2022 KOWBOY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

[Ray Icaza]

2022 KOWBOY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Just noticed that Coach Pinellas posted this on the Kowboy FB page.  So looks like they were able to finalize the game with Rockledge for week 5 to compliment a very strong lineup from Spring Game and KOC thru the upcoming season other than the mandatory District lineup. 

[VeniceIndianFan]

13 minutes ago, Ray Icaza said:

2022 KOWBOY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Just noticed that Coach Pinellas posted this on the Kowboy FB page.  So looks like they were able to finalize the game with Rockledge for week 5 to compliment a very strong lineup from Spring Game and KOC thru the upcoming season other than the mandatory District lineup. 

A great schedule, no doubt. But I don't like that their by week is so early in the season. Wouldn't it be best for a Week 6 or 7 bye to get a mid-season break? Also, 5 straight away games seems like a bit too much but at least they end with 3 straight home games. I believe the Kowboys will end their season at 8-2, with Treasure Coast and Lakeland being the teams that beat you. Rockledge isn't going to be an easy customer, either. Great, great schedule for Osceola and how well they perform will determine how far they will go in the postseason.

[Ray Icaza]

1 hour ago, VeniceIndiansFootball said:

A great schedule, no doubt. But I don't like that their by week is so early in the season. Wouldn't it be best for a Week 6 or 7 bye to get a mid-season break? Also, 5 straight away games seems like a bit too much but at least they end with 3 straight home games. I believe the Kowboys will end their season at 8-2, with Treasure Coast and Lakeland being the teams that beat you. Rockledge isn't going to be an easy customer, either. Great, great schedule for Osceola and how well they perform will determine how far they will go in the postseason.

Too early to say who will be the biggest challenge as between now and the new school year more player movement will take place with some of these top flight teams.  But at this stage in the game I would think Seminole, Rockledge, Lakeland and Mainland to be bigger threats than Treasure Coast.  Just my take.  As far as the 5 consecutive away games, 2 are district games with St. Cloud and Celebration so they are basically local in nature; hardly any travel time.  The group we have returning will definitely be up to the challenge.  As others have pointed out, scheduling is tough to do and for our team we have had years with only 4 home games out of the 10 regular season games so we are excited for the teams we have to play.

[VeniceIndianFan]

2 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:

Too early to say who will be the biggest challenge as between now and the new school year more player movement will take place with some of these top flight teams.  But at this stage in the game I would think Seminole, Rockledge, Lakeland and Mainland to be bigger threats than Treasure Coast.  Just my take.  As far as the 5 consecutive away games, 2 are district games with St. Cloud and Celebration so they are basically local in nature; hardly any travel time.  The group we have returning will definitely be up to the challenge.  As others have pointed out, scheduling is tough to do and for our team we have had years with only 4 home games out of the 10 regular season games so we are excited for the teams we have to play.

Your schedule might be the toughest in the state. Lots of toss up games. Lakeland is consistently one of the top teams in the state. Treasure Coast made it to the state semi’s last year before falling to Apopka. Rockledge is always a tough team and could be a loss if the Kowboys make a few mistakes. I don’t think I even have to go explain West Orange. Hell, even Riverview at the Ram Bowl might give Osceola some heartache early on. Seminole was an 8A powerhouse before the split. Mainland too!? The Kowboys better have one hell of a good squad returning...

[Ray Icaza]

16 minutes ago, VeniceIndiansFootball said:

Your schedule might be the toughest in the state. Lots of toss up games. Lakeland is consistently one of the top teams in the state. Treasure Coast made it to the state semi’s last year before falling to Apopka. Rockledge is always a tough team and could be a loss if the Kowboys make a few mistakes. I don’t think I even have to go explain West Orange. Hell, even Riverview at the Ram Bowl might give Osceola some heartache early on. Seminole was an 8A powerhouse before the split. Mainland too!? The Kowboys better have one hell of a good squad returning...

That we have my friend.

[ohs vargas]

13 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:

2022 KOWBOY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Just noticed that Coach Pinellas posted this on the Kowboy FB page.  So looks like they were able to finalize the game with Rockledge for week 5 to compliment a very strong lineup from Spring Game and KOC thru the upcoming season other than the mandatory District lineup. 

I am not sure who the QB (Gunner?) for Osceola will be this year but if they are able to fill that void with solid QB play.

With most of the pieces coming back, especially on Defense i see them going 9-1 with an early L  to either Seminole or Lakeland. 

 

[ohs vargas]

Just now, ohs vargas said:

I am not sure who the QB for Osceola will be this year but if they are able to fill that void with solid QB play.

With most of the pieces coming back, especially on Defense i see them going 9-1 with an early L  to either Seminole or Lakeland. 

 

 

[Ray Icaza]

39 minutes ago, ohs vargas said:

I am not sure who the QB (Gunner?) for Osceola will be this year but if they are able to fill that void with solid QB play.

With most of the pieces coming back, especially on Defense i see them going 9-1 with an early L  to either Seminole or Lakeland. 

 

They could lose 1 or they could lose 3 or they could win them all.  We had all the pieces back on Defense last year and that unit is pretty intact for their final year, so that is a proven group.  QB play is always important and I think Gunner will do a very good job unless someone else beats him out.  That said, we will run the ball much more effectively this year than last with all key OL returning but 1 which will make the play action pass more deadly with the talent at receiver all returning.  Success in running the ball is key and last year the OL was a huge question mark with only 1 starter returning.  That is not the case now so expectations are extremely high.

