DarterBlue2
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Posts posted by DarterBlue2
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9 hours ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
How do you see this game going tho darter ?
I give Dillard a good shot, especially at home!
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On 6/27/2024 at 10:17 PM, FBGUY1989 said:
I think it's a Florida thing because in Texas they show out. Like bra do you see they football stadiums it's insane. Yet Traz Powell stadium is in need of an upgrade and no dade county public school has a stadium on school campus like Broward County
South Ridge has a stadium very close to the school that's theirs.
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1 hour ago, KeemD321 said:
I might go to the Cocoa @ APK game. I took that night off. Just gotta remember it's on a Thursday lol
If Apopka's youngsters mature quickly it could end up being a very good game. If they don't this is a relatively easy win for Cocoa. As the game approaches, if you decide to go, I will send you my personal info and we can meet up if you want.
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17 minutes ago, Ray Icaza said:
Unfortunately, it has an outsized importance to China also and the geniuses running our country are asleep at the switch which is troubling. No attorney/client privilege with our friendship Darter so if those interested can't figure it out you are free to disclose as I am an American now but very proud of my country of birth. As I previously told you, my wife and I are also considering moving back there now that we have fulfilled some family commitments. If that happens, I will be happy to buy you a "Cerveza" to celebrate life.
I'll hold you to that, as I never pass up a free beer! Also, I found two of the popular beers there to be quite good and a great bargain for the price.
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4 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:
I do remember you telling me that China was on your itinerary, just didn't remember exactly when. This old brain is turning to mush. Hopefully, I can return the favor and join you in Apopka if you are still here for our game vs your Darters.
I may still be here. I meant end of October not September when I typed my post. September will be too soon (possibly) to properly assess Apopka's playoff chances. So, yes, we can hang out at the Osceola game in all likelihood.
4 hours ago, Perspective said:Darter, don't forget, it's called the World Wide Web for a reason.
Also, for those of us who don't remember Ray's native country, where are you planning to move? If it's none of our business or you don't feel like sharing, I totally understand. Just curious.
@Perspective, I won't name the country to protect Ray's privacy since he's originally from there, albeit he's been in Central Florida for a long time. Suffice it to say that it's not far away and there are regular flights from MCO to it. It's also quite small occupying a total land mass of about the I-4 corridor but it has an outsized importance to the USA based on its location.
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5 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:
Saw our Kowboys participated in a padded scrimmage about a week ago that included both APK and Edgewater, but I was unable to attend. Wondering if you got to see that or if you already moved to my native country?
Ray, I actually just got back from China last week where I went to see my younger son, his wife and their son (my grandson). So no, I have not been to any practices as I was gone almost all of July.
I plan on making my move to your native country sometime in September but could push the date back if Apopka makes a deep run.
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6 hours ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
Had never heard of them until I got on this board a few years ago along with the other rural 1A schools. When I think of Madison county I think of a school in the middle of no where with little to football presence , which obviously is not the case with them but still lol.
Do APK Still run that crazy style of wing That was always hard to stop ?
We didn't use it in the Spring game against Jones. We went spread and a variant of the I formation. I am sure we still practice it, but whether we use it in a game will likely depend on how Tyson Davison does at the QB position this year. If he proves he's overcome his weaknesses and he's healthy during the season, we may use it very little, if at all.
Madison was once a dominant program over a period of more than 10 years. Made many state title appearances but got beat by Chaminade more than once and also by Immokalee in a huge upset once. But they have won the Ship at least once (possibly more than once, but I would have to do some research). But for a small, rural school they used to produce a ton of talent. Not on the level of Glades and Pahokee, but not that far from them.
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13 minutes ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
Sound like you guys have a very very solid schedule all of those games can go either way. Even tho that cocoa game is going to be very tough. Is it home or away ?
and as far as Madison county , haven’t they been down the last 2 years ?
Yes, it's a solid schedule. It's not a National type schedule, but we only have one scrub team on it and we play that team because they are in our new district.
