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A journey that began in late 1998, a year before Rick Darlington became head coach, ends tonight. I will attend the Apopka vs Wekiva game at Wekiva this evening with a somewhat heavy but also happy heart. Heavy because, a chapter of my life that's lasted 26 years is about to end. Happy because despite a very bad season this year, I have been blessed to be a fan of a team that made the playoffs 24 consecutive years and in that time period won three state titles from seven tries. While there are teams that have done better over that period, I can honestly say that it gratifies me that my beloved Blue Darters did it the right way. If we win tonight and make the playoffs I shall not attend if we draw Venice. I can't bring myself to make the long drive for a game that we would have, at best, a 5% chance of winning. If we make the playoffs and draw a Tampa Bay area team, most likely Plant City, I will attend game one of the playoffs as the commute would be significantly shorter and Apopka, while it would be an underdog, would at least have better odds of winning. In my humble opinion, the school's brain trust (coaches and administration) need to take a hard look at this season. For I believe that for the future success of the program some bold, hard decisions will need to be made. Regardless, I will always have a special place in my heart for the Apopka football program and though I will be far away, I will watch my fair share of games online from a distance. Go Darters, so long and fare well!!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Is it a brand new field? Or did they come up to Hillsborough County, find a field they liked, and convince that field to move down to Venice for a season or two?

I'm not a journalist and won't pretend to be. However, it occurred to me just this morning that Friday's 5A semifinal matchups are a snapshot of what took place 19 years ago. Four teams were on a collision course back in 2005, and those same teams are set to square off in 36 hours; St. Thomas Aquinas at Manatee, Niceville at Lakeland. If you believe in the effects of planet alignment, then these games are not to be missed. Lakeland, Manatee, Niceville and St. Thomas Aquinas combine for 30 state titles. Considering that approximately 128 schools have AT LEAST one title to their name, that's highly impressive! When it's all said and done, one of these teams will add one more title to their school's war mantle. On the Line STA - Unprecedented 6th title in a row. No other school has accomplished this feat and if the Raiders go the distance, they will truly stand on an island all to themselves for the already storied program. Manatee - Return to glory and a chance to halt the Raider's potentially record setting season. Niceville - The Eagles have a chance to dethrone two-time champion on the road but will have to do so in a hostile environment. Lakeland fans never forgot and you will be welcomed with the same atmosphere we were treated to in 2005. Lakeland - A chance to extend the Naughts' winning streak and chance at another 3-peat against the Raiders or long overdue redemption against the Hurricanes. This is probably the first time this season where I've been truly excited. Good luck to all the programs tomorrow and travel safely!

For those interested in data, here are some numbers to consider: 460 teams played under the FHSAA umbrella this year. 240 (52%) teams qualified for the state playoff series. That seems like a lot. My view is that if you didn't make the playoffs, look in the mirror first before blaming others. Here is the breakdown of quarterfinal games across classes 1A-7A: #1 seed vs. #8: 28-0 #2 seed vs. #7: 25-3 #3 seed vs. #6: 21-7 #4 seed vs. #5: 18-10 higher seed vs. lower seed: overall 92-20; about what you expect. This suggests that the seeding system is fairly accurate, especially not giving a top 4 seed and home game automatically to district winners. You don't deserve an automatic top 4 seed by winning a piddly 3- or 4-team district. It would be a different story if districts had 7 or more teams. Comparing this year's quarterfinals under the enrollment-based classes vs. last year's Metro-Suburban classes, the median (half higher/half lower) margin of victory in both years across all quarterfinal games was 26 points. In 2023, 30% of the quarterfinal games had a running clock, whereas the total was 34% in 2024. It will be interesting to see if the remaining games are more or less competitive than last year. On to the region semifinals...

It's just been announced that TFA and Miami Central will play each other in the In-Ella-Ja Bowl.

I am working on compiling schedules as we speak. I am using multiple resources (everything from Team Twitter accounts to even Hudl -- believe it or not I am finding full schedules there). I have some help in getting them compiled in to a master spreadsheet. I hope to get these posted quickly as possible.

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.

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.

