Cat_Scratch

It was becoming hard to remember all the hirings and openings when they were on so many different posts. I think I have all the hirings/openings correct now.
Hirings
American Heritage (Delray Beach) - Jonathan King Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) - Bobby Ramsay Arnold (Panama City Beach) - Jason Griffin Auburndale - Antonio Thomas Baldwin - Don Velvet Blance Ely (Pompano Beach) - Terrance McFadden Braden River (Bradenton) - Eric Sanders Calvalry Christian (Clearwater) - Wes Safford Carol City (Miami) - George Stubbs Celebration - Jed Ebersole Chamberlain (Tampa) - James Wilder Jr. Chiefland - Adam Gore Citrus (Inverness) - John Capel Crystal River - Bill Vonada Cypress Creek (Orlando) - Ryan Mills DeSoto County - Cliff Lohrey Dr. Krop (Miami) - Vernon Wilder Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) - Willie Smith East River (Orlando) - Adam Chappell Eustis - Joe Burnett Fort Meade - Maurice Russell Freedom (Tampa) - Ron Perisee Glades Central (Belle Glade) - Omar Haugabook Godby (Tallahassee) - John Holston Golden Gate (Naples) - Nick Citro Graceville - Richard Koonce Hardee - Darren Bryan Hillard - Matt Yancy Innovation (Orlando) - Leroy Kinard Jackson (Miami) - Max Edwards Lake Howell (Winter Park) - Dazzie Morris Lake Placid - Jay Del Castillo Lake Region (Eagle Lake) - Jermaine King Lake Worth - Eric Lee Leesburg - Frank Scott Lemon Bay (Englewood) - Jason Mensing Leto (Tampa) - John Hurst Melbourne Central Catholic - Willie Tillman Northwestern (Miami) - Terry Bridgewater Oak Ridge (Orlando) - Anthony Smith Jr Pensacola - Wade Mckinney Pine Ridge (Deltona) - Greg Miller Plantation - Darell Strong Poinciana (Kissimmee) -Taron Mallard Ridgeview (Orange Park) - Marlin Smith Sandalwood (Jacksonville) - Brad Kessel Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland) - Gabe Walker Sarasota - Anthony Campbell Southeast (Bradenton) - Curt Bradley Stanton Prep (Jacksonville) - Ryan Carter Tampa Catholic - Mike Gregory Taylor County - Jesse Braswell Vierra (Melbourne) - Tony Gulla Wesley Chapel - Bruce Patterson Wildwood - Lorenzo Fields Openings
Belen Jesuit (Miami) Bozeman (Panama City) Celebration (Part 2) -  Everglades Prep (Homestead) FAMU DRS (Tallahassee) Fernandina Beach Florida Christian (Miami) Gateway (Fort Myers) - Marlin Roberts? Maybe, I read the ad wrong and t was for middle school or assistants? Gulf Breeze Gulf Coast (Naples) Mainland (Daytona Beach) Miami Beach Newsome (Lithia) North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) North Marion Santa Fe (Alachua) South Miami University (Orlando) Wekiva (Apopka) Windermere Prep
 

Vs Dade County 322-255-5
vs Broward 32-29-3
vs Palm Beach 4-1
vs Monroe 3-3
vs Duval 2-1
vs Orange 1-1
vs Hillsborough 1-2
vs Polk 1-2
vs out of state 1-3
vs Wakulla 1-0
vs Manatee 1-0
vs Lee 1-0
vs St Lucie 0-1
vs Brevard 0-1
vs Volusia 0-1
vs IMG 0-2
 
Totals 370-302-8
 

The other interesting aspect as I understand it, kids can do the transfer portal one time no questions asked.  So top D1 schools will grab a kid with 2-3 years of eligibility left knowing they most likely won't leave, whereas a HS kid they invest 2 years in preparation might and the time/monetary investment gets them no return.  So, yeah will have to see how all this shakes out. 

Good point.  So, if the process continues to play out, some of the kids that in the past received scholarships may now have to walk-on and hope that when a teammate hits the portal that will free up a scholarship for them.  Not an ideal arrangement for kids that can't afford that first year of college in hopes of earning the free ride. 
That said, if the process indeed plays out this way, one good thing will result:  there will be more of those videos of walk-ons getting surprised with a scholarship.   Some people may think they're a little sappy, but I don't ever get tired of watching 'walk-ons getting a scholarship' and 'military folks coming home and surprising their family' videos. 

D1 schools have 85 scholarships available and the number goes down for D2, etc.  They are giving a percentage that used to go to HS kids to college kids in the portal as they have a competitive advantage with film vs college competition.   Case in point, one of the top ranked QB's in our state from Cocoa is having trouble getting a D1 offer when he had several prior and those schools backed off; same for our kid Mascoe who also had several offers that backed off and he committed to Campbell University.  There is an actual interview of the Wydmer kid with Brian Smith (SI recruiting analyst) discussing this very issue.  Not sure what you are missing, maybe it's me.

