VeniceIndianFan

STA, Dillard, and Homestead all appear to be the frontrunners at this point. If STA loses their district to Dillard, the Panthers would almost certainly have HFA thru the playoffs; basically handing them a ticket to the state championship. Don’t know if there is anyone in the 3A metro playoffs that will be able to knock off Dillard other than STA. It might be cliche to say, but I really think this is the year of the Panthers. They might be fielding their best team in collective school history and on top of this, STA is going to have a fairly young offense this season; therefore, (on paper,) I think Dillard should be favored to take home the 3A crown.

This is why the Metro vs. Suburban split was so important. Of course the “criminals” so to speak, in this case, scream and kick and whine and cry when they get broken up because they can’t beat up on smaller schools with much smaller populations to draw from anymore. The good news with this split is that although it isn’t perfect, it at least acknowledges that there is competitive inequality between school sizes and how their football team operates in relation to them. No more schools struggling to field a football team having to play the Miami and Broward bloodhounds that will score 56 before they can even blink. The only bad thing about how the split was conducted is that 1A rural is still almost the same thing as what 1A was in the old system, with only few variations. Madison County will still steamroll thru it every year unless they are placed in 2A, where they actually belong. But I am very glad that Aquinas was placed in 3A metro. They should (in theory,) have more competition now that there are more schools at least as big and competitive as them stepping up to knock them down. Hope the new system is as effective as it sounds on paper.

You are correct; the Miami publics are the true culprits. When everyone is guilty of the same crime (private and public,) you don’t single one out and punish just them, you change the system so it works for everyone. Metro vs Suburban will hopefully satisfy the competitive imbalance.

Attraction is fine and perfectly legal, as there is no real way to stop a kid from wanting to go to a certain school. But coaches openly recruiting like this is absolutely disgraceful.

Gotta beat the best to be the best!

A winning attitude brings stability, both of which Dillard have. Take home the 3A title this year and kids in Broward will start to flock to Dillard rather than a DFB or Fort Lauderdale High. STA is always going to be tough to compete with for transfers. Both great programs, how the hell does one choose where to go!? Maybe hire a magician. Lol

No apologies necessary. I was just a little confused. But yes, he certainly was a man amongst boys. He turned o-linemen into turnstyles and was like a brick wall If you ran into him. So tragic that anyone could die so early. At only 24 you should have 60+ years ahead of you... damn shame. Rest In Peace.

Panthers gotta keep working at it. They can certainly win. It only takes one spark to start a fire...

STA is always well-coached and plays very aggressively. The Panthers will need to match intensity all game long and remain disciplined in every facet to come away with the W. The Lincoln game could be competitive, but if the offseason so far has been any indication, this may very well be Dillard’s best team in their collective school history. Going to be a very tough game for the Trojans to win, there should be no doubt that Dillard will be the favorite.

Rest In Peace to Sam Bruce. Quarterbacks didn’t even have time to look at a receiver before he was in the backfield, ruining the play. He was only 24, too. So sad that tragedies like these happen. Too damn soon.

But under this new plan we can now eliminate public schools who will complain about losing the ballgame with an excuse because the publics and privates are finally being pulled closer to the middle of the “competitive spectrum,” so to speak. Of course, private schools will still have more money and resources than your average public school, but the competitive imbalance is finally being addressed and will (hopefully) foster more competition in the playoffs and district play.

But if the private school in question is located in a more rural area, they won’t have the massive population of kids to draw from. It’s a lot more concentrated to one area than Miami-Dade. Being a private school isn’t everything; you need talent, too, and as far as that goes, no one beats Miami. It’s a talent factory down there.

