OldSchoolLion

Anything that will help prepare players to be capable of starting in college their freshman year is the future of high school football.  The college coaches are saying they need kids to play early.  The real "machine" here is college football.  IMG is simply fulfilling a need of college football.  And if college football likes their "product," rest assured there will be more IMG's.  It's business 101, and football has always been a business.  It simply took time to percolate down to the high school level.
With all of the negativity about FL hs coaching that abounds, it should come as no surprise that many FL high schools are not adequately preparing kids to play their freshman year.  6'7" 5-star lineman Evan Neal from Okeechobee is a good example.  He played as a junior at 385 pounds.  If he did not get his weight under control, no way he is able to play at Alabama.  He likely needed a structured environment like IMG to get him in shape for college.   And it has worked.  
As far as IMG playing other teams...that might be nice for the fans or the pollsters who want to compare them.  At the end of the day, IMG doesn't care about what those people think.  They care about what the Nick Saban's of the world think.  They are their customers, along with some rich parents.  And the Nick Saban's of the world could probably care less who IMG plays or where they are ranked as long as their future star is good-to-go the day he steps on campus.
 
   

Which game has you the most excited? South Florida 6ANorthwestern(4-5) @ 5AJackson(5-4)  The Soul Bowl  Regardless of records, this is one of the best rivalry games in the state.  Jackson has won only once in the past 15 years...in 2014.  The Bulls won 40-0 last season.   3AChaminade-Madonna(7-2) @ 4AUniversity(9-0)   C-M won last year and in 2015.   7ASt Thomas Aquinas(8-1) @ 8AMiramar(6-3)   These 2 teams have split their last 8 meetings, each winning 4 games.  Miramar won 44-27 last season.   5ACardinal Gibbons(7-2) @ 7AMcArthur(9-0)   Have not played in last 5 years.   4AGlades Central(6-3) @ 1APahokee(5-4) The Muck Bowl   Pahokee won 33-27 last season and in 2016 as well, but the Raiders won the 8 meetings prior to those.  GC leads the series 23-14.   5AHardee(9-0) @ 6ABarron Collier(7-2)     Hardee won last year 36-22.   7ARiverdale(9-0) @ 6ALehigh(6-2)     Lehigh has won 3 of the last 5 meetings.  Riverdale won 27-26 last year.   Central Florida IMG(6-1) @ Hoover, AL(7-2)  Hoover got beaten by St John's(DC) and Hewitt-Trussville(AL) this year, both by 28 points.  IMG won 32-21 last season at Hoover.  ON ESPNU FRIDAY NIGHT 9PM   5AJesuit(8-1) @ 3ATampa Catholic(7-2) rivalry game   Jesuit has won the last 18 meetings, including a 35-7 win last season.   8AManatee(6-3) @ 7AVenice(8-1)   Venice won the last two games by 28-35 pts.  Manatee won the 8 meetings prior to those.     8ALake Mary @ 8AWinter Park(8-1)  Lake Mary has played a very tough schedule this year and lost some close games.  WP won 35-21 last season. 5ARockledge(8-1) @ 4ACocoa(7-2) The BBQ Bowl  Rivalry began in 1971.  Cocoa leads the series 23-17.  Last year, Rockledge broke a 12-game losing streak in the series and won 20-17 in OT.
7AViera(6-3) @ 6AHeritage(8-1)   Viera won 35-6 last season.
  North Florida 6AEscambia(7-2) @ 6APensacola(4-4) Ye Olde Wash Boiler Tub  This year will be the 60th meeting.  Escambia has won the last 5 games, and Pensacola won 11 in a row prior to that.  
7ALincoln(6-3) @ 5AGodby(9-0)   These 2 teams have split the last 6 games, with Lincoln winning the past 3.  Lincoln won 20-19 last season.
8AMandarin(6-3) @ 7AFletcher(6-3)   Fletcher has won 6 of the last 7 meetings, including a 34-14 win last season.   Thompson, AL(8-1) @ 6ACrestview(7-2)  Thompson is one of Alabama's top teams this year.  Their only loss was to Hoover.  
 

