Perspective

In theory, the team from the county of 3 million people has a significantly greater number of competing schools in the area.  Seriously, who else does Columbia "compete with" for student-athletes that want to take advantage of school choice to attend whatever school they want to?   Riverside, maybe.   Who else?  
Compare that to Miami Central.  According to the Miami-Dade County Public School website, there are 64 public high schools serving the kids of Miami-Dade.  Not all of them are traditional high schools and/or have sports teams, but a whole bunch of them do.  So MC is competing with Northwestern, Norland, BTW, Hialeah, Homestead, Edison, Jackson, Killian, and several others, including private schools, for the top-caliber athletes.  In a perfect world, each school would get their fair share of top athletes.   But we don't live in a perfect world.  
If we went back to school districts (yeah, I know, that ain't happening any time soon) and enforced the rules, things would be a little different.   But in this world of school choice, a handful of teams in any given area will continue to have success.  Sure, every now and then a school will have a perfect storm of retained kids, coaching and parent support and may have the chance to jump from the "have nots" to the "haves."   But that will be rare and likely won't be permanent.  My prediction is that, now more than ever, we're going to see the same top teams having success, making the playoffs and winning state titles, year after year, especially in the metro areas. 

Cording to maxpreps he is tied with a guy from Wharton FL with 30 and behind the nations leader from Ft Lauderdale High who has 32.5 this year 

There's a certain public HS in out area that I've talked to multiple area HS coaches who tell me they were "recruiting our players."   I've talked to players who said they were being recruited and ultimately transferred there.  I don't want to name names because I don't know for sure since I'm going by what coaches and players have told me but if there's enough smoke you can assume there's a fire somewhere beneath the smoke.  Anyway they probably aren't the only team doing this crap so to single them out is likely not seeing the entire forest from a single tree on this issue.
As far as East Lake HS that I mentioned before, I said they stole our best player but in reality our player initiated that transfer and just wanted to play there.  I haven't heard of ELHS recruiting players so they are 't the team I am referring to.

Don't worry, Nulli.  Pinellas teams still have plenty of time left to disappoint. 

Don't worry, Nulli.  Pinellas teams still have plenty of time left to disappoint. 

I totally understand where you're coming from.  
Also, from my experience, the FHSAA tends to get a little defensive when someone seeks out this kind of information.   It's almost as if they know/feel that they'll end up being the target of criticism (i.e., "the FHSAA doesn't do enough to curb rampant recruiting" or "the FHSAA knows what's going on, but they don't do anything about it" or "the FHSAA knows that recruiting is going on, but they choose not to pursue the matter because they're afraid/concerned someone's going to get their panties in a wad and take away what little autonomy and authority they have"). 
You're a business man and you have every right to protect your business interests.  It makes all the sense in the world, to me at least, that you would want to stay on the FHSAA's good side.   Dang, where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them?   
Thanks for the reply. 

Don't worry, Nulli.  Pinellas teams still have plenty of time left to disappoint. 

First and foremost congrats to ely on the win tonight this is one of their better defenses they’ve had in a very long time, add the few defensive pieces they got from Deerfield and the new DC they added they’re most def the truth. Great game tigers. 
 
as for Dillard, THE ENTIRE OFFENSIVE COACHING STAFF need to go along with the the head coach. They run the most childish basic predictable offense I ever seen. 
 
As for the head coach , you bench the starting quarterback 5 games ago because of his countless mistakes ; you then put in the sophomore quarterback whose showed waaay more promise win you your last 4 games & then soul bowl come around and you bend him for the SR qb!?!!!! And your reasons are “THIS IS HIS LAST SOUL BOWL he’s a SR” I wouldn’t give a got dam are you trying to win games or popularity contest ?!??
not only that but you keep the sophomore on the bench for the first round & second round of the playoffs as our offense continues to look inept as hell as it has in EVERY BiG game we’ve been the last few years! 
 
time & time again ely tried to give Dillard this game but our HC & OFFENSIVE STAFF is so dam pathetic they refused to make and changes to what has shown to be a UNSUCCESSFUL offensive game plan. TIME & TIME AGAIN our offense is the problem & the key problem as to why we lose these big games and at this point I’m over it. Talent wasn’t the problem this year it never is we str8 poop the bed tonight we didn’t deserve to win this Dillard team has NO HEART from the coaches to the players!! & no matter how much talent you have you can’t teach heart! Congrats ely on advancing to the next round. 

I'm guessing that's the school of thought because EL is the #1 seed and Plant is the #4 seed (based on the power ranking system that no one can explain).  
I checked with my bookie and he said Las Vegas hasn't posted the spread on this game yet, but he thought it would likely be EL minus 3 just because of the home field advantage. 

I'm guessing that's the school of thought because EL is the #1 seed and Plant is the #4 seed (based on the power ranking system that no one can explain).  
I checked with my bookie and he said Las Vegas hasn't posted the spread on this game yet, but he thought it would likely be EL minus 3 just because of the home field advantage. 

I'm guessing that's the school of thought because EL is the #1 seed and Plant is the #4 seed (based on the power ranking system that no one can explain).  
I checked with my bookie and he said Las Vegas hasn't posted the spread on this game yet, but he thought it would likely be EL minus 3 just because of the home field advantage. 

