mbhs69

Guess it's down to following their coaches to get a feel for the long term future of Oxbridge program after sitting out upcoming 2018 season. Anyone know if any of their coaches been picked up, or moved on to other programs?

Been to quite a number of those games. Never saw or felt such a tense, charged atmosphere at any other football game, especially the closer you sit to either the corps of cadets or the midshipmen sections. The energy put out on the field seeps up into the stands like a fast rising tide, sorta like bein engulfed in an approaching firefight without weapons. All you get is a relentless, no-surrender battle of iron wills till the final whistle. To see how they honor this game we love by the unique character of their on-field sportsmanship is a very rare occurrence these days. IMO, this years game was the most exciting I ever saw, and that goes back to 1959 when a bunch of us runny-nosed local 8-year old's jumped a side gate at the old Municipal Stadium, chased by ushers and the cops only to disappear in the 100K + crowd. We never thought about how football should be played the same way after seeing that first game. It was about grown men playin the game right only for the team, leaving your guts on the grass if that's what it took. You didn't have to be good, you just had to put all your heart, your focus, and your effort into every minute of each workout, each practice and all games .... even if you were a bench scrub. It was easy to be happy yet humble in victory, and without regrets and wiser after a well-fought loss. Witnessing just one Army-Navy game should be on every diehard fan's bucket list. BEAT ARMY !!!

They dominated way back when. But not now, nor in the recent past. They're still an all-boys school with over 1,700 students, so one would think they'd have a pool of talent and skill to chose from to put together a real competitive team now. With a consistent record of 100% of graduating seniors accepted to colleges over the past few years it appears academics is a priority.

I remember the old days in the big cities up in the NE, when tuition for both catholic elementary schools and high schools was paid for out of the donations into the collection baskets during daily and Sunday mass services. And all the parents of students had to pay were small amounts for the annual "book bill" at the beginning of the school year, plus buy the school uniform for the girls or the school tie for the boys. Of course they had other fund-raising fairs, raffles, drawings, the annual carnival, and other neighborhood and block $-making events to help pay into the common tuition kitty. Some of the larger cities and big metropolitan areas had 3 different HS football leagues, one separate league each for catholic, public, and non-denominational private high schools. DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Boston, the Central PA, NY, and New Jersey counties definitely had that sorta set-up. . The many catholic and public high schools back then had the best quality football leagues by far, and the winners of those two leagues usually went on to play in a local "city or county championships" in mid December. There were relatively few non-denominational private high schools, for which tuition was relatively expensive. Those days are long gone, with the peak of that period being in the late 1960's - early 70's. Philly and DC still have their own PCL and WCAC leagues, with Philly's winner going forward into the state PIAA playoffs for all sports Don't know how they did it in the Midwest and west coast cities. The catholic elementary schools fielded different sports teams in the local CYO leagues against each other. They were the "feeder" teams for many kids who went on to play HS sports at the local catholic, public or private high schools. There was absolutely no "free agency" or picking the catholic or public high school you wanted to attend. If ya lived within certain street boundary areas, you could only go to the assigned high school for that area .... except for those private high schools where you went wherever as long as parents paid the bills.

Among other schools, Elam's got offers from top academics like Columbia, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt.

Yes, though I could add Suncoast and Inlet Grove to that general proximity list, although those 3 don't have the football draw as the other 5. This off-season in that area will be interesting as far as transfers go.

Benjamin, Dwyer, PB Gardens, Palm Beach Lakes, Oxbridge - all close by each other on that same northern PB county stretch of Military Trail.

Another lurking cost about to explode in school football .... Insurance.

I agree with the comments in your reply. But all that you mentioned are aspects and developments of the game that have largely risen from within the sport itself, from players, coaches, parents, fans, etc who enjoy the game now. The consequences of much of what you say may erode support and growth of the game at the school levels in the future, and some of those elements you mentioned may even be used as additional ammo by outsiders to argue against the game. My point about the WaPo article, as evidenced by the the mostly anti-football comments to that article, is about the broader cultural opposition to pee wee through HS football in society by those totally outside the game. That's where the main social culture attack is coming from, and most of us are so involved in our own football world with other fans like ourselves that we don't see it coming. The core belief and main cultural point against school football by "social justice warriors" against the game are that it is an uncivilized, neanderthal sport unworthy of a role in their new world order, with no redeeming values nor acceptable PC character traits to be learned, that further the aggressive masculinity of young men in a world that opponents believe should be softer, kinder, gentler. Read their many and varied comments to the article. In addition, there's many journalists, tv and media commentators, news sources, social media bloggers, etc, who are with them, so they have the means to spread their ideas and twisted agenda to the many sheep who'd buy into it.

