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  1. I've quietly lurked for sometime enjoying the site. So this year I decided to try give the weekly Pick-ems a try. I'm an average FLHS football fan, stuck living in Knoxville, TN. Cocoa alumni from way back, so you know which way I lean. I kinda keep up with the better teams in Brevard and around the state, so that's how deep my knowledge goes. Looking at my current standings, in the Pick-ems, I'd say I'm meeting my expectations. I enjoy the shared info and insight shared here, as well as the opportunity to do so on the site. Thanks to all that contribute and to Josh for the site.
    11 points
  2. 561_Fan

    This is WRONG!

    Sitting here, in South Florida, and I’ve been watching UIL (Texas) high school football championships, LIVE. For the last few days (for FREE). And can’t watch any Florida high school championships…man I miss them Sunshine Network days.
    10 points
  3. Already landed on my feet. In less than 4 hours I found a new home! Wont be the head coach, but titles do not mean much to me anyway. I know I can make a difference where ill be coaching.
    9 points
  4. DarterBlue2

    RIP Apopka John

    John Peery, Former editor of the local weekly Apopka Chief, passed away today. John wrote all of the sports articles in the Chief, and was always on the sidelines of Apopka football games. And though he retired a year ago, he continued to write his articles and cover Apopka football from the sidelines. We last exchanged pleasantries at the Pancake Supper and Pep Rally before the Edgewater game three weeks ago. I ragged on him a bit for picking Edgewater to win by 7 points and suggested that the Darters could pull the game off. Little did either of us know the shellacking we were about to take. Last Friday John was on the sidelines when our kicker nailed a 43 yard field goal to win as time expired in dramatic fashion. John, who was am ample man, literally leapt for joy. Though I don't count myself as a personal friend, for the past 25 years, his weekly articles have been a staple in my life. I am sure all Apopka fans will agree with me that John was the epitome of what it meant to be a Blue Darter. John graduated in the class of 1974, and his daughter graduated from Apopka several years after my two boys did over a decade ago. I don't know if John ever posted on this message board, but he used to post on the old Florida Varsity Football Central board back in the day. In addition to Apopka football, John was an ardent fan of Tennessee football. He will be greatly missed.
    9 points
  5. Damn @cribboy305, @THIS_IS_DILLARD, and @nolebull813!!! Keep it down! All this trashing refs talk is gonna release the Kracken! Chill. Refs never ever, EVER, get a call wrong. And you three don't seem to understand that. And you NEVER will. Becasue you are not qualified to complain! ... play on
    9 points
  6. My recap: Quarter 1 TD called back on Vero 1st series was legit - definitely motion / illegal shift on Vero Holding call on MNW at 7:46 on 2nd drive looked legit - moved Vero to MNW 11 A few obvious jumps/offsides on Vero - 3 in one possession Close call around 6 min mark on a potential fumble ruled as incomplete pass - looked like right decision. Lots of jumps overall, nothing seemed particularly out of order or one sided. One questionable no-call PI on MNW around 5min mark. Looked like interference to me and from the commentators. Running into the kicker call on Bulls was legit. Defensive holding on Bulls soon after inconclusive due to being out of frame. Was 2nd defensive holding call on MNW DBs Commentators seemed to think Bulls' DLine was leaning into neutral zone and not called Vero Final Drive, late hit called against Bulls was legit - put Vero at the 3 and led to 1st score. No overtly problematic calls Q1 as far as video showed. Some missed/uneven calls but nothing that would change the 6-0 outcome of the quarter. I can't tell about the two sideline warnings on MNW because both were out of frame. Quarter 2 Personal foul against Vero for pulling helmet off Bull on a tackle WAS questionable. This call allowed MNW possession for a long drive that might have ended in a punt but ended in a score. Subsequent delay of game and illegal formation calls against bulls looked legit. 1st and goal for Bulls and sideline warning becomes penalty. Obviously this is third call against Bulls. Assume it was legit, but out of frame. Bulls score anyway: Bulls 7, Indians 6 Next possession, unsportsmanlike conduct called on MNW, late flag. No one seemed to know who it was on. End of that series, pooch kick returned by Bulls for TD. Same offiicial throws flag just prior to returner entering endzone. Commentator initially agreed because he saw Vero player fall in front of MNW player at the spot of the flag - called it a "silly foul" to block the guy in the back like that after the returner had clearly beaten him. Slow motion clearly showed that wasn't a block in the back. So 2nd commentator seemed to pivot in his comment away from this ruling and said, "must have been an illegal block" . So clearly commentators missed it, camera didn't show it. So the play was either out of frame (irrelevant to the play) or potentially a bad call. Holding call on MNW was obvious False start call on MNW punt actually helped them pinning Vero inside own 10. Holding call at 3min mark on Vero legit according to commentators. Roughing the passer on MNW QB was obvious. officials debated ball placement because it was a completion. Ball eventually placed correctly. Next play, Bulls score with 7 seconds left. two separate delay of game calls on both sides evened out Halftime: Bulls 13, Indians 6 3rd quarter Offsides called on Vero to start kickoff looked right (camera was zoomed in, but you could see helmet on botom of screen looked past line, but commentators complained). 