Unfortunately, from recent articles expressing HS coaches views the transfer portal in college is making those scholarship opportunities more difficult to secure.   Looks like unless that is addressed in some fashion to put some restraints on football players switching allegiance so easily, securing these scholarships for HS kids will get more difficult.   As is the case when change takes place to make things better, the unintended consequences jump up to bite you.

If you have a Open division, wouldn't it be open enrollment also? So 8 super teams make it to play in a brutal playoff. I'd want to watch the games.
 

I'm not sure there are 16 teams capable of competing in an open bracket... maybe 5 or 6 teams could give it a good shot and have a chance of winning when STA and Chaminade are hurting from injuries or illnesses. Would the open include IMG?
IMG, STA, MC, AHP, and Chaminade would be the real contenders. Then you have teams like Lakeland, Venice, Cocoa, BTW, etc... that get hot some seasons that might get through a few rounds but then STA and Chaminade will always be waiting for them in the semi's...
justsayin.

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.  

4. 10 years of high school coaching experience. Took a perennial 0-10,1-9,2-10 program and rebuilt it from the ground up.  I bring stability to the program.  I don’t move around. Coming from coaching in a community that has almost no youth football. Being able to teach the game and how to play it safely to the first year player as well as the seasoned player. 
 
5. I know a lot of coaches from being in the high school game for many years.  I have built relationships with a lot of coaches at every level.  I understand what it takes to coach a football team effectively. How to mix personalities and coaching assets for the betterment of the program.  I would interview the past coaching staff to see what they could bring to the table.  What they thought about the previous administration.  Good and bad and what they thought could be done to improve it. I would also research the program from the outside. See what others thought of it. Its strengths and weaknesses. On and off the field.  All of those would be a factor in the staff I would hire. 
 
6. we work 4 days a week in the offseason. I encourage players to participate in other sports.  The advantages of being a multi sport athlete help with recruiting as well as work the body in different ways.  Not all schools can have 4 day a week workouts because of player culture and outside influences.  Would have to study that and see if it could be changed.  But no matter what we would still work out physically and mentally with the kids who could participate. And hope that a little peer pressure and raising expectations can increase attendance.  
 
7. fundraising.  That totally depends on the schools culture and whether there is a booster club or not.  In some schools raising 50k a season is easy.  In others raising 5k is an issue.  There are so many avenues to fundraising it would be a studied decision based on the aforementioned factors.  But we would set lofty goals and strive to achieve them.  While trying to always give something back to the players from their efforts in fundraising (cloth etc)
 
8. 10 years of coaching contacts at the next level.  I have built relationships with numerous programs.  Not trying to oversell an athlete to a higher program that they can be successful at.   In my 9 years at my last school EVERY player who was looking to play at the next lever received an offer.  Not necessarily the d1 offer they thought they deserved.  But a good fit academically, athletically and financially.  
 
there is more that that even. But that’s a quick synopsis of my answers.  

Interesting question.  Would depend on how the FHSAA wanted to interpret their eligibility.  IMG was #1 in the MaxPreps Florida rankings at the end of the regular season, so that technically would have qualified them for the Open 8 as it was proposed. But IMG is listed as "Independent" in this newest reclassification, so the FHSAA could say that you have to compete in the state series to qualify for the Open 8.  So I think the FHSAA could manipulate the rules to exclude or include IMG as they desire. 

My understanding is that the state legislature/government has made it clear that they believe in parental choice and that for those educational choice there should no restrictions. I am by no means an expert, but I am willing to bet if you asked the majority party this, they would give some sort of answer along those lines. 
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So the reason why I think we need a more radical change (than just one level) is a school like Freedom (Tampa). They are currently on a 28 game losing streak, MaxPreps says since 2004 they have had 3 6-win seasons, and 1 7 win season. In the Metro/Suburban, they are playing in 3S. In the new classifications they are 4A. Are they going to be competitive? Absolutely Not. So why have them compete at that level. Let them continue to move down until the expectation is that they are a .500 team year in and year out. 
I would say that every area has at least one team like Freedom (Tampa), some metro areas have 10 or more. Teams that their coaches are truly doing good work, because most likely not a single one of those kids will play on the next level and every coach knows that they are heading into a losing season.
____________ 
Look at  a school like Chaminade-Madonna in the current FHSAA reclassification, they will be in 1A!!! Cardinal Newman a top 25 school, lost by 40 to them. Is there a single school in 1A that could compete with them? Heck, if you took every good player in 1A and made an all-star team and competed against Chaminade, would the all-star team win? So if you are those other 60 teams, what end goal do you have?
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As for the optional Open division, no team that we all know should be in the Open division will choose to be in the Open division. I doubt teams would be willing to be that self-sacrificing, which is why the Open Division should be based not a single season of success, but constant success and should be mandatory. 

