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I'm going on 81. When I went to school for the most part everybody was well educated equally. The schools were disciplined and the parents backed the schools 100%. The teachers were qualified and dedicated. They usually stayed at one school their entire career. If any student failed a subject they were mocked by the other students until they came up to par. It was an embarrassment to get a failing mark in any subject. These days, not only are the schools not teaching effectively there is absolutely no discipline and the parents, if you can find them, could care less. I know first hand that most minority students are not being educated in the public school systems. I'm sorry to say this but they are not being taught any of the basic subjects so that they can effectively matriculate in society. The reasoning behind doing poorly in high school and college, if they are lucky enough to get in, is that they are not being forced to learn in elementary schools. Without strong elementary learning there is little chance of success in high school and further on. I feel so damn bad and am angry as can be that the school system is failing many students to include a great deal of minority students. This is probably why I am so adamant that students concentrate on academics instead of primarily football. Academics is the only real key to success. The more academics the better the success. And, I am including skilled trades as academics.

And I'm guessing the schedule was finalized even before half of the Hallandale defense transferred over to Central.

There are a few Central Florida teams that will have something to say about that. We will see how it plays out.

Jesse, I don't mean to be an ass, but frankly, I think you could benefit from taking some courses in the use of English. Aside from making you look more intelligent, it may actually make you more intelligent as your mind will benefit from the increased rigor deployed in the expression of your thoughts. I fear that the above will fall on deaf ears, but it was expressed with the best of intentions.

You said it all right there. It is all fine and dandy to appreciate the loaded teams that may play an epic state finals game. But at what cost? Numerous blowout victories during the regular season and through the first three or four games of the playoffs? To be honest, I liked it better when talented, but obviously flawed teams would meet in the championship games. Just my two cents.

Jambun, if a kid wants to transfer from School A to School B because he and/or his family honestly believe that he's going to get better coaching at School B and that the 'coaching differential' will make the difference in whether he gets an offer or gets an offer to a 'better' school, I guess I can understand that. I'm still a little confused as to how the kid and/or his family makes the determination that the coaches are, in fact, better at School B (other than pure reputation). They certainly can't talk to those coaches at School B, right? I would also suggest that there are enough camps and personal/position trainers out there to 'fill the void' in whatever inadequate training the kid may be getting at School A. I also recognize those things cost money and not everyone can afford the extra coaching. But, I will concede that in those situations where the belief (that the coaching would be better) is sincere and the source of the knowledge is legitimate, I can accept the desire to transfer. In your post, you also mention that players transfer 'because they want a chance to have the best possible . . . success.' Are you referring to individual success or team success? If the latter, I question whether that is a legitimate basis for transferring. Sure, what kid doesn't want to win a state championship? But leaving your brothers behind to go play for a team that you think is better or you think has a better chance of winning a championship is just setting the scene for a lifetime of moving to other pastures just because the grass looks greener from afar. And rarely does it work out that way. So, the first time the kid's marriage hits a tough spot and some girl from work starts flirting with him, what's he going to do? Well, he was trained to leave the difficult situation behind and go chase the ring elsewhere. Job getting a little hard? No worries; just hop over to the competitor. That's all fine and dandy until you've done it multiple times and your resume (remember those?) shows such a history of changing jobs that no one wants to hire you now for fear that you'll leave in a year. Am I being a little melodramatic? Perhaps. But I think we both know that sports (and especially high school football) are fertile grounds for character development and traits like loyalty and perseverance will always have a place in this world. As for VeniceIndiansFootball, I agree that he has raised some good points. But I also think he has on his green blinders when it comes to why kids (especially the two from Sarasota Riverview) decide to transfer to Venice. A peacock doesn't change its spots, rights?

Yes its still happening on November 5th @ pahokee

Still dealing with young men, so future is tough to predict as I believe many things have to break your way. Without a doubt, Osceola is definitely better this year than last for a bunch of reasons (players); but can't make any assurances how far that will get them.