1st series, Bulls jump, legit MNW illegal procedure call hard to tell. Personal foul (late hit) on Vero looked legit. Set up MNW inside Vero red zone Bulls TD at 9:45 - flag thrown for holding #79 for MNW did indeed look to hold, saw Vero Dlineman #76 complain, had left arm under leg and turned sideways. So good call, even though QB had already rolled out. MNW flagged for intentional grounding. Very late call. Momentum shifts back to Vero at this point. MNW punt: Block in back on Vero Beach was apparent on the video, but commentators initially called confidently that MNW had illegal block. Didn't see it. Very late flag (personal foul) against MNW - commentators seemed to be confused as to what it was for. Speculated that it was sideline warning again. Vero commentator questioned where official placed ball after forward momentum by Bulls QB, but replay showed placement was correct. Just prior to Vero score, MNW charged with 2 consecutive 12-men on the field calls. Legit. Just bad coaching there. Personal foul on Bulls during Vero TD is earned. Ejection because it was helmet to helmet and QB was already in end zone by 5 yards. Game tied at 13 w 3 min left in quarter Last 20 seconds MNW called on some defensive holding call that was unidentifiable by both the commentators and the camera. 4th quarter 1st series, #5 MNW safety called for personal foul with late flag. questionable. safety was falling, helmets contacted, but could have easily been a no call. Next play defensive PI on Bulls, brings Indians to 1st and goal inside the Bulls 10. good call. Bulls with 103 yard pick 6 TD. Holding call negates it. No camera angle on it. Commentators didn't see it either. Block was clearly no where near the play. Camera showed Bulls DB got a jump and beat all but two of his blockers. So block, if legit, was out of the play. I can see some concern here. A couple plays later, Bulls false start. Close but good call. Next play, big TD called back on Bulls 3 and 14. Flag was thrown earlier in backfield on screen play. Illegal procedure. Didn't see it, but probably legit. You can see frustration kicking in on Bull's side. Penalty #30 on Bulls pins them inside their own 5. Punt return for Vero flagged twice: illegal block on Vero, late hit on Bulls. 1st call good, late hit ok, commentator aid hit was 5 yards out of bounds, but camera showed it was closer than that and momentum forced. Could have been a no call. On same play, it appeared that the Vero receiver's knee touched the turf at the point of reception. Referees took a while to make the call. Penalties should have been of setting. eventually, zebras rule "knee was down" - then two dead ball fouls followed. Took several minutes to resume play. Big run by Vero, holding call made. No evident on camera. Veros still maintain drive. Bulls called for CB lining up in neutral zone Bulled flagged late for Personal Foul in endzone (facemask). Could not see on camera but official was right there. Eventually called of setting penalties. Serious lack of discipline. Before next play, MNW calls timeout. 3rd and 1 inside the 5, MNW gets flagged for their THIRD 12-men on the field call. No excuses here. Vero 1st down at the Bulls 3 yard line. Two plays inside of the 3 and no score. Commentators are beside themselves. TD on 3rd down. Missed PAT with 2:25 in game ensuing kickoff, obvious fair catch violation on Vero. Bulls miss last best chance to win with open dropped ball by #2. Would have been TD. Before next snap, MNW coaches called for being on field. Not visible but probably legit. - It was the 4th overall. Officials' decision took far too long to call. Final 19-13 Overall, one score negated for Indians, 4 called back for Bulls. 2 of them were questionable, 2 weren't. Clearly, MNW is undiciplined, both on the field and on the sideline. But also clear, MNW has more talent overall. If they can get some discipline they are still looking as a contender come playoff time.
    9 points
  7. 13 years agon February 1, 2010, I launched FloridaHSFootball.com as something to be involved in the world of high school football and here we are getting ready to roll into year 14! Thank you to everyone for your support along the way!
    9 points
  8. Good God, please don't tell me that Jesse and Columbia Fan are going to spend the next three pages of this thread arguing about whether Columbia and Madison are rivals! I don't know if I can take it.
    9 points
  9. Wow! Just wow didn’t see this coming , the tigers crowd talking mad trash , they yelling “it’s gone b a long ride down alligator alley back to dade” lol hahaha whewwww talk yall trash jesuit. when I see games like this it really take me back to what I’ve been saying COACHING, solid competent coaching is so vital. so much was said about Miami northwestern talent & their speed & how Jesuit was gonna be overwhelmed & yet it’s the tigers overwhelming the bulls. why because of coaching , then boys in Tampa are well coached to the “T” & their O-LINE & D-LINE are fit,disciplined & understands their assignment. down here in south Florida we praise speed, size & athleticism but it’s our COACHING that needs to be evaluated, our o line play down here is suspect especially vs teams who actually is well coached. All I can say is CONGRATS TIGERS! You wasn’t intimidated by the Miami mystic & the bright lights.
