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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.

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.

Good luck to all the players and coaches headed out there today in this oppressive heat. Let's pray for safety for all and that everyone players and coaches alike end this season as better men than they entered it. Good luck to everyone.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Congrats Vero Beach I mean Dillard

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.

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.

This may not have been Lakeland’s most vaunted team but they never gave up. The mountain was high but dammit not impossible to climb. Damn the naysayers, the hell with the critics. Always underestimated, never intimidated. DREADNAUGHT NATION!!!!!!!! L-TOWN, POLK COUNTY!!!!! Congratulations to the nationally ranked St Thomas Raiders on a great season.

IMG openly recruits on a national level and is fine playing a national schedule with no interest in the FHSAA playoffs. The same cannot be said about the First Academy as they want to openly recruit, play a national schedule but also desperately want a state championship in the FHSAA. Their appeal to lift the suspension for this season was just rejected by the FHSAA board 10-0 which I applaud them for. A Christian school that cloaks itself in righteousness and virtue should not be rewarded for cheating to win.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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”.......

As a South Floridian ... we reject the inclusion of Sarasota County. We stand firm at 5

I was able to narrow down the search area to

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.

1st of all... this isn’t “cow country” lol. 2nd Fort Hill is a small School with former large school traditions. FH is 4 time defending champions winning 62 of their last 63 games. FH would have more D1 players if people didn’t have the same mind set about 1A football. Ty Johnson who is starting RB at UMD lead the nation last year in YPC came from FH. This was a great game. MCC’s QB has a bright future ahead of him. I feel it was MCC’s quick scores, and FH’s long slow drives were the difference maker. MCC’s defense was on the field most of the night, and by the 4th it showed. great effort by both teams. It was one of the best games I’ve witnessed at Greenway Ave Stadium

ESPN is showing South Florida love this season. Not only are they showing Miami Central-Bishop Gorman, but they also have Northwestern-Carol City along with AHP-Chaminade Madonna. http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2017/08/2017-geico-espn-high-school-football-showcase-college-footballs-next-generation/

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

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.

Whoaa. Thought for a minute you were really looking for the ultimate test and had scheduled Madison.

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).

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.

Need to schedule tougher!!!!! They are playing seasoned teams who seen it all. Them cupcakes get you fat and out of shape!!!!!

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

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!

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

First welcome to Florida. Why would they be placed in Class 4A (681-1,114)? Is it based on student population from 4 years ago when Gateway Charter had a much larger enrollment? 2014: Gateway Charter (Fort Myers) - 710 2015: Gateway Charter (Fort Myers) - 734 2016: Gateway Charter (Fort Myers) - 646 2017: Gateway Charter (Fort Myers) - 552 So these districts/regions began in the Fall of 2015 and will end in the Spring of 2019, with new districts starting in Fall 2019. So if you look at their 2014 population, you can see that they would firmly be in Class 4A. The population cutoffs can be different in different sports. How often does the FHSAA re-evaluate district assignments? Do they do mid-cycle reviews say if a school increases or decreases say more than 20% of their total enrollment every 2 years? They redistrict ever 4 years now. They used to do it ever 2 years. They usually do some adjustments mid-cycle and they did this time, but again only if there are major changes or if schools want to move up. It was made more complicated this time around, due to football switching to the Power Point System and the elimination of districts in 1A-4A. Football to my understanding in class 1A-4A have no districts and use a point system? The point system is used for 1A-4A as they got rid of the districts to allow schools to have more flexibility in their schedule (so they can avoid playing some of the really good teams). The Power Point system is designed to make "every game count" instead of just the district games in choosing who enters the playoffs, which was a complaint that there was no excitement in Week 11 games because the playoffs had already been determined. The Power Point System also allowed there to be seeding in the playoffs and allowed to schedule to their competition. (Trying to avoid giving my opinion in order for you to form your own opinion). Classification 5A-8A still have districts (usually 3-7 teams) and the team with the best DISTRICT record is the district champion seeded as a top 4 seed in the region and receives at least one home playoff game. It also seems Gateway has a different slate of district members and classifications for each sport which is where it gets tricky for new fans such as myself. For example, Cardinal Mooney is in our district in baseball but not for any other sport. Cardinal Mooney doesn't have a softball team. As for the rest of the sports, there are lots of teams that have certain sports (basketball, but don't have a baseball or softball team or vice versa) as a result it changes the size of classifications and as a result the districts. Also, what sites are the most popular for talking HS sports? Obviously, this is a good site to start with.

Anybody got an unattached sister, daughter, ex wife/girlfriend, neighbor, or co-worker with a driver's license willing to travel to Lake City and entertain a nice young man who spends way to much time educating lost and confused souls still living in the past. A fund has been set up ( Tiger Greet and Heat ) to help facilitate a bonding of hearts, mind, and body for our north Florida friend who doesn't leave his computer keyboard nearly long enough to expand his possibilities for engagement.