I would tell you if the bumbling stumbling idiots at the FHSAA had a master schedule posted on their site for the fans of their member schools

I see three questions marks, but I'm not sure a see a single question in that post.

A good friend and I usually pick one game every week to go to between Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, and Polk counties. Here's our tentative 2021 schedule: 8-27: Plant City @ Tampa Tech 9-3: Edgewater @ Venice 9-10: Bloomingdale @ Jesuit 9-17: Lakeland @ Lake Gibson 9-24: Osceola(Kiss) @ Manatee 10-1: Tampa Catholic @ Berkley Prep 10-8: Apopka @ Lakeland 10-15: Braden River @ CCC 10-22: Wiregrass Ranch @ Armwood 10-29: Gaither @ Hillsborough 11-5: Tampa Catholic @ Jesuit

Dan Burke lead some great teams there at Palm Bay. That 4yr stretch with them battling Tallahassee Lincoln for Florida football supremacy ('99-'02) was classic. When either team didn't win the title it was because they were knocked out in the semi-final by the other. The championships went Lincoln, Palm Bay, Lincoln, Palm Bay.

In all seriousness. This is how the scheduling process “appears” to be set up with Maxpreps. It appears that each school has designated individual(s) that have access to MaxPreps scheduling web pages. That means over 550 people can input Florida schedules and schedule changes. It doesn’t take Einstein to figure out that this can lead to nothing but disaster and inaccuracies. There needs to be a single source of input who has the capability to audit for accuracy before schedules are entered. This will ensure errors and conflicts are identified and resolved prior to entering the schedules into the site. Again….only 1 input source. And yes, I want the job.

My feeling with it is by looking at the current state of football in Florida there isn't a divide IMO between public and private It's rural vs urban because realistically a school can get kids from anywhere in their county for a sport so teams should be put together based on the size of said county (and the talent pool they pull from) not the size of the school At least that's the approach I took, every no system comes without flaws but I felt it would address most of the current broken parts of our classifications

Chronological and emotional ages often don't correlate as well as you would think. In my kid's case, he skipped the fourth grade in elementary school, so he was always a year ahead. It got worse from there as in middle school he opted to do Algebra 1 and Geometry at Apopka high. So, he ended up graduating high school at 16 which made him the youngest in the class. At 22 he packed his bags and moved to Thailand. He has lived in Asia ever since, got married and is the father of a kid there.

Get involved, make a difference. Don't let them win.

That's a sad commentary for your area. It's not a healthy environment and if you feel that way, there has to be a powerful reason for you to stay there. Small towns can be wonderful places to raise a family, but not if the environment is toxic. During my working years, I moved my family many times to improve my career. We've lived in small towns and middle to large cities, all across the eastern half of this country. We never sacrificed our home environment for a job; for one position, I commuted over 50 miles each way for over 12 years to make sure my family lived in a nice town with good schools. Family first! I hope things improve for you or at the very least, you find a more accepting area nearby your present location. Life is too short to let others make you feel miserable.

Plus the argument is that this 15-18 year old has the RIGHT to make the choice that is best for him. How many in that age group really make good decisions for themselves. So what if your 12 year old wants to become an actor and drop out of traditional schooling to pursue that career. This kind of thinking is the definition of insanity and if their are any adults left in the room please stand up. We need rail guards to keep them on the road to success and overwhelmingly these transfers don't really accomplish that. It teaches them all the wrong behaviors and that is why I am for returning to some semblance of the old rules to stop them from making bad decisions that inevitably they will regret in the future. Our town is littered with these examples and I bet yours are too.

I wish politicians would stop throwing the race card into every issue and let's concentrate on what is best for the kids' future. We need to educate and encourage all kids, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, etc, to be the best they can. And that's not just the best athlete. We need well rounded kids coming out of our high schools and colleges so they will be well prepared for what they will face in life over the next 40 years.

