SPCjessica2004

Hello everyone! Here's my Spring 2018 thoughts as we get ready to start playing the Spring games next week. Please note that due to family constraints I haven't had a chance to individually look at each team in 3A, but I feel about 90% confident in my top 10 teams or so. Here's my Pre-Spring 2018 top 5 teams. 1) Chaminade-Madonna: The Lions broke through in 2017 to win the class 3A state championship; however, the Lions also had a huge graduating class. The 2017 class will be remembered as the team that turned the program back around from punching bag to powerhouse in 3 short years. So, how does the the 2018 team look? In my opinion- even better than the 2017 version. The Lions already had a strong core of returning Seniors such as Keontra Smith, TeCorey Couch, Marlin, Mayo, Jimmy Nixon and a host other promising younger athletes. I haven't even touched on superstar QB Dalean Menard and the additions of Willie Davis from Miami Central and John Dunmore from American Heritage Delray. The Lions also have consistency in the coaching ranks which is good since the schedule is once again going to be a bear. The takeaway: Chaminade-Madonna may not have the star power at WR as they did in 2017, but they're better at every other position on the field than last year. The Outlook and Future: Chaminade is deeper on both lines, but linebacker depth is an issue. Still, this is the best team in 3A by the length of 2 football fields. I don't see Chaminade hanging around 3A after 2018 unless the FHSAA goes to 6 divisions, so we'll see where they end up. For now, consider it an upset of epic proportions if they don't win 2 in a row. The program also put the finishing touches on lighting at the stadium thus CMHS should finally be allowed to play night games a boon for Lion fans. 2) Clearwater Central Catholic: CCC has won 5 of the past 6 regional championships in highly competitive Class 3A-Region 3 and has also compiled a 29-1 regular season record in the past 3 years. The 2018 version of the Marauders should be special as there is no lack of star power leading the way. Lead by brothers Jerjuan and Jerzhan Newton CCC also returns Brett Seither, Kennedy Roberts and Richie illaraza (Wr/CB). As with any team that has John Davis as a coach- the QB position is solid as the Marauders return highly talented QB Rory Hicks from last years campaign. CCC has also beefed up both the offensive and defensive lines thanks to some key transfers from local teams- highlighted by Zack Elam from Indian Rocks Christian. The Outlook and Future: CCC has a huge game at Tampa Catholic in early September. CCC has been overwhelmingly successful against better coached, more talented and flat out better Tampa Catholic teams- but, those games have all come in the friendly confines of Marauder stadium where CCC has only lost 1 regular season home game since 2011 (IMG in 2014). TC presents a clear and present danger to the Marauders reign atop region 3. Looking longer term- One of the major talking points this offseason has been the money than the Marauders have come into. Not only is building a 2 million dollar football facility- according to the website, they're also knocking down buildings and re landscaping the grounds this summer. That's not cheap. Still, it shows a commitment to academics and athletics, thus I anticipate these guys aren't going away anytime soon. 3) Oxbridge Academy: There are a lot of questions about Oxbridge Academy, few of which will be answered in Spring. The Thunderwolves are coming off a state finals run in a game they could have stolen from Chaminade. They bring back one of the top 1-2 punches in the state with QB Gio Richardson and Rb James Meeks. The Thunderwolves defense is also stout with LB Dorian Jones and Antavious Lane. Expect WR Jeremiah Dezard to have a strong season if teams try to limit Meeks running ability. The lines are stout with 260/270 lbs linemen. As is typical for the program- Oxbridge will be playing up for most of the season. Looking longer term- Oxbridge may not have the depth of years past, but they are further along than people think. By all accounts, this is still the best team in Palm Beach county and even though getting in athletes has become tougher, it's not impossible. There is enough here to get Oxbridge back to Orlando, especially since the north of 3A is expected to be down this year. I always felt that Oxbridge was going to be a good team in 2018, but after the current seniors graduate- it's anybody's guess where they go. This is part of the reason I can't, currently, put Oxbridge at #2. There's a lot of star power in the senior class, but it thins out- quickly- once you roll down into the underclass. 