SPCjessica2004

http://highschoolbuzz.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/05/27/football-coach-doug-socha-athletic-director-craig-sponsky-let-go/

Josh, 

I think Clearwater High School is going to have a really strong football team this year, maybe the best team in 20 years or so. They have a huge senior class filled with stars like Adarius Lemons, Jaquez Jones, Kane Taylor, Austin Day and Tramar Reece. They're strong along both lines and have a good coaching staff. Because they're senior loaded, the window isn't going to be open very long for them to make a deep run, so even though they may take one on the chin against Cocoa- it's better than blowing out a bad team 55-0. 

According to most of the preseason polls I've seen, Clearwater is ranked #2 in the county and a top 10 team in the Tampa Bay area.

 

Clearwater blew things out of the water by wanting to go to Cocoa.

Alot of Good Games I Like Chaminade Over deerfield.

Clearwater High School at Cocoa High School is my pick, along with Oxbridge vs Columbus and Chaminade vs Deerfield Beach.

Clearwater High School at Cocoa High School is my pick, along with Oxbridge vs Columbus and Chaminade vs Deerfield Beach.

Oxbridge at Columbus 

Spring Football 2016
Class 3A

Spring football is a rite of passage in Florida where reporters, fans, family, coaches and players can evaluate where a program is likely heading going into Fall. I, for one, have never put to much stock into Spring games- some of the best teams in Fall lose their Spring game, and some teams that win by 70 in Spring can't reproduce those results in Fall; however, if we take Spring for what it is- 20 days of practice and a glorified scrimmage we can enjoy its subtle nuances.

Class 3A is going to be different this year- for the first time in recent memory, I believe there will be a legitimate challenger to Jacksonville Trinity Christian's throne. The off-season in 3A has been plastered with the rise of Chaminade-Madonna and there 16 division 1 offered athletes. There's also been much Bru-ha-ha made about Tampa Catholic fielding a team that has extremely high expectations with a healthy senior class and a load of division 1 athletes, TC made national news when it was announced they would be flying up to New Jersey to play national powerhouse Bergen Catholic.

So, the question remains- who are the contenders and who are the pretenders to still be playing late November?  Here's some general thoughts on 3A going into Spring.


1) Can Jacksonville Trinity Christian 4-Peat?  It's hard to win a state-championship in Florida, but can you imagine the pressure to win 4 in a row? Trinity has been the flag bearer for small school excellence for quite awhile and I have every expectation this will remain the same this year. Outside of Tampa Catholic, the North of 3A is rebuilding. Trinity will need to rework major parts of their offense as they've put together a highly competitive schedule that includes Ribault, IMG, Cocoa, Pine Forrest and Godby.  The defense is expected, as usual, to lead the way.

2) Chaminade-Madonna, already a national Super-Duper-Power? -  It's amazing how quickly things change in Florida. Just two seasons ago Chaminade-Madonna was the poster child for 1-9 teams making the playoffs while 7-3 teams didn't.  Now? The Lions feature a plethora of playmakers, defensive prowess and the class 4A Player of the year QB Henry Columbi who transferred in from Uschool.  Chaminade, wisely realizing that they play in the South of 3A which will feature no less than 4 teams in Maxpreps national small school rankings, is playing up most of the season to prepare them for a long playoff haul.

3) Oxbridge Academy has finally arrived- this time last year, most reporters were crowning Oxbridge as the De Facto 3A team. I still had them behind American Heritage Delray, but this year? I think Oxbridge has finally arrived and they've built a schedule that's comparable to IMG's schedule. Oxbridge will be playing a bevy of 8A schools throughout the year. Oxbridge, similar to Chaminade already knows 3A South is a gauntlet and they're preparing accordingly.

4) Any Dark horses?  Oxbridge/Chaminade/JaxTCA/CCC  are going to be talked about in Class 3A as the 4 top teams; however, are there any teams that could spoil the party? Looking around the state this year, 3A is going to be very top heavy.  I think Tampa Catholic and American Heritage Delray can play the spoiler roll. Heritage is in a position where, for the first time in, maybe ever, they go into the season as a clear and convincing underdog. Tampa Catholic has the talent and expertise to make another long playoff run as well.  Berkeley Prep is expected to have a strong/competitive football team this year and there is some hype around Winter Park Trinity Prep and Lakeland Christian.  If you're looking for a dark horse for 2016, Tampa Catholic would be it.