Bringing facts to a conversation is not politics, my friend. Most high school football players will never even attend a college, either one that they play football at or a college they achieve academically at. The few that do attend colleges, primarily to play football, will never make it to the NFL. The very few that do make it to the NFL may play very little or not at all. There is extreme competition for positions and also injuries to consider. Only a small fraction of the college players that make it to the NFL ever have successful careers. The average length of an NFL career is 3.3 years. Add up all of the high school football players in the state of Florida. How many play football at the college level and especially at the D1 level. Then how many of those college players ever see an NFL stadium except from the bleacher seats. As for minorites that rely exclusively on football in high school as their path forward in life are deluding themselves. Without strong academics there will be no solid path forward. I think life itself has taught this.

Just once I would like to see a couple of these kids say that they are transferring to another school due to the other school having a better academic rating with the fans praising them for declaring it. Something that was the main intention behind the legislature passing the transfer ruling.

Col. Jessup: You want answers? Kaffee: I think I'm entitled to. Col. Jessep: You want answers? Kaffee: I WANT THE TRUTH! Col. Jessup: YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! Just a little levity to start things out. But, I'll do my best to answer your questions, Jambun, because you typically raise good questions. All right, Perspective does your litmus test about "leaving your brothers behind" apply to coaches who change jobs every few years because another school has more talent and thus a better chance to win a state championship? To be honest, I haven't seen much of this, especially at the head coach level. But even for assistant coaches, I haven't seen much movement - at least not in the Tampa Bay area. That said, I make a clear distinction between students and coaches. To a certain extent, coaching is a chosen profession; it's a job. It may not pay much, but it does pay. For someone who wants to improve their station in life (for their own benefit or the benefit of their family), I'm not as troubled by coaches seeking and accepting jobs at other schools, especially if the job is an upgrade (say, from WR coach to Offensive Coordinator). That said, coaches that move around too much get earn a reputation that, at some point, comes back to haunt them. Does that kind of loyalty mean anything? Of course it does. I have tremendous respect for the coaches that devote the vast majority of their career to coaching and to coaching at one school. Somebody like Earl Garcia at Hillsborough High School or Bill Castle at Lakeland. Do those players that the coach is leaving behind , and now have to learn a new system as well as philosophy, mean anything? This one's a double-edged sword for me. A great coach (head or position) leaving a program sucks for the kids that are there when he leaves. But, when the departure of a bad or even a so-so coach creates an opening for a young, new, dynamic coach to fill the void, then it becomes a win for the kids. Arguably, kids who are exposed to multiple systems, coaches and/or philosophies have an advantage at the next level. Interestingly, I saw a recent debate on social media regarding the question of whether high school coaches running a single wing or triple option offense are doing a disservice to their kids trying to get exposure at the collegiate level. Good arguments on both sides of this debate (right Darter?). As far as 'leaving your brothers behind" how is that going to help a young man or woman who wants to have a chance at at college scholarship? I assume you're talking about the guy who is leaving? Again, I see both sides of this one. One the one hand, if a really good player stays with a mediocre team, he has a tendency to stand out. Sometimes, when those players transfer over to a school that already is loaded with talent, they don't have the opportunity to stand out nearly as much and can sometimes even be overlooked. That said, as a parent, I would want my son to have a positive football experience - however you want to define positive. Winning is a part of that, but does not define that. There are a couple of schools in the Tampa Bay area that have struggled mightily over the last decade (Leto and Dunedin to name two). If I had a football-playing son and my family was zoned for one of those schools, I likely would think long and hard about sending my kid to that school. But, I would try to make that decision before my kid ever sets foot on campus, much less plays his first down for one of those schools. In my mind, there's a difference between "never showing up" and "transferring." Do you think College Football coaches care about that? This is a great question, Jambun. My short answer is that some do and some don't and even those who say they do may not when push comes to shove. I'm sure you've seen the Nick Saban clip where he talks about not wanting to recruit kids who transfer in high school (transfers that don't involve legitimate family moves). You typically see the clips circulated around the day after Alabama offers a kid who has transferred twice in high school. Truth be told, I have have spoken with some coaches who see 'transferring' as a problem, as they perceive those kids will be the first kids to enter the portal when things don't go their way from the start. My gut tells me that there are just as many, if not more coaches, that will say this, but then turn around and rationalize why they just offered that transferring kid a scholarship because, at the end of the day, the kid had 4 or 5-star talent. Do you think that is going to help him or her later on in life? Who knows. The lessons learned on the field are just a part of the overall education of a kid. So many other things come into play. I can say without hesitation that kids carry with them for a lifetime the lessons they learn on the field, including leadership skills and traits like perseverance, determination, teamwork and even empathy. Venice might have been the second best team in the state of Florida for many years, but when they had to compete against the Ft. Lauderdale All-Star team in the 7A semifinals every year, what do you expect? I expect the best team in the state will win most of those games. I understand your point about 'looking out for number one.' I get that. And I get the idea of looking out for your family. Sometimes that requires making sacrifices and learning how to also look out for others. Jambun, at the end of the day, I would like to see high school sports - especially football - remain relevant and competitive. In my mind, the idea that all the good players in a particular geographic area can all choose to play for the same high school, such that all the other area school are rendered meaningless, threatens the long-term existence of a sport that has so much to offer. And, if all the "have-not schools" start shutting down their football programs, a lot of kids are going to miss out on an experience that can be so valuable for them in their future.

