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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.

Armwood Defensive Coordinator, Fred Hicks, has been named the new head coach at Pasco High School.

They better. Beating STA @ Brian Piccolo will be a tall task as it is already. It’s almost impossible if you have mental errors/penalties.

Everyone knows

Charles Lester is a solid receiving threat as well

We actually return 8 kids with significant playing time on defense last year. Defense is not our issue. Offensively we need to establish an identity quickly.

In that case, I am glad 8A is gone. APK needs a title this year or it's going to be a long time. The last thing it needs is to face a star studded team packed with key transfers. Facing Columbus, a private with enormous resources, is bad enough.

Panthers have sum good transfers? Hopefully coaching will mesh better this year?

Tigers kicker from last year, Mao Saito is too old to play this fall. Welcome P/K Gunnar Trout from Merrittt Island to Tigerland! Cocoa should be in the State Championship game again this year a rematch vs Florida High who have a lot of starters returning on offense, but the Tigers are loaded on defense! Tiger Pride!

As the song says, "Don't Blink."

Boda is at Coastal Carolina right now but they have a 6'5 sophomore that transferred over from Melbourne. He picked up some major offers over the 7v7 tournaments after transferring to Cocoa and he's goes to the same QB trainer and the rest of the top QBs go to Trujillo. Cocoa has about 7 or receivers they'll be rotating and picked up a second kicker/punter so now they have 2 really good kickers unless the foreign exchange student graduated. Also a few athletes just transferred in as well. Should be a great game and they'll know what they need to improve early since their week 1 game is at the Citrus Bowl (CWS) against Jones.

Nulli I couldn't have possibly put this better than you did. Beautiful message. Who's chopping these damn onions...

Powerful testimony Nulli, it brought tears to my eyes. I'm guessing you and I are close in age. I remember me and a good friend, who died too young in 2015, were able to sneak into that old place you mentioned on Hwy 92 and Combee RD many, many years ago. Thank GOD it's a house of worship today. Life happens.

@Nulli Secundus, well said.

He's a geezer like us.

But like you previously stated, "Summer is long and could yield surprises". That statement holds true for several teams.

On the one hand, the fact that this guy is a rapper might lead some folks to believe that he would have a certain sense of relevancy and credibility in the inner-city part of Miami. However, the fact that LakelandGator and DarterBlue know who this guy is, and know that he's a rapper, makes me wonder whether his relevancy window closed in the 80's or 90's. So, this thread started with a post that a high school football coach in Miami called out one or more other high schools and the local university for cheating/aiding the cheating, but I've seen nothing substantive. Who's doing what?

Any old timer remember the "Newbie" who had the "inside scoop" on a certain Blue/Black team all the while he didn't realize he was conversing with that teams Head Coach ? Inside jokes "be damned" but it was hilarious.

Offense met my expectations. Offensive line looks extremely good. The defensive line needs work. The secondary played well but there were times where it was obvious that we have 3 new starters back there. The impact transfers that we have all played: Jadyn Glasser, Ryan Daly, Jayce Barksdale, and Ryan Browne all look like valuable pieces that will make a difference right away. It looks like cornerback Charles Lester has transferred back to Riverview for his senior season. Overall expecting a good season from Venice with a return to the state championship as the expectation. But I am certainly not overlooking Osceola, Lakeland, Manatee, Buccholz, Bartram Trail, etc. Whom all look equally as good on paper and could derail our plans with just one bad night.

Reportedly, Patrick Murphy, formerly at Sickles (with a short layover at Chamberlain), has been named head football coach at Bloomingdale.

Venice defeated Naples 49-28 at Staver Field in their spring game. Offensive line looks good but both QB's need time to build chemistry with the receiving corps. 14 of Naples' points came off of turnovers. One of them was a pick-6 off of a batted pass while the other was an interception returned to our 7-yard line. Defensive line needs more time in the weight room and a lot of fine-tuning. There were some big plays made in the secondary, but they have 3 new starters back there and it showed. A phenomenal first half was followed by a terrible third quarter where Naples nearly tied the game at 35 all, but a fumble recovered by DT Ryan Daly led to a 95-yard touchdown drive to basically put the game out of reach. Overall, I was happy with what I saw. Venice had a great first half and did what they needed to do to close out the game. Not a bad starting point at all. Go Indians!!

Thanks for the kind words but all we currently have is "POTENTIAL" and a lot needs to happen before we start envisioning a deep playoff run. Odds of getting into the playoffs are pretty good but I believe seeding can have an impact on how far you go and I have little faith in the system based on history. Exhibit #1 was last year with us having to travel to Vero Beach, which didn't affect the outcome but reflects the calculus. Despite seeding them higher, we thumped them at their place 31-7 and very well could have been even more one-sided. Does make me wonder.

Flag on the play! Personal foul . . . using two different nicknames in the same sentence. I can either be "Pinstripes" or a "Big shot," but not both in the same sentence. 15 yards from the spot of the foul and loss of down.

Yes PinellasFB, that will be one of the rule changes for 2023 in Florida High School Football.

As usual, expectations are high but as previously alluded success will depend on development of several young but talented players. They are definitely dedicated and working extremely hard so pleased with that aspect. KOC vs APK and the first 3 games vs Treasure Coast, Seminole and Jones will provide them the tough challenge of gaining experience in matchups that should be considered toss-ups. Offensively we should be fine early on whereas the growth will be on the defensive side. Hopefully they will be up to speed when we play Lakeland in game #4 and Rockledge game #5 both at home. Don't want to count my chickens before they hatch.