4) Tampa Catholic: Every year in 3A it seems like there is an elite or traditionally strong private school that gets hammered with defections. This year it's Tampa Catholic's turn. After losing their top 2 WR's, QB, and top returning linemen the Crusaders have had to depend on a youth movement. So, where does that leave the Crusaders? Actually- in a great position. Tampa Catholic has one of the top upcoming QB's perhaps in all of America with Kenny Kelly's son Kilal Kelly. The rising Sophomore is extremely athletic and has star RB Jalen Bussey and WR Chris Murray to help adjust as the signal caller for TC. Expect LB/FB Quincy Hipps Jr. to spearhead the TC attack. Another name to keep an eye out for is DJ Taylor who has the tools to be a major D-1 prospect. The Crusaders will continue to be stout in the trenches and the coaching feature numerous 300+ lbs guys including 6'4 305 Tyrus Gibson and 6'6 310 Jordan Sandlin. Looking longer term and the outlook: TC is well positioned for years to come to be competitive as long as Kilal Kelly continues his rapid maturation. TC's season may come down to a 3 game stretch that features CCC, Crestview, Berekley Prep in consecutive weeks. If TC goes 3-0 in this stretch, they should find themselves in a position to host until the final 4. 5) Florida High: The Seminoles were the 2017 feel good story of class 3A. A team that managed to upset Ft. White and Taylor County brings back a healthy amount of star power. Region 1 in 3A is often overlooked for the private powers in the south, but there is quality football played in the Panhandle. With Willie Taggart taking over the reigns at FSU, it's expected his son will get the nod at Florida High, this will be a huge boon for the Seminoles as it gives them a true duel threat QB. In addition, Raymond Woodie II will help the Seminoles by providing a play maker on both sides of the ball. The Seminoles have good size and depth in the trenches and enough athletes to get back to the final 4 in 2018. Looking longer term and the outlook: FSU School will not sneak up on anybody this year- the schedule is competitive, but the talent is here to make a statement, especially since a bulk of the roster from last years team returns. With Willie Taggart transferring into the program it gives the Seminoles the cornerstone piece going forward. Stability in the coaching staff and administration support should keep FSU school in the running. Other teams I'm looking at, specifically in Spring: Berkeley Prep -Qb Joshua Youngblood has 21 college football offers. Well coached team with Jaylen Harrell at LB/FB. American Heritage Delray- Very talented, but still young team. Will make noise- tough schedule. Cardinal Newman- Expect rapid improvement. Lakeland Christian- Program has a knack for landing a few solid Polk county transfers. Melbourne Central Catholic- Never underestimate a Stacey Sizemore lead program. Will be young this year, but have the pieces to make noise. Teams I'm not sure what they have, but would like more info: Ocala Trinity- Program has fallen off, but new coach could shake things up. Orlando First Academy- Undefeated in 2017, ran into MCC. Most of the team returns in 2018. Ft. White- Talented team that was upset early last year. Final thoughts: To me, Chaminade-Madonna is the clear #1. CCC and Oxbridge will fight for #2 throughout the season. Tampa Catholic is a wildcard. FSU school has the most room for growth as I think they could be very strong this year. This is class 3A football in Florida- the teams that show up for their Spring game will probably be drastically different than the teams that show up in Fall. It's a full-time job looking for transfers into and out of programs.