Here is what I would propose (for football): 1. Students transferring from a school greater than 50 miles would be exempt from the transfer cap. Simply fill out a form indicating from what school the student transferred from and that it was more than 50 miles away. 2. Students transferring from a school less than 50 miles away but can show that their family legitimately moved and are now zoned for the new school would be exempt from the transfer cap. Simply fill out a form and provide documentation of the move. 3. Students transferring from less than 50 miles and who have not moved into the school's zone will be non-exempt from the cap policy. Must fill out form showing where they transferred from. 4. The transfer cap will be limited by classification. Schools accepting more transfers than allowed by classification may do so by moving up in classification to the corresponding class. 5. Transfer Cap applies to non-exempt transfers and is as follows: 1A-3A: 3 transfers 4A-6A: 4 transfers 7A-8A: 5 transfers 6. Any school accepting more than 5 non-exempt transfers must go independent and may not compete in the playoffs.

For me: Venice @ NW bulls or Chaminade @ Dillard! Only chance to see Venice.....

I'm afraid the days of small towns being able to win a championship are all but over. The exception being class 1A. If you're 2A and up, forget it.

Better than the 2006 team, yes. I still contend the '05 team was the most balanced on both sides of the ball and still outshines the '18 teams regardless of national standings. I still enjoyed that they actually played for it though, LOL. There will always be speculation as to which team was better.

Osceola and Gibson were always the games that worried me the most. That was one hell of a district back in the day.

So since we squawking bout recruiting, you’ll like this story: I was strength coach at STA, mid to late 80’s. I was at a track meet & talking to an 400 meter runner from Miramar. I told him that speed would b great at Aquinas. Tongue in cheek, NOT recruiting! Walk in the door of my house, my wife says Coach Smith has called u a few times & wants me to call him ASAP! The kid I joked with told his track coach who got ahold of the football coach, who called the Miramar AD, who called George..... For 30 min George was on me like flies on dung!!!! I’m from NY & learned some new words......George didn’t like anyone standing up to him, which I did too often. Needless to say my tenure wasn’t but a few years. Lol

Just from us outsiders looking in, the timing seemed awful suspicious. The FHSAA Executive Director was Roger Dearing and I knew him well as he taught in Osceola county. His statements to us is that no high school statewide was advocating for this change in policy and Most were against it. Lakeland HS got fined $60,000 the previous season for illegal recruiting and Kelli Stargel representative from Lakeland pushed this the following year. Huh??