I retired over 5 years ago. So, while I have worked on projects since then, I have been gloriously idle most of the time after having worked since I was thirteen as for me adulthood started in the small family business my mom ran in Jamaica. I am moving to Panama for the final chapters of my life. It reminds me of the Jamaica I lived in as a little boy before the island got dangerous in the mid to late 1970s. Sadly, I see some of the same flashing red lights here that I observed during my teenage years in Jamaica in the 1970s. As a retiree, I want to live out my final years in relative peace and quiet. I have never been a huge political guy though I have fairly strong opinions. I have not because I ultimately don't think that most politicians have the best interest of the electorate at heart anymore than CEOs of large corporations have the best interests of those that use their products or services do. Now in the case of CEOs, they don't represent us, so there's no particular fiduciary duty on their part aside from not selling us harmful products or services without fair warning that using them in the wrong way may be hazardous. In the case of politicians there is a fiduciary duty to at least, as far as is possible, reflect the will of those that put them in power. When the latter is not so, things tend to fall apart. I will have spent 41 years and 7 months in the USA before I depart. So, it will more likely than not represent the county where I have spent the greater part of my life. In my time here, I have found that I have been treated fairly by the great majority of those that I worked with, as well as those that I had personal relationships with. While I was not native born, I can say that this county has been an integral part of who I am as a person. I will miss all of the friends and acquaintances I have made over the 26 seasons I have been an avid high school football fan.

Facts. For example. When I was coming up all I knew was Dillard. My entire mother side went to Dillard. When I got to high school I went to Dillard, played for Dillard, graduated from Dillard. since I started in my first game for Dillard in 07 I have not missed a game home or away since then. So for the last 17 years. Every Friday night, Saturday night, or on rare occasions mon or Thursday nights I’ve been blessed there. Working 40+ hour work weeks, taking care of my grandmother whose in her last stage of Alzheimer’s, taking care of my son who was autistic. wether it was walking, catching the city bus, the train (when we played Boynton in Boynton back in 2016), or catching a ride (when we played pahokee in pahokee on a Monday night). I’ve been blessed to be able to make it to every game. and that’s because I love my my school through & through. Bad years & good years. I bleed blue & gray like a crazed maniac lol, and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

First I want to express my apologies for my absence the last few months. Without going into much detail I have had some personal life struggles I have been dealing with on top of figuring out the direction to take FloridaHSFootball.com in. Things have finally settled out some over the last few weeks although I am not completely out of the woods just yet. Some of the decisions about what direction to take FloridaHSFootball.com have been forming over this time while I went through things. Part of me wondered if it was time to go, but really it is not at all. Thankfully, a loyal supporter near me in Gainesville decided to put their mouth where their money is and did a little investing and today FloridaHSFootball.com launched its first-ever Mobile App. With that said it comes with the sunset of the MVP Membership Subscriptions and thus FloridaHSFootball.com will be 100% free for the first time in a while. This comes as needing to get the clearances with Apple and Google and the current subscription platform we have is not syncing with Apple's system nor with the App itself. Its best we go in this direction to grow fans again and being able to put them facing forward with an app on their phone going forward. Here are the download links for the apps: iOS (Apple): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/floridahsfootball-com/id6477621728 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.floridahsfootball.app&hl=en_US&gl=US For now the forums will not be available directly in the app. At some point I maybe looking at changing the whole forum software that could eventually integrate into the app. It will be a while before this happens so things will go on as they are here. I also apologize for any of the spam and troll accounts that have managed to find their way around the security protocols in setting up new accounts. It seems every day these things find ways to pass through control systems. I am going to be looking at getting this solved and will keep an eye on things here as we go along. Please feel free to reach out to me if you all need anything, want to chat or have any suggestions. -- Josh

Josh was the team who went 10-0 and lost in the 1st round. Lol

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!

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.

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.

I miss the Sunshine Network

Not mentioned, but probably highly relevant, is the impact of Miami Central- who won every single game other than Lakeland on the field- having their record flipped to 0-9. Lakeland, understandably, was WAY head of everyone else in 5A BEFORE the reversal of Central's record. Then they were barely ahead going into the playoffs and now it is what it is. Secretive formulas/processes should be presumed fraudulent. If they're not fraudulent, the FHSAA could simply reveal all of the details etc.