I wanted to share an article that was recently posted on the Tampa Bay Times as the coach at St. Pete Northeast made some very public and interesting comments about the FHSAA regarding transfers and the situation going on at Largo High School. The link is listed below. My understanding is that St. Pete Northeast, who finished 5-5 last year- was expecting to take the next step as a program this year as they brought some key components back. They were actually a trendy pick to be one of the more improved teams in Tampa Bay this year; however, the 2 best players the QB (Gulley) and WR (Edwards) transferred to rival Largo. Largo is already pretty well set at both positions which makes one ask, "why did they transfer?" It's an interesting take, especially because Largo has quietly built an all-star team. http://www.tampabay.com/sports/high-schools/2018/04/27/talent-piles-up-at-largo-at-northeasts-expense/

I can't remember not seeing a poll with Tampa Catholic or Clearwater Central Catholic not in it- like, that's never happened in my time that I actively followed football. 25 years ago would have been 1993- I believe Kibid said CCC doesn't become a powerhouse until 1996, but that Tampa Catholic was the dominant power before CCC rose up, I need to double check. Cardinal Mooney doesn't surprise me, I think they had 24 consecutive winning/playoff seasons. My Barons at SPC didn't on until Dan Mancuso took over and we got Chris Davis in, which was 1998 and then we had Jock Sanders and Billy Tapp. Had a solid run from the late 1990's to 2005 and then.. POOF! Also, I'm assuming this was before North Florida Christian came to power? Didn't they win 3 or 4 state titles in the row at some point?

It seems he wasn't fired for liking a tweet- it was the accumulation of past actions with liking the tweet as a cherry on a sundae. Curious to see where this thread goes with people who are supporters and rivals of the program. Interesting story that really touches in social media's presence in high school football as well.

Rockledge and CCC just couldn't come to an agreement. My understanding is that Rockledge just didn't want to go to Clearwater this year considering their jam packed schedule. It's pretty hefty, so I understand not wanting to head on a 4 hour ride west in the middle of the season. Rockledge vs Viera will be a classic this year.

No, you do not. Catholic schools offer tuition based on if you are a practicing Catholic and can be verified by a church. There is the Catholic and Non-Catholic rates. It also usually comes down to the parents and not the students. For instance, I attended St. Petersburg Catholic all 4 years from 2001-2004, even though I was practicing Catholic- my parents were not, so I was charged the full cost tuition. You would be very surprised how many Non-Catholics are enrolled in Catholic school. Without firm statistics in hand, I would say more students are Baptist than Catholic.

Tampa private schools aren't bad, but they'll never be to compete with Miami/Palm Beach/Broward/Duval. Outside of those areas, they've found success. Part of it is the way the Tampa bay private schools regulate their aid vs how Broward/Palm Beach/Miami regulates their financial aid. My cousin, Tiffany is sending her son who is going into 8th grade and is 6'2, 225 to Chaminade-Madonna in another year- the way they process aid is totally different than my time at St. Pete Catholic. They don't so much award aid as need-based, they actually have a variable tuition rate based on your earnings and the aid you receive. No Tampa area team can compete with that. It's not cheating- I actually consider it modern thinking and wish more schools would adopt the philosophy. The talent is too diluted and the population isn't as much as Southeast Florida. That doesn't mean they won't beat them from time to time, heck Tampa Catholic beat the 2009 Chaminade team and the 2013 CCC team beat a very good Westminster team, but those are exceptions... most of the time it's going to be 50-10 beat-downs. This is also part of the reason why I think the FHSAA needs rethink classifications aside from student enrollment. No county in Florida is anywhere near the population density of Pinellas (Clearwater/St. Pete). They have a lot of people on not a lot of land, but since it's a small area they don't have the outward mobility of Southeast Florida. Berkeley Prep was always a poor team until Dom Ciao came on board in 2006, then Nelson Agholor joined the team for 4 years- obviously, they went on to have some great runs in the post-season. Tampa Catholic has had some of the most individually talented teams in history for private schools in the area.. they had Kenny Kelly, Quincy Hipps and Darrell Jackson on the same team in the mid 1990's and didn't win. Even in Tampa, Jesuit is kind of their own team- I don't even include them in the private school debate. They've completely dominated Tampa Catholic, St. Pete Catholic, Berkeley. They've lost 2 in a row to CCC, but going back to the 70's and 80's, Jesuit dominated them as well. CCC had a choice to emphasize football back in the early 80's, but instead choose soccer. The football team was bad, they won the state title in soccer every year and even a mythical national championship- I think they still hold the record for most state championships in soccer in Florida for all classes. Then when Davis came to CCC, they started to emphasize football and soccer fell behind. Point is, you're correct- no private school has ever been dominant in the area and I don't believe they ever will. Superior Collegiate is trying.. but the FHSAA just ruled them a sports academy, thus not eligible for the playoffs.

