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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.

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.

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.

Most jobs dont require you to take homework home and grade papers and make lessons and then take classes to recertify and then take classes to try to earn a real wage either by getting a masters. Plus alot of teachers coach and get paid very little for alot of work. A assistant fb coach usually gets around 3k for the following work. Spring ball 20 practices and 5 days for conditioning. 4 days a week lifting in summer, 7 on 7 practices and tournament from Jan -April and then in summer again. Practice from august to mid November unless you make a run and go till December. If teaching is such a great pay gig and easy job then why are 1 in 5 teachers leaving the profession or state to teach somewhere else.

Super teams meaning teams with multiple impact D1 transfers that no one can compete with outside of other super teams. So back in the day, Lakeland used to beat STA’s head in like a baby seal to the tune of 4 titles and a 5-1 overall postseason record against STA from 1996-2006. After 2006, STA said NO MAS!!!!! The South Florida teams started stockpiling talent at break neck speed starting with Miami Northwestern. With a collection of future college and NFL talent MNW wins the high school national title. Then in 2008, STA loaded at every position with a Broward County All Star team, crushes Lakeland and wins the first of their 2 national titles in 3 years. STA from 1963-2007 won 3 state championships. Then after stocking super teams, they proceed to win 12 state championships from 2008-2023. Miami Central from 1964-2009 a grand total of ZERO state championships. From 2010-2023 they win NINE titles!!! Chaminade from 1964-2016 they win 2 titles. From 2017-2023 they win 6!! American Heritage won zero from 1981-2012 and then 4 titles since. These are the 4 top teams in Florida the last decade by far. None of these teams were anything before 2006. You can say STA won 3 but that is in 35 years compared to winning 12 of the last 16. And it’s all thanks to Lakeland

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.

I for the life of me can't understand the reason to not at least let graduating cycle go through before changing the system. The M,S,R accomplished everything it was asked for. More competitive games, newer teams competing for and winning states. BP upset over Norland doesn't happen with previous system. I can't think of one reason to go back to the old system of blowout State title games

Madison 701 Hmmm...

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.

Berkeley driving 4 hours South to beat state top 5 AHP at their house was impressive, then driving 4 hours North to beat another state top 5 team was even more impressive!!!! Berkeley earned this title. This wasn’t a case of better teams choking. This was a case of Berkeley executing their game plan to perfection and wanting it more

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.

The game might end before 9 o'clock...lol

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.

https://www.aroundosceola.com/sports/beeken-removed-poinciana-football-coach The Lord did find me a place to go! with Brad Lord at Southlake! Go EAGLES!

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.

Didn't UCF beat the team that beat the National champs? NCAA officially recognizes UCF football’s national championship claim UCF’s 2017 college football national title claim is no longer a statement from the Florida university or it’s fan base. The Knights are now in the NCAA record book as co-national champions with Alabama for the 2017 season. Colley Matrix ranked UCF as the national champions for the 2017 season in its final poll. TOP VIDEOS Read more at: https://www.bradenton.com/sports/article217396010.html#storylink=cpy

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

I'm leaning towards "No Contest" early in the 4th quarter.

i am on it as we speak.

Not to play devil's advocate, although I do enjoy a little chaos, anyway Lakeland's state legislator gets that body's attention and for the sake of argument makes this a "boys will be boys" episode to be treated as such, with good ole boy slaps on the back, and it magically goes away. Stranger things have happened when Tallahassee has been involved.

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.

@Perspective you have 5 more minutes to get your picks in starting 5 minutes ago. Everyone else, Thursday by 6 please

The next time I am having a bad day or just royally screw something up, I will replay the last seconds of this game to remind myself that whatever I've done can't be this dumb.

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

St. John Bosco losing to Kahuku in Hawaii this past weekend makes STA's loss to SJB look worse. Maybe it's a sign that karma will eventually even things up against STA.

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.

I don't know about supervisor. But I do know I am your superior. BTW, I also know you are an insecure, unpleasant person though I have never met you in person.

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.

It would be nice to see some occasional new blood go on a run but not possible in the transfer era where the strong reload each year and the weak donate their best to the strong. Tired of seeing the same teams every year.

From the second we're born, that train to the final destination has left the station. It picks up speed the older you get. The first 18 years of my life (when trying to get the hell out of my parent's house) went by very slowly. I couldn't wait to get out of John Cox elementary school fast enough. I couldn't get my first kiss or hunch fast enough, lol. Then, I couldn't be rid of Crystal Lake Junior high fast enough. Then on to high school, I couldn't get my first job fast enough at the McDonald's at the intersection of Combee Rd and 92 next to the strip club. I couldn't get my driver's license fast enough or save up enough money to buy my own raggedy-ass car. It was a 1987 4-door Hyundai Excel, lmao! I couldn't graduate from Lakeland fast enough. I couldn't turn 18 fast enough so I could vote and buy my first lottery ticket. I couldn't establish my own independence fast enough and that's when reality kicked. Before I had all the time in the world. Now, there's never enough time. I have to remind myself sometimes to take things slowly and just enjoy the flow of life instead of waiting for the next big event. I tell my children not to wish their life away. Everything may be somewhat of a bore now but that's also the blessing. Don't be in a rush to grow up. If I could go back and do it all again, the only thing I would change is that I would listen to the wisdom of every adult that told me not to be in a hurry to grow up. I can't speak for anyone else but myself. However, when applying your statement, "I just don't know how the last 30 years when by so fast" to my own life, I can say with 100% certainty that the train of life is full speed ahead and it's filled with experiences and people that are no longer here. The realization that one day, that will be me as well so make the most of every single day. Leave a lasting impression. Try to preach love, not hatred, although some situations may AT THE VERY LEAST warrant love from afar.

Someone left LG and didn't go to Lakeland!? I'm shocked!

I think the answer lies not in what Cocoa (or Chaminade) did in their last game, but what their 9 previous opponents did in their last game. Cocoa's previous 9 opponents went 5-0 (with 4 idle), while Chaminade's previous 9 opponents went 1-3 (with 5 idle). As a result, each of those winning teams improved their Rating, which in turn lifts their previous opponents' strength of schedule (in this case, Cocoa and Chaminade). So I believe Cocoa's strength of schedule improved significantly enough (with respect to that of Chaminade) in the eyes of the computer algorithm to leapfrog Chaminade's previous standing. Convoluted, I know. At least with the previous RPI system, my hypothesis could be proven/disproven.

I know you meant it as a joke but they were awarded co national champs in 2017. I couldn't resist... lol

UCF was national champs a few years back too.

Thanks for the effort and the info. That said, if the best team in my county was 0-4, I might wait a few weeks before posting a county rankings.

Fun game to watch. I saw some things I liked. I saw some things that need to be improved upon. Now I have to deal with my ex-wife's gloating, smh. Congrats Vikings!