Newly appointed FHSAA Executive Secretary Floyd Lay was initially opposed to the idea of having a state football playoff and championship, as was his predecessor Lafayette Golden, but the FHSAA wanted to give the sport a chance. “I am in favor of the football playoffs as long as the FHSAA sees fit to sponsor them,” Lay told the Associated Press at the time of the announcement published in a variety of state newspapers, including the Tampa Tribune on April 1, 1963.

SETTING UP THE PLAYOFF FORMAT

The first playoff format featured four regional participants in the state playoff. The teams in consideration were determined by a point system based on wins. The teams were awarded 10 points for defeating a Class AA school. A tie with a Class AA school was worth 5 points. Four points were awarded for defeating a Class A school with two given for a tie. There were no points awarded for any school playing either a Class B or C school.

If there were schools tied atop the region, it was the principals of the schools in their respective regions that would cast a tie-breaking vote to determine the team that advanced. The sites of the playoff games were also determined by the principals of the schools. The Region I and IIII principals decided it in odd years while the Region II and IV principals determined them during the even years. 

BREAKING TIES IN SEMIFINALS AND FINALS

Breaking ties in the semifinals and state championships were also announced at the time. In the semifinals, the ball was placed on the 50 yard line with each team given four plays on an alternative basis. No kicks were permitted and whichever team advanced the deepest into the other team’s territory, wins the game. 

During the state title game, the tie was broken with the establishment of the 12-minute overtime period. If the score was still even after the overtime period, the teams were declared as co-champions.

In 1963, only the 2A Championship game was played, with Coral Gables coming away with a 16-14 victory over Robinson (Tampa) at Phillips Field in Tampa. The next year, both the Class 2A and Class A title games were played, with Coral Gables getting a repeat win over Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville), now Riverside at the Orange Bowl in Miami, and Wildwood getting a win over Columbia (Lake City) at Florida Field in Gainesville. 

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For 2025, everything in the History Huddle will focus on 2000, which happens to be 25 years ago. If you are reading this and shaking your head at the fact it has been 25 years since 2000, then you are certainly one who has likely seen everything as I did.

If you remember, in 1999, everyone wondered what would happen once Y2K came to be. Would things go amiss, or would things continue to hum to the tune as they had always been, except the year starting with a “2” instead of a “1”?

When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2000, computers continued functioning as usual; nothing went amiss, and no apocalypse occurred. Since then, many technological advances have occurred, from smartphones to high-definition television, and now artificial intelligence, better known as AI, is coming to us at full speed.

Now, 25 years later, let’s stroll down memory lane with this column called “Some new rules to start living by” by Tom Rife, which we came across in the Naples Daily News 25 years ago. Rife was the sports editor for the Naples Daily News at the time.

Rife, who based his column on the new millennium, wanted to “invoke” a few new rules that would keep things on track as the sports world rocketed into the next 1,000 years. I will focus on high school sports excerpts without edits with an image to the entire column via the Naples Daily News archives on Newspapers.com.

• From here on out, high school basketball coaches will be required to wear technologically advanced seat belts during games. The belts will be designed so that they are synchronized with the scoreboard clock and unlock only when time has expired at the end of each quarter of play. Otherwise, coaches will remain on their respective benches as though their trousers are made of industrial-strength flypaper.

• From here on out, any athlete (pro, college, high school, preschool, etc.) found guilty of living in a bubble will be sentenced to play quarterback under Coach Steve Spurrier at the University of Flawida. (Warning! Second offenders will be forwarded on to Indiana University and Coach Bob Knight!)

• From here on out, parents found to be guilty of whining because their kid isn’t getting enough playing time will be assigned to Dick Vitale’s stylist for a mandatory makeover.

• From here on out, all high school football games (not just those between Barron Collier and Naples High) will be played without goal posts. Instead, high-tech laser beams and computers will be used to track the speed and trajectory of the ball much the same way the government keeps an eye on aliens and UFOs in and around Area 51.

Imagine what Rife was thinking 25 years ago, wanting to invoke these new rules, and how much simpler things were in high school sports at the time, before social media was even a thought.

Just wow!

Do you have a suggestion for our History Huddle feature you want us to investigate or focus on? Email Publisher Joshua Wilson at joshua.wilson@floridahsfootball.com or Associate Editor Christopher Lyke at chris.lyke@floridahsfootball.com.

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