I personally hate the recruiting/transfers, and that includes the ones we see in Polk, although it's relatively small in numbers. But the FHSAA let that storm brew and brew until it got uncontrollable. It basically got to a point where "some schools" and their people complained to the state because they couldn't beat "other schools" in the state championship.(Read between the lines) The state could still eliminate this problem if they chose to by adopting transfer rules other states use, but those same schools that went crying to Gainesville are perfectly ok with the "open borders" now. BTW, Kelli Stargel, the legislator who helped open these transfer borders has no ties to Lakeland HS or any other school in Polk. That's an ongoing lie since it was passed. She and others did what they did for "political reasons". I know her sister and people in her inner circle. Kelli is a snake. And she's a Pasco girl, her family has ties in politics, citrus, farming for generations. Her district includes parts of Lakeland, South Lake County. (6) PCGridiron (@CountyPolk) / Twitter

But schools can charge people more money to attend a "Kickoff Classic" than a scrimmage.

I see scrimmages as something you do on a practice field in front of maybe a few parents against your team or another one The moment you take the field on a stadium it is something much different but hey what do I know Most people on this board think they have all the answers so they can continue to believe whatever they want to believe

Night is still young, better pace yourself especially if you have to work Monday.

"because when you lose or win in the KOC your rankings either go up or down" If the KOC was intended to have an effect on a team's ranking, they should be playing the game as a regular season game. Some teams will not risk injury to key players in a game that does not count in the standings; this makes perfect sense, especially if the kid(s) are coming off an injury. Some coaches play the game for what it is; an exhibition game to get the team and also the fans ready for the new season. Also to give as many kids as possible an opportunity to get in the game.

I personally would rather have the 11th game instead of the KOC. You already have Spring games and Spring Jamborees that don't count, so do you really need a KOC where coaches can empty the benches and you possibly get a few minutes or maybe a quarter to see your starters play. If the game doesn't count, why risk injury to your starters? Spring is the time for jamborees, play to win in the Fall.

After watching both teams in the spring Venice is going to be a problem for a lot of teams northwestern is young with a good quarterback but He throws the ball deep a lot I see a lot teams blitzing him and forcing some turnovers and the secondary they have is not good

Lotta talent. Gonna see their kick off classic vs the Bulls. See what they got.

I know I know a lot of schedules are not complete or released yet, but they’re a lot of schedules that are released that have some very intriguing matchups. so if I had to get the list started these would be the matchups I’m looking forward to. #1. SFA VS STA ….. if SFA is as anywhere as Good as they were 2 years ago I would love to see the outcome of this game with STA racking up a lot of transfers in this offseason as well. #2 DILLARD @ ST THOMAS if you’re not at this game atleast 2 hours early you would be lucky to have a parking spot or ticket. these are two historical school that’s less then 3 miles away from each other, both lead the county in football championships in their respective classes “PRIVATE & PUBLIC” both schools are in the top 5 in broward county in my opinion, Dillard Will be coming in looking to Boast their resume, Add the community the band & the direction Dillard has been trending in the last two years, you got yourself a MUST SEE. DEERFIELD @ DILLARD out of the last 5 matchups Dillard Holds a 4-1 edge over Deerfield, the two teams haven’t met since 2017 where Deerfield beach won in dominating fashion, these two schools are rivals, DEERFIELD VS FT LAUDERDALE another standing room only type game. CHAMINADE MADONA @ DILLARD - granted it’s a KICK OFF classic game but this game here will be a great way to kick off the season. you have a 3A power house who can compete with the best of them, and you have a 7A powerhouse in Dillard. add that with Dillard head coach Tyler Tate playing against his former school who he won 4 state titles with, you have yourself a game of the week right there. iMG VS AHP - Oweeer BOTH teams are loaded both teams are nationally ranked & both teams will be ready!! IMG will be looking for revenge the last time these two teams played AHP shocked img by winning In a nail biter, while the patriots will look to repeat the performance the ascenders will be looking for payback. BISHOP GORMAN VS MIAMI CENTRAL - the last time these two played was a televised showdown back in 2017 during the erma hurricane, the rockets came out victorious and will be looking to claim victory again this year.

Well in week 1 we will see a North/South 8A matchup between two on that list: Bartram Trail hosts Miami Columbus. Should prove a good game.

