Captain Morgan

Zoe, I realize that you think if it ain't from around Miami it ain't any good. I'll agree with you that they have a lot of quality players down that way. Let me tell you Trenton of 2015 could have played and beaten most of the teams in this state. I know you thought Pahokee would run Dixie Co off the field and they couldn't get out of the first round of the playoffs. Trenton beat Dixie 54-10, 42-6 last year and would have done the same to Pahokee. Most years I agree with you that a 1A team wouldn't have the depth to compete with larger classed schools but last year was an exception. Go check out their highlights and you tell me what you think. They had 2 D1 kids and 6 kids who are D1AA, that's alot of talent for a 1A team.

Lakeland used to go test itself back in the hey day. Now it seems they are more about getting regular season wins then really testing themselves. But maybe they realize that they aren't an elite top tier team anymore and it just isn't worth it. Either way I could understand. I mean if you know you are a 2nd or 3rd round team I would rather go 11-1 then 8-4. I see it both ways.

Ft Meade was a really good team that smashed Bartow, and they(Bartow) beat Lakeland. They just ran into a buzzsaw in Trenton. Pahokee was also good but had the issue with their coach the week of the 1st round and was probably a bad match up against a really good Dixie Co team who beat the 2A champ University.

Look at Raines, the only team they played all year was Bolles until they played BTW. 4A in the north is all Bolles and Raines and neither one are world beaters. 4A is pretty much the winner of Cocoa and BTW every year. There is a reason Bolles won't play Trinty.

When coach Dorminey has more talent they win if he has to outcoach the other guy they lose. Fortunately for TCA they have had more talent the last few years. They are probably a solid top 10 maybe top 5 team in Fla. If a team can match them in talent Trinty usually loses. Look at 2014 with losses to Buford GA 17-0, and IMG 28-7, both of those programs had the horses to match up and pretty well dominated giving up 7 points total. The recent success of Trinity coincides with the rise of the 7v7 team in Jacksonville Pro Impact which has basically every top kid in N Fla on it and coincidentally they find their way to Trinity.

You are correct gatorman in 2006 all the games were at dolphin stadium. However in 2005 1A,1B,2A,2B state games were played in FIU stadium. I don't recall why if there was a scheduling quirk or what but it was separated. So technically gatorman and river rat were both correct. 😃

Imagine that the FHSAA had a problem getting something done right the 1st time around, I'm shocked!! ðŸ˜

Lake Weir is never any good. Dunnellon was pretty good last year, they lost to Santa Fe in the 2nd round.

I would guess they will have loads of talent probably make the 2nd or 3rd round and get beat. Classic underachievers compared to the talent they usually have.

North Central is probably Live Oak, Lake City to Ocala. Ocala may be a little far south but we can include them for this poll. 1. Columbia 2. N Marion 3. Trenton 4. Suwannee 5. Dixie Co 6. Buchholz 7. Gainesville 8. Vanguard 9. Ft White 10 Trinity Catholic I left schools like Madison and South Sumter out as they are more South and North. All 10 of those made the playoffs last year with 1 state champ(Trenton) 1 semi finalist (Columbia) and several region finalists.

Gator, the concern is not that it was only 50 kids or only 3 teams. The concern is that when questioned the FHSAA acts as if there is nothing to see and no one is above the limit when clearly they were and acknowledged it privately. It opens Pandora's box is all I am saying. Transparency is all I am looking for. As for your idea I think it is a well thought out and researched idea. I don't agree with it though. You are punishing kids, I'm sure not in purpose but it is none the less. Say you have a 5A school that has alot of success and maybe wins a state title. Five years go by and now they are 6A and they have a team just as good and the one that won state a few years back only this time they have to play Miami Central and 20 D1 kids. Well they get beat and had a great year but they will never be remembered like the team that won state. I realize what you are trying to accomplish with the idea but there is always two sides of the story. Appreciate the dialogue.

I realize that you are a huge proponent for the FHSAA and believe that they do very little wrong. I however have seen the other side and some of the things they have done, some private and some in the public eye. I am very skeptical of anything they do because they have no problem saying one thing then doing another. If they were really transparent it would be great, however I really don't ever see that happening. Look at the Rural division for example, the hard number was a 600 student enrollment to be included. Three schools were allowed in with enrollments over 600. When it was questioned the enrollment numbers magically changed on the FHSAA website and all landed under 600. Now Josh how do you think that happened?? There was never a press release saying why they were admitted or an explanation. They could just say we want them included but don't piss on my head and tell me it's raining. Just one example and there are plenty more. Transparency goes a long way. Just saying.