I'm not sure there are 16 teams capable of competing in an open bracket... maybe 5 or 6 teams could give it a good shot and have a chance of winning when STA and Chaminade are hurting from injuries or illnesses. Would the open include IMG?
IMG, STA, MC, AHP, and Chaminade would be the real contenders. Then you have teams like Lakeland, Venice, Cocoa, BTW, etc... that get hot some seasons that might get through a few rounds but then STA and Chaminade will always be waiting for them in the semi's...
justsayin.

I am not sure about that. California and New Jersey have had Catholic powers for a long time. 

My hand is readily extended. STA is one of the poster children of what is wrong with Florida High School Football. The STA of 20-25 years ago was very good, but it was not what it is today. Back then, it was a well endowed high school that built a strong football team by bringing in enough talent to be competitive most years. Today, along with a handful of other privates and public school, it makes a mockery of what the game at the high school level should be. 
I am hoping that the recent trend (if two years even counts as a trend) in the state finals are a harbinger of better times ahead. No we will not revert to the halcyon days of yore, but maybe, just maybe, we will be able to keep the finals competitive.  

We will never know if that's true or not. STA had its back against the wall in its final. Cocoa, won comfortably though it did not blow out Bradford. 

Cocoa might have an opinion on this whole "home dominance" thing.    

In the social media age I don’t think kids need to illegally enticed to go to a school. They know who the best teams are and can make things happen on their own. If you are a 4 star on a Broward public that lacks all the resources to succeed then you are most likely going to inquire what it takes to attend a private that will set the foundation for your future 

I wonder if STA, C-M, maybe AHP, have given any thought to leaving the FHSAA and just playing a national schedule, like some of the national prep basketball powerhouses do.  They could team up with IMG, CAI, Gorman, St. Frances, etc.  Might be cost-prohibitive, but maybe they could make it up with a TV contract.  Just a thought....

Send link to the cheating so I can submit to the FHSAA please 

I think the original proposal included an 8-team Open Division for all the team sports.   I'd be curious if they consulted with the coaches in all these team sports, but this way the FHSAA can say they aren't singling out the football elite (even though they are).

I've been looking at this all day and trying to figure out the best way to respond.  Here it is!
I strongly disagree with the statement that these schools weren't anything prior to 2006, with the lone exception of MC.  They were known for being the rockets that couldn't lift off, and anyone with knowledge of Dade football would certainly agree.  Dade has long been a county where players "follow" coaches, lol.  Now it's Central's turn.
American Heritage (Plantation), not to be confused American Heritage (Delray), did make one finals appearance to the tune of a 30-13 drubbing by NFC during the Eagles' run in the 90's.  
Chaminade may have only won 2 titles between 1963-2016, but they have been to the finals 4 times in that same span.  
Now I'm hardly one to defend the Raiders but in this situation, to say the Raiders were nothing prior to 2006 is laughable at best.  First, I have to guess you made a slight error in saying that the Raiders only won 3 state championships from 1963-2007 as I know you keep stats on damn near everything, lol.  Now if you had stopped at 2006 you would be correct but including 2007 actually gives them 4.  For the sake of discussion we'll stop at 2006.  One very important detail that you left out is the fact that when STA embarked on one of the best comebacks in FHSAA history in the 2006 finals, this was the Raider's 10th trip to the big dance.  YES, for the people in the back in the room.  10 times! (91, 92, 96, 97, 99, 00, 01, 04, 05, 06).  I would hardly call a program that goes the the finals 10 times in a 16 years nothing.  To put it in perspective, from to 1963-2006, STA was 3-7 and Hillsborough County was 5-9 during that same period.  Secondly, although Lakeland gets notoriety for the amount of times they not only defeated STA but done so in overwhelming fashion, I'd be remiss to not mention the "OTHER" schools that gave the Raiders lumps, bruises and heartaches: (1991 FWB (39-14), 2000 Pine Forest 34-27 (3OT), 2001 Lincoln (28-20). 
Beginning in 2007, the Raiders have gone 12-1 (Thank Lakeland for that lone loss) in the Finals and regardless of how reclassification goes, you can bet the Raiders will find a way to get there.
STA, Chaminade and AH have matured into the inevitability of their "program building".  That was going to happen with or without Lakeland as Broward (much like Duval) is revered for their private schools and the public schools are, well, anyway....  A special round of applause goes to the FHSAA for making it easier than ever to moonwalk to the show.

Implementing a mandatory (non voluntary) open division could actually be the best way of dissuading schools from recruiting all star teams. For if it's large enough, but not too large (maybe 24 to 32 teams), these schools may well say wait a minute, do we really want to have to beat each other up every year for one title, year in and year out? 
On the other hand, a smaller open division determined at or near the end of the season with 8-16 teams, may encourage teams to recruit heavily in a bid to "compete for the best in Florida title." But it would also give solid teams who currently don't have a real shot, a legitimate shot at winning one of the remaining 5, 6 or 7 titles. 

1A A stands for agricultural lmao jk but idk doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Could change it to 1B kinda like they had before with 1A 1B 2A and 2B

Does STA offer free tuition to athletes? Just curious.