DarterBlue2

Ditto!

Does Central have 7A or 8A population stats? If so, then I totally agree with you. St Thomas and/or the 8A South teams would have their hands full.

Oh boy. I started a minefield. Should have restricted my comment to his QB play. In year two he had a great night with several long touchdown passes as First Coast scored 48 points. Unfortunately, Apopka's offense was a buzz saw that night and scored 64. I remember speaking with a member of the First Coast staff after the game. I remember him saying that if anyone told him they were going to score 48 before the game he would have been ecstatic ... it's funny how these things work.

I remember this kid well. He was their QB the two years Apopka traveled to Jacksonville to play First Coast in the third round. I believe he was dismissed from FSU for an altercation in a bar if I remember correctly.

A certain Blue and White team not named Armwood spoiled that celebration one cool, foggy December night a long time ago!

Yep, they were even advertising an after game party before the opening kickoff. Talk about disrespect!!

That could happen next year! It would be a great game I would love to see it too!

Two different kind of backs. Ones more of a slasher the other runs with more power although he is pretty fast.

For whatever reason, Armwood has never traveled well. Lake Gibson traveled much better when they played Carol City a couple of years ago. And yes, the best scenario for the FHSAA was when the Northwestern Bulls played an Orlando area team. Of course that won't happen anymore unless Northwestern falls to 5A where it could face Bishop Moore or Jones if realignment moves those two to the North bracket. Orlando and surrounding areas don't have any strong 6A teams. In fact, I am not sure we have any unless you include Daytona Beach Mainland. BTW, Armwood will almost certainly be either 7A or 8A next year, so they will avoid the annual beat down from the Northern Miami area teams!

Personally I prefer a strong schedule, but with at least three or four relatively easy games in there, too. I would not want my kids to get beat up every week, but would want them to have faced some tough competition before the playoffs.

Yes and no. Numbers wise yes. But many of the impact players graduate. However, Carson Beck should be back for his senior year. So, they will be good again. At least on offense. Of course, there is always the unknown such as new, underclass talent and more senior potential transfers, as now they have a title the school's program becomes a lot more attractive. Having seen them three times this season, I will say I was very impressed with the quality of the coaching staff as well. You can have all the talent in the world but you have to make it work.

Old School, I am not going to comment on the rights and wrongs of the Mandarin situation. However, I will comment of the state of high school football in Florida (nationally is probably not much different though I don't know enough to know this with certainty). Regardless of whether you are a public school or a private school, the perceived way to win a state title in almost all of the divisions is the recruit the talent of other schools. In the past, private schools could do this much more effectively than public schools did. After all, they were never constrained by boundaries and financially as well as ethically were constrained only by their budgets and overall philosophy towards athletics vis a viz academics. Today, with the state legislature changing Florida's statutes to accommodate open boundaries, public schools that so chose, particularly those in high density population areas (Dade, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach County, Greater Orlando, Tampa, and Greater Jacksonville), can also build sports dynasties. This certainly has the effect of making the path to a state championship or a finals appearance easy. So, in a sense, I can't fault those that take this path. It is not as if Mandarin was the only public school to do this. For I would have to be a fool to believe that Lakeland, Miami Northwestern or if they had made it, Wekiva and Carol City, consisted of all home grown talent. The problem is that by certain schools doing this, it takes the interest out of the game to some degree and almost certainly has contributed to the decline in attendance at the State Championships. If I am Baker High School what pleasure do I take from being second to an all star team? In a sense, the trend in athletics mirrors where this country has gone as a nation. We are rapidly heading to third world status with respect to the gap between rich and poor. That this trend manifests itself in football is hardly surprising.

Columbus is a young team and should be back next year. I would have them as the early favorite.

Many public schools do to in their attempt to find an "edge". Some are able to do it more successfully than others. And not all do, BTW.

Baker kept it interesting for a half. In the end, their problem was a lack of speed in its secondary and linebackers. Their defensive front did a good job for 3/4 of the game in containing Madison's running game. But each time the runners got a good block or was able to evade the line, they were off to the races with little chance of being caught. Also, Baker should have used the QB that actually had an arm and used number 2 as a dual running back with 11. In the end, it probably would not have made much difference anyway. I hear Madison has Charter School kids on its team. If this is true, the Charter School attendance should be included in their numbers and they should be reclassified on that basis if warranted.

I think Columbus may have been 13-1. But in all other respects the matchup is the same.

Mandarin has a shot. But I am concerned over the number of points given up to Riverview. If they give up over 30 to Columbus, they are in trouble.

Well you clearly are an honest man. That must count for something!

If he paid more, he probably would not be very wealthy!

I think he is wrong on 4A. Also, not sure about 6A.

Food and drinks on me if you make it next year!

Barring illness I will be there to take your bet!

LSU will have some difficulty with UCF's high tempo offense. With respect to LSU's offense, I could see UCF putting a lot of pressure on their QB, whom I was not impressed with in the game against Alabama.

Hope you are right on this. It would put pressure on the powers that be to expand the number of playoff teams as it would be the second year running UCF would have beaten an SEC team!

The one UCF plays on January 1?