KICKOFF Classics must see games

[Longtime Observer]

Are we really to believe that the talent in Dade county in 1994 was waayyyy down? Of course not. The talent was just much more diluted or diffuse then, due to attendance boundaries being enforced much more.

[Longtime Observer]

Now that I'm all the way down this rabbit hole, let me confirm for those wondering:

1994 Southridge's record entering the state title game: 14-0

Head coach Don Soldinger

RBs: Darren Davis and Sedrick Irvin.

[MarkECannon]

22 hours ago, JDHoss said:

So, our first week of games is looking like....

Thursday - Chaminade v West Boca

Friday - Norland v Vero

Saturday - Carol City v Lincoln

Saturday - NW v Lakeland

What a wonderful world we live in...

Wow!  A clean sweep for Dade County.  Can’t argue with any of those picks.  Did not know that C vs WBR was on Thursday.  What do any of you think of this matchup? Don’t be surprised if this nutcase, me, goes to all of them. 

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

7 hours ago, MarkECannon said:

Wow!  A clean sweep for Dade County.  Can’t argue with any of those picks.  Did not know that C vs WBR was on Thursday.  What do any of you think of this matchup? Don’t be surprised if this nutcase, me, goes to all of them. 

I don’t think it’s gonna be close 

[i4football]

On 6/26/2025 at 4:41 PM, Longtime Observer said:

Now that I'm all the way down this rabbit hole, let me confirm for those wondering:

1994 Southridge's record entering the state title game: 14-0

Head coach Don Soldinger

RBs: Darren Davis and Sedrick Irvin.

Pensacola Washington entered that season having gone 1-9 the year before. This was Soldinger 2nd stint at Southridge, having won the state title the year before 69-36 over Manatee, as well as USA Todays #1 ranked national team coming into the game with Washington. Washington controlled the ball on offense for almost 30 minutes of the 48 minute game and won 16-7 for its 1st state title! 

[JDHoss]

12 hours ago, MarkECannon said:

Wow!  A clean sweep for Dade County.  Can’t argue with any of those picks.  Did not know that C vs WBR was on Thursday.  What do any of you think of this matchup? Don’t be surprised if this nutcase, me, goes to all of them. 

What do I think? I think we'll take a visit to Fran's Chicken Haven before Chaminade v West Boca, and hope to see a spectacular sunset over the Loxahatchee from the WB home side stands. I'll go with Chaminade by 2 TD.

On Friday, I think we'll hit Cafe 66 in Vero for some BBQ. I'll go with Vero by a TD, especially if Monds has taken a big step forward at QB. 

On Saturday, I think I'll whip up something light to eat at home before the first game, and we'll grab something simple between games. I'll go with Carol City in a close one, and NW by a TD in a game that could certainly be closer. 

[MarkECannon]

19 hours ago, i4football said:

Pensacola Washington entered that season having gone 1-9 the year before. This was Soldinger 2nd stint at Southridge, having won the state title the year before 69-36 over Manatee, as well as USA Todays #1 ranked national team coming into the game with Washington. Washington controlled the ball on offense for almost 30 minutes of the 48 minute game and won 16-7 for its 1st state title! 

Some of you may remember, in the Manatee Allstar vs Sarasota Allstar game following that season the Sarasota Allstars had the 69-36 score on their jerseys.  Correct me if I got the details wrong but thats what I remember.

[Longtime Observer]

13 hours ago, MarkECannon said:

Some of you may remember, in the Mantee Allstar vs Sarasota Allstar game following that season the Sarasota Allstars had the 69-36 score on their jerseys.  Correct me if I got the details wrong but thats what I remember.

It's amazing how much more emphasis the 1993 state title game has received than the far more compelling 1994 title game. My comments were just meant to pay respect towards the historical successes of panhandle schools. But, Manatee also got the short end of the stick as well. Manatee has state-title winning outcomes vs. Miami Southridge, Miami Carol City and Fort Lauderdale Dillard (and many other big wins over Dade and Broward schools outside of state title games) and yet the ONLY game you still hear about is the 1993 game. The typical message board pundit knows all about the 1993 game, while being totally oblivious to those 1983, 1989, 1992 or 1994 games. 