KeemD321, I'm hearing that Rockledge and CCC are hammering out details for CCC to come back to Rockledge in 2018 and then Rockledge go to CCC in 2019 and 2020. Rockledge wants it to be a gentlemens agreement, but CCC is demanding a signed contract.

Reggie Crume has been hired to be the new Clearwater Calvary Christian head football coach. Coach Crume has had success in his previous stints at Tampa Alonso and Palm Harbor University. The cubbard is pretty bare at Calvary, but if anybody can turn a program around it's Coach Crume.

Interested in the Clearwater vs Cocoa game. This could be Clearwater's best team in the past 10 years and they've had some good ones, they're pushing for the top team in Pinellas.

Really hard to put Rockledge in the top 25 in the state, even though the teams they lose to were all really awesome teams.

All great observations! I have it on good authority that JaxTCA will not be looking to return to 3A, at least not yet. It's not that they aren't opposed to returning to 3A, it's that they can't put together a 10 game schedule without major issues. If 3A still had districts, JaxTCA would still be in 3A. At the risk of looking too far ahead both Tampa Catholic and American Heritage Delray are expected to be in 4A next rotation which is after the 2018 season. Both teams currently have enrollment that puts them smack in the middle of 4A. Chaminade was wise to to sign contracts instead of just having gentleman's agreements for games- but those contracts are up after this season and with an anticipated 2nd state championship all but assured they're going to be in JaxTCA's boat of having to deal with scheduling 10 games without playing powerhouses every week. Another thing to keep in mind- Chaminade gets most of their transfers in via Step-Up and McKay Scholarships and then writing the rest off as a loss. It works because the Lions as a school bring in enough money to offset the cost. As long as the money doesn't come out of the Diocese pocket, they tend to look the other way. This isn't just Chaminade, I'm simply using them as an example. Most religious schools do this. It's my understanding that they will be changing their eligibility requirements and there will be tougher requirements to declare "need" based assistance. I only know this because a neighbor is in the process of starting their child (who is an athlete) at Trinity Prep in Winter Park. It's the worst kept secret that private schools use these scholarships to get athletes enrolled. Some schools use FACTS as well. You have to apply every year and the amount changes based on household income. It's not changing this year (aid year 2017/2018), but will supposedly be changing for aid year (2018/2019). Right now, I'm just curious to see everybody's final schedule.

