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Some Judas action going down in Charlotte County

i4football

By i4football
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i4football Junior Varsity Starter

i4football

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Hey y'all, it's your boy comin' atcha from behind the Publix customer service counter—yeah, the one where I done seen more drama than a Friday night under them lights. Noimsayin? Been slicin' deli meat and handlin' returns all week, but this Charlotte Tarpons news got me grinnin' like I just hit a parlay on a three-team teaser.So boom, word drops yesterday—after four years, they tellin' Cory Mentzer, Tarpon alum and all, to "quietly resign" and bounce. Man went 6-5 this year, made playoffs three times outta four, overall 19-23... ain't exactly trash, but ain't Binky Waldrop days neither. Then dude hits social media with that Jesus and Judas post, talkin' 'bout betrayal at the table you broke bread at. Sound like some booster meetin' gone wrong, noimsayin? Remind me of back in the day growin' up in the hood—folks smilin' in your face while plottin' your exit. Heavy, man.But the real kicker? Them Port Charlotte Pirates been straight whuppin' that ass across the Peace River. 0-4 under Mentzer in the rivalry, includin' a 35-7 beatdown this fall. Pirates went all the way to state semis in 4A, first region title ever. Charlotte used to own that series 36-5 before this skid—now it's like the river done switched directions. Youth leagues down here feedin' more kids to Port Charlotte, and yeah, some top talent been transferrin' over too. Seen it with my own eyes, athletes packin' up for greener grass (or pirate ships, whatever).Now here's the juicy part got me chucklin' like Ron White after a fifth of scotch: Over in Fort Myers, legend Sam Sirianni Jr. hung it up last month after 40 years—175 wins, family dynasty since the '60s. Their OC? Justin Midgett, Charlotte Tarpon thru and thru, former stud QB who set all kinda passin' records back in the day, even signed with the Gators. Word is, four years ago when they picked Mentzer over him for the head job (after Wade Taylor's quick stint post-Binky), some folks wasn't happy. Now Sirianni gone, Fort Myers gotta name a successor... but what if Charlotte power brokers thinkin', "Hold up, let's snag our boy home before they lock him down"? Timing suspicious as hell, like when I "accidentally" bet the over on a game I knew was fixed—wait, scratch that, hypothetically speakin'.I done chased worse long shots in my life—strippers with "daddy issues," drunk divorcees at the VFW, you name it. Lost more money gamblin' on flea flicker plays than I care to admit. But this? This could be a winner. Bring Midgett back, inject that alum fire, stop the bleed to Port Charlotte, flip the rivalry. Or... Fort Myers keeps him and Charlotte regrets it twice. Either way, popcorn ready.What y'all think? Panic fire 'cause Pirates ownin' the county, or smart rebuild? Spill the tea, fellas—insider info welcome, just keep it cleaner than my dating history.Go football in the Sunshine State—best damn HS ball in the country, noimsayin?

Hwy17 College Back Up

Hwy17

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Where's Silver King at? Reckon them Charlotte Boys better get things fixed and quick or else they become another has been.  A few more down years and Charlotte might be thinking SSAA.  But SSAA requires approval letters from other member schools. Desoto and Lemon Bay gotta be smiling at that.

MarkECannon All-State Honorable Mention

MarkECannon

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People who know me know I have very inside close family members and friends within Charlotte High.  Also have close family members and friends in the youth football programs in Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee Counties.  I’m certainly not saying Justin Midgett isn’t a candidate for either the Ft Myers or Charlotte head coaching jobs.  I’m not going to say anything about the Ft Myers job but I have heard some pretty valid inside info.
 

As far as the Charlotte job it was determined not enough progress was being made.  Many in the program including players were ready to move on. One of the issues was Coach Mentzer failed to establish and attend youth football programs.  Developing important relationships within the area was not something he made a priority.  Charlotte has and expects a lot of interest in the job.  A local head coach has actually shown up at the Charlotte offices on their own volition.  