    9 points
  10. 9 points
  11. No! You Continue To Cover Your School, it’s Not About Who Stays Or Who Goes iF You Bleed purple, White & I think Gold if I’m not mistaking then You Bleed Your School pride Regardless Of The Fact. I Have Never Stopped Rooting For Dillard, Covering Them or Going To The Games. And we’ve had a lot of bad seasons, every year or every other year coaching changes & Through it All I’ve Still Bled Blue & Gray. for decades we Couldn’t keep players home, Now Not only Do we keep them for the most part, other kids from other schools want to come in and be apart of our program.. for decades we couldn’t keep a coach & within the last 3 years we have had two of the best coaches 1, of them my friend who suddenly passed away in 2020 after going undefeated and getting coach of the year in his first year. we went from being a laughing stock and disrespected to now being a top 10 school in all of south Florida, we’re on a 24 game win streak, we won the first Annual tri county championship & were coming back even better this year. point is @ColumbiaHighFan2017class regardless of how bleak it seems now, regardless of how frustrated you may be with the front office now, you don’t jump ship you hold it down and be the face of Columbia high school.
    9 points
  12. Well, an improbable season ended in disappointment last night, as Apopka was done in by: 1. Friday 13 (not really); 2. An average kicking game; 3. A gutsy decision by Columbus to go for two instead of taking the PAT and overtime. While it hurts to lose a game when your opponent's only lead comes with 8.2 seconds left on the clock, putting things into perspective, Apopka had a great season. After losing its best offensive weapon (Davis-Hamilton) early in the 2018 season, the Darter's looked forward to his return for his senior season. But it was not to be as he aggravated his injury in a non-football related accident in the spring (it is really a pity as this kid had a fine college career and perhaps pro, ahead of him). Going into the spring game, the offense was really bad without him, and in four quarters of football the team managed only 2 points on a safety. With the above as the backdrop, I was not expecting much from Apopka this year. And, for the first seven games of the regular season, despite the defense playing stellar football, it seemed likely that Apopka was headed for a first or second round exit in the playoffs as more injuries to offensive players (both skill and linemen) plagued the team. Well, in the second to last game of the regular season against Lake Mary for the district title, a turnaround could be sensed as Apopka won what was expected to be a tight game easily. The turnaround was due to two main factors: 1. Some of the injured players returning to health and the team; 2. Some shifts by the coaching staff moving guys from defense to offensive and finding some diamonds in the rough on the bench. In the end it was not enough for a fourth state title. Still, in perspective, it was a good season for the Darters. Congrats to Columbus on pulling out the win. The two teams were fairly evenly matched, but very different in their strengths and weakness. I feel there will be other Columbus/Apopka finals in the future and I look forward to the chance for redemption.
    9 points
  13. I want to take a moment to acknowledge one of the most important figures in Lakeland football history who's never gotten any credit from anyone under 40, or who started paying attention to Lakeland football post 2003. Bill Galloway. He was the OL coach who developed the "Beefaloes" tradition, which is what made Lakeland into the power-running team that goes a long way to explain their sustained success. Galloway left, I believe, after the 2003 season to move to Tennessee. He was with Castle for roughly 20 years. And, when he was there, I can tell you he was almost Coach 1B to Castle's 1A. Castle's offenses in the early years were known for being balanced- they produced a QB who held the NCAA completion percentage for a time (Wayne Peace at Florida). Galloway's influence probably helps explain the shift to run-dominant offenses in the 1990s. Lakeland won three state titles with Galloway being a crucial part of the staff, and I think his mark carried over to the teams that proceeded his exit. There were some other long-time coaches who deserve credit as well. But, Galloway was a towering figure who functioned almost like a co-head coach with Castle. Lakeland ran for over 1100 yards in two (2) playoff games, mostly from under center, and without a hurry-up approach. The Lakeland tradition of power football, which inspires players today, owes a lot to Galloway.
    8 points
  14. https://x.com/jonsantucci/status/1695249654961918443?s=46 https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwddF88tO6k/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== THESE TWO LINKS WILL SHOW TWO PLAYS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE TDS CALLED BACK FOR PHANTOM PENALTIES. At some point though Jambun you gotta do yo own research, internet is free.