Cocoa is a home game. Yes, it's going to be tough. A lot depends on how the team progresses leading into that game. If we are firing on all cylinders, it will be a great game.
Regarding Madison County, you are right. They are not the same team as they were from the late 1990s through around 2008. In a way, they have fallen off like Glades Central in South Florida has. But it's at their place, so I expect a great crowd of hostile fans. It will be a test of how we will perform in the playoffs if we have to make a long road trip along the way.
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46 minutes ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
Also what are some must see games on you guys schedule this year so I can keep a eye out for it
KOC vs Tampa Bay Tech on 8/16 should give a very good indication of how the season will go. Edgewater on 9/20, it's been a while since we have beaten them. Cocoa on 10/10. Cocoa is always very, very good. It's important we that we be at least competitive against them if the Darters are to make a run. Osceola on 10/18. I attended a spring practice. They looked good. If they are healthy this should be a great game. Madison County on 10/25 at their place. Last time we played them, nearly 20 years ago, they kicked our (you know what) at their place. I have been waiting patiently for revenge for many seasons.
Also, if we get more than one and done in the playoffs, I am looking forward to rematches with both Seminole and Lake Mary the first teams to put running clocks on us last year in many many years.
- KeemD321, Dr. D and DILLARDBOYZ954
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37 minutes ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
I saw on another post this was your last season posting on here , is everything okay ? You know i love our football conversations.
especially when you’re able to make it to Otis gray for a game.
I am leaving the country. I will still follow Apopka football, but from a distance. So, I won't be as connected to what's going on.
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1 hour ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
O ok appreciate that info darter. Are you ready for this season
I am very ready. I am anxious to see how our young players perform. Team will be sophomore dominated. But this group went undefeated as freshmen (8-0), and won a Pop Warner title the year before that.
A few of them got good varsity experience last year due to injuries to our starters and weakness in certain areas. If they gel, APK could make some noise. But with a young team, you never know as they are not battle tested at the Varsity level.
- Ray Icaza, DILLARDBOYZ954, KeemD321 and 1 other
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On 7/30/2024 at 10:42 AM, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
Never heard of them. I’m assuming they’re in tarpon springs Florida ?? Where ever that maybe lol Hahaha. Sorry for my lack of knowledge about any schools that’s not in broward, dade, WPB, Orlando or Tampa.
but I have heard about the loads of transfers they got, not sure if they’re in metro or suburban but I’m going to most def be paying attention to them this upcoming season.
They are a school with a very heavy Greek presence. They did make a run to the Regional finals back in around 2009? or so, losing to Edgewater (at Edgewater), but playing them tight. Since then they have done nothing much.
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55 minutes ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:
If they did underestimate them then that’s poor sportsmanship and poor leadership from the coaching staff.
you underestimate no one , especially in the state title game. And especially not a team who had just beat a very good American heritage team on the road as double digit underdogs. Berkeley prep went through some very good schools to get to the title game. That alone should’ve had the Vikings on notice. And understanding how hard it is to even get to a title game they should’ve been playing like they lives depended on it from the opening kick.
Norland probably thought they had the title in the bag when they disposed of Central and AHP lost. You are right, though, you don't estimate a team that had a tough path to the title game.
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On 7/29/2024 at 9:24 PM, FBGUY1989 said:
This might be Dillard shot in a long time to make it to states and win. I know the whole city of Fort Lauderdale would show up. Norland is in your district but as you can see they went 14-0 last year and lost to Berkeley Prep whom we all thought would get steamrolled
I think Norland underestimated BP. Probably thought it would be an easy game and then midway through the first quarter they realized BP had a very good running game and stout defense. Had Norland taken them more seriously, the result may have been different.
Generally, a state title is never in the bag till you either open up an insurmountable lead, or the final seconds tick off the clock.