Broward is correct IMHO and I appreciate the shoutout Oldschool! Chaminade is an overwhelming favorite to win 3A this year. Their secondary is one of the best in the entire state IMHO and they have not 1, but 2 really good QB's. The regular season is going to be a challenge, but it's supposed to be. The most legitimate threat to Chaminade in 2018 destroyed itself from within, Tampa Catholic had the athletes, coaching and linemen to compete with Chaminade this year- but then players transferred out. TC isn't dead, they still have athletes and could have an elite QB in Kenny Kelly's son who is taking over and if they pick up some players they could be back in the thick of things, but right now it's shaping up to be a colossal disappointment for them this off season. In previous threads we discussed their defections; however, since those threads- there have been others leave TC for other local schools. American Heritage Delray, who I was expecting to be back this year keeps taking 1 step forward 1.5 steps back. They're better than last year, but not where they need to be to seriously compete with Chaminade. Oxbridge and MCC were top of the tier teams in 3A last year. Obviously, we know about the issues at Oxbridge already- they've had quite a few hard-hitting transfers out of the program and it's hard seeing the program maintain momentum going forward without an influx of affluent/athletic transfers. MCC had a monster graduating class- but they could be a dark horse in the north simply by virtue of the lack of talented teams. The young Valentine RB is as talented as his older brother and a spring champion in his own right. Don't count out Ft. White and FSU High either. Both teams return solid talent and will be reap the benefits of MCC/Ox being less talented than years past. If I were ranking 3A right now in March based on my current knowledge.. 1) Chaminade- Madonna; They're the best team in 3A and should be a nationally ranked top 50 team in America going into the season. Team has masterfully reloaded in the off-season with a combination of transfers and rising young guns. CM should have some major ,nationally ranked teams lining the schedule this year. 2) Clearwater Central Catholic: CCC has some elite level athletes in the Newton brothers (especially Jr. Johnny Newton), a solid Sr. QB, a loaded defense and some strong transfers that were needed in the trenches. CCC has also been the beneficiary of a few multi-million dollar "football only" donations this off-season, but won't benefit from the windfall until 2019. Can compete with CM for a little bit, but could go undefeated again even with a much beefier schedule in 2018. 3) Oxbridge Academy: Major hits, but Gio Richardson is still one of the top QB's in the state. There's enough here to get back to Orlando, but not realistically challenge Chaminade-Madonna. 4) FSU School: FSU school pulls some major upsets in 2017 to get to the final 4. The Seminoles bring back some solid firepower for 2018 and will factor into the northern championship race. 5) Tampa Catholic: Crusaders, like Oxbridge had a hefty graduating class and then were hit with defections but still have one of the top RB's in the state in Jalen Bussey, a superstar in the making QB Kelly and a bend but not break defense. Probably last year in 3A as based on current enrollment they're a mid-level 4A team in terms of enrollment. On the cusp: American Heritage Delray, MCC, Question Mark: Berkeley Prep

Todd Yoder stepped down from Calvary Christian (Clearwater). His tenure at Calvary will go down as their most successful stint. Yoder was up and down at Calvary, but he lead the Warriors to their first playoff win this year. In addition, Calvary made significant strides with their football program. Calvary had a strong core of players returning for their 2017 campaign and then benefited from numerous defections at CCC with Amari Burney and DeAndre Ferguson hopping over. Calvary was actually a darkhorse in the region and made it to the regional finals. With the bulk of their athletes graduating and Ethan White and River Wood transferring out- the Warriors weren't left with much. I'm curious who ends up taking over the position.The program has top notch facilities and resources to draw from.

Very true statements OldschoolLion. Tampa Catholic was really banking on 2018 to be their year to get into the final 4, they built a very competitive schedule this year and finally had achieved a strong, senior-laden roster lead by Charlie Dean. With the recent transfers a lot of the work the coaching staff has put in has been for little more than naught as they now need to start over and plug holes. The TC staff is very experienced and has a very passionate and loyal fan base supporting them. I also happen to be a big fan of Coach Gregory and his accomplishments at TC. My opinion? Despite the recent defections the Crusaders are still on pace for a good 2018 year thanks to the struggles in the region. SPC, OTC, LCS, Cardinal Mooney are all moving in the right direction, but they're all rebuilding. Calvary was gutted and isn't so much rebuilding as they are starting from square-1. That leaves CCC and Berkeley Prep. CCC just received a 2 million dollar "football only" donation and has loaded up on big-time transfers this off season, that's probably too rich for the Crusaders- but Berkeley Prep isn't projected to have a great team next year, a solid 6 or 7 win team but they have a lot to replace and Berkeley isn't known for getting gobs of transfers due to their academic standards. Assuming the season rolls along as it should, TC would still be looking at a first round bye and a favorable home game in round two. I know I'm projecting a bit, but I can still see TC in the third round playing for a regional championship. Plus, who knows- maybe they get transfers of their own in.