...even poor Renegade is going backwards of late
 

Mainland was very tough those years.  Saw them play.  In 06, they played Lakeland well in the state semis...19-14 Lakeland at halftime and Mainland was within a TD in the fourth quarter before Rainey broke one off late in the fourth quarter.

With the coaching carousel and player transfers of today, things have gotten even more complicated.  And with smaller districts, one must roll the dice (in terms of selecting opponents) more than in the past.  Someone could end up with a much tougher or much easier schedule than one expected.  It must be very frustrating.    

For what it's worth...go back in FHSAA history and you will find numerous teams that had pedestrian schedules(by today's standards) and won state titles.  There seems to be a belief today that having a "strong" schedule is critical to prepare a team for the playoffs.  That may or may not be true, depending upon the team.   It is less critical for a balanced, seasoned team(ie upperclassmen who have playoff experience) with a seasoned coach.   
For example, Armwood won the 4A state title in 2003.  In 2004, their regular season opponents had a combined regular season record of 22-47.  They demolished Countryside, Mariner and MIddleton in the playoffs before facing Booker T Washington in the state semifinals.  Nobody had gotten within 21 points of Armwood before that game.  They had a very seasoned team and coach, and they beat BTW.  By the way, BTW's regular season opponents had a 38-37 record that year...easy by today's standards.  BTW had a great coach named Ice Harris.  No doubt those were two of the better teams in the state that year, and I am confident they were capable of beating anyone on a given day despite their "weak" schedules.
We are obsessed with scheduling today.  Folks today would laugh at the schedules of long ago.  Scheduling sometimes becomes the scapegoat for a team's playoff performance when the real culprit is poor execution and mental preparedness for a playoff game.  Playing a tough schedule can help certain teams, but it is not a necessity for all.  In fact, it could hinder a team's playoff hopes if they sustain injuries.  As someone said in a prior post, some particularly talented teams get excellent experience in their practices alone.      

Anything that will help prepare players to be capable of starting in college their freshman year is the future of high school football.  The college coaches are saying they need kids to play early.  The real "machine" here is college football.  IMG is simply fulfilling a need of college football.  And if college football likes their "product," rest assured there will be more IMG's.  It's business 101, and football has always been a business.  It simply took time to percolate down to the high school level.
With all of the negativity about FL hs coaching that abounds, it should come as no surprise that many FL high schools are not adequately preparing kids to play their freshman year.  6'7" 5-star lineman Evan Neal from Okeechobee is a good example.  He played as a junior at 385 pounds.  If he did not get his weight under control, no way he is able to play at Alabama.  He likely needed a structured environment like IMG to get him in shape for college.   And it has worked.  
As far as IMG playing other teams...that might be nice for the fans or the pollsters who want to compare them.  At the end of the day, IMG doesn't care about what those people think.  They care about what the Nick Saban's of the world think.  They are their customers, along with some rich parents.  And the Nick Saban's of the world could probably care less who IMG plays or where they are ranked as long as their future star is good-to-go the day he steps on campus.
 
   

Glad They are back also. My alma mater, but I still like Cocoa. 3 Letters at Cocoa, 2 at Rockledge, and my son played DB for Cocoa and I've never stopped going to their games. I could go on but you get the point.
Cocoa - Rockledge game will decide region points for both teams going on the road in the regional finals or hosting I believe. A lot on the line in this Rivalry game. 
 

The years Lakeland won the state championship their strength of schedule was about the same as this year's.  Just something to think on.  

When I was in high school  Hardee played Fort Myers in a bowl game.  Both teams were 8-2.  Both teams missed the playoffs on a tie-breaker.  Both teams had coaches with over 200 career wins.  It was a big deal, almost college like as they had a dinner for both teams the night before the game just like they do college bowl games.