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On 7/18/2024 at 4:57 PM, Nulli Secundus said:
I can't believe the school year and football season is around the corner. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not overly excited. Maybe it's because in 2024 with all the technological immersion, we still don't have a single resource that has all the completed football schedules. While we wait on those completed schedules (which isn't guaranteed during or ever after the season), SOUND OFF and let everyone know that you're still here.
Nulli here!
@DarterBlue2, back for his final season.
- JDHoss, Perspective and Nulli Secundus
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On 7/23/2024 at 7:19 PM, THAT S--T WAS FUNNY said:
I see what you did there...LOL
As they say, "That was funny!"
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5 hours ago, Jullian said:
I’m up in Lake City(getting da hell outta So Flo) for a week. Stopped by Columbia to see the school & stadium. Luckily the players were there doing conditioning. As usual they have some big boys, tall boys, fast boys, & many boys. Would like to see them do well.
They have a nice football stadium and generally good fan support. I watched a game up there with @Columbiafan several years ago.
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2 hours ago, THAT S--T WAS FUNNY said:
You can't have a round robin format with 8 HS football teams in a two week period. Round robin means you play everyone in your bracket. FHSAA does it with seeding and single elimination. 1 vs 8 and so on. That would be only 3 weeks of post season for the open bracket.
It's a semi round robin format with the higher seeds getting a bye. It's really a minimum of four rounds and not five as losers get a second shot in the first round.
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6 hours ago, Perspective said:
Y'all can fill in the blanks when this happens a few years from now:
The FHSAA reportedly is investigating _____________ High School. Going into the final game of the regular season, __HS was ranked 8th in the state according to MaxPreps, just ahead of [insert the names of two or three other high schools]. In the final game, __HS head coach, ______________, elected to rest the vast majority of his starters, which had two effects: first, __HS lost its final game of the season and, second, __HS dropped to 9th in the MaxPreps poll. As a result, the [fill in the name of the __HS mascot] will not be part of the Open Division playoffs and will avoid a first-round match-up with national powerhouse Lake Chamanade-Aquinas, currently ranked second in the country behind IMG. However, __HS will go into the Class 6 state playoff series as the definitive favorite to win a state championship title.
When asked about his decision to rest players, Coach ___________ replied: "Gosh, darnit, these kids have been working their tails off all season and, quite frankly, they were getting tired and needed a little rest. And since more than half of them transferred in this past summer, it took us a while to gel as a team. Heck, I'm just now learning all their names. But by the end of the season, we'd gotten pretty darn good. A little too good. But not good enough to beat teams like Lake Chamanade-Aquinas or CoColumbus in the Open Division playoffs. I felt like I owed it to my boys to give them a legitimate shot at being a state champion and that just wasn't going to happen if we stayed in the top 8."
The FHSAA issued the following statement: "We try to make good decisions, but we've never been real good at anticipating the consequences of our actions. When implementing the Open Division, it never dawned on us that borderline teams might want to avoid getting their butts kicked by perennial powers in the Open Division playoffs and, instead, might just want to try to win a regular state title. To overcome our embarrassment, we've decided to "investigate" __HS and Coach ______________. Of course, nothing will come of our investigation and it won't even happen until sometime next Spring (long after the football playoffs are over), but based on recent legislation, that's all we can really do."
That's a very realistic scenario. The only fault I can find with the coach of the 8th ranked team is that he ran his mouth too much after resting his starters. As such, to maintain even a shred of credibility, the FHSAA may be forced to sanction the program, the effects of which would not be felt till the subsequent year.
An appropriate punishment, if this team is perpetually good but not great, would be to force them to play in the elite 8 in the subsequent year even if their final ranking placed them somewhere between 9 and 15.
This will likely end in hilarity. If they are going to have an open division, to avoid such a situation, it may make sense to determine the teams based on their rankings at the end of the prior year. Yes, I know that this will be unfair to some teams. But it will likely be to a minority of teams as recent history suggests that 4-6 of the elite 8 will likely be constant from year to year.