I have never said they do not need to collect money. You made the comment that they lose money. I corrected you and showed you how they absolutely do not lose money. I never said they should do it for free. Not sure where you got that idea, please quote me if I said that. I simply provided the information that showed how much they collect. Just a heads up for you Josh, in 2012 the FHSAA collected a little over $32,000 from the 1A football playoffs alone. Like I said before they had zero overhead cost in collecting money from those games other than depositing the check.

They are choosing, to be independent. Probably more than half of those schools have no business playing varsity football anyway. Again how did it get to the point of people not wanting to play the same great teams every year?? The FHSAA has turned a blind eye to the NFC, University Christian and Trinity Christian's for all these years. If they would have ever addressed that issue so many years ago they may not have these issues today. Sure Josh, they don't have to offer a playoff, what would be the point of being a member of the FHSAA then? That is the silliest point I have ever heard.

You obviously have no idea how they collect revenue if you believe they lose money on 2A. I realize that you haven't been covering high school football for a long time but the Rural league has been talked about for over a decade. And yes the FHSAA was against it and did alot to keep it from happening. Credit to them for finally allowing it to take place. You don't have to blame the teams going independent for classes having under 32, blame the FHSAA. Why create a class with schools that may drop football. If you allow them to participate in the FHSAA Playoffs in other sports don't allow them to go independent without forfeiting the playoffs for other sports. I can assure you that would stop some of the going independent over night. Now onto the 2A losing money, do you know how many representatives the FHSAA has at playoff games????? Let me help you out, ZERO!!! It costs them a whopping $0.00 out of their pocket to put on a playoff game. Now let's say that the schools draw 1000 people @ $8 a head. That's 8k for the schools to split, oh wait!!! The FHSAA has to get their 25% off the top before a single referee is paid or anything else. So the FHSAA get $2k, then the hosting school pays it's expenses, referees, ambulance, cops, ect, ect. Then the schools split the remainder 60/40. So again please explain how they lose money. As for all of the independents the best thing they could do is create a league for all the small privates like in Georgia. The GISA does their own thing and everybody is happy. They are basically trying to do it on their own now with the Sunshine State conference, why doesn't the FHSAA embrace it and try to grow it is beyond me. Eliminate 2A and we are down ti 7 real classes and the sunshine state league.

Josh, I have read all of these responses and the reason the FHSAA is looking at such drastic changes is because they have screwed it up to this point. They have expanded this thing to 8 classes over time for what gain?? Money!!!!!!!! In 2011 they reclassified everything and made some major changes, so you're telling me they did such a good job we need to completely overhaul it 5-6 years later??? Cmon now, really?? Right now they have classes with 28 teams in it, yet the FHSAA said when they were fighting against the Rural league that a class with less than 32 would never be. What happened??? I'm ok with the Georgia system with regions and take the top 4 while having guaranteed games. Bottom line the FHSAA is going to look out for the FHSAA, period. The next time they make a decision to benefit schools or fans over themselves will be the first time.

I think what ADs and coaches would like to see is a system like that is in place, only with the districts evenly matched. It makes ZERO sense for 3 team districts, yet the FHSAA continues to do it. Every district should have 5 teams in it. If you have a shortage of teams, here's an idea, make one less class. Go to 7 classes in stead of 8. Now I know that will never happen because the FHSAA has their hand out and will not give up revenue. The system isn't broken but it does need fixing.

Did Columbia sell out the Semi final they hosted this year? What was the attendance?

Everyone trys to sign 2 year contracts Columbiafan which normally is a home and away contract. So you end up with 5 home games and 5 away. Some programs don't make any money hosting games so if they can travel and get a check it makes sense. Some programs make 5k or better for a home game so if you can pay someone $1500 and host you still make money. SO why would you travel if you can afford to play at home. We have paid several teams in the past few years for a few different reasons.

It all depends Columbia. Some teams pay more probably depends on how much you can make on a home game. You need to find a booster to take care of your hudl Tampa1.

Still not sure what you mean? Like they pay $500 to the county, or to the opposing school? The only way we @ Trenton pay anyone from the opposing team is if it is the playoffs or we have it in the contract to pay them from our home gate. We have paid people $1500 and fed them before but typically we keep the entire gate.

What do you mean?? Pay who??

Just a formality from what I was told. He was in the drop program, and will be hired back as the coach. So technically it's available but he will remain as coach.

There isn't a problem with them leaving, in fact it is causing a solution. They are in fact creating their own private division. The problem is that they allow those schools to be independent in football but participate for state titles in everything else. The solution is simple if they want to go independent fine, but they are independent in EVERY sport. There are zero repercussions for making the move right now. You tell them that if they go independent they are out of the FHSAA in every sport for a minimum of 5 years. Why cave to the 75 schools who can barely participate in a sport. Make them adhere to your policies, don't bend to include them. Probably half of those schools have no business having a football team anyway, not at any competitive level anyway.

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