overall, Navarre will be happy for the next two years at least.
New Smyrna Beach | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Barracudas were placed in a district that consisted mostly of Jacksonville teams, meaning long bus rides for district games and the school wanted no part of it. They appealed to the FHSAA and was approved to drop down to Class 6A and back in District 9-6A where has resided the past two seasons. Buddy Colllings of the Orlando Sentinel reported the change this afternoon.
North Fort Myers | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
Slated already for a Fort Myers/Cape Coral area district, we are uncertain why North Fort Myers made an appeal to go down from Class 6A to Class 5A, but Dan DeLuca at the Fort Myers News-Press broke the news this afternoon via Twitter.
Vogt said it will be seven-team district, including North and Island Coast, who successfully petitioned down from 6A. #npfootball
— Dan DeLuca (@NewsPressDan) January 24, 2013
Osceola (KIssimmee) | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Kowboys with a K are going right back down to Class 7A and will be in a district that will be made up of teams from Osceola County with the exception of Lake Nona, which is in Southeastern Orange County. Buddy Collings of the Orlando Sentinel reported the approval from Osceola County Schools athletic director Ryan Adams earlier this afternoon.
Palmetto | APPEAL STATUS: Denied
The Tigers who appealed down two years ago from Class 6A and won successfully were denied this time around. Katherine Smith of Bright House Sports Network reported the news via Twitter. She said that Palmetto will now to move up to 7A.
Palmetto fball coach Dave Marino told me the Tigers were denied the move from 6A to 5A by the FHSAA. They’re hoping to move up to 7A now.
— Katherine Smith (@katsmith_bhsn) January 24, 2013
Pensacola Catholic | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Crusaders were assigned to a 3A district that would have forced several 6 hour road trips (365 miles just one way) to Jacksonville and creating a budget crises for the Pensacola school. With that said, the team appealed under the Geographic Isolation provision in the FHSAA bylaws and will now jump up two classifications into Class 5A. The news came this morning via the Pensacola Catholic Twitter account.
From Coach Seibert: TheFHSAA has approved our appeal to be reclassified to 5A for football. District opponents should be revealed tomorrow
— Catholic High (@PensacolaCHS) January 24, 2013
Port Charlotte | APPEAL STATUS: Approved
The Pirates have been happy playing up in classification and playing close to home against Charlotte County rivals Lemon Bay and Charlotte. The FHSAA originally placed Port Charlotte in a Class 6A district having to travel to bunch of Fort Myers area schools, but now with the appeal approved, they will stay close to home, but will only travel to the Fort Myers once a year at least as their district also includes Fort Myers and Riverdale in Class 7A. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported the approval of the appeal yesterday.
