Nice article on Earl Garcia who is trying to win his 300th

[181pl]

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/high-schools/2025/07/17/another-coaching-milestone-awaits-hillsborough-highs-earl-garcia/

[MarkECannon]

I have 3 good friends that are retired from Hillsborough High. Ken Weiss, former track head coach and Charlie & Georgene Diaz.  Charlie, aka as Carlos, was the college compliance counselor and PA guy for the football games.  All three have always spoken highly of Earl and consider him a good friend.  I have a few Terrier football shirts that they have given me over the years.

[nolebull813]

Closest he got to the mountain top was in 1996 making state and losing to Carol City 21-7

[nolebull813]

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/12/21/offense-s-line-is-huge-for-hillsborough/

[nolebull813]

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/12/19/hillsborough-high-fans-can-remember-wins/

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

Damn he was a seasoned HC back in the day when I was playing in the Tampa Bay area. The number of lives he has positively impacted is crazy. To do it that long at one school is amazing. He obviously had a goal in mind when he got into this business, and I think it was about more than just winning games. He's one of the last dinosaurs for sure. Coaches like him don't get near the recognition they've earned. 

[i4football]

Wasn't there a Eddie Garcia or something like that at Hillsborough HS back in the 80's. Who ever it was had Hillsborough rocking back then too....I still remember Plant and the Rollad Acosta days as well. There was a AM sports radio station back in the 80's that focused on HS for the entire Tampa Bay area in the evening......as I recall they had a number of great broadcasters on that station..... the Hillsborough team from the 83 season gave Manatee all it could handle during the regular season....Manatee would go undefeated and win it's 1st state title. I remember after the game, and this was before the era of college level weight rooms at the HS level, as the players removed their jerseys and shoulder pads to get ready to board the bus back to Tampa, almost all of those players looked like chiseled body builders......Tracy Sanders took some  vicious hits that night and had to leave the game for a number of plays to regain his composure before re-entering the game.....talent was always there, just takes a good coach to transform it into a winning team!

[181pl]

I think Dick O’Brien would’ve been the head coach in the early 80s

[Longtime Observer]

On 7/18/2025 at 7:40 PM, nolebull813 said:

Closest he got to the mountain top was in 1996 making state and losing to Carol City 21-7

They were arguably closer in 1999. Undefeated regular season, and hosted Lakeland in a 3rd round playoff game. They hit a hail mary to lead at halftime. Lakeland grinded out a very tough 19-14 win. Lakeland blew out every other opponent on the season, including a 45-12 win in the state title game. Shannon Snell was an OL on that team, and they had other prospects and a great D as well.