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Middleburg - A playoff team for the first time since... 2003

Joshua Wilson

By Joshua Wilson
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Joshua Wilson College Back Up

Joshua Wilson

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Well, I never thought I would be writing something about Middleburg... of course who cares about Middleburg, right?

 

Well, I do!

 

As a 2005 graduate, I know the pains and struggles of watching a team do well and then collapse.

 

I speak on this from the side as a big school supporter. I didn't strap on a helmet for personal reasons, but all that school spirit earned me Most School Spirit Superlative my senior year. 

 

From 2001-2005 I roamed the halls of that school out there in the middle of Clay County (no Walmart yet...that came about 18 months after I graduated) and I will tell you it was fun watching a team rise up from 2-8 in 2001, 5-5 in 2002 and then boom 2003 we made the playoff for the first time since 1990 when some quarterback named Alan Hall was roaming the sidelines under the legendary David Wilson (yes that David Wilson from Tallahassee Lincoln).

 

2003 was a different year...it meant something. We didn't have the toughest schedule that year I would say. We took losses to Baker County and Alachua Santa Fe then we ripped off 6 wins before Clay defeated us for the district championship in Week 10. Week 11 we defeated a team called Nease that has a sophomore QB named Tim Tebow who was out for that game (never mind he terrorized Middleburg the next two season...one game they dropped 70 on us). Anyways, we played every county school on the schedule (Clay - rival in same 3A district, Orange Park - 6A, Ridgeview - rival in the same district in 3A, Keystone Heights - a 2B school at the time and Fleming Island - the new kids on the block and placed in the 3A district... Oakleaf wasn't even thought or a neighborhood yet as the now almost completed expressway which was just a two-lane newly built state highway at the time in that area).

 

Anyways it was a fun season...really fun.. we finished the regular season 7-3 and went to the playoffs. Our first round opponent was a former rival (I say former because they hadn't been on the schedule since the mid-1990's at least) in Palatka. The Panthers of Palatka were ranked #6 in 3A at the time of the game. Well, RB Trent Stewart and TE Gary Barnidge (yes that Gary Barnidge of the Cleveland Browns) helped power the team to a 54-28 win in Palatka. I didn't get down there for that game, but I got phone calls for that game..was shocked...just totally shocked. Middleburg could be blamed for Palatka's struggles ever since.

 

Our next playoff game was a home matchup with Dunnellon since Middleburg was on the line of the bracket to host since it was a runner-up vs. runner-up. Well, let's just say we weren't prepared for them as Dunnellon threw the Wing-T at us and ran it perfectly. We were out of the playoffs and any hopes of a deep run were dashed. 

 

Well,  here we are in 2016....I didn't think this would even happen. Middleburg was 0-10 last year. When I did district projections before the season started I had to be realistic. I knew Middleburg could beat Englewood in 6A-4, but I gave them no chance to beat Ed White or Nease. Not one chance. I put them to finish 4th...tonight they blew that projection up in my face by moving to 3-0 and all but guaranteeing themselves a playoff berth for the first time in 13 years. Rightfully, they had every right to blow that projection up in my face. It is a testament to what Karl Smeltzer is doing with the team. He is keeping the kids home finally and they aren't slipping away to other programs. Smeltzer played at Middleburg under those days of good teams and he knows to build a winner you got to have the players who can be coached and want to win. Although they are 4-3, they really should be 6-1 because they lost by 6 in OT to Orange Park and lost by 3 in a 3-0 to Fleming Island. 

 

So yes now they will host St. Augustine in two weeks for the district championship. I think now they are at this point where they know they can win and beat teams that haven't been able to beat in a long time. I think this is the start of something that will make Middleburg a more recognizable team in the future.

 

So, yes I am one happy person right now....I am going to soak it in.

 

And to put this one in perspective....a 6A playoff bracket that has Middleburg in it but not Miami Central...that could be cemented as early as next week. I got some stories to write after the season on some of the crazy things...I got two of them right here.

 

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Joshua Wilson College Back Up

Joshua Wilson

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They might should be 6-2 Josh....Hurricane Matthew kept them from that loss to Baker County...

 

I am not going to put a guess if they would have won or lost a game that got wiped off the schedule, but 6-2 still would a decent record. Still, this is a turnaround story to write about after the season is over to give the perspective that this very team was 0-10 last year. 