    8 points
  15. If you wanted to watch 2 tremendous defensive teams you needed to be in Lakeland tonight. Not sure what their mindset was as maybe they thought the first game was a fluke and they would just blow us out as they had the other 11 teams on their schedule but nothing could be further from the truth. They continually hurt themselves (trash talking, etc.) drawing 5 Unsportsmanlike Penalties during the game. We actually ran the ball against them better than I thought we would and though I don't know the stats may have outgained them overall. Final score was 14-7 with them mounting one drive the entire game which was an impressive 16-17 play 89 yard drive for their first TD in the 3rd quarter tying the game. Their second score was a 60 yard TD run by Tyler Williams which ended up being the margin of victory. Outside that, we kept their running attack in check all night. I believe we had 3 or 4 time consuming drives of our own getting into the red zone twice and coming up empty on interceptions. Each of those picks it appeared that our QB and WR weren't on the same page as both times it was thrown directly to the defender with the WR nowhere in the area. We just shot ourselves in the foot on a couple of plays which could have changed the outcome. My hats off to our tremendous group of seniors that have given us 3 years of outstanding teams with hopes of a state title, but it just wasn't to be. Good luck to Lakeland in the finals.
    8 points
  16. Joshua Wilson

    Back online

    The forums are back online finally after much dismay when someone hit the server with a malware ad attack that took days to figure out where the issue was. This affected things from the website loading properly to the forum software working correctly. With all that said, everything is back online now the software that runs the forums is now 100% up to date as well.
    8 points
  17. Sorry, but you're not allowed to agree with another poster on this Board. It's against the rules. If you think you agree with something that someone has posted, you have to ignore that post and go back to one of their earlier posts that you don't agree with and then attack that post (or attack the poster himself).
    8 points
  18. First thought: Madison is not in the Top 50. Second thought: we may need someone to do another well check on Jesse. Third thought: Soon-to-be-State-Champs Dillard is not in the Top 10. Fourth thought: we may need someone to do a well check on This_is_Dillard.
    8 points
  19. I've learned over the years that every now and then you need to do something for somebody else. So, I decided to do this for Jesse. I've created this thread -- Jesse's own little safe place, if you will. As the title suggests, it's for people to come and share posts relating to Madison, but it's a place that Jesse can call his own. Obviously, the most important Madison (at least for Jesse) is the high school football team from Madison County, Florida, that, best I can tell, is the third best team in Florida, if not the country, behind only IMG and STA. But, because this thread is for "All Things Madison," people should also feel free to discuss Madison, Wisconsin (home of the University of Wisconsin), Madison Avenue (in New York City, home to many of the nation's advertising giants) and James Madison University (in Virginia). I'm afraid any discussion of James Madison himself (4th President of the United States) might cross over the line into the realm of politics, so we probably ought to keep those discussions off this thread. However, I see no reason why we can't include conversations about James' wife, Dolley Madison. And we can certainly discuss Dolly Madison Bakery products (I anticipate a rather 'healthy' debate over which are better: Zingers or Golden Creme Cakes). Jesse, as for you, here is my suggestion: when you run across a topic on this website that is related to high school football, but which really doesn't have anything to do with Madison, avoid the temptation to post in that thread and instead come back to this thread. So, for example, if someone started up a thread to discuss how Venice would match-up against Lakeland, there is no reason for you to say "They both trash. MadCo would put running clock on both of them." Come to this thread and post: "Who care about Venice and Lakeland. They both trash. MadCo would put running clock on both of them." We all understand that once you've been triggered, you have to say something; it's simply a matter of you saying it in the right place. And this is that right place. Just don't be disappointed if you find yourself alone in this room a good bit of the time. Like most of time. Maybe even all the time. Perhaps that will give you a little insight as to how much other people care about MadCo football. And, just to get the debate going, I'll go with Zingers.
    8 points
  20. Please join in the search for crib boy. Look in bushes, trees, behind couches, or under spot rugs. It’s a typical trait of those who “trash” then “Dash”.......
    8 points
  21. As a South Floridian ... we reject the inclusion of Sarasota County. We stand firm at 5
    8 points
  22. I was able to narrow down the search area to
    8 points
  23. Biship Sycamore will play your JV team on Thursday night and stick around and play your varsity team on Friday night if you promise them that the game will be live-streamed.
    8 points
  24. Josh was the team who went 10-0 and lost in the 1st round. Lol
    7 points
  25. I wrote this poem last Friday night while enjoying a game. Any perceived slights, omissions or misrepresentations are strictly unintentional. If you’re pressed for time, skip ahead to the last two lines. In the spirit of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”; with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore and Joshua Wilson… ‘Twas the 25th of August, and all through this site Board members were fired up; it was opening night The coaches all studied their game plans with care In hopes a state title soon would be there The players were all clad in blues, whites and reds While visions of NIL deals danced in their heads Me in my team gear, with Momma in tow Had just settled in for the band’s pregame show When down on the field there arose such a clatter I put down my popcorn to see what was the matter When, what to my wondering eyes should appear? The head man, with eight assistants pulling up the rear I looked at the head coach, and thought, oh my gosh For I knew in a moment it must be St. Josh Full of bluster and hot takes, his posters they came And he whistled and shouted and called them by name Now Icaza, now Dillard, now Darter and KeemD Now Venice, now Badbird, now NoleBull and Nulli Now post away, post away, post away all But first a little advice, for each of y’all Feel free to debate, but don’t personally attack others No matter your team, we are all still “brothers” Keep your posts on point; don’t get too messy Get way out of line, you’ll be on the sidelines like Jesse Maintain some ‘Perspective’; you don’t want to be labelled Foolishly bet on your team, and your account might be ‘Disabled’ Focus on the positive, point out players who are shining Quit your complaining, and Metros - stop whining Take it easy on the refs; they’re doing their best But if you don’t like it, put ‘Jambun’ to the test No fretting over classes; there may be a lot Just be grateful it gives more Suburbans a shot Don’t worry about Power Rankings; they’re really not that bad Since you’re opposed to large districts, it’s the best to be had You can dream about transfers having to sit out a year For now, we can be thankful the football season is here Now there’s green grass and bright lights; get ready, let’s go You could be stuck at home watching some boring show And then like a receiver, he was off in a flash But I heard him exclaim as he took off in a dash From Key West to Pensacola, and points far and near Good luck to your team, and to all a good year!