WHO DAT??? .....TAEVION SWINT!!! Just got home, but if you were a neutral spectator in the stands tonight scouting these two excellent backs I think it was pretty clear who was the dominant one. Our rallying cry this time of year is "ONE MORE MONDAY" and we achieved that goal. Finally, a big shout out to OHS Vargas as a finalist in the pick ems, as not only our kids believed but he did too. The rest of this great group of pickers all struck out. Those calling this an "UPSET" must of not seen the same game I did tonight. Yes, Armwood is terrific and has playmakers all over the field throwing the ball, running the ball and making catches. Unfortunately, lots of people forget that one of the winning formulas lies in the trenches and we pounded these folks into submission; it was a slow physical beatdown as this didn't come out of thin air but what I heard many Armwood fans saying after the game. So please, don't act like it was a fluke because all the pundits have not ranked us properly. GO KOWBOYS!!

Could simply be a due process issue . . . i.e., if the matter just now came to the attention of the FHSAA, they would have to give the school notice, the school would have to be given time to investigate (I'll write more about that process later) and respond, appropriate board might have to meet, possible appeals, etc. While I'm generally not in favor of allowing "guilty" teams to participate in the playoffs, I also understand the general presumption of "innocent until proven guilty" and realize it would be tremendously unfair to punish a team for their presumptive transgressions and make them miss the playoffs only to have the school go through the process and not be deserving of punishment.

Boy, do we need more fans like you. Good luck to you in the next chapter in your life and hope along the way our paths will cross again; I still owe you that beer. As I have previously told you, my wife and I are currently looking at options for relocation which will end my involvement with Kowboy Athletics over the past 60+ years as a player, coach and fan. I as well will certainly follow them from a distance, just won't be as plugged in as I am now. The world keeps turning.

I’m gonna start drinking for my picks!!!!! GOOD HEAVENS

I might start drinking to do my picks.

1- Franklin County (2-0) After an 0-10 season last year, Franklin County is off to a 2-0 start. They should stand strong at the top of the rankings since they are the only school in the county.

It's been many years since I've done a top 25. I just don't have the energy now days. Thank you for your outstanding effort. Most of us older crew appreciate your energy and effort.

I don't see Dillard on this list. Now you know Dillard High gone have something to say about this list lol.

IMG has historically started really slow. They lost to Miami Central in week 1, and lost to Columbia and AHP in kickoff classics. Gotta get them as early as possible before the kids can memorize the names of their teammates

They do get First Academy week 2 and they loaded up on the NIL deals and transfer portal thanks to Coach you know. Remember Winter Park and all the smoke the last few years and then last year Leesburg and all the smoke now the smoke is at First Academy. They had 2 coaches of other programs quit because they were doing stuff morally wrong and the FHSAA still doesn't care. They have coaches 30 minutes away driving kids to school. By the way that's illegal but no one cares anymore. Wild Wild West. Jones and Apopka won't be easy. I wasn't overly impressed with Edgewater in the spring but they did load up on recruits err transfers. If you ain't cheating you ain't trying. Let the best cheater win.

Don’t throw in the towel yet Columbus, rumor has it, off the street, not from the administration or coaches, that Central & Chaminade are holding a recruiting seminar , of course for pay. Topics like 1) How to recruit the Nation & make it look like “your team was sought out”. 2) How to get over 20 transfers without the FHSAA questioning it. 3) How to reach over to Naples & other out of countyFlorida non powers & snatch their best players for the betterment of high school football. Etc……

I have moved on. That being said. When you put 9 years of your life into something you kinda become attached to it. I’ll still be working there. Have to see it and live it daily. If you truly can’t understand that. It was more than just a job.

Madison 701 Hmmm...

They just need to do it like the College Football Playoffs. That way, there will be no issues, disputes or arguments about who should be in and who gets left out.

