Coach

First question - I don't think there is a specific personnel grouping needed to take a knee. Granted, in high school we tell the refs and they make sure there is nothing crazy happening. At the end of the day, you're down in college as soon as your knee touches the ground. I think he was just trying to cover himself from being accused of running it up. Which leads to the second question - can you run it up? I think that depends. If you're kicking onside and throwing go balls against a team that is down 45-17, that's kind of a jerk move (again, I'm speaking as a HS football coach) but it's also not even a running clock yet in FL. But, if the backups come in and your running like a bubble screen or hitches or calling an inside run and you score another TD, that's not running it up. Those kids work hard every day too. They deserve to have fun. It's no fun for the 2nd or 3rd RB to run into an 8 man rush or the WRs to go out and block on the perimeter. Let the kids play. If it ends up 52-17 or 59-17, it is what it is.

I think kickoffs will get phased out too. Player safety is always going to be the most important thing in high school sports - as it ought to be. As for kicking extra points, I can't imagine a scenario where they move the ball back or anything right now. Some schools have teams who can't even line-up a field goal unit, let alone get a kid who can kick the ball accurately from 25-30 yards out. I just think it would help the better programs and hurt the worse ones disproportionately. But, I could also just be an old, crazy guy.

I agree with the first part for sure. An imperfect system for an imperfect season. I think the brackets shake out in a way that the teams that are "supposed" to advance will regardless of where they play. Obviously, it stinks that a winless team is getting a bye but it's like that all over. Again, as a Central Florida guy I laugh because St. Cloud has a bye in 7A then they travel to what will likely be Edgewater. Osceola has a bye and it looks like they won't have much in the way of difficulty in Round 2. Dr. Phillips got jobbed though by having to travel so far. So I take the brackets for what they are. At the end of the day, the teams with a real shot at making a deep run will make one regardless of who and where they play.

As an Osceola/Orange County guy, I look at the brackets and think that there's no way they were "randomly generated." Look at that region in 7A. Weikiva, Edgewater, Viera and Wiregrass don't have to play each other until Round 3. While I get that a bracket should have the best teams advancing, random chance would dictate there would be more powerhouse matchups early in the playoffs than we're seeing. Osceola and Apopka getting byes seems appropriate though in 8A. They should have those.

I know where I am now, we have the varsity and JV guys together for Indy with the varsity coaches. After that, the JV guys split off with JV coaches and work team stuff while varsity guys get special teams/group work. I think that places outside of Florida can have different priorities simply because with the higher salaries, there is more pressure on varsity coaches to win.

Oh yeah. I forgot. Isn't Tohopekaliga the new flavor of the month down around that area?

Osceola has a ton of talent on the DL, Skill positions and they got a transfer QB in as well. They could make a run this year.

Obviously, I'm late to the party on this thread but I think you have to opt-in regardless (unless you're in an area that cannot play anytime soon). I think being able to add games after getting bounced from the playoffs may help some teams that don't usually make it get a taste of postseason life. I think it also allows teams to do right by their seniors and let them get a chance to go chase a ring.

As a football coach up near Orlando, I am very much resigned to the fact that we likely will not have Spring ball. After today's announcement of students having to stay away from schools until at least April 15, I think that the FHSAA will have cover to cancel all Spring sports. I feel worst for seniors who can't finish sports like track, weightlifting, etc.

I can't speak to transfers showing up (which I am sure they will, considering the success of the program) but a schedule like that sure feels like Edgewater is confident about their chances to make another run at the State Championship. However, going undefeated feels like a stretch to me. I have no doubts about them having a great year though.

West Orange - Mike Granato. He has stops as an assistant at Apopka and Edgewater recently.

Maybe I'm a little bit shell shocked because I'm in an area where there aren't many teams that can have that kind of sustained success. To me, 60+ wins in a row (regular season, I know) is already an outstanding accomplishment. That's not easy to do. Is it as impressive as other streaks since it didn't include the playoffs/state titles? I don't think so. Does it need to be a decade long to be impressive? No. I think there's a reason many teams haven't been able to accomplish what Vero has done, and is there anybody else who is close to Vero's win streak? I'm not too familiar with other areas of the state?

You made some really good points in the top part of your post. Safety is an issue when all of the D-1 (heck, even NAIA) talent transfers to one or two schools and everybody else has to piece together a roster with scraps. Nobody wants their 5'10, 180 LB offensive lineman of a son trying to stop a DUDE on a super team. But, I think public schools - and the athletic programs associated with them - will never get rid of football. There would have to be a major influx of these academies. And I think that public schools offer avenues for all those kids who want to play sports and know they aren't going to go anywhere near the pros (which I'm assuming is a boat a lot of us on this board probably ended up in hahaha). High school is about more than being geared for athletics, so as long as there are enough bodies to field teams safely and enough coaches willing to put in the time, there will be high school football. It might look a lot different in 20 years, but it'll be there.

I think that academies are going to rise because people want to make money off of students and parents who are too naive to realize that college coaches do still come talk to and visit with high school coaches. That being said, I cannot imagine any scenario where high schools drop sports (especially like football and basketball) because of these academies. The most I could see in the future would be two separate entities playing for State Titles - one for public schools and one for private, but even that seems like a stretch. Extracurriculars are too important to high schools, especially public high schools, to get rid of the most popular. I do get what you're saying though and I believe that these academies are going to end up doing a lot more harm than good for high school athletics.

I know in most counties, coaching pay for any sport is given as a supplement on top of your salary and there’s very little in terms of different supplements for winning - although some counties give a postseason bonus. I’m in Central Florida so in Orange and Osceola Counties I’m pretty sure a HFC gets a stipend of like $4,500 for the entire year - including summer and Spring ball. Now that’s not to say there aren’t other ways to make more (ie booster clubs or being a head/assistant coach for other sports) but most counties in my area pay that 4000-4500 for the HC and call it a day.

As an aspiring HC, I think that you need an administration that has your back and believes in your vision - especially if you're a first-time HC. I'd say a supportive community would be great but that will come with success on the field. Every coach is a competitor and wants to compete for/win championships but that's not why you take over a team. Gotta be in it to build better sons/young men and future employees, husbands/fathers. If you're in it for that reason and find an admin who supports you, you are doing something right.

Kathleen is on the Polk County website

From a coaching standpoint, you have kids work all year to get to the playoffs. It’s hard, especially for some teams that were on the bubble/in contention until that last week of the season, to get kids to gear up for what feels like a “participation trophy” type deal.

FLORIDA'S OLDEST RIVALRY (101st MEETING): DeSoto County Palatka No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas No. 5 Armwood No. 13 Lakewood No. 14 Bartram Trail No. 17 Vero Beach No. 22 Apopka Columbia Bolles Dunnellon South Dade

I'd be that team to sneak into the playoffs at 4-6 to win a ring. Hands down. No hesitation.

University Christian Vero Beach Champagnat Catholic Madison County Cocoa Dillard St. Thomas Aquinas Tampa Bay Tech Mandarin Riverview (Sarasota)

Madison County Columbia Armwood Boca Ciega Seminole Apopka Treasure Coast NSU Colquitt County Berkeley Prep

I know Osceola County pretty well and St. Cloud hasn't won a playoff game in almost 40 years (1980). That's a long time between wins (I think they're still looking for the second playoff win ever).

AHP Apopka Miami Central Edgewater Rockledge Columbia BT CCC Cocoa FPC

I would be surprised if Bishop Moore doesn't win by at least two scores