VeniceIndianFan

It was a mess tonight man over 4,000 in attendance every young man had on them black all over ski mask which I’m surprised they even allow those in. I know technically we’re still in a pandemic but mask like that is a huge security risk. 

Riverview did a great job of limiting possessions and running the ball, keeping Venice's offense off of the field. They had 2 weeks to prepare for that game, so knew going in to expect a war. They will see Venice again in the playoffs! 

Treasure Coast got beaten up by Cocoa only because they have played a brutal schedule and couldn't sustain it. They desperately needed a bye week and now they finally have it to try to win their district.
Vero Beach needed a game like 2 weeks ago against Sanford Seminole, where you get beat by a better team and learn from your mistakes. Obviously, losing by 25 points at home hurts but there's a lot more to learn from a loss than going undefeated every year. Vero is better from just playing that game and it will help them come playoff time if they hope to make it out of their region.
Benjamin is a pretty good football team. They beat CAI earlier this year. Jensen Beach losing that game isn't the end of the world. 
 

Some more information became available on Lakeland tonight. First, the back story. Last week, shorty after starting RB Rucker was carted off and taken to the hospital in the 1st quarter, QB Smith fell on a fumble and appeared to suffer an arm or shoulder injury. He did not return to that game. Word after the game- this is not first hand and may be wrong- was that he may not have been that hurt that badly but declined to return to the game. There was some chatter that the head ball coach was miffed with his attitude for some reason. This led me to be concerned about the leadership (or lack thereof) at the QB position. If there's a problem there, it's obviously a serious problem for the team.
Word was he was back and healthy for this week. But, tonight, the backup QB got the start. And he played all of the nearly three quarters before the game was called due to lightning. BUT, QB Smith was on the field to hold for extra points. This strongly suggests he was benched. And, it is plenty obvious that such a benching was not because the backup is any good. He's trying his best, and that's commendable. But, he's not a QB: Lakeland ran wildcat on 4th and 10 at one point, and had a WR throw the only TD pass. So, if the coach, and/or the team, has lost confidence or faith in the only true QB on the roster, you can probably put a fork in Lakeland (won 21-0 at Lake Gibson in a lightning-shortened game).
Some caveats:
- This is a new age of social media, where, in the past, things that happened and stayed in the locker room now end up public. It's possible drama is being made over something which could be squashed relatively quickly and easily.
- These are high school kids. They are much more likely to be able to learn valuable lessons and turn things around quickly than old bastards like ourselves. Maybe this sparks a fire under Smith, and he goes on to a great rest of the season.
- Again, this is all second and third-hand, except for the fact that QB Smith took no snaps as QB, but held on extra points.

For the sake of argument, if Manatee and Buchholz both go undefeated, then strength of schedule would be the deciding variable for seeding purposes.  At this point, Buchholz has had the stronger schedule to date, and likely will have the higher strength of schedule rating based on opponents for the rest of the season.
But remember that the 4 remaining teams are re-seeded after the regional finals, so #1 hosts #4, and #2 hosts #3.  So as long as you are one of the 2 highest ranked teams after the regional finals, you will host a state semifinal, with the state final in Tallahassee.
My conclusion is that an 8-2 (or worse) team can never overcome a 10-0 for the #1 overall seed, regardless of their respective strength of schedules.  A 9-1 team could conceivably overcome a 10-0 team for the overall #1 seed with a significant enough differential in their strength of schedules (although it did not happen last year in the 8 classifications where that was possible). 
So your best bet is going undefeated and hope everyone else loses at least one game.  The computer does not care that Venice or Lakeland are really good teams, it looks objectively at the fact that they lost multiple games.
And transparency would be wonderful. 

My question is, if Manatee makes it to round 4 and their opponent happens to be Buccholz, where would they play? For the sake of argument, let's assume that they both go into that game undefeated. Does strength of schedule only then become a factor? Does the record of their opponents, or even the records of the opponents of their opponents, come into play? What if Manatee beats Venice and goes undefeated, and Buccholz finishes with 1 loss on the regular season, but because Venice lost 3 regular season games and Buccholz' 1 loss was to a "superior opponent," they get home field anyway? My head hurts thinking about all of this, LOL. But this lack of transparency is nauseating and really harms the credibility of the FHSAA, however much of that remains. 

My question is, if Manatee makes it to round 4 and their opponent happens to be Buccholz, where would they play? For the sake of argument, let's assume that they both go into that game undefeated. Does strength of schedule only then become a factor? Does the record of their opponents, or even the records of the opponents of their opponents, come into play? What if Manatee beats Venice and goes undefeated, and Buccholz finishes with 1 loss on the regular season, but because Venice lost 3 regular season games and Buccholz' 1 loss was to a "superior opponent," they get home field anyway? My head hurts thinking about all of this, LOL. But this lack of transparency is nauseating and really harms the credibility of the FHSAA, however much of that remains. 

My question is, if Manatee makes it to round 4 and their opponent happens to be Buccholz, where would they play? For the sake of argument, let's assume that they both go into that game undefeated. Does strength of schedule only then become a factor? Does the record of their opponents, or even the records of the opponents of their opponents, come into play? What if Manatee beats Venice and goes undefeated, and Buccholz finishes with 1 loss on the regular season, but because Venice lost 3 regular season games and Buccholz' 1 loss was to a "superior opponent," they get home field anyway? My head hurts thinking about all of this, LOL. But this lack of transparency is nauseating and really harms the credibility of the FHSAA, however much of that remains. 