PinellasFB All-State 1st Team

PinellasFB

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Charlotte HS alumnus here (I went to PCHS for a year too) just catching up in this thread.  If you follow youth football, it should not be a surprise that PCHS has grown into a beast with all that Port Charlotte Bandits youth football feeding into it.  In fact, this has felt long overdue as that youth program has been great for years.  I thought Mentzer did well enough to not get fired in a normal four-year stretch of CHS football but getting completely left in the dust by PCHS was probably the back breaker.  To be fair, it's not that CHS has fallen to PCHS level but rather PCHS has really blown up.  It is probably unfair to hold that against him but CHS doesn't like being in the shadow of a team it had dominated for 40 years.  

Hwy17 College Back Up

Hwy17

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3 hours ago, PinellasFB said:

Charlotte HS alumnus here (I went to PCHS for a year too) just catching up in this thread.  If you follow youth football, it should not be a surprise that PCHS has grown into a beast with all that Port Charlotte Bandits youth football feeding into it.  In fact, this has felt long overdue as that youth program has been great for years.  I thought Mentzer did well enough to not get fired in a normal four-year stretch of CHS football but getting completely left in the dust by PCHS was probably the back breaker.  To be fair, it's not that CHS has fallen to PCHS level but rather PCHS has really blown up.  It is probably unfair to hold that against him but CHS doesn't like being in the shadow of a team it had dominated for 40 years.  

I bet economics has something to do with it.  Where are the new homes being built? 

MarkECannon All-State Honorable Mention

MarkECannon

Posted
Posted
On 12/29/2025 at 7:21 AM, PinellasFB said:

Charlotte HS alumnus here (I went to PCHS for a year too) just catching up in this thread.  If you follow youth football, it should not be a surprise that PCHS has grown into a beast with all that Port Charlotte Bandits youth football feeding into it.  In fact, this has felt long overdue as that youth program has been great for years.  I thought Mentzer did well enough to not get fired in a normal four-year stretch of CHS football but getting completely left in the dust by PCHS was probably the back breaker.  To be fair, it's not that CHS has fallen to PCHS level but rather PCHS has really blown up.  It is probably unfair to hold that against him but CHS doesn't like being in the shadow of a team it had dominated for 40 years.  

My family is heavily involved with the Charlotte Warriors.  The Bandits are their main rivals.  The teams my son has coached have fared pretty well against them.  I have a friend that coaches with the North Port program.  Also know people involved with the Bandits, North Port, Venice, etc. .  BTW, Bandits coaches and parents talk a lot of trash.

I thought Mentzer had the Tarpons program moving in the right direction on the field.  They had scheduled down to play a schedule they could handle better.  Your alma mater expects more.

Jambun82 College Back Up

Jambun82

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10 hours ago, MarkECannon said:

My family is heavily involved with the Charlotte Warriors.  The Bandits are their main rivals.  The teams my son has coached have fared pretty well against them.  I have a friend that coaches with the North Port program.  Also know people involved with the Bandits, North Port, Venice, etc. .  BTW, Bandits coaches and parents talk a lot of trash.

I thought Mentzer had the Tarpons program moving in the right direction on the field.  They had scheduled down to play a schedule they could handle better.  Your alma mater expects more.

What is the matter big shot, you can't answer my question?! You flapped your gums, so I asked you a legitimate question, although every question that I have ever asked is legitimate, and you are not answering it, and I have a pretty good idea why! It is just like the old saying goes: "Anytime that a Tampa Bay Lighting fan is visible, there will always be a Florida Panther fan besides him giving him orders and keeping him in line!" 