[i4football]

On 6/28/2025 at 11:38 AM, Longtime Observer said:

It's amazing how much more emphasis the 1993 state title game has received than the far more compelling 1994 title game. My comments were just meant to pay respect towards the historical successes of panhandle schools. But, Manatee also got the short end of the stick as well. Manatee has state-title winning outcomes vs. Miami Southridge, Miami Carol City and Fort Lauderdale Dillard (and many other big wins over Dade and Broward schools outside of state title games) and yet the ONLY game you still hear about is the 1993 game. The typical message board pundit knows all about the 1993 game, while being totally oblivious to those 1983, 1989, 1992 or 1994 games. 

Most Manatee die hards, consider the 1993 title game against Southridge, a nightmare game where anything that could go wrong did in fact do that. I want to say Southridge had 2 kickoff returns for TDs, 1 Punt return for a TD, at least 1 (possibly 2 INTs returned for a TD), I believe there was also a hail Mary at half for a TD.

The 1984 19-14 playoff loss to Lakeland, probably burns in die hards guts than the 1993 contest. Manatee was a heavy favorite going into that game, but 2 turnovers inside the Lakeland 10 proved ultimately to be Manatees undoing and denied Manatee any chance at back to back titles

[Longtime Observer]

On 6/30/2025 at 7:57 AM, i4football said:

Most Manatee die hards, consider the 1993 title game against Southridge, a nightmare game where anything that could go wrong did in fact do that. I want to say Southridge had 2 kickoff returns for TDs, 1 Punt return for a TD, at least 1 (possibly 2 INTs returned for a TD), I believe there was also a hail Mary at half for a TD.

The 1984 19-14 playoff loss to Lakeland, probably burns in die hards guts than the 1993 contest. Manatee was a heavy favorite going into that game, but 2 turnovers inside the Lakeland 10 proved ultimately to be Manatees undoing and denied Manatee any chance at back to back titles

No doubt the 1984 win over Manatee remains one of the top 10-20 wins in Lakeland history, and at the time it was the biggest win. Tying it back into Panhandle programs, Lakeland ended up getting beaten by two TDs by Pensacola Woodham...who then beat Miami Southridge by two TDs for the state title.

[nolebull813]

2 hours ago, Longtime Observer said:

No doubt the 1984 win over Manatee remains one of the top 10-20 wins in Lakeland history, and at the time it was the biggest win. Tying it back into Panhandle programs, Lakeland ended up getting beaten by two TDs by Pensacola Woodham...who then beat Miami Southridge by two TDs for the state title.

I remember back in 1907 when Lakeland got hosed by Bartow. Score was 53-0 but it was closer to all of us in attendance that day. The forward pass was invented in 1906 and Lakeland was trying it for the first time. I think the refs thought they were cheating. 
 

Anyways. Top win in Bartow history 

[Dr. D]

2 hours ago, Longtime Observer said:

No doubt the 1984 win over Manatee remains one of the top 10-20 wins in Lakeland history, and at the time it was the biggest win. Tying it back into Panhandle programs, Lakeland ended up getting beaten by two TDs by Pensacola Woodham...who then beat Miami Southridge by two TDs for the state title.

Interestingly, Pensacola Woodham High School closed in 2007.  It reopened as a middle school later in 2007, which was also later closed.  The building now houses West Florida High School.  Woodham went 35-1 during the 1982-84 seasons, winning the Class 4A state championship in 1982 and 1984.  They were known as the "Titans", much like another team with an epic history of their own (T.C. Williams in Alexandria, Virginia).  

 

 

[Longtime Observer]

2 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

I remember back in 1907 when Lakeland got hosed by Bartow. Score was 53-0 but it was closer to all of us in attendance that day. The forward pass was invented in 1906 and Lakeland was trying it for the first time. I think the refs thought they were cheating. 
 