5) Ocala Trinity Catholic- up or down? The Celtics aren't used to experiencing many 4 win seasons; however, the schedule was unmerciful last year as the Celtics played a highly competitive schedule in 2015. 2016 should see the Celtics starting to resemble their old selves a bit more. The talent and coaching is there, but the 2015 version was young and immature by most accounts. This year, I think it's safe to say they'll be more competitive and I'm thinking, be a 2nd round playoff team this year.


Who has the toughest and easiest route to the Championship game?

Without question, Chaminade-Madonna has the toughest route to Daytona Beach. If you go by expectations and popular opinion, this is what Chaminade is most likely looking at to get to Orlando.

Week 10: @ Flanagan
Week 11: IMG
Rd 1:  Vs American Heritage Delray
Rd 2: Vs Oxbridge
Rd 3: @ CCC

That is the very definition of crazy. That CCC game, would come at the worst possible time considering CCC has a senior loaded roster that will feature 12-15 division 1 athletes of their own and that's before they get their expected transfers in June. But, even to get to Clearwater there's heavy resistance- Oxbridge is loaded, American Heritage will end up being loaded, IMG is IMG and Flanagan despite having some transfers out- is still the defending 8A State Champions. If Chaminade does get to Daytona or win it, they'll have earned it.

Ironically, the easiest route to the Championship game is most likely Jacksonville Trinity Christian.

Jacksonville Trinity is in a unique situation that they stand a a great chance of hosting all 3 playoff games in the North. I don't expect rounds 1 and 2 to be trouble at all as the teams in Region 1 are rebuilding.  That would leave JaxTCA with a  home game against Tampa Catholic and/or LCS/Berkeley Prep/Trinity Prep. JaxTCA will be heavy favorites at home against any of those teams.

Those are my thoughts for now- keep in mind, it's APRIL. Teams will get transfers in, out..those who transferred out will come back if others transfer in and vice versa. But, as Spring goes- there's enough story lines to keep people interested in small school football!


 

I am digging this right now....serious digging this! Great info Jessica as always!

Spring Football 2016
Class 3A

Spring football is a rite of passage in Florida where reporters, fans, family, coaches and players can evaluate where a program is likely heading going into Fall. I, for one, have never put to much stock into Spring games- some of the best teams in Fall lose their Spring game, and some teams that win by 70 in Spring can't reproduce those results in Fall; however, if we take Spring for what it is- 20 days of practice and a glorified scrimmage we can enjoy its subtle nuances.

Class 3A is going to be different this year- for the first time in recent memory, I believe there will be a legitimate challenger to Jacksonville Trinity Christian's throne. The off-season in 3A has been plastered with the rise of Chaminade-Madonna and there 16 division 1 offered athletes. There's also been much Bru-ha-ha made about Tampa Catholic fielding a team that has extremely high expectations with a healthy senior class and a load of division 1 athletes, TC made national news when it was announced they would be flying up to New Jersey to play national powerhouse Bergen Catholic.

So, the question remains- who are the contenders and who are the pretenders to still be playing late November?  Here's some general thoughts on 3A going into Spring.


1) Can Jacksonville Trinity Christian 4-Peat?  It's hard to win a state-championship in Florida, but can you imagine the pressure to win 4 in a row? Trinity has been the flag bearer for small school excellence for quite awhile and I have every expectation this will remain the same this year. Outside of Tampa Catholic, the North of 3A is rebuilding. Trinity will need to rework major parts of their offense as they've put together a highly competitive schedule that includes Ribault, IMG, Cocoa, Pine Forrest and Godby.  The defense is expected, as usual, to lead the way.