This is to give us a flavor for the type of defensive performance each team is having this season.  Sure, some teams have had easier schedules than others, so it must be taken with a grain of salt.  Many of the state champions I've seen over the years seem to average 14 points or less allowed per game.     
FYI-I used the Maxpreps Top 50 for convenience.  The thread isn't so much to debate rankings, but more to give us a feel for the range of points amongst some of our better teams in Florida..
Lakeland 5
Bloomingdale 6
Winter Park 6
Atlantic 7
St Thomas Aquinas 7
University School 7
Carol City 8
Dwyer 8
IMG 8
Palm Beach Central 8
Jones 9
Naples 9
Pinellas Park 9
Riverdale 9
Wekiva 9
Deerfield Beach 10
South Dade 10
Columbus 11
Osceola 11
Plant 11
Trinity Christian 11
Vanguard 11
Madison County 12
Armwood 13
Chaminade-Madonna 13
Clearwater Central Catholic 13
Venice 13
Vero Beach 13
American Heritage/Plantation 14
Plant City 14
Rockledge 14
Miami Central 15
Miami Palmetto 15
Lincoln 16
Raines 16
Cardinal Gibbons 17
Godby 17
Lee 17
Southridge 17
Navarre 18
Columbia 19
Deland 19
Apopka 20
Braden River 20
Northwestern 21
Buchholz 24
Cocoa 24
Mandarin 25
Booker T Washington 26
 
 

Which game has you the most excited? South Florida 6ANorthwestern(4-5) @ 5AJackson(5-4)  The Soul Bowl  Regardless of records, this is one of the best rivalry games in the state.  Jackson has won only once in the past 15 years...in 2014.  The Bulls won 40-0 last season.   3AChaminade-Madonna(7-2) @ 4AUniversity(9-0)   C-M won last year and in 2015.   7ASt Thomas Aquinas(8-1) @ 8AMiramar(6-3)   These 2 teams have split their last 8 meetings, each winning 4 games.  Miramar won 44-27 last season.   5ACardinal Gibbons(7-2) @ 7AMcArthur(9-0)   Have not played in last 5 years.   4AGlades Central(6-3) @ 1APahokee(5-4) The Muck Bowl   Pahokee won 33-27 last season and in 2016 as well, but the Raiders won the 8 meetings prior to those.  GC leads the series 23-14.   5AHardee(9-0) @ 6ABarron Collier(7-2)     Hardee won last year 36-22.   7ARiverdale(9-0) @ 6ALehigh(6-2)     Lehigh has won 3 of the last 5 meetings.  Riverdale won 27-26 last year.   Central Florida IMG(6-1) @ Hoover, AL(7-2)  Hoover got beaten by St John's(DC) and Hewitt-Trussville(AL) this year, both by 28 points.  IMG won 32-21 last season at Hoover.  ON ESPNU FRIDAY NIGHT 9PM   5AJesuit(8-1) @ 3ATampa Catholic(7-2) rivalry game   Jesuit has won the last 18 meetings, including a 35-7 win last season.   8AManatee(6-3) @ 7AVenice(8-1)   Venice won the last two games by 28-35 pts.  Manatee won the 8 meetings prior to those.     8ALake Mary @ 8AWinter Park(8-1)  Lake Mary has played a very tough schedule this year and lost some close games.  WP won 35-21 last season. 5ARockledge(8-1) @ 4ACocoa(7-2) The BBQ Bowl  Rivalry began in 1971.  Cocoa leads the series 23-17.  Last year, Rockledge broke a 12-game losing streak in the series and won 20-17 in OT.
7AViera(6-3) @ 6AHeritage(8-1)   Viera won 35-6 last season.
  North Florida 6AEscambia(7-2) @ 6APensacola(4-4) Ye Olde Wash Boiler Tub  This year will be the 60th meeting.  Escambia has won the last 5 games, and Pensacola won 11 in a row prior to that.  
7ALincoln(6-3) @ 5AGodby(9-0)   These 2 teams have split the last 6 games, with Lincoln winning the past 3.  Lincoln won 20-19 last season.
8AMandarin(6-3) @ 7AFletcher(6-3)   Fletcher has won 6 of the last 7 meetings, including a 34-14 win last season.   Thompson, AL(8-1) @ 6ACrestview(7-2)  Thompson is one of Alabama's top teams this year.  Their only loss was to Hoover.  
 