Anyways. Top win in Bartow history 

Haha. Second-best win in Bartow history. I was present for the top win in their history, on a cold afternoon in Daytona Beach in 1996

[nolebull813]

1 hour ago, Longtime Observer said:

Haha. Second-best win in Bartow history. I was present for the top win in their history, on a cold afternoon in Daytona Beach in 1996

Biggest upset in Florida finals history. I would put Berkeley Prep over Norland second 

[FBGUY1989]

4 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

Biggest upset in Florida finals history. I would put Berkeley Prep over Norland second 

I agree with you on the Norland upset. I think the whole state of Florida knew Norland was going to win and convincingly. People in Miami were like who's Berkeley Prep or atleast I was thinking that. I don't know when Norland will ever get back to states in my opinion. 

[i4football]

17 hours ago, Longtime Observer said:

No doubt the 1984 win over Manatee remains one of the top 10-20 wins in Lakeland history, and at the time it was the biggest win. Tying it back into Panhandle programs, Lakeland ended up getting beaten by two TDs by Pensacola Woodham...who then beat Miami Southridge by two TDs for the state title.

Went to both the Lakeland contest against Woodham and then the Saturday mid-day title game against Southridge the next week. Lakeland had no answer for the superior Woodham team speed on defense in the semi-final game. The next week title contest saw a opening KR for a TD by Woodham's Kerry Watkins to set the tone for this game. Felt Southridge was the more physical team, particularly with its running game. Each time however it appeared that Southridge was about to get back into a position to maybe take a lead, Woodham would find a way to re-establish its lead on the score board. Going up for that game led me, to learning about a super Soph across town at Ecsambia HS....as Escambia was playing ST Pete high thay night for the 3A state title. Woodham and Escambia would oddly enough both play for state titles the next year as well in Bradenton against Manatee and Southeast.

[Drogo]

On 6/26/2025 at 10:02 AM, JDHoss said:

So, our first week of games is looking like....

Thursday - Chaminade v West Boca

Friday - Norland v Vero

Saturday - Carol City v Lincoln

Saturday - NW v Lakeland

What a wonderful world we live in...

NFHS has a start time of 3:00pm for the Carol City/Lincoln game on Saturday August 16

[JDHoss]

On 7/5/2025 at 5:39 PM, Drogo said:

NFHS has a start time of 3:00pm for the Carol City/Lincoln game on Saturday August 16

A heat index of 104 at kickoff, followed by a massive thunderstorm around halftime. 

[Drogo]

On 6/18/2025 at 10:13 PM, Drogo said:

Although not much is known yet, apparently it’s the marquee game of the “Treasure Coast Kickoff Classic”- an event being put on by the Treasure Coast Sports Commission. Nothing else has been announced but I would expect Vero to play Friday night August 15, but as they have not made any schedule announcements yet this year, so their opponent is TBD. 

This is the first time Vero has ever hosted an event like this, as they’ve always played a traditional KOC game that week. 

Larry Blustein podcast link talking about this event:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-florida-high-school-sports-radio/id993198627?i=1000717251522

[181pl]

The sport of football has been tainted by this nonsense from a competitive standpoint on both the hs and college levels. It is completely inorganic and is no longer interesting. Hired guns on all levels. A truly sad state of affairs. 

 

 

[Dan in Daytona]

On 7/1/2025 at 8:02 PM, Longtime Observer said:

Haha. Second-best win in Bartow history. I was present for the top win in their history, on a cold afternoon in Daytona Beach in 1996

Gorgeous crystal-clear blue late autumn sky. Bolles QB breaks his ankle on their first possession inside the Bartow 10yd. line. My wife's Miami cousin, then an FSU ROTC student, was also in attendance that day nearly 30 years ago.. He's now a "Full Bird" Colonel with a possibility of being a Brigadier General.....and I'm still an old know it all... some things never change