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Why can't we all just agree that a transfer in will probably replace a local although in theory I would imagine that every player has to tryout for the team before the season including the transfers. I don't think it matters to the kid sitting on the bench whether his parents are paying for the school out of their own pocket or the school is taxpayer funded. All he knows is that he gave his all for the team and some guy who comes in off the street and is somewhat more talented is a starter and is replacing him. High school is supposed to be a place where young people are being molded into adults academically, physically, and psychologically. How does this behavior advance that goal? All it seems to show is that a person with specific talent for a game overcomes hard work and dedication. I do realize that out in the real world much of the time fairness is not in play. But, when you are 14 through 17 being a part of unfairness on purpose can be devastating.

Let me rewrite that sentence for you: "Then the state legislature started to get involved and passed legislation that forced the FHSAA to change its policies to allow kids to transfer to whatever school they want (as long as it's not at capacity and they provide their own transportation)." Had the FHSAA not changed their policies to be consistent with the newly-enacted legislation, the FHSAA would have lost their funding from the state. So, I've got a pretty clear picture in my mind of a bunch of folks sitting around in Gainesville saying to each other "So, what do you want to do? Come up with new policies that match the new law or all go out and try to find new jobs?" I know how that one turned out.

With all due respect, I call B.S. on this. That may be how the legislators from Lakeland framed it to get support from their colleagues, but it was all about football . . . and pulling the teeth out of the FHSAA's mouth in retaliation for the FHSAA declaring a group of athletes ineligible for a season (in accordance with existing rules).

So, this is what Madison Co is ducking…GOT IT!

So, now there's a kid at Bolles who plays OL, another who plays DL, another who plays LB and one who plays TE that all finished up their season this past year and all four of them thought they'd be starting (again?) for the Bulldogs this fall. And now they probably won't be. Or they'll be starting at another position but the kids who would have been starting at those positions now won't be. So, conceivably, there are four families shelling out $30K a year in tuition who thought they would be watching their sons playing for Bolles this coming season who, instead, likely will be waving down to their boys during the game, after having told them before the game to "stay ready in case someone gets hurt." Yeah, I understand the reality. I know good schools, good coaches and good kids will always attract kids who want to be a part of a successful program. But, when one school picks up 4 or 5 quality transfers in one off-season, it certainly makes me wonder what's going on just a little.

Black is a monster. Yulee has lost 2 D1 lineman in 2 years now. Bolles has picked up an OL from Episcopal, DL from Fleming Island, LB from Nease, a TE from North Carolina. Bolles will be huge on the OL. If they can figure out a passing game they should make a return trip to the finals.

Their place, LOL. Not a Lakeland fan.

Is having a mega screen TV at the stadium "recruiting"? No. Does winning state championships amount to "recruiting"? No. When a 16 year-old contacts his buddy from youth football and says to him "bro, we need a player just like you! The kid we have there now isn't very good. You'll start right away!", is that recruiting? Yes.

Lazy reporters.

We were talking about it before then. It's gotten more out of hand each year.

You know as well as I that these kids are transferring for athletics not academics.

You say recruiting which by FHSAA rules is cheating Remember attraction is legal, recruiting is not You being a successful program that naturally causes kids to want to play at your school is completely within the rules Any coach or player trying to convince someone to leave their school and come to yours is recruiting which Is NOT within the rules

"Home grown talent" is a disputed concept. Polk County folks think of themselves as all "home grown". Lloyd Summerall was still a "homegrown" kid from Polk even after he transferred from Auburndale to Lakeland. Kids in Dade county see themselves as from the 305. Again, you literally can't name a team that ascended to dominance and can hang with the state's elite and doesn't have a bunch of "move-ins". In the current climate (not to be confused with 1997), Columbia will get SMASHED by any of the elite teams. Simply because those teams are certain to have cast a wider net and attracted players in ways a school in Lake City just can't do. For the record, I am not a fan of this. It is what it is.

I'm ok with a legit transfer coming in from a legit move. But when a team is getting multiple transfers from neighboring schools, it defeats the purpose of classification. I've said before, the number of transfers needs to be limited or teams need to be moved up in class.

That's why I say they belong in 6A or 7A instead of 4A

K, seems like your argument is still based on 7v7 why you favor West Orange over Osceola. Which competitive 7v7 has West Orange won? I don't know cause as I said earlier don't put much stock in them. Need to come up with a better reason for your pick; is their secondary better, do they have a more dominant defensive line, better skilled players, more returning stars, something that clearly shows how you come to your opinion.