Always read, seldom post, but I can offer some insight here. My son and I drove down to first game and I watched the second game on feed. The score of the first game was very misleading. Simply put, Mandarin lost the first game because they had 5 turnovers, with one of them being a punt snapped into the end zone for a free LM score. Even with all the turnovers, Mandarin was going in to score in the 4th qtr to bring the game within 2 or 3 points when they dropped a wide open TD on 4th down. LM then took the next drive in for a score to get the final margin. By no means did LM go up and down the field on them all game like they have on everyone else. They did hit some longer runs, but only managed about 250 yards total. The second game was very similar, but this time with fewer turnovers, I believe it ended up being a zero margin. The consensus up here all last week was that if as long as Mandarin didn't turn the ball over a bunch they should handle them comfortably, which they obviously did. You can see the talent there with Noah Grubbs. Some similarities to Carson Beck, who we had up here a few years ago. The first game against Mandarin he was a 6 of 18 for 108 yds. Haven't seen any stats for this past game but they will likely be very similar. It is not a coincidence that by far his worst two games this year were both against Mandarin. There was not a lot he could do because his receivers were just not able to get open. The Mandarin secondary is one of the best in the entire state, regardless of classification. They will all be playing meaningful football on Saturdays in the future. Mandarin is kind of an outlier in this region being up here in Jax but connected to a region with a lot of Metro Orlando schools. They won a terrible district and had three losses, all because of the same thing....turnovers. They do have some trouble with power running teams (i.e. Bartram and Bolles), but have shown improvement in that area throughout the year. I really don't see any power running team like those aforementioned two in their path going forward. The only receiver that has given them any trouble all year was Naeem Burroughs of Bolles and he is going to light up everyone he faces. They have all kinds of talent on offense, the kind of players that if you do not come up with a plan to stop them individually they will torch you. They have a talented QB who is a three year starter and two excellent backs who benefit from teams scared to death they are going to get beat deep by Jamie Ffrench, in which he usually does anyway. Really, their only issue on offense has been turnovers in certain games. If they limit those going forward they could very easily win out. Top to bottom, they have more sheer talent than anyone left in their path. In fact, this current team has more talent than their 2018 state title team. Looking ahead, much of their talent will return so they are likely going to be as talented or even more so next year. As for LM not having their back, yeah, I could see where that could make some difference, but even if he were playing, Mandarin was just the better team overall. Having the threat of a decent back allows compensation for having average receivers, which ultimately was what ended up being the real problem for LM this year. The kid can make all the throws, he just needs some quality receivers to throw to.

Perhaps the schools in the panhandle should be allowed to play in the Alabama or Georgia playoffs instead if they wanted to . . . it could be called "State Choice."

Josh just waits until after the games are played, to decide who to pick.

For over taking Hollywood Chaminade and winning the FHSAA's final regular season title. Hats off to this perennial little powerhouse that will play anyone, anywhere. It's hard not to love those kids and their fabulous football program.

Also Cocoa is undefeated, I don't care what the record says.

i am on it as we speak.

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?

Imagine if the Space Coast team lost in the championship, but a week later the other team had to forfeit the win for an ineligible player. Space Coast in theory could win their championship with a 1-8 record, and no actual wins on the field.

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.

Y'all are sleeping on Madison County. Everyone else trash I like MadCo big. Miami Central scared to play dem Cowboys. Next year they can beat Mater Dei I'm tellen you. MadCo best team in America

Cardinal Gibbons-38 Dillard-14 Final Since Dillard stop posting lol

This is everything. Every post from this guy is a poorly veiled passive aggressive quip. He's egotistical and unapologetically abrasive on nearly every comment. In short, he is a dick.

As a fellow Vero fan I have to concur, worst officiating I have ever seen at this level, Northwestern has every right to be upset, here is the final stat line: Miami Northwestern 32 penalties for 243 yards, 4 TDs called back Vero Beach 14 penalties for 115 yards, 1 TD called back I know the officials are assigned from the Treasure Coast official association, so they are not necessarily “Vero” refs, but it somehow seems like it, truly embarrassing, I have never seen a group of officials insert themselves into the game they way they did. I will not provide any examples, as I don’t have time to get into a lengthy back and forth discussion about it, Vero’s games are available on YouTube for all to rewatch if you care to. Vero will have a hard time getting any S Florida power back to here after this.