Thank you, Jambun.  
But "clearly a touchdown?"   We must have seen different clips.  

Thank you, Jambun.  
But "clearly a touchdown?"   We must have seen different clips.  

Thank you, Jambun.  
But "clearly a touchdown?"   We must have seen different clips.  

Ray, your post under the "TBT Shouldn't Have to Travel" topic got me thinking . . . how did the seeds do.  Here's what I've got so far, along with a few editorial comments:
4M:
R1:  6 of the 8 games will be played on Monday.  Apopka beat Boone on Saturday and now gets a couple extra days of rest and prep time.  And coaches can actually attend the Winter Park/Lake Brantley game Monday night to do their scouting in person. 
*** General observation:  I understand that a November hurricane is a rare occurrence and that player safety is of the utmost importance.  I also understand that certain parts of our state can be considered part of the Bible Belt.  That said, if games couldn't be played on Friday (because of field conditions or any other reasons), they should have been played Saturday (assuming the factors preventing play on Friday were resolved).  If not Saturday, the FHSAA should have given permission for the games to be played on Sunday.  I have absolutely no dogs in this fight, but to me it is patently unfair for one team to play on Friday night and then face an opponent that has played on the Monday of game week.   Think about it:  kids play Monday night.  Tuesday is basically a recovery day/film day.  Practice Wednesday.   And the Thursday before the Friday night game is essentially a walk-through practice.   So, a team playing Monday has to install their offensive game plan and the defense basically sees the red team O run their opponent's offense/plays one day - Wednesday. 
(Side note:  I can't imagine a team having a such a short time to try to prepare for Apopka back when they were running their single wing offense . . . but I digress).  While it might be OK  to ask a team to play Monday and then turn around and play again on Friday night in the regular season, it's just not right for the playoffs.  
OK, I'll get off my soapbox and get back to the seedings.
R2 - Top four seeds all won. 
R3 - all 8 games will be played Monday night, with winners playing again on Friday.  At least all 8 teams are in the same boat in this region. 
R4 - Top four seeds all won. 
3M:
R1 - 1 and 2 seed both won.  5 seed (Plant) beat 4 seed (Fletcher).  3 seed (Oviedo) plays 6 seed (Wharton) on Monday.   The winner has to turn around and play the 1 seed (Jones) four days later (see discussion above). 
R2 - Top four seeds all won.
R3 - 1 seed (STA) and 2 seed (Dillard) both won.  The 4/5 game and the 3/6 game both will be played on Monday, with the winners playing STA and Dillard, respectively, four days later.  Broken record time - that just ain't right. 
R4 - Top three seeds won and 5 beat 4 (Dr. Krop beat Belen Jesuit 23-17).
2M:
R1 - Chaos!!  If this were the NCAA Basketball tournament, this would be the bracket-buster region.  Much to ColumbiaFan's chagrin, 8 seed Riverside beat 1 seed Andrew Jackson 20-13; 5 seed (Raines) beat 4 seed (Ed White); and 7 seed beat 2 seed in the Bishop Bowl (Moore over Kinney).  The only top 4 seed to survive was 3 seed Bolles. 
R2 - Top four seeds all won.
R3 - The top of the bracket plays Monday; bottom of the bracket played Friday night and 2 and 3 seeds both won.  Friday night winners and Monday night winners will be on equal footing when it comes to playing the regional semifinal games.
R4 - Top four seeds all won (setting up a Central/Northwestern game this Friday night). 
1M : Opening round games will be played this Thursday and Friday. 
1R : Top 2 seeds got byes.   3 seeds all won handily.  5 seed beat the 4 seed in three of the four regions.   Only 4 seed to advance, much to Jesse's delight, was Madison County. 
4S:
R1 - 1, 3 and 4 seeds won.  7 seed (Crestview) upset 2 seed (Niceville).  This region featured one of the best games with 3 seed Buchholz beating Pace 35-34 with a last minute TD and a successful 2-point conversion. 
R2 - Top 2 seeds won; 5 beat 4 and 6 beat 3.
R3 - Top 2 seeds won, as did 4.  6 seed (Treasure Coast) beat 3 seed (Martin Co.) (see other thread). 
R4 - Ray, I think this is the region you were referring to.  5 beat 4; 7 beat 2; and 6 beat 3.  The only one of the top four seeds to win was Venice, who slipped by Archie, Jughead, Reggie and the rest of the Riverdale team 87 - 20.  (See separate thread for the discussion of this game). 
3S:
R1 - Top three seeds won and 5 beat 4 42-35.
R2 - 1, 3 and 4 won; 7 (Lecanto) beat 2 (Pasco) 45-14.
R3 - 1, 2 and 3 won.  4/5 game is Monday night, with the winner getting the privilege of playing top seed Rockledge four days later. 
R4 - Top four seeds all won.
2S:
R1 - Top four seeds all won.
R2 - 1, 2 and 3 won, but 5 beat 4 27-14.
R3 - Top four seeds all won.
R4 - Top two seeds both won, but 5 beat 4 in a close one and 6 beat 3 in a game that wasn't close. 
1S:   Opening round games will be played this  Friday. 
 