We don't see such subtle news articles in FL that undermine the future of school football. But I've read many similar articles by the so-called elite and enlightened about doing away with school football, beginning at the pee-wee up through HS levels. Like this Washington Post article from the DC area, veiled attacks on school football is mostly centered in the large urban areas, mostly the political centers on both coasts. Don't be fooled thinking this is just one article, the opinion of one journalist. It's far, far bigger than ya think. And the root dislike for football goes way beyond "Demographic shifts, concussions, single-sport specialization and costs". The grander strategy is to change all of American culture, including doing away with football. If ya think I'm cryin wolf and that ain't so, then forget the single author's article itself, and just read the 700+ comments at the bottom of this Wash Post link, especially in the "most liked" and "most comments" sections. Then you'll see how the vast majority of regular "normal" citizens living in the DC area believe and think at THEIR grass-roots level - and hate football and all it stands for to the point of seeing the end of it. They're overwhelmingly anti-football, the typical mindset of the "it takes a village to tell you how to raise yer own child, and how to think" fringe extremists. Journalists, and these citizens living in this area of the seat of our national power want their version of a new world order for all the rest of us, and school team football just ain't in their playbook.

All these players hoppin from school to school reminds me of my son's teams when we were stationed at military bases in the 80's. He played 2 years at Camp Lejeune High, NC, then 2 years at the base HS in Naples, Italy. Coaches never knew who'd try out, or even show up for the game, since so many kids were uprooted when parents got transferred both in and out at any time. Frequently in mid-season players would be transferred out, and at times a new player would transfer in, show up in mid-season. Coaches just adapted and overcame. Italy was strange since all away games required a USAF cargo plane flight ... to Germany, England, Sicily, or Spain, sleeping overnight in empty barracks, eating in the chow hall with the troops, once rolling over to the field in a convoy of green 6-by trucks. From K thru 12th grade my son attended 8 different schools around the world.

A great slugfest, with DP deserving that win. DP earned those points, holding the Atl offense in check, then capitalizing on turnover points when they had to against a tough Atl defense that didn't allow a TD.

What a game is right. Great recap Broward. This may have been the best chip game this year. Back-n-forth scores early on, refs let em play, no on-field antics, shutdowns followed by big plays on both sides, tension, longshot play-calling on 3rd's and 4th downs, comebacks, and that late, final CM creeping drive that sealed it with just seconds left. They were so well-matched that it's hard to put a razor between them. They both brought the best out of each other, and neither deserved to lose. Any idea if this game video will be on youtube or elsewhere? Lane's been out for at least the last 3 games. Smith hadn't played since the Palm Beach Lakes game in early November. Also out was the Ox junior punter #19 and senior center #70. CM had a couple players hurt and out during the game - #11 WR, and #51 RG, not to mention that Shivers is said to be banged up in the 2nd half - though you''d never know it from how well he continued to carry the rock. On that Ox drive to the CM 11 yard line to start the 3rd qtr with the score 21-14, - the call to go for it on 4th and 7 is likely a regrettable decision now, although Ox had been showing success on 4th downs. The Ox sophomore kicker is 26-36 on PAT's and 3-4 on FG's this season, his longest being a 24 yarder. He's not an automatic like CM's Longman, then there's woulda, coulda, shoulda, - but it is what it is. Ox's junior 6'1", 195 lb QB Gio Richardson rose to the occasion, played the best game of his life putting the team on his back and executed against a relentless, in-his-face CM D line, slinging it against a formidable CM secondary stocked with numerous D1's. This young man turned a corner yesterday and is now at the next level. His post-game interview video shows alot about his character and will. > http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/highschool/football/palm-beach/fl-sp-oxbridge-3a-final-20171209-story.html Richardson's gonna be worth watching next season. CM's Menard is another talented kid who's gonna make a difference next year. It will be interesting to see how this level of team competitiveness and quality affect both programs next season. Congrats to a superb Lions team .... State Champions.

--__ Glad mamasan gave me a wakeup liberty pass at 0600 today, and some pre-drive sugar to keep me motivated - made it to my seat just before kickoff. Low 50's, gray and overcast, with some 1st qtr sprinkles and gusty winds. Great game. Shivers dictated from the gitgo, continuing thru 3 qtrs, and that 55 Hawkins seemed like he cloned himself - he was everywhere, all the time . Yer spot on, the CM D Line shut down the OX rush, inside, outside, it didn't matter where. The only ground yards Ox seemed to gain were effective scrambles by their junior QB, mostly at key times or on key downs, to sustain their drives. That QB was on today, he's worth watchin next year. They worked those short passes and flares consistently well eatin up yards till they made two scores tying it up with just a couple minutes to go, - . But a number of accurate dropped passes really hurt throughout the game. as did #4 Lane and 17 CJ Smith not suitin up. Clean game, didn't seem chippy at all. Not many penalties throughout. Great comment about both team's composure. Both stayed focused, played their hearts out - definitely spent themselves leavin it all on the field. Tied at 28 - CM rose to the challenge on their final drive as time wound down, impressive as the OX D seemed to control that last quarter. They surely earned that winning FG with 8 seconds to go. Their kicker has the right name - Longman - and a bore-sighted howitzer for a leg. CM played far better than what I saw of them against CCC. A tough Ox squad brought out the best in them. Big congrats to the Lions -deserving state champs. Happy I live in FLA to see this sorta skill and will.