2) Chaminade-Madonna, already a national Super-Duper-Power? -  It's amazing how quickly things change in Florida. Just two seasons ago Chaminade-Madonna was the poster child for 1-9 teams making the playoffs while 7-3 teams didn't.  Now? The Lions feature a plethora of playmakers, defensive prowess and the class 4A Player of the year QB Henry Columbi who transferred in from Uschool.  Chaminade, wisely realizing that they play in the South of 3A which will feature no less than 4 teams in Maxpreps national small school rankings, is playing up most of the season to prepare them for a long playoff haul.

3) Oxbridge Academy has finally arrived- this time last year, most reporters were crowning Oxbridge as the De Facto 3A team. I still had them behind American Heritage Delray, but this year? I think Oxbridge has finally arrived and they've built a schedule that's comparable to IMG's schedule. Oxbridge will be playing a bevy of 8A schools throughout the year. Oxbridge, similar to Chaminade already knows 3A South is a gauntlet and they're preparing accordingly.

4) Any Dark horses?  Oxbridge/Chaminade/JaxTCA/CCC  are going to be talked about in Class 3A as the 4 top teams; however, are there any teams that could spoil the party? Looking around the state this year, 3A is going to be very top heavy.  I think Tampa Catholic and American Heritage Delray can play the spoiler roll. Heritage is in a position where, for the first time in, maybe ever, they go into the season as a clear and convincing underdog. Tampa Catholic has the talent and expertise to make another long playoff run as well.  Berkeley Prep is expected to have a strong/competitive football team this year and there is some hype around Winter Park Trinity Prep and Lakeland Christian.  If you're looking for a dark horse for 2016, Tampa Catholic would be it.

5) Ocala Trinity Catholic- up or down? The Celtics aren't used to experiencing many 4 win seasons; however, the schedule was unmerciful last year as the Celtics played a highly competitive schedule in 2015. 2016 should see the Celtics starting to resemble their old selves a bit more. The talent and coaching is there, but the 2015 version was young and immature by most accounts. This year, I think it's safe to say they'll be more competitive and I'm thinking, be a 2nd round playoff team this year.


Who has the toughest and easiest route to the Championship game?

Without question, Chaminade-Madonna has the toughest route to Daytona Beach. If you go by expectations and popular opinion, this is what Chaminade is most likely looking at to get to Orlando.

Week 10: @ Flanagan
Week 11: IMG
Rd 1:  Vs American Heritage Delray
Rd 2: Vs Oxbridge
Rd 3: @ CCC

That is the very definition of crazy. That CCC game, would come at the worst possible time considering CCC has a senior loaded roster that will feature 12-15 division 1 athletes of their own and that's before they get their expected transfers in June. But, even to get to Clearwater there's heavy resistance- Oxbridge is loaded, American Heritage will end up being loaded, IMG is IMG and Flanagan despite having some transfers out- is still the defending 8A State Champions. If Chaminade does get to Daytona or win it, they'll have earned it.

Ironically, the easiest route to the Championship game is most likely Jacksonville Trinity Christian.

Jacksonville Trinity is in a unique situation that they stand a a great chance of hosting all 3 playoff games in the North. I don't expect rounds 1 and 2 to be trouble at all as the teams in Region 1 are rebuilding.  That would leave JaxTCA with a  home game against Tampa Catholic and/or LCS/Berkeley Prep/Trinity Prep. JaxTCA will be heavy favorites at home against any of those teams.

Those are my thoughts for now- keep in mind, it's APRIL. Teams will get transfers in, out..those who transferred out will come back if others transfer in and vice versa. But, as Spring goes- there's enough story lines to keep people interested in small school football!


 

Spring Football 2016
Class 3A

Spring football is a rite of passage in Florida where reporters, fans, family, coaches and players can evaluate where a program is likely heading going into Fall. I, for one, have never put to much stock into Spring games- some of the best teams in Fall lose their Spring game, and some teams that win by 70 in Spring can't reproduce those results in Fall; however, if we take Spring for what it is- 20 days of practice and a glorified scrimmage we can enjoy its subtle nuances.

