Perspective

My belief is that MaxPreps uses the term "Freelance" for any team that is not assigned to a specific classification/region/district. It's a term that MaxPreps can use as a catch-all for all 50 states. This includes so-called "Independent" teams (like IMG and many others in Florida) and teams that are not officially part of the governing body for high school sports in a particular state. Just my belief. My other belief is that now that they are where they are, IMG doesn't give two shirts (without the "r") about the FHSAA. IMG needed them at the beginning, but probably doesn't need them now. Again, just my belief. I'd email the FHSAA and ask them, but they only respond when they have an answer that they're comfortable with.

Proset, see my post from earlier today. "Freelance" seems to be a term that is used by MaxPreps. I don't see it used by the FHSAA. In fact, if you type in the word "freelance" in the search function of the FHSAA website, nothing comes up. Nada. The term that the FHSAA uses for members that are not assigned to a specific classification is "Independent." If you look at the classifications for football, you'll see all the member schools listed. Most are assigned to a Classification (including a region and a district). The rest are shown at the end of the list (on page 4) as "Independents." That's where I would expect to see a school like TRU Prep. But I don't. I'm not in a position to tell you that you're wrong; for all I know, TRU Prep is a member and someone simply forgot to add their name to the list. But . . . I also looked for TRU Prep in the FHSAA Directory. Here's a "copy and paste" of a section of the directory where certain member schools are listed: Trinity Christian (Deltona) (Section 2) Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (Section 1) Trinity Christian (Lake Worth) (Section 4) Trinity Preparatory (Winter Park) (Section 2) True North (Miami) (Section 4) Umatilla (Section 2) Union County (Lake Butler) (Section 1) Universal Academy (Tampa) (Section 3) Again, I don't see TRU Prep listed where common sense suggests they should be (i.e., right after True North and right before Umatilla). So, I'm going to throw the red flag and ask that this be reviewed by the folks in New York.

Proset, my understanding has always been this: If a member of the FHSAA wants to play a team in Florida, that team also has to be a member of the FHSAA. If a member of the FHSAA wants to play a team in or from another state, that team has to be sanctioned in that other state. That's how, for example, IMG (or Central, or Northwest or Armwood) can play an out-of-state game or host an out-of-state team. But, I wasn't aware that a team which is a member of the FHSAA could play an in-state game against a team who is not a member. So, either the rules of the game have changed or I never knew what the rules were (distinct possibility).

Jesse must have been at work behind the scenes.

It's a little confusing to me. There is a school in Miami by the name of True North Classical Academy. It shows up in the FHSAA classifications as an "Independent" and on MaxPreps as a "Freelance." For what it's worth, that's the same way IMG shows up (classified as "Independent" on the FHSAA site and as "Freelance" on the MaxPreps site). MaxPreps also reflects that there is a school in Miami Gardens by the name of "TRU Prep Academy," who is shown as a "Freelance" school. This appears to be the team playing IMG this week. However, this school does not show up on the FHSAA website under Football > Classifications . . . not even among the Independent schools. That would lead me to conclude that they are not currently a member of the FHSAA . . . which makes me wonder how FHSAA teams in the state of Florida have been able to play them. I'm not throwing any mud; just confused.

Yes, I think you have.

Tru Prep sounds like something that your doctor prescribes for you to drink the night before you have a colonoscopy.

I think the Broward School District made the decision on behalf of all of its schools that they would opt out. Miami-Dade, on the other hand, left the decision up to the individual schools. Most opted out; some opted in. Or to phrase that in another way (and generally speaking): those schools that knew they had no chance of playing for or winning a state title opted out, whereas those schools who thought they had a legitimate shot at a ring opted in.

Yeah, plus Joe Pinko's only had NW favored by 38 points. Oh, wait . . . .

Perspective is always a good thing.

. . . with every frickin' post.

Yeah, I think that's the same thing happening with Brandon (vs. Palmetto). I guess that's one of the downsides of letting every team make the playoffs and then randomly (allegedly) picking the match-ups.

Add: Brandon (although this one may not be entirely Covid-related, if Covid-related at all), allowing Palmetto to advance. Rockledge (allowing Desoto Co. to advance)

Starting a new thread so that it will be easier to keep a running tally (perhaps updated each week) of teams who are forced to cancel an upcoming playoff game because of Covid. Here are the teams I know of as of right now: Leto (Tampa) Robinson (Tampa) LaBelle St. John Neumann Immokalee Parrish Community PK Young (not 100% sure this one is Covid-related) Oasis Sickles Feel free to add to it if you hear of others.

Impressive stat line.

Gatorman, I have no idea what the college rule was at the time, but under existing high school rules, that's a close call. In addition to a defender being on his knees or lying on the ground (see Just a Coach's post above), a defensive player can be hurdled if both his feet are off the ground; i.e., he lays out in an attempt to make a diving tackle . . . which arguably is what the defender trying to make the play on Moss did. In real time, it's pretty tough to determine whether the defender's feet are both off the ground at the precise moment of the hurdle. Judgment call, I guess, but I would not fault the officials for not making the call on this play. Oh, and this clip just shows that Moss was a man playing with boys when he was at Marshall.