    7 points
  26. Hey @VeniceIndianFan! Where are you man? I'm just making sure you're okay after last night. No one wants to start the season with a loss. I know I don't. However, there's plenty of season left and it's best to take the lumps early and improve from that. I'm speaking for myself too, lol.
    7 points
  27. You literally ask everyone to give examples of poor officiating when they mention bad calls. He went through and broke them all down and actually agreed with more calls than most other people have, now you’re taking issue with it?! He NEVER rated the officials, simply stated his opinions on the calls. You are known for asking why people don’t agree with calls or what happened, he gave it to you and instead of breaking down the calls yourself your attacking him. YOU have given ZERO input on the officiating, only questioning people instead on this and other threads. Get over yourself, refs are human and screw up.
    7 points
  28. Before people start bashing this matchup because this years' Green Wave are very young and have no chance of winning this game, I would like to take a moment to explain how this game came about. Tonight is Sam Sirianni Night in Fort Myers. It is a local celebration of our long- time coach, Sam Sr. He led the Greenies for 33 seasons, including 5 decades, before his passing in '02. His son Sammy Jr. took over and is still the HC at this time. Coach Smith and Sam Sr were very close friends for many years. Coach Smith contacted us numerous times over the summer about coming over to be a part of our night to honor our former coach. With that said, Sam Jr. finally accepted, knowing full well that this year's team would not be able to give the Raiders much of a game. It's a celebration of our '92 team that lost at STA in the state semi's for the second year in a row. In an effort not to make this post too long and boring, I just wanted to point out that even in this day and age, once in a while friendships and respect can still mean more than wins and losses at the high school level. After getting to know Coach Smith and many of the Aquinas fans over the years, I have the utmost respect for the program and those close to it. I have an open invitation to Aquinas games and have seen many of their games from the sideline over the years. I knew of the school when it was Central Catholic High. Had many friends who attended STA who were nationally ranked tennis players as was I. Jeanne and Chris Evert to name a few. So that should explain how this game came about and if I didn't explain this very well, please just reply and I will try to do better.
    7 points
  29. Whoaa. Thought for a minute you were really looking for the ultimate test and had scheduled Madison.
    7 points
  30. It was good to see team champions from Jacksonville, Madison, Venice, Tampa, Ft Laud, Hollywood, & Miami. Crib boy said everything runs through Miami-Dade but actually they were in 7 classifications & were eliminated in all but 1 class. Jesuit beat down the 305 & beat 954. Hillsborough had 3 terrific teams in the finals! Pine Forrest went under the radar & out played Jesuit, but didn’t outscore them. Venice made Apopka look outmanned with their strictly run offense. Gibbons & Cocoa was a tremendous game. Chaminade ended the season as good as any team in the State. Aquinas smothered TBT early. Rockets, Dade’s only champion were exceptional! Whata great season....it simply goes by too fast.
    7 points
  31. Hawthorne trash. Madco by 40. Madco beats every other team in playoffs this year and beats IMG by 14. (Sorry, just channeling my inner Jesse).
    7 points
  32. Lee. And the Jacksonville newspapers won't report it.
    7 points
  33. 561_Fan

    Did Madison Co.????

    Where’s Jesse.....I know the GREAT Madison Co. didn’t lose to Hawthorne, a 1A school????