Class 3A is going to be different this year- for the first time in recent memory, I believe there will be a legitimate challenger to Jacksonville Trinity Christian's throne. The off-season in 3A has been plastered with the rise of Chaminade-Madonna and there 16 division 1 offered athletes. There's also been much Bru-ha-ha made about Tampa Catholic fielding a team that has extremely high expectations with a healthy senior class and a load of division 1 athletes, TC made national news when it was announced they would be flying up to New Jersey to play national powerhouse Bergen Catholic.

So, the question remains- who are the contenders and who are the pretenders to still be playing late November?  Here's some general thoughts on 3A going into Spring.


1) Can Jacksonville Trinity Christian 4-Peat?  It's hard to win a state-championship in Florida, but can you imagine the pressure to win 4 in a row? Trinity has been the flag bearer for small school excellence for quite awhile and I have every expectation this will remain the same this year. Outside of Tampa Catholic, the North of 3A is rebuilding. Trinity will need to rework major parts of their offense as they've put together a highly competitive schedule that includes Ribault, IMG, Cocoa, Pine Forrest and Godby.  The defense is expected, as usual, to lead the way.

2) Chaminade-Madonna, already a national Super-Duper-Power? -  It's amazing how quickly things change in Florida. Just two seasons ago Chaminade-Madonna was the poster child for 1-9 teams making the playoffs while 7-3 teams didn't.  Now? The Lions feature a plethora of playmakers, defensive prowess and the class 4A Player of the year QB Henry Columbi who transferred in from Uschool.  Chaminade, wisely realizing that they play in the South of 3A which will feature no less than 4 teams in Maxpreps national small school rankings, is playing up most of the season to prepare them for a long playoff haul.

3) Oxbridge Academy has finally arrived- this time last year, most reporters were crowning Oxbridge as the De Facto 3A team. I still had them behind American Heritage Delray, but this year? I think Oxbridge has finally arrived and they've built a schedule that's comparable to IMG's schedule. Oxbridge will be playing a bevy of 8A schools throughout the year. Oxbridge, similar to Chaminade already knows 3A South is a gauntlet and they're preparing accordingly.

4) Any Dark horses?  Oxbridge/Chaminade/JaxTCA/CCC  are going to be talked about in Class 3A as the 4 top teams; however, are there any teams that could spoil the party? Looking around the state this year, 3A is going to be very top heavy.  I think Tampa Catholic and American Heritage Delray can play the spoiler roll. Heritage is in a position where, for the first time in, maybe ever, they go into the season as a clear and convincing underdog. Tampa Catholic has the talent and expertise to make another long playoff run as well.  Berkeley Prep is expected to have a strong/competitive football team this year and there is some hype around Winter Park Trinity Prep and Lakeland Christian.  If you're looking for a dark horse for 2016, Tampa Catholic would be it.

5) Ocala Trinity Catholic- up or down? The Celtics aren't used to experiencing many 4 win seasons; however, the schedule was unmerciful last year as the Celtics played a highly competitive schedule in 2015. 2016 should see the Celtics starting to resemble their old selves a bit more. The talent and coaching is there, but the 2015 version was young and immature by most accounts. This year, I think it's safe to say they'll be more competitive and I'm thinking, be a 2nd round playoff team this year.


Who has the toughest and easiest route to the Championship game?

Without question, Chaminade-Madonna has the toughest route to Daytona Beach. If you go by expectations and popular opinion, this is what Chaminade is most likely looking at to get to Orlando.

Week 10: @ Flanagan
Week 11: IMG
Rd 1:  Vs American Heritage Delray
Rd 2: Vs Oxbridge
Rd 3: @ CCC

That is the very definition of crazy. That CCC game, would come at the worst possible time considering CCC has a senior loaded roster that will feature 12-15 division 1 athletes of their own and that's before they get their expected transfers in June. But, even to get to Clearwater there's heavy resistance- Oxbridge is loaded, American Heritage will end up being loaded, IMG is IMG and Flanagan despite having some transfers out- is still the defending 8A State Champions. If Chaminade does get to Daytona or win it, they'll have earned it.

Ironically, the easiest route to the Championship game is most likely Jacksonville Trinity Christian.

