Perspective

Osceola (Kissimmee)?

And are we only talking about teams that have won a single state title or teams that have won at least one title (as long as their last one was 20 or more years ago)?

That's what happens when you change the laws such that week in and week out the Haves play the Have Nots.

Old School, my numbers must be off a little. But here are the teams that I have found that have won a single state title, but in each case, it was won more than 20 years ago: Clewiston (won it in '82); 37 total playoff wins. Columbia (won it in '67); 40 total playoff wins. Niceville (won it in '88); 36 total playoff wins. Osceola (Kissimmee) (won it in '98); 48 total playoff wins. Vero Beach (won it in '81); 42 total playoff wins. When you say "playoff wins," are you just referring to playoff wins since they won their state title? Or are my numbers just off? Also, I'm including playoff wins from this year.

Wharton has a chance to do a little rebuilding now. This year was a good start for them. Their new head coach will bring a certain amount of excitement to the program that might be enough to keep existing talent there and possibly even attract new talent. That coach is Mike Williams, former Plant/USC/Detroit Lion (and other NFL teams) WR. Whether he's good enough to overcome the Nolebull hex remains to be seen.

I know this is way off topic, but since we got on the topic of STA, I recently ran across this article and found it interesting: https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/st-thomas-aquinas-fired-coach-after-benching-principals-grandson-10413099

But the OL coach apparently looked to other campuses as well . . . https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/high-school/prep-broward/article229077444.html

Please remind me which coach you're referring to.

Any thoughts on the FHSAA scheduling 8 games over 4 consecutive days on the same natural grass field?

Darter, that may have been the 2008 4A Championship game. STA beat Lakeland 56-7.

I love how different people can watch the exact same clip and come away with completely different viewpoints. Hornet, I tend to agree with your take on this one. Bang-bang play. Jambun, I'll ask you another question: at what point does the ball become dead? While the pass was well overthrown (and I'm not going to go back and watch it yet again), my guess is that the ball had not yet hit the ground or a person standing out of bounds when the DB made contact. If that's correct, isn't the play still alive? While you're pondering that one, how about this hit from the NFL yesterday? Personal foul or clean hit? Yeah, yeah, I know Cam Newton is a QB, but he's also a big guy (does that matter?) who has made several plays 'with his feet' over the years. In this case, he was still in bounds when contact was made and he was right at (I'll even say 'just over') the line to gain on a critical 3rd and long play. The extra 15 yards ultimately put the Pats in range to kick a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

The "Pre HIt" screenshot confirms the pass was well overthrown (and that the DB had his head down, with his eyes focused on the WR and not the flight path of the ball). The "Hit" screenshot confirms what I saw: the contact from the DB comes just as the WR is landing. And if we can't tell for sure with replay whether the WR's foot landed in bounds, on the line or out of bounds, how should a DB be able to tell in real time? Again, it appears to me that the only justification for calling this a penalty is because the ball was overthrown and the WR clearly didn't have the ball when he landed and contact was made. I see that happen all the time at the pro, college and high school level with no penalty call being made. Trelle, would you agree with me that the hit would have been totally clean if the WR had snagged that ball? That's why I'm asking Jambum whether, on a play like that, the DB is supposed to know whether the catch was made or not. Again, for what it's worth, the hit did not appear to be malicious or untimely; it was simply unnecessary because the pass was well overthrown -- something everyone in the stadium could see except the DB with his head down.

Based on my 30 seconds of in-depth Internet research, it appears that Doak Campbell has a natural grass field. The FHSAA has scheduled EIGHT games over four days. Two high school football games a day for four consecutive days. They had better hope that it doesn't rain in Tallahassee any of those days (or the day or two leading up to the games). In my humble opinion, there's no way that a natural grass field can stand up to that many games being played in that short of a time period -- especially if the field gets muddy. But even without the rain or the mud, that field is going to get chopped up pretty badly over those four days. I'm putting it out here right now: generally speaking, I have a great deal of respect for the FHSAA and what they try to accomplish (especially when the Florida legislature ties their hands behind their back). That said, I just don't see how you can reconcile "8 games over 4 days" with "player safety comes first." It looks to me like the FH$AA is simply trying to balance its budget.