i4football Junior Varsity Starter

i4football

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Man, let me tell y’all somethin’… I been standin’ behind this Publix deli counter for damn near 20 years now, slicin’ honey-glazed ham thinner than some of these cats’ excuses, and I done seen every kinda fool walk up tryna argue about why their coupon expired in 2019. So when I peek at these message boards on my break, I recognize that same energy real quick, noimsayin?
Now, this little dust-up between Mark Cannon and Jambun82? Whew, boy… that’s some pure Charlotte County Pop Warner spice right there. Mark come in talkin’ ’bout how his people deep in the Warriors program, son done coached circles around them Bandits, and even the folks he know over in North Port and Venice vouchin’ for him. Then he slide in that little jab about the Bandits coaches and parents runnin’ they mouth like they got a lifetime subscription to Trash Talk Monthly. I felt that one. I done bet on a few Warriors-Bandits games back in the day—hell, I’ll bet on which raindrop gon’ hit the windshield first if the odds good—and them Bandits folks do love to pop off. Win or lose, they celebratin’ like they just won the Powerball.
But then Mark hit ’em with the truth serum about Charlotte High: “Mentzer had y’all movin’ in the right direction… scheduled down so y’all could breathe… but your alma mater expects more.” Ooh, that’s cold. That’s like tellin’ a woman at the club she look good… for her age. Accurate, but it still sting.
Now here come Jambun82—Lord, this dude. I swear he the message board version of that drunk regular who come in Publix every Saturday askin’ me if we got any “free samples of common sense.” Man jump in hollerin’ “What’s the matter, big shot?!” talkin’ ’bout Lightning fans and Panther fans keepin’ ’em in line—like we in here discussin’ hockey in the middle of a Charlotte County football thread! Boy, you derailed that conversation faster than I derailed my last situationship with that dancer from Sarasota named Cinnamon. (Spoiler: she kept the tips, I kept the regret.)
Mark hit him with the perfect closer though: “No one can run a conversation into a ditch quite like Jambun.” I hollered so loud in the break room that Miss Linda from bakery thought I was havin’ a stroke.
Look, I love it. This the kinda petty I live for. These grown-ass men arguin’ over 10-year-olds in shoulder pads and whether Charlotte High shoulda kept schedulin’ cupcakes or not—it’s beautiful. Reminds me of back in the day when we’d argue on the block about who had the better pee-wee squad, then everybody end up bettin’ a couple dollars and some Now & Laters on the game.
Only difference now is I’m too old to chase women with stage names, but I still chase these rivalries. Matter fact, somebody tell me when the next Warriors-Bandits game is… I might throw a little something on the Warriors. I got a feelin’. And if I lose? Hell, it’s just money. I done lost more than that buyin’ drinks for women who told me their real name was “Destiny.
 
”Y’all stay blessed out there… and Go Tarpons (when they decide to play somebody real again).
Jambun82 College Back Up

Jambun82

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2 hours ago, THAT S--T WAS FUNNY said:

I was hoping Ole jambun's fingers would be too tired to type after pressing start and stop on the game clock.

 That will never happen, and I am not quite "Ole" yet! 

MarkECannon All-State Honorable Mention

MarkECannon

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29 minutes ago, Jambun82 said:

 That will never happen, and I am not quite "Ole" yet! 

No, but Jambun said “Olay” when I offered to take him to see his Panthers play.  Not trying to give you a hard time Jambun but are you homebound?

Jambun82 College Back Up

Jambun82

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22 hours ago, MarkECannon said:

No, but Jambun said “Olay” when I offered to take him to see his Panthers play.  Not trying to give you a hard time Jambun but are you homebound?

Are you going to pay for the 250 mile trip one way? 

  • 2 weeks later...
MarkECannon All-State Honorable Mention

MarkECannon

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Jambun82 said:

Hello MarkECannon, did you notice the Two-Time Defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers visiting the White House and presenting the Great President Trump with rings, a stick, and a #47 Jersey?! A Great Team and a Great President make for a GREAT event! 

Congratulations Jambun!  That is a great honor for your Panthers.  Do you own a red tie?

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