DarterBlue2

Dillard wins this game easily and makes the playoffs. Not sure if you are going to play at home due to the fact that your district stinks and you lost a couple of critical games that were non district. It's unfortunate if you are not ranked at least 4. But even if you are less than 4, you may still host at least the first game unless you are paired with a higher ranking district champion.

To be honest, I think that should be done here. Having middle school kids play high school sports not only gives certain teams a clear advantage, but, depending on the sport, it puts the kids at risk of injury. This is especially true of the contact sports. Having a 14 or 13 year old square off against a 18 year old in most circumstances is not wise.

Gaither Total points in this game - 55 Miami Palmetto Palm Harbor U Atlantic Delray Seabreeze Eastside Wakulla Bishop Verot Lakewood Victory Christian Mitchell

I think he trying to get you jumpy!

That would be a great, competitive matchup. A lot of points would be scored. Perhaps they can give out a state title for heavily recruited teams and these could be the inaugural participants.

Winning district does guarantee a top 4 seed. But it does give you a home game to start off unless you are paired with another district champion that's ranked higher than Dillard.

I believe you are poised to win the district championship.

How do they conclude that they are right? Have they reperformed a statistically appropriate sample and obtained the same results as the FSHAA rankings? If they have, BSN should make their findings publicly available so that everyone can do the calculations themselves.

That's exactly what may happen only for the results to be overturned and TFA stripped later on resulting in a tarnished state champion or none at all depending on the final outcome once a final ruling is made.

That is the problem I have with the current system. Because there's no transparency, it leaves the door open for the FSHAA to favor one team over another in close situations without the mis-ranking being obvious. Even if you are a math genius, you can't know for sure if you have been hosed when the methodology is not revealed as there is no way to double check their math.

Yes, I am Jamaican born and raised. Had it not been for my wife who didn't like South Florida even though she has more relatives there than I do, I would likely have ended up in Miami Dade or South Broward county when I decided to move to Florida from New York. Why? My sister whom I love dearly lives in North Dade. That's the reason why I know a bit about south Florida football and have been to Traz, as well as Dillard's and South Ridge's stadiums. I have frequently visited my sister each year as she mothered 10 kids 6 of whom were born in Miami and one of whom attended Jackson and two of whom attended Norland and another Turner. Back in 2001 am not going to lie to you, Apopka was a bit intimidated when we played your Bulls. But as the game progressed and especially after we took the lead our confidence grew. While I have a lot of respect for ICE Harris as a coach, I think he made a mistake trying to run the ball down the heart of our defense's strength. Had he chosen to throw the ball more early, the result may have been different. For while our secondary was very good (Brandon Merriweather) it had some weaknesses. But instead, MNW did not try to pass with any consistency till the middle of the third quarter which by that time, the game had probably gotten away from your team. I, too, was looking forward to a rematch in 2007. No, I don't think we could have beaten that Bulls team whose only weakness was the lack of a solid kicker. But we would have scored a few TDs and would not have folded the way Boone did.

I am very familiar with that part of Kingston which is middle to upper middle class. During my undergraduate years, I taught at The Priory School in that neighborhood and which was then an elite private school in Kingston sort of akin to a Trinity Prep in Orlando or one of the fancier private schools in Tampa Bay. It was easy to do so, since it was a straight route from UWI's main campus to the school. I remember my first time on that campus. It was somewhat of a culture shock as I saw motor vehicles parked in the lot there that I had never seen on the Jamaican roads. I continued teaching there after graduation in the evening program in addition to doing my regular day job. I did it not so much for the income that drove my decision as an undergraduate, but because I found I enjoyed it.

For now, that's correct. TFA has appealed the ruling, so it is not over, but I have a hard time thinking they will win. With that said, selectively enforcing the rules against some teams but not others in the face of egregious recruiting statewide, but particularly in high density population areas, will not decrease unless it becomes clear that all the big, repeat abusers will be punished harshly.

Thanks for the information. I saw that score and was wondering what happened. Wile Lakewood is not a scrub team, I expected this year's Osceola to beat this year's Lakewood by a fairly comfortable margin (at least 17 or so). What you recounted explains it all.