Jambum, are DB's charged with the responsibility for knowing where the ball is at all times? Was that a personal foul simply because the pass was overthrown? As I watch the play, I see the DB break on the throw. The WR jumps for the overthrown pass. For the most part, the DB has his head down. The hit occurs almost simultaneous with the WR's foot landing (and, for what it's worth, the DB led with his shoulder and hit the body, not the head, of the WR). If the pass had been slightly less over thrown, so that it tipped off the outstretched hand of the WR, would it still have been a penalty? What if the WR had been able to get two hands on the pass? I would argue that if the WR had managed to get two hands on the ball, that hit by the DB would have been a text-book play. But it wasn't like the WR took two or three more steps before he was hit. Also, I think the hit looked a little harder than it was because the WR was slightly off balance when he landed/got hit, and took an awkward tumble (somehow losing his helmet in the process). Which gets me back to my original question: in real time, is the DB supposed to be able to tell if the WR makes the catch or doesn't so that he can make contact if there is a catch but somehow avoid the contact if the pass goes through the WR's hands? I guess, in hindsight, the DB could/should have simply wrapped up the WR, instead of bumping him, so that he didn't fall to the ground. I'm not arguing the call so much as I'm trying to get a little clarification as to what knowledge is imputed to the DB for purposes of making a personal foul call.

Anyone have a video clip of the play? Was it a "late" hit? An "unnecessary" hit? What made the hit a penalty?

Understood. However, it appears to me that IMG is the prototype for "academies," at least in Florida. If you want to focus the discussion on academies, as institutions separate and distinct from schools, that's fine. I'm prepared to do that. But when you overlap academies and schools (which is what has happened with IMG), it seems rather difficult to separate the issues. Nevertheless, and going forward, I'll try to carve out any consideration of the educational value of academies, as that invites further discussion and debate about their involvement in the FHSAA. By the way, a "broader perspective" is exactly what my wife, who is a terrific cook, has ended up with after 30 years of marriage.

So, three people responded and all three answered "yes." In other words, all three people believe that IMG is violating existing FHSAA rules. Proset went so far as to state that all private schools have to recruit to stay in business. But there's a difference between private schools advertising to a large pool of prospective students (perfectly legit) vs. making direct contact with select athletes for the purpose of encouraging those kids to come play football at the school (against the rules). Hey, I understand that good arguments can be made that public and private schools are inherently different and should be treated differently when it comes to sports, in general, and recruiting, specifically. To date, however, the FHSAA has not been willing to make that distinction. That's the problem I have with IMG (and arguably a handful of other schools). They actively recruit. Everybody knows it. Nothing gets done about it. Might as well tear that page out of the sports manual.

Absolutely. I'm just suggesting that it's going to continue to be even harder for road teams to win playoff games compared to a few years ago when home and away teams were predetermined and it was very possible for the "top" district winner in a region to have to travel to play a weaker district winner.

I suspect this trend will continue -- not so much for the teams specifically mentioned, but for all road teams, once the FHSAA goes back to last year's format. The 8 seed will rarely beat the 1 seed. Same with the 7 seed and the 2 seed. The 5 and 6 seeds may have a decent shot at the 4 and 3 seeds.

So does this make us even?

You got me. I guess I've been drafting too many contracts. And because you quoted me, I can't even go back and edit my original comment!

Old School, this one has me stumped. Cocoa is the only team I can find that has as many as 3 playoffs wins by 65 or more points since 2010 (65-0 over Clewiston in 2011, 70-0 over Labelle in 2013 and 67-0 over Avon Park in 2014). Since then, they've also racked up big wins over Bishop Verot (64-0 in 2016), Lake Placid (63-8 in 2017), Avon Park (62-7, also in 2017) and Hudson (62-0 this year). But I can't find another playoff win for Cocoa of 65 or more points. I'm waiving the white flag.

Quick "yes or no" question for Hornet, Gatorman, Proset and OldSchool (and anybody else who wants to answer): In your opinion, or based on information that has been shared with you, does IMG actively recruit kids to play on its football teams -- yes or no?

Maybe we could come up with fancy names to describe the teams that move up and down. I suggest "promotion" and "relegation." I have a feeling those terms might catch on.

IMG absolutely is an academy. In fact, "academy" is part of its formal name ("IMG Academy"). And arguably, in less than a decade, IMG has become the premier football academy in the country. Clearly there is a market out there for such an organization. But, let's be real about it. If IMG is going to market themselves as a sports academy (which they do) and aggressively pursue elite athletes to fill their rosters (which I believe they do), that's fine. But until the FHSAA develops a separate category of membership for sports academies, IMG really doesn't belong in the FHSAA. That doesn't mean that teams in Florida can't play them if they want to. They can. Just recognize that IMG is something different than all the other schools who are members of the FHSAA.