First, let me preface my comments by saying I have always admired Lakeland's program and have defended their honor on this site. I will not question your knowledge of the past Lakeland teams, skyway, and believe what you say about this year's squad. I did see Lakeland play last week and they looked very good.
What I will question is how much you have seen some of the south FL teams play this season. I highly doubt if anyone outside south FL has seen enough of the Miami-Dade teams play this year to be able to fairly judge their capability. And unless one has lived and breathed Miami-Dade football for an entire season, ie via coaching or playing, one cannot appreciate how nasty them boyz really are. Liberty City is ground zero for "nasty" in FL. And trust me I know Polk County very well to be able to compare.
Bottom line, Lakeland has NEVER had to play a Miami-Dade team in an FHSAA playoff game. They historically played powder puff teams during the regular season and when they did invite Carol City to Polk County, they suffered one of their worst home losses of the modern era.
I am not picking on Lakeland. Have said the same of St Thomas. If STA had routinely played MD teams during the regular season and playoffs over the past 25 years, their track record would undoubtedly be different...maybe a lot different.
If anyone out there assumes that those Lakeland teams that beat St Thomas in the past would have smoked some of Dade's best those years...not a good assumption. STA is awesome, but historically some of their teams have not had the "nasty" factor of some of Dade's best.
If Lakeland had to play week-in and week-out in Miami Dade, they would not look nearly so dominant...not taking anything away from them...just saying. That is not saying they are not a very good team. But Manatee is not Miami Northwestern or Columbus.
