2021 SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: Venice sets sights on states with a tough slate out of the gate

Venice has always been known to schedule tough each season and for the upcoming 2021 season, that will be no different. Head Coach John Peacock has once again has the Indians set for a tough schedule that will certainly turn heads with not only Indians fans, but with fans of high school football around the state and around the country.

VENICE 2021 SCHEDULE

Preseason – 8/20 – vs. Miami Northwestern at Traz Powell
Week 1 – 8/27 – Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons
Week 2 – 9/3 – Orlando Edgewater
Week 3 – 9/10 – Cocoa
Week 4 – 9/17 – at Sarasota*
Week 5 – 9/24 – Palmetto
Week 6 – 10/1 – at Lakewood Ranch*
Week 7 – 10/8 – Bradenton Manatee
Week 8 – 10/15 – Naples Gulf Coast*
Week 9 – 10/22 – BYE WEEK
Week 10 – 10/29 – Sarasota Riverview*
Week 11 – 11/5 – North Fort Myers

* – District 8A-12 Game

FOUR DOWNS

FIRST DOWN

Key District Game: It would be hard to pick any other game except the Week 10 (10/29) showdown at home against Sarasota Riverview as the key district game. Both programs have been perennial playoff contenders, and everything will go through this game to decide if Venice has a chance to make a deep playoff run at home or if they must do it on the road. The Indians will never take the Rams lightly and this what makes this game fun. And now with it being a district game, it means even more between the two teams who have usually put each other on the schedule every year.

SECOND DOWN

Key Non-District Game:  Decisions, decisions, decisions because this one is truly tough to pick out which game is going to be the key non-district game in 2021. Really in this situation, the first two weeks of the regular season are both very equal with defending Class 4A State Champion Cardinal Gibbons coming to town Week 1 (8/27) followed by Class 7A State Runner-up Edgewater coming down from Orlando in Week 2 (9/3). Rarely do I even look at two games in the same light, but really is hard to choose here when both teams had incredible successes during the COVID-19 pandemic. If anything, these two games will tell us a lot where the Indians are at because they could be 2-0, 1-1, or 0-2 after the first two weeks in.

THIRD DOWN

RPI: This schedule is very favorable to the RPI for Venice just with the first three weeks alone with Cardinal Gibbons, Edgewater, and Cocoa right out of the gate.  Add in Palmetto, Manatee, Sarasota Riverview, and North Fort Myers and that really helps Venice out regardless of if they win their district or not. The schedule is truly an RPI lovers delight given the way these teams traditionally play year-in and year-out and how they put their schedules together against some of the top-tier competition.

FOURTH DOWN

Biggest Takeaways & Thoughts: Head Coach John Peacock is not afraid of putting anyone on the schedule because Venice is always on the hunt for their next state championship. This kind of schedule along with the move up to Class 8A this season opens the doors to a ton of opportunity to make a deep playoff run. The only disappointment to the schedule is really the fact that Miami Northwestern is a kickoff classic and not a regular-season game. The only other question is this? Will Venice be 3-0, 2-1, 1-2, 0-3 after the first three weeks of the season with three tough opponents out of the gate? That remains to be answered.