I never understood all the hatred and fear over the new metro/suburban split. Unlike the old RPI system, this one proactively acknowledges that there is a problem and at least tries to do something to address and (hopefully) fix it. It should level the playing field an immensely. The issue was never private vs public, it’s metro + suburban because teams in metro areas have access to much higher population and thus have a larger pool of kids to draw from. An example: I think it would be fair to say that if TCA or Bolles (both private schools,) had to compete with someone like Miami Central or MNW (both public,) in the playoffs, they would rip their hair out in frustration. No disrespect or hate to either of those programs, as they are some of the most sublime in the state, but my previous example illustrates the disparity between a place like Miami-Dade and some more rural areas in North Florida. The talent just is not comparable. Those Miami kids are some of the fastest in not only the state, but perhaps the country as well. They would dance circles around some of the North Florida schools. Again, no hatred, no disrespect, just facts that some public schools, especially those in South Florida, are just stronger than some private schools. This alone should prove that the metro + suburban plan is a good start to addressing the competitive imbalance issue. I really like the new metro suburban plan. Let’s see if it really can change the culture of schools that have been having their talent plundered by nearby powerhouses for years and allow them to gain some sort of competitive foothold and begin to win. Only time will tell!

I hear ya loud and clear! I’ve been to Miami a few times. I used to have a cousin who lived down there. I know how seriously you all take football, practicing it like a damn religion! Lol. But I know those young men got a lotta heart, those inner city kids fight thru poverty, crime, and everything else everyday to survive and keep going. Have nothing but respect for them, Miami can be a tough place to live but those kids are as tough as concrete and just fire right back. Roland Smith was an awesome Coach, I know the Rocboyz are gonna miss him. He deserves every penny of his promotion, though!

Do you root for one team in particular?

What a matchup! Wouldn’t be surprised if neither team scored more than 20. It’s probably going to be an old-fashioned, heavyweight slugfest. Both defenses are really strong. Hoping TCA finds a way to win!

Well maybe a Lakeland “up” year and a Miami Central “down” year would be a good game. But we all know the 305 runs Florida ball so no need to validate that. I’m a Venice fan CB, I know all about those South Florida squads. I’ve seen them play up close and personal; those kids are tough as nails and they have mountains of heart and grit to prove it. They’ve whipped our tails on the mat several times before: STA, Chaminade, AHP, Gibbons, have all given us the business on various occasions! Lol

Nobody checks for South Florida, though. We all know it’s a bloodbath down there, oozing with talent from wall to wall. However, there are some Central Florida squads that could compete in good “up” years: Cocoa, Lakeland, Osceola, West Orange, all are nothing to sneeze at...

I agree with you, Dan, and I would also like to add that it seems there is more satisfaction with the Metro/Suburban split than some on this board realize. So far, it seems to be a bit more balanced than the previous RPI system, with only 1A rural remaining mostly in tact. I think that the new system will foster less playoff blowouts and more competition with more schools playing teams of their size and relative competitive ability.

You gotta add SFA @ Venice week 4 to that list!!

As would I. I think this year’s Lakeland squad would compete with just about anyone in the country not named Mater Dei. Unbelievable what they have done with their program in the past few months. Could this be their best team ever? Maybe. All I know is one thing: i do not want to be a team that stands in their way.

That’s true, forgot that they were scheduled for week 1. Would love to see the Naughts beat IMG if they schedule them. Have a nice night, skyway!

Why not play IMG to start the season week 1? They have a fairly new, young team returning this season compared to Lakeland’s jaw-dropping all-star squad. Surely, that would give Lakeland the best chance to knock off the Ascenders, especially if they convince them to come to Bryant Stadium. No?

Agree with everything you have said here, Skyway. High gas prices now are probably going to end up raising the cost of travel and bus tickets and stop teams from traveling far (120+ mins,) to their opponents. Open enrollment led to mess we have now, but the FHSAA has to lie in the bed the state legislature made and make do with what they have. (Neutral political statement.) I see on social media they are trying to bring IMG to Bryant Stadium and get a game against AHP. Assuming both games happen, The Naughts will probably be favored in both matchups with all of the transfers they’ve received.

You coming over for that game? 305 always shows out win lose or tie...