Jacksonville Trinity is in a unique situation that they stand a a great chance of hosting all 3 playoff games in the North. I don't expect rounds 1 and 2 to be trouble at all as the teams in Region 1 are rebuilding.  That would leave JaxTCA with a  home game against Tampa Catholic and/or LCS/Berkeley Prep/Trinity Prep. JaxTCA will be heavy favorites at home against any of those teams.

Those are my thoughts for now- keep in mind, it's APRIL. Teams will get transfers in, out..those who transferred out will come back if others transfer in and vice versa. But, as Spring goes- there's enough story lines to keep people interested in small school football!


 

Spring Football 2016
Class 3A

Spring football is a rite of passage in Florida where reporters, fans, family, coaches and players can evaluate where a program is likely heading going into Fall. I, for one, have never put to much stock into Spring games- some of the best teams in Fall lose their Spring game, and some teams that win by 70 in Spring can't reproduce those results in Fall; however, if we take Spring for what it is- 20 days of practice and a glorified scrimmage we can enjoy its subtle nuances.

Class 3A is going to be different this year- for the first time in recent memory, I believe there will be a legitimate challenger to Jacksonville Trinity Christian's throne. The off-season in 3A has been plastered with the rise of Chaminade-Madonna and there 16 division 1 offered athletes. There's also been much Bru-ha-ha made about Tampa Catholic fielding a team that has extremely high expectations with a healthy senior class and a load of division 1 athletes, TC made national news when it was announced they would be flying up to New Jersey to play national powerhouse Bergen Catholic.

So, the question remains- who are the contenders and who are the pretenders to still be playing late November?  Here's some general thoughts on 3A going into Spring.


1) Can Jacksonville Trinity Christian 4-Peat?  It's hard to win a state-championship in Florida, but can you imagine the pressure to win 4 in a row? Trinity has been the flag bearer for small school excellence for quite awhile and I have every expectation this will remain the same this year. Outside of Tampa Catholic, the North of 3A is rebuilding. Trinity will need to rework major parts of their offense as they've put together a highly competitive schedule that includes Ribault, IMG, Cocoa, Pine Forrest and Godby.  The defense is expected, as usual, to lead the way.

2) Chaminade-Madonna, already a national Super-Duper-Power? -  It's amazing how quickly things change in Florida. Just two seasons ago Chaminade-Madonna was the poster child for 1-9 teams making the playoffs while 7-3 teams didn't.  Now? The Lions feature a plethora of playmakers, defensive prowess and the class 4A Player of the year QB Henry Columbi who transferred in from Uschool.  Chaminade, wisely realizing that they play in the South of 3A which will feature no less than 4 teams in Maxpreps national small school rankings, is playing up most of the season to prepare them for a long playoff haul.

3) Oxbridge Academy has finally arrived- this time last year, most reporters were crowning Oxbridge as the De Facto 3A team. I still had them behind American Heritage Delray, but this year? I think Oxbridge has finally arrived and they've built a schedule that's comparable to IMG's schedule. Oxbridge will be playing a bevy of 8A schools throughout the year. Oxbridge, similar to Chaminade already knows 3A South is a gauntlet and they're preparing accordingly.

4) Any Dark horses?  Oxbridge/Chaminade/JaxTCA/CCC  are going to be talked about in Class 3A as the 4 top teams; however, are there any teams that could spoil the party? Looking around the state this year, 3A is going to be very top heavy.  I think Tampa Catholic and American Heritage Delray can play the spoiler roll. Heritage is in a position where, for the first time in, maybe ever, they go into the season as a clear and convincing underdog. Tampa Catholic has the talent and expertise to make another long playoff run as well.  Berkeley Prep is expected to have a strong/competitive football team this year and there is some hype around Winter Park Trinity Prep and Lakeland Christian.  If you're looking for a dark horse for 2016, Tampa Catholic would be it.

5) Ocala Trinity Catholic- up or down? The Celtics aren't used to experiencing many 4 win seasons; however, the schedule was unmerciful last year as the Celtics played a highly competitive schedule in 2015. 2016 should see the Celtics starting to resemble their old selves a bit more. The talent and coaching is there, but the 2015 version was young and immature by most accounts. This year, I think it's safe to say they'll be more competitive and I'm thinking, be a 2nd round playoff team this year.