    7 points
  34. For what it's worth, I take a look below on the two classes I consider most competitive at this stage of the playoffs: Class 8A: The four teams left are: Apopka, Osceola, Palmetto and Seminole. Due to Broward and Palm Beach county schools not being able to participate and only one significant Dade County school choosing to participate, the Orlando area has benefitted greatly this year and will, by default, have at least one team in the finals. Seminole at Apopka: This game will be the last opportunity for Touchdown Timmy to beat the Darters. He played youth football with many of the kids on this Apopka team and I am sure he would like to have the upper hand this time. He led Seminole teams that lost to Apopka in the playoffs during his freshman and junior years at Seminole. As of this minute, I favor Seminole to win and Timmy to get a measure of revenge. The Seminole team is as physical and athletic as Apopka and is more balanced. For Apopka to win, it will either have to replicate last year's regional finals performance when it was the defense and special teams that put the offense in a good position to score, or APK's coaching staff will have to pull another rabbit out of the hat similar to what it was able to do against Winter Park. Despite the Seminole offense being likely the best Apopka has faced this year, I don't think it will score more than 17 points. However, if the Apopka team that played West Orange and Lake Mary shows up, the 17 points will be enough and Seminole will move on to the finals. I am rooting for Apopka, but believe Seminole will likely win this game in a fairly tight match. Osceola at Miami Palmetto: I believe most will expect Palmetto to win this game. However, I believe Osceola has a legitimate shot at this game. The biggest blotch on Osceola's record is its loss to Vero Beach. It is not losing to VB, there is no shame in that, as VB is a very good team. No, it was the margin of victory. At the half, VB led Osceola 13-7 in what had been a very tight game to that point. In the second half, Osceola fell apart. Having watched the video of this game carefully, I believe that the biggest factor in this game was the fact Osceola's QB was likely injured in the second half. Why do I think this? On its first possession to begin the second half, Osceola used the backup QB. No disrespect to this kid, he may eventually turn into a great QB for all I know. However, it was obvious that he was either not game ready or was overawed by the circumstances. This resulted in an interception that ultimately led to VB scoring points. Though the starting QB came back the next offensive series, he was largely used as a game manager, handing off the ball thereafter. Given the tools he has I can only surmise he was injured and, therefore, the ending score was not reflective of the relative merits of both teams. No, I am not saying Osceola would have come back to win the game. I am saying that the final score would have been respectable. While I favor Palmetto to win with Osceola travelling to Dade, if Osceola can replicate its performance against Edgewater, it has a live chance of winning and I would not be surprised if it did. Forecast for the finals: If we get a Palmetto versus Seminole final, I am picking the Seminoles to win by 14. Why? While I have a lot of respect for Palmetto's defense, I think Seminole will score 24 points (yes I have more respect for the Darter's defense than Palmetto's despite the stars and all)). I don't see Palmetto scoring more than 10 to 13 points on Seminole unless over the next two games they substantially refine their offense. Class 7A: Selecting this class as being very competitive may come as a surprise to many given the fact that the vaunted St. Thomas Aquinas is still alive and in the hunt. Why, then, do I see it as being very competitive? The answer lies in the video of the Aquinas vs Venice game. In it, I saw a team with great special teams, very good offensive and defensive lines. But I also saw a team that had good but not great players at the skill positions, and one that had vulnerabilities on defense. For that reason, I don't see smooth sailing for Aquinas. No, I am still making them the favorite to win it all. But they are going to have to work hard for it, and I would not be the least bit surprised if they lose to one of the two teams they will have to face. St. Thomas Aquinas at Bloomingdale: If Bloomingdale comes to play and executes flawlessly, I think they can beat St. Thomas at their place. What will it take to win? Flawless execution with minimal, if any mistakes. In looking at the regional finals video Bloomingdale was able to overcome and beat a team that was slightly more athletic by executing where it mattered. If their kicker can find a way to make St. Thomas march 80 yards on each of its offensive series that would help a lot. Giving them the ball at the 35 or 40 as they did in the Tampa Bay Tech game, is not a good strategy against Aquinas. With that said, I am going to go out on a limb and pick Bloomingdale to pull the upset in front of delirious home fans and win by 3. I was very impressed with the way the team handled red zone situations, particularly going for two, and in particular, the winning touchdown out of a "swinging gate" formation. Perhaps I am biased because I saw shades of Rick Darlington in some of the calls. Edgewater at Niceville: Despite the more than 7 hour trip, I am going to pick the Eagles from Orlando to beat the Eagles from the Pandhandle. Why? There are two reasons: First, Edgewater is taking this game very seriously and is actually traveling to Niceville on Thursday. In the past, they have tended to drive up the day of big games, and I think it has cost them. The second reason is the matchup. The Edgewater Eagles football team is a very athletic, experienced one. In the skill positions, the only significant loss from last year's finals was I. Connelly who was a very, very good weapon for them at running back. With that said, his replacement, as well as his younger brother, should be good enough to pick up significant yards against Niceville. Having watched Niceville's game against the Bobcats from Gainesville on tape, this Niceville teams reminds me of last year's team, or for that matter the first Niceville team that lost to Dwyer. It is fundamentally sound with a couple good to great athletes, and a number of good to very good high school players. Edgewater, on the other hand, has legitimate talent at the skill positions on both sides of the football. For that reason, if they can eliminate some of the raggedness that has dogged them this year (probably due at least in part to the impact Covid-19 has had on its schedule), then I expect that, to a lesser degree, it will overwhelm Niceville in similar fashion to how Apopka overwhelmed Steinbrenner in the 8A semifinals last year. Too many weapons are hard to overcome if they are firing on all cylinders. Forecast for the finals: If it ends up being Edgewater versus Bloomingdale as I expect, I am hard pressed to pick a winner. Suffice it to say, that I think it will be an intriguing matchup and should be well worth the price of admission. I am pulling for Edgewater to finally hoist a trophy, but they need to overcome the finals jinx. I think the winner will be by less than a touchdown.