I retired over 5 years ago. So, while I have worked on projects since then, I have been gloriously idle most of the time after having worked since I was thirteen as for me adulthood started in the small family business my mom ran in Jamaica. I am moving to Panama for the final chapters of my life. It reminds me of the Jamaica I lived in as a little boy before the island got dangerous in the mid to late 1970s. Sadly, I see some of the same flashing red lights here that I observed during my teenage years in Jamaica in the 1970s. As a retiree, I want to live out my final years in relative peace and quiet. I have never been a huge political guy though I have fairly strong opinions. I have not because I ultimately don't think that most politicians have the best interest of the electorate at heart anymore than CEOs of large corporations have the best interests of those that use their products or services do. Now in the case of CEOs, they don't represent us, so there's no particular fiduciary duty on their part aside from not selling us harmful products or services without fair warning that using them in the wrong way may be hazardous. In the case of politicians there is a fiduciary duty to at least, as far as is possible, reflect the will of those that put them in power. When the latter is not so, things tend to fall apart. I will have spent 41 years and 7 months in the USA before I depart. So, it will more likely than not represent the county where I have spent the greater part of my life. In my time here, I have found that I have been treated fairly by the great majority of those that I worked with, as well as those that I had personal relationships with. While I was not native born, I can say that this county has been an integral part of who I am as a person. I will miss all of the friends and acquaintances I have made over the 26 seasons I have been an avid high school football fan.

A journey that began in late 1998, a year before Rick Darlington became head coach, ends tonight. I will attend the Apopka vs Wekiva game at Wekiva this evening with a somewhat heavy but also happy heart. Heavy because, a chapter of my life that's lasted 26 years is about to end. Happy because despite a very bad season this year, I have been blessed to be a fan of a team that made the playoffs 24 consecutive years and in that time period won three state titles from seven tries. While there are teams that have done better over that period, I can honestly say that it gratifies me that my beloved Blue Darters did it the right way. If we win tonight and make the playoffs I shall not attend if we draw Venice. I can't bring myself to make the long drive for a game that we would have, at best, a 5% chance of winning. If we make the playoffs and draw a Tampa Bay area team, most likely Plant City, I will attend game one of the playoffs as the commute would be significantly shorter and Apopka, while it would be an underdog, would at least have better odds of winning. In my humble opinion, the school's brain trust (coaches and administration) need to take a hard look at this season. For I believe that for the future success of the program some bold, hard decisions will need to be made. Regardless, I will always have a special place in my heart for the Apopka football program and though I will be far away, I will watch my fair share of games online from a distance. Go Darters, so long and fare well!!

For their home games, yes. Unfortunately, when they travel outside of Polk County, they don't travel that well.

@Joshua Wilson, sorry to hear some of the things that have been going on. I have derived great value from your site over the years. Regarding item 2 on the list, I am no attorney, but I think it may be beneficial to consult with one. For all I know you may have already done so. Keep the faith.

There are some schools that have good attendance, but they are a minority. At least in the Orlando area. This is caused by a variety of factors: 1. The transitory nature of living in the area. 2. Competing things to do on a Friday night. 3. Believe it or not, affordability. Between parking and attendance you are looking at an average of $15. Believe it or not that blows budgets when the average worker makes about $15-17 per hour. 4. The fact that many working people need second and, in some cases, third jobs to meet the cost of living. That does not leave much time for high school events of any kind. 5. Although Florida produces more than its share of big time players that go on to success in college and in the professional ranks, it's not a "football state" in the way: Texas, Georgia, Alabama, etc. are. This translates to relatively poor attendance. Apopka, for one, realizing that its fan base, is generally, not affluent, does not charge for parking making attendance more affordable. Interestingly, the only other area school that follows this philosophy, as far as I am aware, is Lake Mary high which has a totally different demographic.

That would pretty much guarantee he'd finish last. If not for my Apopka picks, I would be in second place.

How is Josh doing so badly this year? Has he not been submitting his picks? I thought he got special privileges.

Cardinal Newman St Augustine Atlantic Delray Lake Mary - This could be a trap game for LMHS, but they pull it out. Miami Palmetto Cardinal Gibbons Dr Phillips Monarch Nease Dunbar 6

To say that Windermere will never win a state championship (as in forever) is one of the most ignorant posts I have ever seen you make (and believe me, I have seen you make very ignorant posts before). Do you even comprehend what forever means? Neighborhoods change. Rules change. How can anyone in their right mind even think to say that so and so will never happen? You can attach probabilities to such and such an event not happening over relatively short timespans. To make such sweeping predictions from here to eternity is indicative of one with a mind thoroughly lacking in any type of imagination. Over the past 25 years, despite the super teams, despite all the forces aligned to make it more difficult for teams from areas with small population densities, I have seen teams that were once cellar dwellers rise to become contenders and I have also seen teams that were contenders most years, fall off the radar entirely.

Windermere is 8-0 and will likely end the season 10-0. The only bad result on their schedule to date is a very close win over a very bad Colonial. All the other wins are decent and would likely put them into the mid tier category in Central Florida. It would not be very difficult for them to attract West Orange's and Ocoee's talent if they had a creative coaching staff in place.

Innovations was built to relieve Lake Nona which had become the largest high school in the Orlando area and one of the largest in the state. I am sure some of the Lake Nona talent may go there if they show they are as good.