Who has the toughest and easiest route to the Championship game?

Without question, Chaminade-Madonna has the toughest route to Daytona Beach. If you go by expectations and popular opinion, this is what Chaminade is most likely looking at to get to Orlando.

Week 10: @ Flanagan
Week 11: IMG
Rd 1:  Vs American Heritage Delray
Rd 2: Vs Oxbridge
Rd 3: @ CCC

That is the very definition of crazy. That CCC game, would come at the worst possible time considering CCC has a senior loaded roster that will feature 12-15 division 1 athletes of their own and that's before they get their expected transfers in June. But, even to get to Clearwater there's heavy resistance- Oxbridge is loaded, American Heritage will end up being loaded, IMG is IMG and Flanagan despite having some transfers out- is still the defending 8A State Champions. If Chaminade does get to Daytona or win it, they'll have earned it.

Ironically, the easiest route to the Championship game is most likely Jacksonville Trinity Christian.

Jacksonville Trinity is in a unique situation that they stand a a great chance of hosting all 3 playoff games in the North. I don't expect rounds 1 and 2 to be trouble at all as the teams in Region 1 are rebuilding.  That would leave JaxTCA with a  home game against Tampa Catholic and/or LCS/Berkeley Prep/Trinity Prep. JaxTCA will be heavy favorites at home against any of those teams.

Those are my thoughts for now- keep in mind, it's APRIL. Teams will get transfers in, out..those who transferred out will come back if others transfer in and vice versa. But, as Spring goes- there's enough story lines to keep people interested in small school football!


 

That will be a tough spot and shoes to fill for AHD.   Solid gain for Stoneman Douglas.

Even though American Heritage Delray has received some transfers, that's a huge, huge loss for the Stallions. He was the heart and soul of their defense from what I saw.

I'm finishing up my Class 3A Preview and will be posting it in another week or so; however, Region 4 in Class 3A is just insane.  Oxbridge, Chaminade, American Heritage Delray, Westminster are 4 very good programs. All 4 teams had good cores coming back and have added some key transfers. I don't know whose coaching Westminster, but Chaminade/Oxbridge/AHD have very good coaches.  All 4 teams will have highly competitive schedules. It blows my mind that two of these teams will be knocked out in round 1.

Whoever represents the South in 3A this year will of gone through some big-time small school powerhouses to get there.
 

I'm finishing up my Class 3A Preview and will be posting it in another week or so; however, Region 4 in Class 3A is just insane.  Oxbridge, Chaminade, American Heritage Delray, Westminster are 4 very good programs. All 4 teams had good cores coming back and have added some key transfers. I don't know whose coaching Westminster, but Chaminade/Oxbridge/AHD have very good coaches.  All 4 teams will have highly competitive schedules. It blows my mind that two of these teams will be knocked out in round 1.

Whoever represents the South in 3A this year will of gone through some big-time small school powerhouses to get there.
 

One of the more interesting head coaching vacancies in small school football to me was the position at Melbourne Central Catholic high school. Coach Mike Riazzi has been at MCC for what seems like, ever and leaves some pretty big shoes to fill.

MCC is a very up and down team. In 2009 they knocked off North Florida Christian in round 1 before running into a Jamie Harper lead Jacksonville Trinity Christian team. In 2013 the Hustlers were 11-0 before running into one of Tampa Catholic's best ever teams. The Hustlers typically have talent, but with the rise of Melbourne Holy Trinity and the re-emergence of John Carroll the district is always a battle.

With that as a preface, I felt it was important for the Hustlers to make a strong hire and I do think Stacey Sizemore is a strong hire for the Hustler program. Coach Sizemore has a long history with American Heritage Del-Ray including leading the Stallions to a State-Final in 2014 and winning championships with the Stallions in 2009 and 2011 as an assistant.

