HornetFan

$10 for gas and $15 for Bob Evans still leaves $85 in their pocket; that's not a volunteer. They owe it to the teams and the fans to set their biases aside and officiate to the best of their ability. Most officials do that, but it only takes one to influence a game. I have rarely seen the guy with the white hat overrule a linesman. It's extremely rare to see a penalty waved off.

If officials cannot put aside a bias they have against a coach or team, they should not officiate at games involving that coach or team.

I would expect that a person who decides to become a referee has been to football games before and has seen how fans can get hostile towards the refs. Football fans can get passionate about their team and if they think a referee is treating their team unfairly, they should let them know. I think that you could call a penalty on almost every play if you wanted to. The idea is to let the kids play and not unduly influence the game by penalizing one team much more often than the opposing team unless the penalties are obvious. The IMG - Venice 2nd quarter was ridiculous. Every big play by IMG was called back by penalty, and miraculously, Venice was not penalized during the quarter. Is it possible that not a single OL on Venice held during one play in that 2nd quarter despite the fact that IMG players were bigger and faster?

So, in 7 years you lose allegiance to your former school? I don't think so.

High school referees are definitely paid. I have a friend who referees soccer at high school level and he gets paid; they also get paid for club level games. They should never be threatened with bodily harm or be the subject of profanities, but if referees can't take booing from the fans, they're in the wrong position. If they call a good game, fine, let the coaches tell them so after completion of the game. If they were partial to one team or blew several critical calls, they have to be told that too. Being a referee isn't for wimps; they don't get a participation award. The best referees are hardly noticeable during a game.

Commentators have the benefit of replay and can run the play over for the TV fans while calling out obvious miscalls. I realize officials don't have the advantage of instant replay and are calling them as they see them at game speed or maybe how they would "like to see them". Sometimes it difficult to overcome a bias

I find it hard to believe that any referee wouldn't know that he/she was officiating in a game involving the #1 team in the country.

So during the regular season, they can be locals; that's where you get the home cooking, especially if they want the local team to look good against a national power.

I have to agree with you; Wekiva has a tough schedule. They could easily lose 4-5 games against that competition.

If it were true they came from a different area, why do we see the same referees here in Orlando area game after game? They may come from a town or two over from where the game is being played, but that doesn't change where they went to school, or where their kids went to school, or if they have a school they prefer over another, to put it as nicely as I can. I'd venture to guess that referees are fans too. They should put that aside when they step on the field, but do all of them do that? I'm sure "most" do, and that's commendable.

Check ESPN listings this week. They repeat some of the games during the week. I would think they would do so with the #1 team in the country.

Maybe "Nosepicker" was already taken.

If you watched the game, even the commentators said some of the calls against IMG in the 2nd quarter were suspect and very timely. I thought it was a bit unusual that IMG had bigger and more talented players on their lines and they were being called for holding on almost every big play. Venice never quit and I think the "what seemed like home cooking" officiating in that 2nd quarter actually took away from a great effort by Venice; they didn't need the officials to bail them out. They were being beat, but they were playing hard.

I think you made some pretty good picks, most if not all those games should be very competitive and many could go either way. I don't think Osceola can beat Edgewater, even with the return of their QB from IMG. I have to give Edgewater props; they're playing what I think is the toughest schedule in Central Florida. Every week is either a top team in Central Florida or a rivalry game. Throw in IMG at IMG for Edgewater's opener and IMG already having two games under their belt. The young coach that took over at Edgewater two years ago may be building a Central Florida powerhouse for years to come.

Back in my day, a long time ago, there were high schools that taught trades; same thing with two year colleges that offered technical degrees. You don't find many out of work plumbers, electricians, or AC technicians. Graduates could find a decent job; not like today's liberal arts grads that are flipping burgers and waiting tables. I always told my daughters if you couldn't find the degree in the classified ads, it was a waste of time taking that major. Fortunately they followed my advice and both are very successful. For athletes that manage to get a degree without learning much, there are always opportunities in government jobs. It doesn't take much to hold down a government job and it's almost impossible to get fired from a government job, plus they get benefits and pensions, all paid for by the taxpayers.

Here are some interesting Orlando area games for starters: 9/17: Lake Brantley at Lake Mary Jones at Bishop Moore 9/25: Edgewater at Winter Park Dr Phillips at Apopka Mainland at Seminole 10/2: Edgewater at Wekiva Apopka at Lake Brantley Seminole at Lake Minneola 10/9: Jones at Apopka Timber Creek at Edgewater Lake Brantley at Seminole Wekiva at Dr Phillips 10/16: Edgewater at Kissimmee Osceola Apopka at West Orange Wekiva at Jones

I had to look it up. Madison County is a county located in the north central portion of the state of Florida, and borders the state of Georgia to the north. You weren't talking about the football poll, were you?

For many kids, the college scholarship is their "magic ticket" out of a life of poverty. It may be a long shot for some, but better than no shot at all. As for it being exploitative on the part of ESPN, that's the business they're in. The whole entertainment industry is that way.

Edgewater at 28 is absolutely ridiculous. Lose to #3 STA in a very close state championship game last season and be placed 25 spots behind them? Just this week I saw a poll that had Edgewater ranked #12 nationally. Whose poll is this; the South Florida Fan Club?

For many of the seniors playing football this Fall, it is a chance to be recruited that they lost this Spring and Summer. With several college conferences still shut down for the Fall, many coaches and scouts are most likely watching those high school games. If an overlooked kid is fortunate enough to be playing in a game against a showcase team and he has a good showing, it may cause a coach to inquire as to his availability. I watched IMG beat up on Venice last night; IMG was loaded with stars, but there were some real good kids on Venice too. This afternoon, I'm watching PGA golf because the Marshall - East Kentucky and Army - ??? games are boring. ESPN is doing high school kids a service by putting them out there in front of football fans coaches around the country.

I don't see what everyone else sees in South Sumter. I went to Bishop Moore's game at South Sumter last season and BM put them on a running clock right after halftime; it was a rout. Now, most of those same kids are back for SS this season and they expect something wonderful to happen. I'm afraid they'll be disappointed, or maybe the level of football in that part of Central Florida is way down.

I heard that Jefferson County had to play two of their cheerleaders on offense just to get to a full team. If Madison needs a few opponents, Pop Warner in Central Florida starts up soon.

I think IMG will improve by their 3rd week; too many penalties against Venice, though I think the refs were a little biased in that game. I only wish it wasn't Edgewater's 1st game of the season. Edgewater is pre-season #12 in the country in one poll (top 5 in Florida). It would be great to see both play against each other in mid-season form. Winter Park goes against Edgewater the following week (9/25) in a neighborhood rivalry; it will be a good test to see where WP stands this season.

I watched the IMG - Venice game last night. I was surprised how ell Venice played despite the size differential in their lines. The referees basically shut down IMG in the 2nd quarter. There were some penalties,but it was kind of ridiculous that almost every big play in that quarter was called back by the referees. Even more amazing was that Venice committed no penalties in that quarter. IMG is loaded with talent, but some of their play was sloppy. When they meet Edgewater at IMG, it will be IMG's third game of the season, Edgewater's first game; that will hurt Edgewater. I see IMG winning, but not in a blowout like the Venice game.

If Venice is within 2-3 touchdowns at the half, it will be a moral victory. But, that's the only victory Venice fans can realistically hope for. I say IMG in a romp; too big, too fast, too talented. IMG size and depth will wear Venice out.