Understood. Wasn't meant as criticism of this young man, just couldn't find much of a track record but hope he has a breakout season.

Best of luck to your Darters. Sounds like another low-scoring showdown with Columbus is approaching; hopefully with different results this time!

Previous school was Cardinal Mooney and don't know much about this young man other than when I looked him up, he is unrated with zero offers, totaling 107 receiving yards in 11 games last year; despite that, maybe he will make their offense scary.

Receiver Griffin Gisotti is transferring from Cardinal Gibbons to Venice for his senior season. Venice’s offense is looking more and more scary by the day.

8/25 Stranahan at Dillard 9/1 Dillard @ Naples 9/8 Cardinal gibbons @ Dillard 10/6 Chaminade @ Dillard

Thanks. Merritt Island is losing a lot of players. I'm assuming Trout is related to the other k/p that transferred to Holy Trinity from Merritt Island

I didn't plan on telling a story today but the unscripted tales are typically the best ones. This comes a week after burying one of my older cousins who passed from Pancreatic cancer at 66. Nothing wrong with tears. I didn't learn that until I lost my father almost 20 years ago (July 15th makes 20) and even now, that sounds weird to say.

Yes, we have to be somewhat close in age if you experienced and/or even knew the establishment that will remain nameless. I forgot it anyway, lol. I'm not sure exactly when it closed but I want to say it was after I graduated in '94, sometime in the late summer or fall. I was still 17 at the time and when I turned 18 and came home for a weekend from college, it was gone. You can find a house of worship on every corner in Lakeland today and that's a good thing.

Deylen Platt and Charles Fleming both looked good, and the addition of Charles Lester makes our secondary extremely good. Scoring on Venice through the air will be tough. However, our glaring weakness is still the defensive line. They need more time together in the weight room and fine-tuning of their skills. Naples made our defensive line look silly at times throughout the spring game, especially in the third quarter where they were a fumbled snap at the 2-yard line away from tying the game at 35-all. There were times when their QB had 7 seconds to survey the field. Our secondary, even as good as it will be, cannot cover receivers for 5-7 seconds while the defensive line is held to a stalemate. Our brand new defensive line is a bad matchup against your Tigers, who return 4 of their offensive lineman and a veteran group of receivers that will challenge us across the board. If Cocoa is able to scheme their receivers open against Venice’s powerful secondary, Boda will probably have 4+ seconds to survey the field and find an open receiver consistently. Something needs to change in a big way over the summer. Overall, Cocoa fans should feel extremely confident about that week 2 matchup with Venice. At home, with Venice coming off a tough game against Armwood on a short travel week. Couldn’t ask for a better scenario to KO Venice. Hope ESPN picks it up.

Sure did disappoint us last year at that time, so keeping my fingers crossed as this will be a tremendous challenge for our youngsters to prepare for the upcoming season. Probably will ride up with my son who attends most games with me during the season, so yes would love to meet you.

I can't deny that fact. I just don't know how the last 30 years when by so fast.

Uncle Luke (Luther Campbell) , 2 Live Crew fame... Haven't found what Luke said, but when colleges are filling the pockets of recruits and current team members with free flowing NIL (name,image,likeness) dollars, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if some of that cash made it's way down to some high schooler's. Unlike college players, with $$$ contracts, who's to stop NIL collegians and others from giving "teens" a little incentive to attend their alma mater and continue on a winning tradition. Makes sense to me.

C'mon, man. You've gotta keep up! Obviously, he (or they) said mean, nasty, defamatory, perhaps true, perhaps false, incriminating, scandalous, vicious, unbecoming things about someone, some other coach, or some other school. What more do you need to know?

That is 100% correct. Overall, I like where Apopka is at this point on the space time continuum.

That is exactly right. And, as of the spring inter squad scrimmage, the elements were there to do the same this year. Not being an insider, I don't know whether that option still exists.

they ran a little more spread type stuff 2012ish 2013ish when zack was there, it was for sure a dangerous combo to see 2x2 and then all a sudden they shift into single wing or vice versa. i couldnt imagine game planning for the same personnell groupings for a spread em out offense and a smash mouth one.

It was likely one of a few factors ... summer is long and could yield surprises,

Some that I missed over the last few months: Tavares - New Coach Gavin Jones Legacy Charter (Ocoee) - New Coach Zach Fox Harmony (St. Cloud) - New Coach Nick Lippert (interim) Liberty (Kissimmee) - New Coach Dee Hart Trinity Christian (Deltona) - New Coach Bill Cosens Bradenton Christian - New Coach John Warren Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) - New Coach Matt Nasser

Pasco's head football coach was Alphonso Freeney. He stepped down yesterday after one (successful) season. In his tweet, he explained that he was offered an opportunity to move back to Alabama to coach football. He didn't say where or at what level, but indicated that he could not refuse the "financial package" for his family.

Englewood (Jacksonville) - New Coach Kevin Johnson Pahokee - New Coach Matthew Sparrowhawk Pasco (Dade City) -

Trinity Prep (Winter Park) Bell Creek (Riverview)

Mount Dora Christian - New Coach Kolby Tackett

Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) - New Coach Demetrius Mincey Bloomingdale (Valrico) - New Coach Patrick Murphy

Lennard (Raskin)

Cypress Creek (Orlando)