My brutally honest opinion? He's the right guy for the job; however, he's got a lot of work to do. He's going to inherit a young Hustler team that needs a LOT of work. To make the playoffs, he's going to have to find a way to upset John Carroll or Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity has a very promising team in 2016 that has expectations of making the 2nd round of the playoffs this year; however, it's not unrealistic to think MCC could upset John Carroll a huge rival that has some rebuilding to do. 



 

One of the more interesting head coaching vacancies in small school football to me was the position at Melbourne Central Catholic high school. Coach Mike Riazzi has been at MCC for what seems like, ever and leaves some pretty big shoes to fill.

MCC is a very up and down team. In 2009 they knocked off North Florida Christian in round 1 before running into a Jamie Harper lead Jacksonville Trinity Christian team. In 2013 the Hustlers were 11-0 before running into one of Tampa Catholic's best ever teams. The Hustlers typically have talent, but with the rise of Melbourne Holy Trinity and the re-emergence of John Carroll the district is always a battle.

With that as a preface, I felt it was important for the Hustlers to make a strong hire and I do think Stacey Sizemore is a strong hire for the Hustler program. Coach Sizemore has a long history with American Heritage Del-Ray including leading the Stallions to a State-Final in 2014 and winning championships with the Stallions in 2009 and 2011 as an assistant.

My brutally honest opinion? He's the right guy for the job; however, he's got a lot of work to do. He's going to inherit a young Hustler team that needs a LOT of work. To make the playoffs, he's going to have to find a way to upset John Carroll or Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity has a very promising team in 2016 that has expectations of making the 2nd round of the playoffs this year; however, it's not unrealistic to think MCC could upset John Carroll a huge rival that has some rebuilding to do. 



 

One of the more interesting head coaching vacancies in small school football to me was the position at Melbourne Central Catholic high school. Coach Mike Riazzi has been at MCC for what seems like, ever and leaves some pretty big shoes to fill.

MCC is a very up and down team. In 2009 they knocked off North Florida Christian in round 1 before running into a Jamie Harper lead Jacksonville Trinity Christian team. In 2013 the Hustlers were 11-0 before running into one of Tampa Catholic's best ever teams. The Hustlers typically have talent, but with the rise of Melbourne Holy Trinity and the re-emergence of John Carroll the district is always a battle.

With that as a preface, I felt it was important for the Hustlers to make a strong hire and I do think Stacey Sizemore is a strong hire for the Hustler program. Coach Sizemore has a long history with American Heritage Del-Ray including leading the Stallions to a State-Final in 2014 and winning championships with the Stallions in 2009 and 2011 as an assistant.

My brutally honest opinion? He's the right guy for the job; however, he's got a lot of work to do. He's going to inherit a young Hustler team that needs a LOT of work. To make the playoffs, he's going to have to find a way to upset John Carroll or Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity has a very promising team in 2016 that has expectations of making the 2nd round of the playoffs this year; however, it's not unrealistic to think MCC could upset John Carroll a huge rival that has some rebuilding to do. 



 

Yahh!! Peezy is here:-)   I don't mind fans of other teams taking shots at me- but there were some..."Remarks" made that crossed a line into personal family stuff.  Still, that was then and this is now. I've been wrong a lot and I've been right a lot- but it's always in fun. 

 

Okay, to the point of the topic- and because I had WAYYY to much time on my hands last night, I compiled some numbers on the team that Florida is sending to face Bergen Catholic, Tampa Catholic.  Many fans consider the "Modern Era" of current high school football to of started around 1995/1996 (This, I know, is debatable- but let's go with it for the sake of this post). I only have records that go back to 1998; however, here's a brief history:

Since 1998 Tampa Catholic has been to 2 State Championship games (2007, 2009), been to 5 Final Fours and won their district 6 times.  The 2016 version of the team features Devan Barrett one of the top running backs in America according to most major recruiting sites (Usually in the top 20). They feature a dynamite offense with Austin Sessums at QB and strong WR play with stars such as Bentlee Sanders and Darious Corbett.  The Crusaders finished 2015 10-3 with a Final 4 appearance. The offense averaged close to 45 ppg; however, the defense was suspect all year. This is a senior laden team that has played together for 3 years under a good head coach in Mike Gregory.

