Turnaround Teams

[Dr. D]

We know a team’s fortune can sometimes swing wildly from year to year.  Here in NW Florida, the biggest turnaround at the mid-point of the season is 5A Milton, which was 0-10 last year and is off to a 5-0 start this year.  In the opposite direction, 4A Pensacola Escambia is 0-4, after a 9-3 season last year and eight straight winning seasons.  But there is still time for teams to turn their seasons around with the playoffs just down the road.  Are there any other surprise turnarounds (good or bad) out there to report?

[nolebull813]

Jensen Beach is 5-0 after losing 4 games last year including by 5 touchdowns in the 1st round 

[nolebull813]

Boone is 5-0 when they went 5-5 last year. Could be from transfers. Same with Lake Brantley. They got double digit transfers are magically 4-0 now. Lol. 

[nolebull813]

Middleburg same as Jensen Beach. 5-0 after losing 4 games including a blowout in the 1st round 

[nolebull813]

Jeez River Ridge too. 5-0 now after 4 losses including a blowout in the 1st round 

[nolebull813]

Northside Christian is 5-0 after going 5-6 last year 

[nolebull813]

East Ridge is 5-0 after going 3-7 last year 

[nolebull813]

Here’s one. Satellite was 1-9 last year. This year the are 5-0

[nolebull813]

Now to play devils advocate these teams have played horrendous schedules. 

[Dr. D]

True, but something tells me the fans, players, and coaches care very little about that fact.  

[Ray Icaza]

34 minutes ago, Dr. D said:

True, but something tells me the fans, players, and coaches care very little about that fact.  

Because most HS coaches know most HS fans have zero clue about the quality of the opponents, so a good way to be a winner.  All in the eye of the beholder. 

[nolebull813]

I’m not knocking teams for playing bad schedules. They were obviously bad or they wouldn’t be discussed for this topic. You have to start somewhere. You have to build a culture of winning. Get players who have experienced little to no success, to believe they can win.

Because yeah most players and kids in general don’t know or care about high school rankings. They just see the team was 1-9 last year and they don’t want to play for a loser. But if that same team with a way easier schedule was 7-3, then it might attract some kids on the fence. Especially in the transfer craze. 

[PinellasFB]

St Pete Catholic is 4-0 and top ranked in the computer rankings for 1A.  They were 5-5 last year and were really much worse than 5-5.  How did they do it?  They hired the former Clearwater Academy International coach who was serving as the OC of Tarpon Springs and he did what he does which is get transfers in from everywhere, including bringing all the transfers he took with him to Tarpon.  I won't go as far as say it is shady because I don't know any details of the transfers into SPCHS but I do know the transfers into Tarpon seemed shady at best.  Oh well, I guess it's the new normal in HS ball in this state.

[FBGUY1989]

Mater Academy Charter is 5-0 and last year they were 6-5.

[KeemD321]

On 9/22/2025 at 4:03 PM, nolebull813 said:

Here’s one. Satellite was 1-9 last year. This year the are 5-0

Satellite also moved to the SSAA

[nolebull813]

18 hours ago, KeemD321 said:

Satellite also moved to the SSAA

So they didn’t get taller. Everyone else around them got shorter 

[Hwy17]

A lot of us go in cycles. Up for a while,  down for a while. This transfer culture exasperates it. Have a  couple of good years and others drop you from the schedule.  Have a couple of down years, all your players want to quit or transfer.  

[KeemD321]

On 9/25/2025 at 4:14 PM, nolebull813 said:

So they didn’t get taller. Everyone else around them got shorter 

Pretty much