The firesale at Tampa Catholic continues... Ahmarean Brown who is one of the better WR's in the country and holds an Alabama offer has transferred to Tampa Jefferson! In addition, the Crusaders most promising young WR Joe Hodges- who holds numerous D-1 offers himself, went with Brown to Jefferson.

Huge blow to Tampa Catholic as it was publicly announced that QB Charlie Dean has transferred to Tampa Plant per Bob Putnam on twitter. Can't blame him though, he committed to UCF and wants to get there early and he would be required to stay at TC for Spring 2019 where as he can be at UCF in Spring 2019 by transferring.

Class 3A- Region 3 just became that much tougher. I wasn't sure where Mooney would go after Coach Lasari left, but Paul Maechtle will get Cardinal Mooney going on the right path.

Broward, As a point of reference, I think that if Oxbridge doesn't get one single transfer from here until week 1- they're the best team in 3A North. Their senior class alone can get them to Orlando. I'm even willing to take it a step further- if Gio Richardson went down with injury and couldn't play, they will still end up in Orlando in 2018. I believe 3A North is going to be down pretty significantly this year, but Chaminade-Madonna will beat Oxbridge like a drum in Orlando this year. The issue isn't so much coaching, Oxbridge has a solid staff- the issue is, those underclassmen transfers aren't coming in the same force as they were before. I agree. When I look at the most consistent teams over the past 10-15 years that make deep playoff runs there coaching staff is consistent and the administration typically backs the coaching staff. The coaches are also ones to talk about adapting their style to what they have on the field, not forcing the players to play their system.

Nelson Agholor (Tampa Berkeley Prep) had a great showing as well for the Eagles. Come to think of it, Berkeley Prep had some impressive years when he was there.

This is one of the key story lines this off season. When Oxbridge DE-emphasized football a years ago people thought they were going to kick football players out of the school- in reality, the intention was to let the currently enrolled athletes finish their tenure at the school but they wouldn't be getting kids in for soley athletic purposes. Oxbridge has a hefty chunk of talent graduating- but a solid rising Sr. class- the talent after the Sr. class is still good, but they go from being an elite team, to a above average team. Still in the top 5 in 3A, but closer to the bottom top 5 than the top of the top 5. My take? From those I've spoken with- I do think Oxbridge will get a lot of attention and applications from football players but I don't think there are going to be a lot of kids transferring to Oxbridge to save the program unless the administrators eases up on the admissions criteria.

Coach Lascari is an excellent coach and Mooney did makes strides on offense at times, but the results weren't on the field for Cardinal Mooney. Granted, they played in the same district as CCC for years, but there were a lot of self imposed injuries as well; especially last year when the Cougars used ineligible players. Whoever takes over the job will be starting over for all intents and purposes. Curious who applies for it and who ultimately gets it.

I think Chaminade should win 3A this year and then move to 4A. They have to many resources to pull from for other 3A teams with Oxbridge deciding to throw the towel in, and American Heritage Delray dismantling themselves. Tampa Catholic or CCC will field teams once every 10 years that can compete with them for one year.

I had the chance to speak with some Chaminade coaches privately- the way things are looking the 2018 football team would beat the breaks off the 2017 team. Bigger and deeper along the lines- they're expecting a varsity roster of 48 players. They already have some dynamite WR transfers and have replaced most of the guys they've lost. I think Tampa Catholic has the same caliber of athlete that Chaminade in 2018, but are vastly overwhelmed along the lines. Still, I'd like to see some of the battles.

I'm hearing there was a mass exodus of athletes out of Calvary Christian (Clearwater). According to Ethan White's twitter he is now enrolled at Superior Academy. Calvary was thought to be the team with the money, finances, facilities and coaching to upend CCC as the top small school private school program in Tampa Bay, but word is quite a few kids transferred out since yesterday. I can only confirm Ethan White right now and rather not speculate on the others, but as I hear and confirm things I'll post about the others.