KICKOFF Classics must see games

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

I’m not aware of all the KOC matchups so drop the solid ones that’s gonna take place, it’s almost that time. 

[imjustafan2]

August 15 - Cocoa vs Bradford at Cocoa. That might be a good one.

[nolebull813]

West Boca vs Chaminade is probably the main event of the KoC week

[nolebull813]

That or First Academy vs IMG

[JDHoss]

8 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

West Boca vs Chaminade is probably the main event of the KoC week

Probably so, and a good excuse to stop by Fran's Chicken Haven in Boca Raton. 

[Longtime Observer]

Miami Northwestern vs. Lakeland in Orlando.

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

12 hours ago, imjustafan2 said:

August 15 - Cocoa vs Bradford at Cocoa. That might be a good one.

How is Bradford suppose to be looking ? They’re in 1A right now?

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

1 hour ago, Longtime Observer said:

Miami Northwestern vs. Lakeland in Orlando.

Gonna be a nice indicator to start the season which it counted 

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

12 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

West Boca vs Chaminade is probably the main event of the KoC week

Do west Boca have a lot returning ?

[nolebull813]

7 hours ago, DILLARDBOYZ954 said:

Do west Boca have a lot returning ?

They have at least 17 returning starters if you include a quarterback, who transferred in after the quarterback from last year transferred out

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

8 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

They have at least 17 returning starters if you include a quarterback, who transferred in after the quarterback from last year transferred out

Ok ok, and I was actually shocked when he transferred like bro yall just completed a state championship season and the schools first ever. 
 

There’s no other school you can go to that you can redo that feeling with. 

[KeemD321]

18 hours ago, DILLARDBOYZ954 said:

How is Bradford suppose to be looking ? They’re in 1A right now?

They should still be in 2A. They loss to Newberry in the playoffs last season

[nolebull813]

4 hours ago, DILLARDBOYZ954 said:

Ok ok, and I was actually shocked when he transferred like bro yall just completed a state championship season and the schools first ever. 
 

There’s no other school you can go to that you can redo that feeling with. 

The QB for West Boca transferred to St Thomas Aquinas. So he will be able to have a chance to repeat the feeling. Lol.

And the QB West Boca got to replace him is the stud from Ely who led them to one of the biggest upsets of the year against Chaminade. He had 462 yards of offense and 5 touchdowns against them!!!!

[PinellasFB]

22 hours ago, DILLARDBOYZ954 said:

Do west Boca have a lot returning ?

Literally half of West Boca's players don't even go to the school.  They are Rise Preparatory Academy rent-a-players.  RPA signs these players and send them to whichever team needs a player and they are all high end prospects.  If your team has a bunch of RPA players, then you are a serious threat to win a title. The fact that WB has so many RPA players should tell you how strong they are and also how they got that strong so quickly.

[nolebull813]

1 hour ago, PinellasFB said:

Literally half of West Boca's players don't even go to the school.  They are Rise Preparatory Academy rent-a-players.  RPA signs these players and send them to whichever team needs a player and they are all high end prospects.  If your team has a bunch of RPA players, then you are a serious threat to win a title. The fact that WB has so many RPA players should tell you how strong they are and also how they got that strong so quickly.

Rise Prep from Miami 66 miles away?

[FBGUY1989]

8 hours ago, PinellasFB said:

Literally half of West Boca's players don't even go to the school.  They are Rise Preparatory Academy rent-a-players.  RPA signs these players and send them to whichever team needs a player and they are all high end prospects.  If your team has a bunch of RPA players, then you are a serious threat to win a title. The fact that WB has so many RPA players should tell you how strong they are and also how they got that strong so quickly.

So would you put them in the same category as IMG Academy.

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

5 hours ago, FBGUY1989 said:

So would you put them in the same category as IMG Academy.

Keeping it real , a lot of these schools are just like iMG

Sta, American Heritage, Chaminade for example. 
 

only difference is , iMG has dorms on campus & plays a 10 game national schedule, they don’t care about being apart of the FHSAA playoffs or winning a championship. And they still get Top D1 offers. 
 

where as chaminade, STA, American heritage, they may not have dorms on campus, but it’s a few kids I know personally that has lived with some of the coaching staff, they recruit/get transfers state wide and nationally. And that mad expensive tuition half the time don’t even be charged to the players they really wanna have on the team. 
 

but yet they still get to unfairly compete in the regular FHSAA playoffs and state championships. 

[Dr. D]

You raise a good point.  Let's look at the 2025-2026 tuition for some of the powerhouse schools frequently mentioned herein.  STA: $16,500; C-M: $17,150; First Academy: $26,270; AH-P: $42,700(!).  I'm sure these are all excellent schools and well worth the money to those so inclined.  But makes one wonder how these players from "extreme poverty" (as described by one poster) can afford to pay these rates.  Obviously, they are receiving "financial aid" to offset all or some of the expense.  I guess they are allowed to do that.  But is that same financial aid available to a young lady from the same background who wants to take AP courses and play in the band?  Maybe; I guess it's a matter of priorities.  Either way, it's easy to see why people are suspicious of these schools and the advantages they possess.   