    7 points
  35. Last night the Edgewater Eagles gave their all on the field and came up just short of beating nationally ranked, recruiting mill, St. Thomas Aquinas. Up in Georgia, Marietta upset that other Valdosta team to win their state title, too. As he has disparaged other teams on this board, including, among others Miami Northwestern, NB has spent late summer and fall doing the same to Edgewater, insisting they were, in his words: "Fool's Gold." What I would like to see him do, given the fact that Edgewater all but won last night's game, is justify his position on Edgewater. IF he were a real man, he would fess up and admit he was wrong. But I doubt he is, so he will once again move the goal post and somehow insist that their performance against a team supposedly in contention for a mythical National Championship, does not qualify them as a good team. @nolebull813I await with bated breath your response to last night. I will add that crickets on your part will tell me as much as I need to know about you, as would you spinning some ridiculous justification for continuing to argue Edgewater is no good. I could go on, but you are not worth the time.
    7 points
  36. Went there years ago. No problem until this year. I have a close friend who is an Army Vet and served our country in Viet Nam. He is wheelchair bound. There were no accommodation's for him to see the games. None! That issue needs to be addressed for next year.
    7 points
  37. Need to schedule tougher!!!!! They are playing seasoned teams who seen it all. Them cupcakes get you fat and out of shape!!!!!
    7 points
  38. So is your mom but we don’t talk bad about her. Maybe Baker and Blountstown are what 1A teams should be and Madison should be 3A or 4A
    7 points
  39. State lost a fine coach to retirement today. Bill Kramer retired after 22 years as head coach at Naples High. Won a title in '01 (first in SW Florida) & '07, at a school that had two winning sessions in the previous 16 years. Sent lots of kids into better lives, many of which were able to play football at another level, with a few in the league still today. Put Christ first, and was humble enough to see his flaws. Great family man, who has been a tremendous mentor to many a coach.
    7 points
  40. As a Dr. Phillips football alum, I was hoping for a chance to make the trip back to Dr. Phillips so my kiddos could see where their pops played (now that they are a little older) and have a chance to coach against some of my former teammates and buddies. Instead, we will have our first meeting as a program with Osceola. The 1 memory that has been etched in my mind since 1999 about Osceola... This may be a little dramatized but this is how I remember it. In 1999 we at Dr. Phillips had a massive match up with defending 5a state champ Osceola and their superstar running back Willie Green. We knew he was a stud but figured we have seen similar backs in Alex Haynes from Evans. Fast forward to my first series against them. I great read on a screen to than running back and state record holder Willie Green. I came up full speed knowing that I was going to knock him silly... between my speed and strength and a perfect read on the play, I was primed for a highlight hit on the states best back. As he turned and saw me coming, he yelled "RED LIGHT"...time stopped. Willie's eyes got big and as I stood there frozen. He looked me deep in the eyes and said "please don't do this to yourself man." I felt bad but was wondering why he misspoke and said "to yourself" because I was about to lay him out. Willie looked at me and said, I am sorry. I was confused. I noticed him smile... he snapped his fingers and said GREEN LIGHT. I stood there confused but decided not to take his advice and went in shoulder first against the states leading running back. As I soared backwards through the air, I noticed how wonderful air was and how lucky we are to have it. As I hit the Earth, I couldn't help but notice Willie had a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his cleats. As I tried to stop him and let him know, he seemed to really not like the idea of gum on his shoe because he used my stomach to try to get the gum off his shoe. I did not realize he and I were making a trade...he gave me his gum and in return took every ounce of air I thought I owned. I searched the ground for any air I could find as I watched the man they called "Smoke" zoom to the end zone for a touchdown. After the game he was very humble and apologized and asked me if I was able to find some air anywhere. I did. I am reminded of him and Osceola every time I look at my forever mark on the side of my stomach. This Friday I'd like to replace that memory with Steinbrenner's First Regional Title. GO WARRIORS!
    7 points
  41. LAZ

    Here is a Daisy Chain!!!