[Ray Icaza]

Lake Gibson is a team we have scheduled pretty regular in the recent past, although we don't have them this year.  Just read in the Lakeland Ledger where Coach Barefield is no longer there with a sudden departure; the article was for Subscribers Only which I am not so didn't know the details of this recent news.  Can anyone shed any light on what the circumstances were?

[Dan in Daytona]

Here you go Ray

arefield out after 1 year as Lake Gibson’s football coach

Roy Fuoco

Lakeland Ledger USA TODAY NETWORK

LAKELAND — For the second year in a row, Lake Gibson is looking for a new head football coach.

Athletic director Eric Haynes announced the decision to replace Keith Barefield Jr. after just one season as the Braves head coach. Offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Trip Anderson will be the interim head coach.

“It wasn’t any particular one thing,” Haynes said. “It was a mutual agreement that we need to bring someone else in to direct the program. When we hired coach Barefield, it was to keep the staff together. He did a great job keeping the staff together, he kept the group of players together an we had a great season. Being a football coach is 12 months a year. There’s more to it than game day. We feel right now, this is the best thing for our program.”

Barefield said he met with the administration on Monday, although neither would say what led to the meeting, and the decision was made to make the change.

“I think both sides knew that I came from a college and my heart is set to end up in college,” Barefield said. “I wanted to go more time, but I’ve been feeling like the time is getting closer and the administrations kind of basically didn’t want to get strung along, and I wanted to take their opportunity while the iron was hot.

See BAREFIELD, Page 3B

Continued from Page 1B

“I felt like it was the best thing for the kids would be to step out now and so did principal (Ryan) Vann, Eric Haynes and (assistant principal) Matt Diaz. They thought that it was best for both sides. Even though they didn’t have anybody from what they told me, and I didn’t have anything, the best thing for the kids and Lake Gibson and Braves football was for this to take place.

“I’m a football coach. I’m not a high school teacher, but I love the time that I had there. I love the relationships that I got to build. I have met some awesome people, learned incredible things that are going to carry me me throughout the rest of my career. I have nothing but positive things to say about our admin office staff, the coaches and the players. It was a wild ride, and I had a blast. It’s something that you never forget.”

Barefield was brought in a year ago as offensive coordinator by former head coach Robert Paxia. After Paxia stepped down after the spring game in May to take over at Flagler Palm Coast, Barefield was elevated to head coach.

In his one year as head coach, Barefield beat rival Lakeland twice and led the Braves to an 8-4 record and district and regional titles before losing to Tampa Bay Tech, 42-24, in the Class 7A state semifinals.

“The hardest part about this whole thing is the selfish part of me wanted another year for the reason I felt like I could do a much better job with a full calendar year, and I know I could,” Barefield said. That was the selfish part, me wanting to do it for me, feeling like the job wasn’t done. I hadn’t fully fulfilled everything that I could, but you’ve got to sit back and and remember that when you make it about you, that’s when your career starts going downhill.

“When I got hired, I said football is not about one guy, never has been about one guy, never was going to be about one guy and it certainly wasn’t about me. It was about the team. It wasn’t Jaylon Glover. It was Jaylon Glover with all other 10 guys blocking for him. All that success, I’m nothing without them, and that’s what made it so much fun.”

Barefield said he has no immediate future plans. Haynes said Anderson has no interest in being the head coach and that Lake Gibson is accepting applications.

“My in-box is starting to fill up,” he said. “Next week, we’ll start a search committee. We’d like to have some one it before spring.”

Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger. com or at 863-802-7526. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.

[Ray Icaza]

Thanks Dan, reason still seems to be clear as MUD to me after reading the article. 

[Ray Icaza]

5 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:

Thanks Dan, reason still seems to be clear as MUD to me after reading the article. 

Our program was blessed with stability and continuity under the leadership of Coach Nichols including his staff until his retirement last year.  Happy to say in my humble opinion we selected his replacement within our own ranks and he has successfully maintained that level of excellence with a stable group of excellent assistant coaches.  Kudos to Coach Pinellas and I anxiously look forward to the next edition of Kowboy Football vs Edgewater on May 20th for the spring game this time on our home field.

[Dan in Daytona]

On 4/7/2022 at 9:57 PM, Ray Icaza said:

Our program was blessed with stability and continuity under the leadership of Coach Nichols including his staff until his retirement last year.  Happy to say in my humble opinion we selected his replacement within our own ranks and he has successfully maintained that level of excellence with a stable group of excellent assistant coaches.  Kudos to Coach Pinellas and I anxiously look forward to the next edition of Kowboy Football vs Edgewater on May 20th for the spring game this time on our home field.

The Daytona Mainland program is very much the same. They've only had three Head coaches since 1994. And the last two played and starred for the Bucs also. Mainland's current playoff streak is at 29 consecutive years. This is longer then any other public high school in the state of Florida. Like the Kowboy's they too are doing it the right way.

[Ray Icaza]

5 hours ago, Dan in Daytona said:

The Daytona Mainland program is very much the same. They've only had three Head coaches since 1994. And the last two played and starred for the Bucs also. Mainland's current playoff streak is at 29 consecutive years. This is longer then any other public high school in the state of Florida. Like the Kowboy's they too are doing it the right way.

And we haven't had a matchup with you guys for an awful long time.   So looking forward to Oct. 21st.