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2 hours ago, nolebull813 said:
I hope as many teams secede from the FHSAA as possible. This open division makes one division great and 7 divisions sorry as hell. Basically you are taking away every elite team from the other divisions. What’s sad is a lot of coaches support any move that makes it easier to win a title. Regardless the of how watered down and pathetic the product is.
Some divisions will be watered down significantly. Some may lose, at the most, one team. As long as this new development is transfer neutral, I don't think, overall, that the division state title games will be any more watered down than what we recently saw in the Suburban/Metro classification. In fact, the state title games may well be at least as competitive as the last two years were.
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2 hours ago, ExplorerHomer2 said:
Oh, they tried we just looked bad. Looks like a big drop off this year. We have a 4 QBs battling for a starting position and our OLine lost quite a bit. Defense was suspect against a scrambling QB all night. We need a lot of work if we want to survive this schedule we have coming up. If you asked me right now, I'm thinking 7-4 season on the way.
7-4 implies losing in the first round of the playoffs. Based on the brackets in the south, I can't see Columbus going one and done in the playoffs. Maybe 8-4 or 7-5 with a loss to Palmetto or similar team in the second round if you have really dropped off a lot.
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Apopka 16 Jones 14. Jones scored on an 80 yard bomb a minute into the game. There were no other scores in the first half but on its final drive of the second quarter, Apopka's offense which had been dormant the entire first half finally moved the ball and got inside the Jones 15, but time ran out. This was a harbinger of things to come as on the first drive of the second half, Apopka moved the ball downfield relatively easily and scored to tie the game, in a drive that took about 2:47.
Apopka then immediately forced a fumble on the ensuing Jones possession and got the ball on the Jones 15. On third and 15 from the 20, Davison found his running back completely unmarked in the end zone and Apopka took a quick 13-7 lead about 4 minutes into the third quarter as the extra point attempt sailed wide right.
Thereafter, and until the final four minutes of the game, Apopka took control as the Jones team seemed to tire. However, for the rest of the third quarter till past the halfway mark in the fourth, neither team scored. Midway through the fourth, Apopka went on a long drive that stalled at the Jones's four yard line and went backward via penalties thereafter. However, the APK kicker redeemed himself scoring a field goal off the drive to give Apopka a 16-7 lead. Jones trimmed that lead down to 16-14 with just under 2 minutes to go in the game on a nice play that must have went about 50 yards. After the Jones score, with just over a minute left in the game, Apopka fumbled the ball away at their own 43. Jones marched the ball downfield and got a first and goal at the Apopka 8 with around 36 seconds left in the game. But their drive stalled at the 8 yard line and on third and goal Jones decided to kick a field goal for the win with 12 seconds on the clock. The kick was blocked by Apopka which took a knee to end the game.
Comments on Jones. They looked pretty good on both offense and defense. Their kicking game needs improvement as two field goal attempts including a crucial one were blocked. Interestingly, the kicker made both extra points scored by jones easily. Overall, I expect Jones to be as good as last year and possibly better especially if they pick up further transfers over the summer.
Comments on Apopka. This is a good but very young team. Several of its starters will be sophomores from its undefeated freshman team from 2023. Early in the game, the offense sputtered while the defense was strong the entire game. However, the offense came into its own in the second half as TD the QB made better passes and better overall reads after a slow start.
This Apopka team should improve as the season wears on. By how much will determine its fate in the playoffs. I am cautiously optimistic that the season will end well. But if it does not, I totally understand why.
- Ray Icaza, Airek, Perspective and 2 others
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11 hours ago, nolebull813 said:
I’m looking for 2024 schedules not 2023
Am I bad. If you go to their X page, I believe the 2024 schedule is up. Not sure how I ended up posting the 2023 schedule and not the 2024 one in the message.
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Edgewater:
South Florida *notable must see KOC games/score predictions
in The Huddle
Posted
Coconut Creek is not affluent, but I wouldn't call the area inner city. Inner city would be a Boyd Anderson, etc.