I have made @ColumbiaHighFan2017class a moderator on here. I did this for several reasons. 1. He is on here more often than I am (I am going to better at that as I can) 2. @SportsNut25 agreed to the move. 3. Columbia can reach me most directly (beyond a DM on here) if anything is going wrong and I can make a decision. -- Josh

I was asked to post a few thoughts about the Kickoff Classic results from the past week. In general, I never recommend ranking teams off the Kickoff classic as it's impossible to know which teams are playing to win all 4 quarters or experiment with players in different positions; however, here are some thoughts I came across (Note, these are NOT rankings, just thoughts). 1) Chaminade-Madonna is the real deal and deserving of a top 10 team in all of Florida and I would wager a top 50 team in America. On paper, Chaminade-Madonna lost to Deerfield 17-7, but when it was starters vs starters the final was 7-3 Chaminade. If the Chaminade-Miami Central game isn't on your radar for Thursday night at Traz Powell, you need to follow the results. 2) Calvary Christian (Clearwater) probably isn't ready for prime time yet. The Warriors boasted by several huge transfers were expected to be an offensive powerhouse under Todd Yoder's Warrior program- that maybe still the case, but going against a veteran Berkeley Prep team on the road proved to much for Calvary. If not for a long drive to end the game against the Berkeley backups the final would of been 20-10 and it wouldn't have been that close as Berkeley Prep dominated most of the game. We'll find out this week if Calvary Christian is a contender or pretender as they play Admiral Farragut a highly talented 2A power that has the athletes to match Champagnat. 3) Melbourne Central Catholic knocking of Cardinal Gibbons reaffirms that the Hustlers under coach Sizemore have morphed into a power house. The talk from the South Florida area is that Cardinal Gibbons is one of the top teams in that area; however, the Hustlers hit the road and picked up a 35-33 win. I predicted the Hustlers finished 9-1 at the start of the season, but that was before they scheduled Buford, GA. MCC travels to Buford this week and while Florida is pulling for MCC, this is probably a battle the Hustlers will come up short in- still, this is the first of 2 out-of-state games the Hustlers are playing. 4) Ocala Trinity Catholic is going to be good this year. Yes, the Celtics lost 14-3 to Bucholz, but I think in terms of 3A this is going to be an above average year of OTC who is looking to return to their glory days. Knocking off CCC/Berkeley or Tampa Catholic is asking to much of the Celtics, but OTC doesn't play them in the regular season. I think it's realistic to expect OTC to battle for a playoff spot in the top 4. 5) Clearwater Central Catholic proved Josh and FloridaHSfootball correct by ranking them in the top 3 in 3A. (I had them #4, but moved them to #3). No football program in current 3A has been a more consistent winner over the past 20 years. CCC knocked off the #1 ranked team in Pasco County and held one of the most potent offenses in the state to 6 points in the first half of their KO Classic. CCC travels to Berkeley Prep this week. 6) Tampa Catholic. Outside of Chaminade-Madonna, I don't think you'll find a collective group of wide receivers better than Tampa Catholic's in 3A, the speed, power and coaching has the Crusaders offense likely to put up huge numbers. QB Jacob Dean and RB Jalen Bussey are going to have huge seasons. The big question regarding Tampa Catholic as it has been in years past- can they win the big game when it counts? 7) St. Petersburg Catholic won! Okay, this really isn't a storyline and I assure you we're still in for a long season, but come- let me have my moment. The Barons under 1st year head coach Jay Davis knocked off Bradenton Christian 25-13. I actually think SPC will win 3 or 4 games this year which is a HUGE improvement if we do. 8) Oxbridge and American Heritage are both going to be powers in 3A this year as well. MCC is the favorite to win 3A North but Oxbridge isn't to far behind. I do think Oxbridge is missing a few pieces to win a state championship, but we'll know more after this week. American Heriage Delray is another program that's quickly gaining attention in the shadow of Chaminade in Region 4.

When the fact I see Leon on this list, I know this list is totally suspect. Leon has proven nothing to be Top 25. New coach and they are instantly Top 25? Seriously, I want to know who put this list together. SMH. Also Northwestern over Carol City? Where in the heck is Dr. Phillips? Chaminade? Feels like the list was thrown together to have a Top 25. Can't wait until we drop our Top 10 rankings for each class...yes Top 10 all classes and there will be a Top 25 which you got to be ranked in the Top 10 to get to. Thinking the SSAC will get a Top 10 as well, but they won't be eligible for the Top 25. We will do our homework and will have some discussion with writers around the state.