The bug-a-boo on Tampa Catholic is that they have a history of not showing up in big games. Tampa Catholic has two major rivals, Tampa Jesuit and Clearwater Central Catholic.

Since 1998:

TC is 0-17 against Tampa Jesuit
TC is 4-15 against CCC

Combined record against rivals is 4-32.   In a total of 36 games, the Crusaders of TC are batting a 12.5% win average....

Tampa Catholic is expected to have a strong football team this year, but on paper, they're clear and convincing underdogs against Bergen Catholic. That said, this game has apparently been in the works for awhile as the Crusaders started hitting their alumni up for money late last year.

In the end, I don't have a problem with Tampa Catholic traveling to Bergen Catholic to play- it's an experience the players will enjoy for a lifetime. Plus, on a senior laden team- I've no doubt this is their best chance to be competitive. 



 

Thanks! I have to update my account here- I'll be back on twitter at some point; however, there were just to many people sending inappropriate DM's that I just got tired of filtering. Glad to finally be over here, a great group of posters!

Great info @SPCjessica2004 .  I believe some of the negative history on Tampa Catholic in big games is indeed partly because they did not show up, but I also believe that it is simply because the big games that they play are also the only sound teams that they play.  Looking at their 2016 schedule : TCA, Elite team held them to 14 pts, Jesuit, very good team held them to 20 pts, CCHS embarassed at their own offensive game 49-28,  a 4-6 average at best Riverview team played them tight to a 27-20 score.   The rest of the teams that  Tampa Catholic played are punching bags.  Give Tampa Catholic the AHD schedule and they are a .500 team...I personally think Tampa Catholic are a solid team particularly offensively,  but their offensive numbers/stats  are padded against weak teams in their regular season schedule.
 
I think you are spot on with the 2016 team being the most competitive- possibly ever. It is good that they are beefing up their regular season schedule.  Teams like TCA, AHD and even Oxbridge or Chaminade-Madonna now have an edge by playing harder regular season schedules.    Like you said, it will be a great test and experience for the kids, and will give geeks like myself a feel if they may have what it takes to take on TCA....

Okay, to the point of the topic- and because I had WAYYY to much time on my hands last night, I compiled some numbers on the team that Florida is sending to face Bergen Catholic, Tampa Catholic.  Many fans consider the "Modern Era" of current high school football to of started around 1995/1996 (This, I know, is debatable- but let's go with it for the sake of this post). I only have records that go back to 1998; however, here's a brief history:

Since 1998 Tampa Catholic has been to 2 State Championship games (2007, 2009), been to 5 Final Fours and won their district 6 times.  The 2016 version of the team features Devan Barrett one of the top running backs in America according to most major recruiting sites (Usually in the top 20). They feature a dynamite offense with Austin Sessums at QB and strong WR play with stars such as Bentlee Sanders and Darious Corbett.  The Crusaders finished 2015 10-3 with a Final 4 appearance. The offense averaged close to 45 ppg; however, the defense was suspect all year. This is a senior laden team that has played together for 3 years under a good head coach in Mike Gregory.

The bug-a-boo on Tampa Catholic is that they have a history of not showing up in big games. Tampa Catholic has two major rivals, Tampa Jesuit and Clearwater Central Catholic.

Since 1998:

TC is 0-17 against Tampa Jesuit
TC is 4-15 against CCC

Combined record against rivals is 4-32.   In a total of 36 games, the Crusaders of TC are batting a 12.5% win average....

Tampa Catholic is expected to have a strong football team this year, but on paper, they're clear and convincing underdogs against Bergen Catholic. That said, this game has apparently been in the works for awhile as the Crusaders started hitting their alumni up for money late last year.

In the end, I don't have a problem with Tampa Catholic traveling to Bergen Catholic to play- it's an experience the players will enjoy for a lifetime. Plus, on a senior laden team- I've no doubt this is their best chance to be competitive. 



 

Thanks! I have to update my account here- I'll be back on twitter at some point; however, there were just to many people sending inappropriate DM's that I just got tired of filtering. Glad to finally be over here, a great group of posters!