They produced five regular-season shutouts, forced 39 turnovers — 23 interceptions, 16 fumbles — and allowed a mere 73 points in 13 games.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.tcpalm.com/amp/1736509002

Gibbs had to forfeit win over Tarpon Springs 

FSU's 59-10 loss to Clemson was their worst loss ever in the ACC and worst loss ever at Doak Campbell.  It equaled their worst loss in history.   
Prior to today, the records were as follows:  
FSU's worst loss ever was a 49-0 loss to Florida in 1973, a year the Noles finished 0-11.  FSU's worst loss at Doak Campbell was a 58-14 loss to Southern Miss in 1981, the last year FSU did not go to a bowl game. FSU's worst ACC loss was a 63-20 defeat to Louisville in 2016 FSU punted the ball 12 times.  FSU's punter has 60 punts in 8 games this year.  I believe that is tops in the country.   
The picture below says it all.

 

Plant City clinched the 7AD9 title last night with a hard-fought 24-21 win over Tampa Bay Tech.  In its entire school history, Plant City has only won a handful of district titles.  They won a district title in 2015 and in 2006 with a 5-5 record.  Except for 2015, Tampa Bay Tech has dominated the series in recent years, including a 62-21 win last year and a 39-6 win the year before.

Which game has you the most excited? South Florida 6ANorthwestern(4-5) @ 5AJackson(5-4)  The Soul Bowl  Regardless of records, this is one of the best rivalry games in the state.  Jackson has won only once in the past 15 years...in 2014.  The Bulls won 40-0 last season.   3AChaminade-Madonna(7-2) @ 4AUniversity(9-0)   C-M won last year and in 2015.   7ASt Thomas Aquinas(8-1) @ 8AMiramar(6-3)   These 2 teams have split their last 8 meetings, each winning 4 games.  Miramar won 44-27 last season.   5ACardinal Gibbons(7-2) @ 7AMcArthur(9-0)   Have not played in last 5 years.   4AGlades Central(6-3) @ 1APahokee(5-4) The Muck Bowl   Pahokee won 33-27 last season and in 2016 as well, but the Raiders won the 8 meetings prior to those.  GC leads the series 23-14.   5AHardee(9-0) @ 6ABarron Collier(7-2)     Hardee won last year 36-22.   7ARiverdale(9-0) @ 6ALehigh(6-2)     Lehigh has won 3 of the last 5 meetings.  Riverdale won 27-26 last year.   Central Florida IMG(6-1) @ Hoover, AL(7-2)  Hoover got beaten by St John's(DC) and Hewitt-Trussville(AL) this year, both by 28 points.  IMG won 32-21 last season at Hoover.  ON ESPNU FRIDAY NIGHT 9PM   5AJesuit(8-1) @ 3ATampa Catholic(7-2) rivalry game   Jesuit has won the last 18 meetings, including a 35-7 win last season.   8AManatee(6-3) @ 7AVenice(8-1)   Venice won the last two games by 28-35 pts.  Manatee won the 8 meetings prior to those.     8ALake Mary @ 8AWinter Park(8-1)  Lake Mary has played a very tough schedule this year and lost some close games.  WP won 35-21 last season. 5ARockledge(8-1) @ 4ACocoa(7-2) The BBQ Bowl  Rivalry began in 1971.  Cocoa leads the series 23-17.  Last year, Rockledge broke a 12-game losing streak in the series and won 20-17 in OT.
7AViera(6-3) @ 6AHeritage(8-1)   Viera won 35-6 last season.
  North Florida 6AEscambia(7-2) @ 6APensacola(4-4) Ye Olde Wash Boiler Tub  This year will be the 60th meeting.  Escambia has won the last 5 games, and Pensacola won 11 in a row prior to that.  
7ALincoln(6-3) @ 5AGodby(9-0)   These 2 teams have split the last 6 games, with Lincoln winning the past 3.  Lincoln won 20-19 last season.
8AMandarin(6-3) @ 7AFletcher(6-3)   Fletcher has won 6 of the last 7 meetings, including a 34-14 win last season.   Thompson, AL(8-1) @ 6ACrestview(7-2)  Thompson is one of Alabama's top teams this year.  Their only loss was to Hoover.  
 

Okay! Time to hold myself accountable. 