A true championship will find a way to win regardless of where the game is played. In 2014, Apopka, going into the playoffs with a 6-4 record, played its first three games on the road, including a trip to Jacksonville. It did not matter, they won them all. If Lakeland is destined to be a champion this year they will overcome the handicap if, indeed, there is one at the end of the regular season. 
It's almost as if you doubt that your team has it in them to win under adversity. If that is the message conveyed to the kids, guess what? That's right, they won't win. 

The difference is I'm working under the assumption that Buchholz will have the home field advantage for all of those potential games, whereas you don't seem to consider that. While it's true that we don't yet know for sure how the final seedings will look, it seems a very good bet Buchholz will be ranked ahead of all of the other teams in 4S. All you mention have or figure to have a loss, with the possible excpetion of University City which you didn't mention. 
I like Lakeland or Venice vs. Buchholz in either a home game or a neutral site game. But, on the road in Gainesville, where those teams will still be perceived as favorites and thus will get screwed by the officials, Buchholz will win IMO.

Is there any way to get rid of the FHSAA? What steps need to happen? 

Yup. And, actually, if Manatee managed to pull the upset, Venice may well not make the playoffs! As it is, Lakeland and Venice are probably looking at a max of one home playoff game. No matter what they do the rest of the way...

Winning percentage seems to be more important than strength of schedule, right? So, let's say for example in 4S: by every subjective measure, Manatee has played a considerably worse schedule than Venice. Let's say Manatee has a great night 9 days from now and beats Venice on their own field (a real possibility.) This could potentially leave Manatee, (and possibly Buccholz,) as the only 2 teams in 4S who are undefeated. If this is the case, that potentially leaves: Treasure Coast, Lakeland, Kissimmee Osceola, Bartram Trail, Vero Beach, and Deland with no possibility of hosting the state-semifinal game if Manatee and Buccholz both make it all the way to round 4 of the playoffs, even though all of the other state-hopeful teams in 4S that I listed have played much more challenging schedules and will finish with at least 1 loss on the regular season. This doesn't seem fair at all. Manatee and Buccholz must be very pleased with the way this looks on paper. 

Cocoa 
Lake Mary
Sanford
Cardinal Newman
CCC
Armwood
Venice
TCA
AHP
FSU High
 

Winning percentage seems to be more important than strength of schedule, right? So, let's say for example in 4S: by every subjective measure, Manatee has played a considerably worse schedule than Venice. Let's say Manatee has a great night 9 days from now and beats Venice on their own field (a real possibility.) This could potentially leave Manatee, (and possibly Buccholz,) as the only 2 teams in 4S who are undefeated. If this is the case, that potentially leaves: Treasure Coast, Lakeland, Kissimmee Osceola, Bartram Trail, Vero Beach, and Deland with no possibility of hosting the state-semifinal game if Manatee and Buccholz both make it all the way to round 4 of the playoffs, even though all of the other state-hopeful teams in 4S that I listed have played much more challenging schedules and will finish with at least 1 loss on the regular season. This doesn't seem fair at all. Manatee and Buccholz must be very pleased with the way this looks on paper. 

Winning percentage seems to be more important than strength of schedule, right? So, let's say for example in 4S: by every subjective measure, Manatee has played a considerably worse schedule than Venice. Let's say Manatee has a great night 9 days from now and beats Venice on their own field (a real possibility.) This could potentially leave Manatee, (and possibly Buccholz,) as the only 2 teams in 4S who are undefeated. If this is the case, that potentially leaves: Treasure Coast, Lakeland, Kissimmee Osceola, Bartram Trail, Vero Beach, and Deland with no possibility of hosting the state-semifinal game if Manatee and Buccholz both make it all the way to round 4 of the playoffs, even though all of the other state-hopeful teams in 4S that I listed have played much more challenging schedules and will finish with at least 1 loss on the regular season. This doesn't seem fair at all. Manatee and Buccholz must be very pleased with the way this looks on paper. 

I’ve said this a billion times. I hate the current classifications. The district are small week and watered down. We would know a hell of a lot more if these teams are playing in 7 or 8 team districts.
 
Hillsborough public schools would set up perfectly into two 6A and two 5A districts  of 7 teams each if we were in the old system. if that was the case, we would know a lot more about teams like Sumner based on the results. 
 

When injury occurred, the official statement was he was done for the year.  I have not heard anything contradicting that at the present time, though I suppose anything is possible. 

FAM YOU WAS THE MAIN ONE HYPING THEM PPL! I think Im da only one who said the BTW & NORLAND would be just as good, they took a L to a good team & they still have good teams to go. Game could’ve went either way & you still got a fairly young team at central. They gon be ight

Correction: They will *never* live it down. If Cocoa wins that game (as they rightfully should have,) you start to make Bishop Gorman/Mater Dei sweat a little bit in the chase for the national championship. This will forever be a black mark against the FHSAA, and they should be ashamed of themselves. 

Cocoa should be top 15 nationally 

Top 15*

Cocoa should be top 15 nationally 

Hope to see Cocoa play Venice and STA (at home!) again, next year. Venice vs Cocoa on ESPN would be a great money-maker for both schools! 

Josh, I understand what you're saying.   But, there's a flip-side.   If no one complains, the FHSAA may think that their decisions are good ones.  They're not.  I'm not saying that there are easy answers, but this is the biggest decision that the FHSAA has to make year in and year out:  where to play the championship games for the most popular and most-attended sport that they oversee.  And when you look back over the last several years and see how many teams from South Florida play in those championship games, it just doesn't make good sense to ask all of those teams and their cheerleaders and their bands and their fans to travel 8-9 hours. 
If the FHSAA wants to authorize me to negotiate this issue on their behalf in the future, and I can't do any better, then I'll shut up.  Until then, and respectfully, I'll keep complaining.  
(By the way, where were the complaints about the split weekend coming from?)