    Gotta love chains! I sent this to a die hard UCF fan last year after their loss to LSU. It shows how using the “chains” you can create a winning scenario and rarely lose an argument as long as both teams have at least one loss. This proves that using chains to find better teams, non scholarship Division 3 Alfred State Pioneers who won 1 game in 2018, could have beaten last year’s UCF squad. III Alfred St beat Anna Maria 30-28 III Anna Maria beat Castleton 31-24 III Castleton beat Fitchburg St 34-13 III Fitchburg St beat MA Dartmouth 32-29 III MA Dartmouth beat Plymouth St 21-16 III Plymouth St beat Framingham St 29-28 III Framingham St beat Endicott 34-13 III Endicott beat Hobart & Smith 27-24 III Hobart & Smith beat Shenandoah 56-48 III Shenandoah beat NC Wesleyan 59-21 III NC Wesleyan beat Thomas More 35-28 III Thomas More beat WI Platteville 35-28 III WI Platteville beat WI Stevens Pt 20-6 III WI Stevens Pt beat WI Oshkosh 27-21 III WI Oshkosh beat Lincoln MO 17-7 II Lincoln MO beat Lane 10-7 II Lane beat Miles 15-14 II Miles beat Albany GA 50-23 II Albany GA beat Catawba 35-21 II Catawba beat Tusculum 55-37 II Tusculum beat Carson-Newman 41-28 II Carson-Newman beat Wingate 31-14 II Wingate beat West Georgia 41-31 II West Georgia beat West Florida 27-7 II West Florida beat North Alabama 24-19 I - FCS North Alabama beat Jackson St 24-7 I - FCS Jackson St beat Florida A&M 18-16 I - FCS Florida A&M beat NC A&T 22-21 I - FCS NC A&T beat East Carolina 28-23 I - FBS East Carolina beat North Carolina 41-19 I - FBS North Carolina beat Pittsburgh 38-35 I - FBS Pittsburgh beat Virginia 23-13 I - FBS Virginia beat South Carolina 28-0 I - FBS South Carolina beat Missouri 37-35 I - FBS Missouri beat Florida 38-17 I - FBS Florida beat LSU 27-19 I - FBS LSU beat UCF 40-32
    7 points
  42. 6 points
  43. Congrats to the Naughts. Venice came in loaded with offensive weapons. QB, wide receivers and terrific running backs to go along with an excellent offensive line...... basically an offensive Juggernaut. But like last year, the defense had no answer for a determined ground game. Despite playing without an effective QB ( ALL heart) in the second half that obviously couldn't throw a pass, simply ran it down their throat. Don't know what else to say other than admiration for the Lakeland squad for a total team win that most thought was not possible.
    6 points
  44. Now that the FHSAA is officially run by the state, shouldn't some enterprising journalist be able to file a freedom of information request on the fhsaa for the formula?
    6 points
  45. Yes this is the exact problem I have with this proposed open division. As usual the FSHAA fixes something by proposing an even worse solution. They are avoiding the root cause of all issues and that is recruiting/transfers. It seems simple enough to separate school choice from athletics such that anyone is free to transfer for academics but they must sit out a year of athletics unless they moved to that school zone? This doesn't solve the private school unfairness but just throw them into their own athletic association and be done with it. Screw em.
    6 points
  46. Cardinal Gibbons-38 Dillard-14 Final Since Dillard stop posting lol
    6 points
  47. In a defensive struggle Osceola did enough to defeat Treasure Coast in a slugfest by the score of 14-5. They were able to run the ball better against our defensive front than I thought they would but despite giving up some yards they never got into the end zone. Their initial drive was helped by several offside penalties we committed early to keep the chains moving and got into field goal range and hit it. On the ensuing kickoff our sophomore star RB Taevion Swint return it for about a 90 yard TD. Later in the 2nd quarter we put together another good drive and Taevion punched in his second TD. They got a safety when their punt pinned us at our 1 yard line for the other 2 points. We only had one good drive in the second half and should have scored our 3rd TD on a short slant, but our receiver bobbled the ball and allowed the defender to strip it from him for an INT in the end zone. No more scoring in the second half. Offensively we were inconsistent throughout the game but I think their defense had alot to do with that. It was your typical UGLY WIN, but a win nevertheless against a team most on this forum picked to win the game against us. QB position still in flux as both were given opportunities throughout the game to earn the job and neither seemed to be the clear winner. On to the next game against a strong Sanford Seminole team that some didn't feel would dominate Sarasota Riverview but simply blow them out 48-0.
    6 points
  48. Hope everyone on this board has a happy, safe, and Merry Christmas. As we come to the end of this challenging year, there is one day where we can all come together as families and enjoy company, gifts, good food, and a little bit of wine. God Bless.
    6 points
  49. The last 3-4 minutes of that game will go down in history, unreal. I'm short on time, so can't go into great detail. But, let's just cover the last two plays: Bloomingdale, down 33-30, has a single-digit number of seconds remaining. QB scrambles, hits a big pass down to the ~4 yard-line with a second left. B-dale lines up to kick the game tying FG. Tech jumps offsides. Ball goes to the 2. B-Dale suddenly shifts into a swinging gate-type formation. Direct snaps it to an upback, who plunges over for the walk-off, game-winning TD! Wow!
    6 points
  50. My garbage collection switched from Mondays and Thursdays to Tuesday and Fridays. Other than that, my schedule is pretty much the same.
    6 points
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