All I've got for now. 
 
 

The current MaxPreps national rankings confirms why it is dangerous to start publishing the rankings so early in the season (or before the season even begins).   Because there are no national playoffs, it's highly likely that several teams across the country will end their season undefeated.   That likely will be the case this year.  So, in trying to pick the mythical national champ, you end up comparing and choosing between a bunch of undefeated teams.   I went back and looked at the rankings over the course of the season.  For the most part, unless a team loses (like SJB or IMG), where they start is where they are now and likely will be where they finish in the final poll.   I think Miami Central would literally have to win every remaining playoff game by a Venice/Riverdale-like score to have any chance at all of hopping over both MD and SFA and even then, it probably wouldn't change things if MD and SFA both win out.  

The reseeding is done after the regional finals are completed, using the end-of-regular season FHSAA Power Rankings.  The remaining 4 teams are seeded 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3 for the state semifinals.  Directly from the FHSAA Football Manual, and same procedure as last year.  
But there is no reason the regional semifinals could not be reseeded as well, if the desire was there.  The NFL essentially does the same thing after the first round of games, prior to the conference semifinals.

Darter, I agree with you (and said as much when I first posted about this game).  But, if that was the case, why didn't the line judge come in with an immediate and emphatic hands-in-the-air TD signal?  That's what I was hoping Jambun could answer.
It's almost as if the following thoughts went through the official's head in the matter of two or three seconds as he was coming towards the middle of the field:  "Hmmm, it kind of looks like maybe the ball broke the plane but I'm not really sure.  I guess I'll wait to see if he guy with the ball lands in the end zone, because then it'll be an easy call . . . oh, wait, dang it, he just got pushed back and the ball's not in the end zone.  Crap, what do I do now?  Hmmm, which team is the home team here?  Yeah, right, the team on offense.  If they score, they win; if they don't, they lose.  Dang it, I want to do what's right, but I'm not sure if he crossed the plane or not.   But, what I really want is to make sure I get out of here safely tonight and make it home in time to watch SportsCenter . . . "  
Hands go up in the air to signal the try is successful.   Game over. 

Darter, I think you're correct.   But, to 181's point, why is the reseeding philosophy appropriate for semifinals?  If it makes sense to re-seed then, why doesn't it make sense to re-seed after every game?  
For the most part, these are rhetorical questions, as I believe you have accurately stated how it is. 

I suspect their schedule was finalized before their recruiting class was.  

I'll save my prediction for later . . . but it most likely will involve power outages and earthquakes this time. 

What a great game. 
I saw an endzone video of the 2-point conversion in OT that gave Oviedo the win.   I don't think it could have been any closer.   When I first saw it, it looked like the RB came up inches short.   But then I saw a slow-mo version where it appeared the RB may have just broken the plane before landing short of the goal.  Without a goal line camera/view, it's hard to tell.   It's really important to have the right perspective.  
Too bad someone had to lose that game.  But, it brings me to my question (I eventually get there):
@Jambun82, when I watched the video, there was an official (line judge?) right on the goal line.   The play came towards him and did NOT involve a big pile up.  It was basically the RB against a LB or DB, with a second defender coming in to help.  From the video I saw, there was nothing in the way of the official that obscured his line of sight.  In other words, he appeared to be in perfect position and had a clear sight line as to whether the ball broke the plane or not.   As I believe he's supposed to, he immediately closed the gap and ran in to where the play ended.  But instead of giving an immediate signal (either raising his hands to signify a TD or waiving his hands over his head and putting his foot down to signify that the offensive player was stopped short of the goal line), he basically stood there for what seemed like an eternity before he finally signaled a score.  Why?   Under the circumstances that I laid out, what would cause the line judge to wait so long before signaling?   Who or what would or could he be waiting on?  I'll keep the conspiracy theories to myself for now.
Thanks in advance. 

LOL!   Well, some Carole King lyrics did pop into my mind when I typed out "earthquake" earlier.  
I'll have to see if something inspires me again, but happy to know at least someone caught the American Pie reference. 

As you may recall, it was a relatively last-minute decision by the Board of Directors to guarantee district champions would host an at-large team, regardless of seed, in the regional quarterfinal round.  The problem is when two district champions are drawn against one another.  In that case, one of the district champions is going to be left out in the cold for hosting purposes.  While I personally agree with your sentiment, not sure I want to mess with the current seeding model since it seems to be pretty accurate.  As an aside, I need to look and see how many district champions that hosted now have to go on the road to a higher seed, whether an at-large team or a higher seeded district champion.

Point well taken.   I noticed the same thing.  In fact, when I was typing out the original post, I even 'copied' the "Top four seeds all won" line so that I could 'paste' it in where applicable.  And it was applicable several times.  
That said, I'll go to my grave believing that the winner of each district deserves, at a minimum, to host the first round of the playoffs . . . even if that means the winner of a weak district hosts a runner up from a strong district and, as a result, the traveling team has a higher power rating than the home team based on some formula that no one can figure out.