Maybe they are going to Venice.

I follow Central Florida HS football, so my opinion will not include other areas of the state where it seems very few schools are settled as for who will be attending what school. In Central Florida, it should be an interesting season in 8A. Seminole (Sanford) is loaded with talent and has depth at almost all the skill positions, including QB where transfer Luke Rucker may not end up being the starting QB; they have a very talented rising sophomore QB. I expect they'll be the best team in Central Florida this year. Apopka always has talented players and they are always very disciplined. I think their biggest question is at QB, where Andrew McClain transferred over from Seminole. Andrew is a better runner than passer, but that shouldn't hinder Apopka with their heavy reliance on the run and short shuttle passes. Apopka may be the 2nd best 8A team in Central Florida. West Orange and Osceola both have very good teams are in the same district with Dr Phillips, a team that should be good, but didn't show it in the Spring Jamboree . In my opinion, other 8A teams to watch in Central Florida will be Winter Park and Boone. Terrance Gibbs, one of the best RB's in the country, will lead WP's ground game; he is a beast running and catching the ball and should be in top form after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. He'll share running the ball with Amaris Shaw, a very talented rising junior RB. Boone has been steadily improving the past two seasons and has a senior QB that can move the ball down the field. It should be a great season of HS football in Central Florida.

Lakeland, in what may be its toughest schedule ever, has five games with the potential to be elite. The "weakest" two are road games at Lake Wales and Bartow, but both of those teams have been loaded in recent years and would love to knock off Lakeland. Then you have the game at Lake Gibson, which is probably the biggest game of the season as it is a city and district game against a team with two 5* players. The game with Apopka has been mentioned for good reason; the 2017 game at Bryant was an "instant classic" while the 2018 game featured what I maintain is Lakeland's best ever team. The fifth game is a road trip to St. Pete Lakewood, which has quietly built itself into a powerhouse, more than most seem to realize. It's very unusual for Lakeland to have four really difficult games all on the road. And then Apopka will be the most difficult home game by far. Which still says a lot because there are home games with Palmetto and Manatee as well.

Aye when you’re a team full of recruits and transfers I’ll be confident to lol.

Dang, Miami Central plays St John Bosco *and* Bishop Gorman back to back? They must feel really good about their team this year.

Super game! Paint swopper!!!

Add me to the list . . . a 5-minute highlight reel where every time the guy touched the ball, he scored a touchdown?!?! (Oh, spoiler alert). Taking nothing away from the guy, but those were some pretty well-designed plays with some outstanding blocking, but a lesser running back would not have done what that kid did time after time. Impressive to say the least.

I agree 100%, but as others have pointed out in earlier post our legislature has legalized it. Our man from Columbia deserves cudos for spotlighting this problem involving both public and private schools. I think it is an easy way out for kids when things get tough or uncomfortable. Pro sports builds super teams, recruiting in college is a sleezy endeavor, the transfer portal now and high school is going down the same path. I hate it. I would prefer we took our lumps every few years when personnel is down to have an even shot those years when we have talent. I will still bleed Blue & Gold.

I’m not going to hate on the kid for doing so but the fact that that is allowed is ridiculous.

Mike Mangold- Merritt Island. 4 star committed to Florida during the Ron Zook era, quit football before ever enrolling.

Outside of Nick Bosa who everyone knows, the greatest defensive tackle I ever saw was John Brown from Lakeland HS in 2006. Everyone was aware of Rainey, Pouncey twins, Ahmad Black, etc. But in my estimation the best player on their team was this beast. That year they won state and national honors but had their hands full with our defense at our place. We bottle Rainey up the entire night until he broke off a 70 yard run with a couple of minutes left in the game to beat us 7-3. We had Bubba and other talented players, but this guy was unblockable, blew thru our OL and constantly tackling our backs behind the line of scrimmage. He had size, speed, strength, instincts and tenacity. Florida took him along with a bunch of his teammates, but he never took the field for them. He was as dominant as Bosa without a doubt, but nobody probably remembers him.