The Original National Powers of South Florida - Video

[OldSchoolLion]

Before the Miami Dolphins existed and before the Miami Hurricanes were chasing national titles, Miami High was the city's first true football dynasty. The Stingarees were one of three city high schools, along with Miami Edison and Miami Jackson, to use the Orange Bowl as its home field when the stadium opened in 1937.

From 1929 to 1965, Miami High won countless state titles and were crowned mythical national champions in 1942, 1943, 1960 and 1965. In their heyday, the Stingarees drew huge crowds of 30,000 to 40,000 fans in the big rivalry games against against Edison, Jackson and Coral Gables. Between 1925 and 1951, Miami High never lost a game to a Miami-Dade County school.

By the late 1960s, Miami High had gone from an all-white high school in segregated Miami to a predominantly hispanic student body, many of whom did not grow up with American football.  The program started to decline after 1965.  The Coral Gables teams of Nick Kotys became the top national power.

Miami High played Coral Gables on November 11^th, 1965 for the right to play in the state final.  Coral Gables was ranked first and Miami was ranked second in the state. Coral Gables High was the two time defending state champions and was riding a 28-game win streak. Miami High ended the streak with a 14 – 7 victory.  The attendance in the Orange Bowl that evening was a state record for a high school football game. The estimates were anywhere between 47,000 – 50,000 people. It has been said that Joe Robbie pointed to the attendance at this game to help justify bringing an AFL team to play at the Orange Bowl in Miami. The Dolphins were awarded to Miami and played their inaugural season in 1966.

Miami High, who wore midnight blue uniforms back then, played Melbourne High in the Orange Bowl for the 1965 2A title.  Highlights of the game, won by the Stingarees under head coach Bobby Carlton, are below.  Melbourne High, returned to south Florida the following year and defeated Fort Lauderdale High to win the 2A title.     

 

 

[OldSchoolLion]

In 1965, St Thomas Aquinas was 3-6 and was shut out in 5 of those games, including shutout losses to Northeast and Jupiter.  They only scored a TD in the 3 games they won.  Nobody would have dreamed they would be a national power one day.

So, who knows what things will be like when you young guys have gray hair.  Things will probably look very different than today.   If your team is winning big now, enjoy it while it lasts!  

[DisabledAccount]

11 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

In 1965, St Thomas Aquinas was 3-6 and was shut out in 5 of those games, including shutout losses to Northeast and Jupiter.  They only scored a TD in the 3 games they won.  Nobody would have dreamed they would be a national power one day.

So, who knows what things will be like when you young guys have gray hair.  Things will probably look very different than today.   If your team is winning big now, enjoy it while it lasts!  

We have had success in 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s

 

I expect us to still be kicking strong and taking names when i have grey hair

 

[OldSchoolLion]

19 minutes ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

We have had success in 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s

 

I expect us to still be kicking strong and taking names when i have grey hair

 

Gainesville will experience an extraordinary growth spurt over the next 50 years and will absorb Lake City.  ColumbiaFan III will grow up a rabid Gainesville hs football fan.  When IMG North opens, Gramps(ColumbiaFan) will attempt to set fire to it, and will be locked away, where he will drive people crazy incessantly talking about Columbia's state title from 100 years ago.  

[Pipe Dreams]

The "kid" at 4:24 who dropped the pick-6 probably never lived it down...