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DisabledAccount National Football Legend

DisabledAccount

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I am not going to put a guess if they would have won or lost a game that got wiped off the schedule, but 6-2 still would a decent record. Still, this is a turnaround story to write about after the season is over to give the perspective that this very team was 0-10 last year.

What you think most contributed to the turnaround?

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Wingtee Rookie

Wingtee

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Well, I never thought I would be writing something about Middleburg... of course who cares about Middleburg, right?

 

Well, I do!

 

As a 2005 graduate, I know the pains and struggles of watching a team do well and then collapse.

 

I speak on this from the side as a big school supporter. I didn't strap on a helmet for personal reasons, but all that school spirit earned me Most School Spirit Superlative my senior year. 

 

From 2001-2005 I roamed the halls of that school out there in the middle of Clay County (no Walmart yet...that came about 18 months after I graduated) and I will tell you it was fun watching a team rise up from 2-8 in 2001, 5-5 in 2002 and then boom 2003 we made the playoff for the first time since 1990 when some quarterback named Alan Hall was roaming the sidelines under the legendary David Wilson (yes that David Wilson from Tallahassee Lincoln).

 

2003 was a different year...it meant something. We didn't have the toughest schedule that year I would say. We took losses to Baker County and Alachua Santa Fe then we ripped off 6 wins before Clay defeated us for the district championship in Week 10. Week 11 we defeated a team called Nease that has a sophomore QB named Tim Tebow who was out for that game (never mind he terrorized Middleburg the next two season...one game they dropped 70 on us). Anyways, we played every county school on the schedule (Clay - rival in same 3A district, Orange Park - 6A, Ridgeview - rival in the same district in 3A, Keystone Heights - a 2B school at the time and Fleming Island - the new kids on the block and placed in the 3A district... Oakleaf wasn't even thought or a neighborhood yet as the now almost completed expressway which was just a two-lane newly built state highway at the time in that area).

 

Anyways it was a fun season...really fun.. we finished the regular season 7-3 and went to the playoffs. Our first round opponent was a former rival (I say former because they hadn't been on the schedule since the mid-1990's at least) in Palatka. The Panthers of Palatka were ranked #6 in 3A at the time of the game. Well, RB Trent Stewart and TE Gary Barnidge (yes that Gary Barnidge of the Cleveland Browns) helped power the team to a 54-28 win in Palatka. I didn't get down there for that game, but I got phone calls for that game..was shocked...just totally shocked. Middleburg could be blamed for Palatka's struggles ever since.

 

Our next playoff game was a home matchup with Dunnellon since Middleburg was on the line of the bracket to host since it was a runner-up vs. runner-up. Well, let's just say we weren't prepared for them as Dunnellon threw the Wing-T at us and ran it perfectly. We were out of the playoffs and any hopes of a deep run were dashed. 

 

Well,  here we are in 2016....I didn't think this would even happen. Middleburg was 0-10 last year. When I did district projections before the season started I had to be realistic. I knew Middleburg could beat Englewood in 6A-4, but I gave them no chance to beat Ed White or Nease. Not one chance. I put them to finish 4th...tonight they blew that projection up in my face by moving to 3-0 and all but guaranteeing themselves a playoff berth for the first time in 13 years. Rightfully, they had every right to blow that projection up in my face. It is a testament to what Karl Smeltzer is doing with the team. He is keeping the kids home finally and they aren't slipping away to other programs. Smeltzer played at Middleburg under those days of good teams and he knows to build a winner you got to have the players who can be coached and want to win. Although they are 4-3, they really should be 6-1 because they lost by 6 in OT to Orange Park and lost by 3 in a 3-0 to Fleming Island. 

 

So yes now they will host St. Augustine in two weeks for the district championship. I think now they are at this point where they know they can win and beat teams that haven't been able to beat in a long time. I think this is the start of something that will make Middleburg a more recognizable team in the future.

 

So, yes I am one happy person right now....I am going to soak it in.

 

And to put this one in perspective....a 6A playoff bracket that has Middleburg in it but not Miami Central...that could be cemented as early as next week. I got some stories to write after the season on some of the crazy things...I got two of them right here.

Well done on the Broncos. Glad you were an alumnus! Will be a fun game vs the Jackets. Wait till you see this Offensive Line next year.

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