ColumbiaFan, I know that Jacksonville transfers (especially into public schools) is a topic near and dear to your heart. But, I don't know if the media should be blamed for not reporting it, as if it's some kind of conspiracy between the media and the schools in Duval Co. In the Tampa Bay area, we've gone from two daily publications to one and home delivery has gone from 7 days a week to 2. During football season, the newspapers used to have stories on virtually every game in the area. Now, they tend to pick out two or three games, cover only those games, and nothing is said about all the others (not even scores). We see absolutely zero coverage of high school football during the off-season. Occasionally, one of the beat writers will retweet something, but that's about it. And the TV stations are really no better. During the season, one of the stations does a "high school windup" in the last 5-10 minutes of it's 11:00 newscast on Friday nights, but as with the print media, they focus on 4-5 games, if that, show a handful of highlights, and give a handful of scores. I mention all of this because the media, and the media's coverage of high school football, in particular, and high school sports, in general, has changed (and by "changed," I mean "decreased") considerably over the years as the whole media landscape has changed because of the Internet. Personally, I don't like it, but I reluctantly understand it. My point is this: the media has fewer and fewer resources and they are unlikely to devote those resources to someone whose main job it is to keep track of high school kids jumping from one ship to another. Fortunately, as represented by the several posts you have included on this thread, there are some people in some areas (like South Florida) that do track transfers and who post the information. (By the way, as an aside, and based on what I've seen in this thread, is Hallandale even going to be able to field a team this year? Seems like every other kid I've seen is transferring from Hallandale to another school.). Bottom line: if there were tens of thousands of people in a metro area who were interested in the fact that some 11th grade kid announced on his Twitter feed that he was transferring from one school to another, the media would report it. But there aren't, so they don't.

A couple years ago Fairview and Ralston Valley CO both needed opponents. East Lake and Largo both really wanted to play. Both teams were ranked under the CO teams on Maxpreps national rankings from the year prior. Ralston and Dakota said no thanks. Then East Bay and Bloomingdale were interested in not playing each other to go play the Colorado schools. They were not nearly as good but they were decent enough to maybe spring an upset. The CO schools said no thanks. Ralston Valley and Fairview picked Evans and Orlando University. Both games were complete blowouts. Evans finished 1-9 and University finished 2-8. Both Colorado schools finished in the top 20 in their state. that is the general mindset of these traveling teams

Braden River was better than that team. That team was the exception to the rule in regards to having a coach actually challenge his kids. i remember a few years ago I spoke to the coach at Columbine,CO about playing Miami Columbus and he said they were too strong. He picked Orange City University. Columbine went 12-1 and University went 1-9. This is the mentality of these teams

Any chance to get some one on one work against someone who isnt't your teammate is a good opportunity I would assume, and since they have a few kids that are being recruited by UCF it was probably a chance for them to get on campus and meet coaches face to face. Osceola doesn't do well in games that don't count, probably why they rarely win spring games or KOCs....but what do I know, I'm just a casual fan. Hopefully they can rebound from the piss poor performance at UCF and have some sort of decent season. West Orange is definitely the favorite in the district followed by DP who is always a top team.

I have to agree..... You have some many former state champions in one region. It will be a war whoever come that region in the Semifinals for us (Glades Central). If we make it of course. We play three of those teams this year (Booker T, Carol City, and Miami Pace)

For those kids in high school who were born with athletic talent and/or who work hard enough to produce success on the football field, the real goal should be to put themselves in a position to have someone else pay for their college education, while playing a game they enjoy playing with other guys who will be their brothers for life. Success on the field in college and a chance to play professional football would simply be the gravy on top.

You assumed that I meant that the South Florida schools would all fall in a low rated academic classification. I keep seeing loads of transfers in South Florida and no one ever mentions it's for an IB program or going to an "A" rated academic school. It's almost always to play football in a dominant program.

So when you spend that much money, you don’t want to ruin the trip with an ass beating. Lol. Exactly!!!

When the Miami powers were all in the same district that was elite.

As I type this in total shock, the entire Dillard & broward county took a HUGE unexpected lost today in losing coach Pinder. coach Pinder was going into her 45th year at Dillard, coach Pinder led our girls to 10 state titles and was named the winningest coach in Florida history. ms Pinder wasn’t just a coach she was family , and after shockingly and unexpectedly sing coach Frazier in 2019 this come as another Huge Blow To Panther Nation. this can’t be real man it just can’t be. We Love You Ms Pinder #PantherNation #AhoooAhhhDillardHigh

Unfortunately it's not just the people running the athletic departments in these schools or even the HC. You don't think that all of the faculty, the principal, the students, to include most of the parents, don't know exactly what is going on? If they don't then they are deaf, dumb, and blind. I think they either don't give a hoot or are too afraid to say anything as long as their teams win. That is the world we live in these days. I'm quite sure there are many schools where local talent is all that is used for their teams because they care more about the students well being instead of their egos or desire to win at any cost. I am most surprised by the parochial schools that are supposed to teach morals, ethics, and fairness. Instead those religious people would rather see their own local students sit on the bench and rarely play by importing mercenaries to make the team into something they really are not.