Already happened . . . 1809. I wasn't around when it happened, but I remember my parents talking about it. But, I digress from the more important issue: did Jesse jump off the Madison bandwagon a few weeks back? What happened?

Covid knocks Tampa Robinson out of the playoffs, allowing Orlando Jones to advance without having to play an improved Robinson team, but clearly one that was not able to finish the season at anything close to full strength. Covid also knocks out Archbishop McCarthy, allowing Miami Central to advance without playing. Miami Central also won their play-in game against Immokalee because of a Covid forfeit. I don't think either Immokalee (0-7) or Archbishop McCarthy (1-6) posed any threats against Central and Central's first on-field game will be against the winner of Ida Baker (4-3) and Lely (2-5), so that shouldn't be much of a contest either. Central won't get tested until the regional semi-finals, if then. Any more Covid casualties?

The kid made a very athletic move that would be OK on Saturday or Sunday, but the officials got the call right.

Two Tampa Bay area teams are closing up shop and will not play in their scheduled playoff play-in games this Friday night: Fivay (Pasco Co.) is out, allowing Hollins to advance to the next round and Osceola is out, allowing Gaither to advance. I don't know much about the first two teams, but I can say pretty confidently that Gaither would have beaten Osceola. Any others?

Badbird, I'm guessing the officials were using the new "coin toss rules" for all penalties: White Hat (to defensive captain): "I've got a hold against the offense. Do you want to accept the penalty - in which case it will be 10 yards from the spot of the foul and will remain first down - or do you want to decline the penalty, in which case it will be second down from where the ball carrier was tackled?" Defensive Captain (remembering what the coach had told him when he went out for the coin toss at the beginning of the game): "Uh . . . uh . . . uh . . . we want to defer." White Hat: [To offensive captain] "OK, the defense has deferred. You now get your choice - should be penalty be accepted or declined?" Offensive Captain (removing his helmet so that he can scratch his head): "Um, can you ask my coach?"

Badbird, a couple of thoughts: 1. I'd rather see the officials huddle up, discuss the call and get it right than not do that (apparently, judging from your reaction to the final series, you agree in theory with that idea). The teams and coaches should view it as a free time out/water break. 2. Personally, I like it when the officials come over to the sidelines and explain their calls. 90% of the time they have made a judgment call, so the conversation should be very short: Official tells coach what they saw; exasperated coach throws up his arms and either yells out what everybody else in the stadium saw or what the refs didn't see; and then the official looks at the coach as he's starting to walk away and says "Coach, that's the way we saw it; I just wanted to give you a quick explanation." If the conversation involves a rule interpretation, the coach should be given a little more leeway to discuss what he understands the rule to be, as once in a blue moon, the coach knows a particular rule better than the officials do, in which event the officials should be open to changing the call. 3. No excuse for getting the down wrong, especially at the end of a close game. That said, unless the clock was running in between each play, someone from the offense's coaching staff should have caught the down discrepancy earlier and pointed it out. It's easier for officials and coaches to remember one play back versus three plays back. 4. Last, it truly sucks when mistakes made by officials cost either team the chance to win a game. But it happens because officials are human. Look at it this way: at least this year it didn't cost the losing team a shot at the playoffs.

Badbird, I'm not a referee. Nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. But, here's my understanding. In order for it to be a catch, the first foot of the receiver to hit the ground after the receiver gains possession of the ball must come down in bounds. If the defender simply knocks the receiver (in the direction that the receiver was already headed) in such a way that the receiver lands out of bounds instead of in bounds (i.e., the receiver gets "forced out"), it's an incomplete pass, regardless of where the ref thinks the receiver might have landed had there been no contact. That said, if the defender 'catches' the receiver in midair in a way that stops the receiver's forward progress, and walks him over to the sidelines before letting him down, the pass would be complete (even though the receiver's foot first touched out of bounds). Jambun, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I think the people who thought of the running clock are probably the same people who routinely got their butts kicked when they played football.

I suspect the reason why there is a 'running clock' rule now is because too many times, the opposing coaches didn't see eye to eye on how many points were enough (or how many points were too many) - especially in rivalry games, or when the subs should start playing, or when timeouts should be called, or what plays are appropriate to run, etc. To a certain extent, the running clock rule was implemented to save a coach from his own pride. Remember a few years back? In the third quarter, running clock was "optional" for the team that was getting beat. It wasn't until the 4th quarter that it was mandatory. But, too many 'old school' coaches felt like agreeing to running clock in the 3rd quarter was a sign of weakness or, as you put it, throwing in the towel. So they refused to do it. And the 35 point differential at the beginning of the 3rd quarter turned into a 50+ differential by the time the 3rd quarter ended. Hurt egos are one thing. Hurt players are another story. I'm pretty sure that's why running clock now becomes mandatory at whatever point in the second half the difference becomes 35 or more. At that point, it's just a matter of getting the game over with a little sooner to protect the players. Oh, and it's worth noting that not all schools are as deep as others. Some schools are lucky to have a full squad of second-stringers.