[nolebull813]

2 hours ago, DILLARDBOYZ954 said:

Keeping it real , a lot of these schools are just like iMG

Sta, American Heritage, Chaminade for example. 
 

only difference is , iMG has dorms on campus & plays a 10 game national schedule, they don’t care about being apart of the FHSAA playoffs or winning a championship. And they still get Top D1 offers. 
 

where as chaminade, STA, American heritage, they may not have dorms on campus, but it’s a few kids I know personally that has lived with some of the coaching staff, they recruit/get transfers state wide and nationally. And that mad expensive tuition half the time don’t even be charged to the players they really wanna have on the team. 
 

but yet they still get to unfairly compete in the regular FHSAA playoffs and state championships. 

What about the public schools? They get double digit transfers every year. No one ever says a peep about them. Public schools actually have it easier because they don’t have to jump through financial aid and tuition barriers. The only difference is it appears that when giving the opportunity kids want to get the better education along with the top-notch football experience.
 

Miami Northwestern is not in a desirable location for families to move to, but they can get 20 transfers in one off-season. Does that mean they are IMG?

[nolebull813]

Didn’t someone say West Broward has gotten a slew of transfers?
 

Does that mean that they are IMG Academy-West Broward campus?

[Perspective]

1 hour ago, Dr. D said:

You raise a good point.  Let's look at the 2025-2026 tuition for some of the powerhouse schools frequently mentioned herein.  STA: $16,500; C-M: $17,150; First Academy: $26,270; AH-P: $42,700(!).  I'm sure these are all excellent schools and well worth the money to those so inclined.  But makes one wonder how these players from "extreme poverty" (as described by one poster) can afford to pay these rates.  Obviously, they are receiving "financial aid" to offset all or some of the expense.  I guess they are allowed to do that.  But is that same financial aid available to a young lady from the same background who wants to take AP courses and play in the band?  Maybe; I guess it's a matter of priorities.  Either way, it's easy to see why people are suspicious of these schools and the advantages they possess.   

If the school is giving financial aid/scholarships only to athletes, that would be an impermissible benefit and would violate FHSAA rules.  As long as all the students are on an even playing field, the aid can be provided.   It's uncanny, however, how many 'underprivileged' kids end up at these expensive schools and what percentage of them play sports.  The reality is that the families/students that can afford to pay full freight do so and end up subsidizing those kids who can't afford it and then up hold their chests out all proud when their school wins a state title. 

[MarkECannon]

IMG’s tuition is between $75,000- $95,000.  I’ve spoken to some parents of IMG football players.  They told me it was all on scholarship.

[nolebull813]

12 minutes ago, MarkECannon said:

IMG’s tuition is between $75,000- $95,000.  I’ve spoken to some parents of IMG football players.  They told me it was all on scholarship.

Yeah the IMG state teams are the ones who pay the money so daddy can brag to his buddies that his son little Johnny “GOES TO IMG!!!!” 
 

Saying it with the Intention to conflate the national team everyone thinks of IMG of,  and the state ones who can get boat raced by the 50th best Florida team. 

[Perspective]

53 minutes ago, nolebull813 said:

What about the public schools? They get double digit transfers every year. No one ever says a peep about them. Public schools actually have it easier because they don’t have to jump through financial aid and tuition barriers. The only difference is it appears that when giving the opportunity kids want to get the better education along with the top-notch football experience.
 

Miami Northwestern is not in a desirable location for families to move to, but they can get 20 transfers in one off-season. Does that mean they are IMG?

I don't know of many (if any) people who fault athletic/talented kids for taking advantage of the opportunities that come their way.  I certainly don't -- although from time-to-time I do catch myself looking over at the sidelines at a football game involving a private school and wondering how many of the kids on that team would have any desire whatsoever to attend that particular private school were it not for sports.   But, I usually resolve that issue in my brain by concluding that, in all likelihood, a kid at CCC or Berkeley or Jesuit is probably getting a better education and overall high school experience than if they were at their local  D or F rated public school . . .  and that's a good thing. 

From my standpoint, athletic kids can go to whatever school they want to.  Those kids are entitled to attend a public school.  They are not entitled to attend a private school.  In order to attend a private school, the kid and his/her family must go through the same application process that any other kid goes through.  If they meet the academic standards established by the private school, and if they qualify for financial aid and the school is willing to provide financial aid to all kids who get accepted and who qualify, that's great.  Everyone wins.  But, as it stands right now, no schools - public or private - are allowed to recruit kids to come to their school for the purpose of playing sports.  And private schools are not allowed to offer 'scholarships' to kids as an inducement to get those kids to attend.  Sadly, this is what is happening.  I say "sadly" not because I hate on kids who might benefit from their athletic talent to improve their station in life.  I'm all in favor of that.  I say "sadly" because we end up with a system where schools are breaking the rules in hopes of winning a state championship in a particular sport that likely will be forgotten by most everyone but them in a decade and doing so in a manner that gives them a distinct advantage over the schools that try to play by the rules.   Just remember, each time one of those rule-breaking schools wins a state title, there's one other team that has been denied a state title and/or one other team that was denied the opportunity to play for a championship. 

[Perspective]

21 minutes ago, MarkECannon said:

IMG’s tuition is between $75,000- $95,000.  I’ve spoken to some parents of IMG football players.  They told me it was all on scholarship.

Again, that means there are a lot of parents of tennis players, soccer players and baseball players overpaying for their kid's education/athletic development so that IMG can field a football team full of D1 prospects.