I picked CCC over Mooney 38-14 and was in the ballpark. Final was CCC 55-20. I didn't expect CCC's offense to be so prolific in this game with the key pieces of their offense out. Up 55-14 late in the 4th, Mooney put up a TD to give them 20, otherwise- I would have gotten Mooney's point total on the dot.

I picked Benjamin over King's on a late fumble, but it was King's going for 2 to win the game that got them the W 21-20 over Benjamin. This one was always going to go either way. Congrats to both teams on excellent seasons!

Let's look at the rest:
Berkeley Prep over Sickles by 10- I got this one very wrong. Sickles won 20-9 and while Berkeley Prep QB Josh Youngblood had a great game running, the Berkeley offense didn't produce much else.

Orlando First Academy over Lake Highland Prep by 28- Bingo.

Calvary Christian (C-Water) over IMG White by 42-  This was my worst pick of the night. IMG White won 41-40 in double OT. I don't believe Calvary had any injuries. I have no clue why or how Calvary lost this one- but for all the Calvary fans who E-mail me about Calvary not being ranked in any polls let this result be a reminder of how far Calvary still has to go.

Chaminade-Madonna over Flanagan by 50+ - Right on the money! Chaminade won 51-0.  Expect Chaminade to be highlighted quite a bit this week by myself and the national media as they take on Uschool.

North Marion over Ocala Trinity by 21- OTC started off the season strong, but faded in the 2nd half of the season. Still, there's a good foundation to build on going forward. The final score was lopsided so this one was right.

St. Pete Catholic over Gulf by 14- Ha! My Barons have a chance to finish 6-4. We haven't played a tough schedule, but come on- we need to get some wins as they come in.  Bingo on the score.

Pensacola Catholic over Pensacola Pace by 7- Opps! These teams don't play until NEXT Friday.

Lakeland Christian over Avon Park by 14- I expected this to be competitive, but LCS scored early and often en route to a 40-0 win over Avon Park.

University School over Melbourne Central Catholic by 42.  Uschool won 58-0.  MCC had taken some lumps this year, but they should finish 6-4 which is a respectable season considering the level of competition.

AH-D over Key West by 21- AHD won 20-0. Bingo. Good to see the Stallions get back in the W column.

Fort White over Newberry by 35+ - Ft. White won by 37.

Glades Central over Cardinal Newman by 2-  I picked the right winner, but Glades ended up winning by 40 or thereabout. 

Overall, not a bunch of awful picks outside of Calvary/IMG White and Berkeley/Sickles. 

Plant City clinched the 7AD9 title last night with a hard-fought 24-21 win over Tampa Bay Tech.  In its entire school history, Plant City has only won a handful of district titles.  They won a district title in 2015 and in 2006 with a 5-5 record.  Except for 2015, Tampa Bay Tech has dominated the series in recent years, including a 62-21 win last year and a 39-6 win the year before.

Even coming off a bye week My Panthers have something to be proud of other then bring rested and healthy ... RECOGNITION of their solid play 
Dillard for the first time in over 17 years has been ranked in the top 10 associated press class 6A rankings. Sure Dillard still would not and should not be favored in any games vs class 6a-16 until proven other wise but it does speak on the direction Dillard is moving in under first year head coach toriano Morgan Congrats Panthers.!!! Let's finish strong win lose or draw 

Hardee wins the 100th meeting, wins the district and remains unbeaten.  This game was close to the end. Hardee was without their starting qb due to injury. Very likely these two play again in a few weeks. 

Well that's all folks another running clock from halftime on for the Panthers winning this 41-0
Their last 3 games have been won 
44-0
46-3
And 41-0
Out scoring their opponents by a score 131-3.!!! My goodness this is most definitely not the Dillard of old because even playing some of these same schools who was just as bad last year Dillard didn't dominate this year this look like a dollar team from back in the day with some killer instinct in them @ColumbiaHighFan2017class @OldSchoolLion a great sight to see as a fan

Were you at Traz Powell tonight telling all them folks what u think?    I would have paid to see that, but my first aid is a little rusty.

Were you at Traz Powell tonight telling all them folks what u think?    I would have paid to see that, but my first aid is a little rusty.