Excitement in Citrus County

[OldSchoolLion]

Let's face it, the football fans in Citrus have not had a lot to cheer about over the years.  Amongst their 3 high schools, Citrus, Lecanto and Crystal River, they have not had a playoff win in the past 10 seasons.  As if the 2-0 start by Crystal River was not enough, Lecanto just broke a 14-game losing streak dating back to 2016. 

After losing to Hudson last year at home 42-0, the Panthers traveled to Hudson and shocked them 35-31 this past Friday.

Congrats to Lecanto for breaking the streak.  

[peezy28]

As I traveled up and down US 19 on my way from Clearwater to Tallahassee as a college student from 00-05 I made it my point of making stops in each county and if there was a HSFB near by I tried to catch one... Other than feeling like I was going back in time 10 years every county North I got until we hit Leon it was always an interesting ride.  I caught a Crystal River vs Citrus Game back when Citrus was actually a solid team.  Nice to see places where your not from and not likely to visit just for a high school game.  

Got me some Bear Country games too and also saw Legarrette Blount playing for Taylor County during that time.  All in all I think I hit up every county for a game on the way up except for Gilchrist because you only are in that county for about a mile then it switches to Levy.

[OldSchoolLion]

6 minutes ago, peezy28 said:

As I traveled up and down US 19 on my way from Clearwater to Tallahassee as a college student from 00-05 I made it my point of making stops in each county and if there was a HSFB near by I tried to catch one... Other than feeling like I was going back in time 10 years every county North I got until we hit Leon it was always an interesting ride.  I caught a Crystal River vs Citrus Game back when Citrus was actually a solid team.  Nice to see places where your not from and not likely to visit just for a high school game.  

Got me some Bear Country games too and also saw Legarrette Blount playing for Taylor County during that time.  All in all I think I hit up every county for a game on the way up except for Gilchrist because you only are in that county for about a mile then it switches to Levy.

That is too cool peezy.  I went to a high school game in Alaska once.  They were in a league where the kids might have to travel many hours plus a boat trip to play a game.  We got it so easy!

[DisabledAccount]

3 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

That is too cool peezy.  I went to a high school game in Alaska once.  They were in a league where the kids might have to travel many hours plus a boat trip to play a game.  We got it so easy!

Does Alaska play into November/december if so i would be curious how many games are warm enough to play

[Cat_Scratch]

43 minutes ago, peezy28 said:

As I traveled up and down US 19 on my way from Clearwater to Tallahassee as a college student from 00-05 I made it my point of making stops in each county and if there was a HSFB near by I tried to catch one... Other than feeling like I was going back in time 10 years every county North I got until we hit Leon it was always an interesting ride.  I caught a Crystal River vs Citrus Game back when Citrus was actually a solid team.  Nice to see places where your not from and not likely to visit just for a high school game.  

Got me some Bear Country games too and also saw Legarrette Blount playing for Taylor County during that time.  All in all I think I hit up every county for a game on the way up except for Gilchrist because you only are in that county for about a mile then it switches to Levy.

I did the same back in the late 80's early 90's in North Carolina, South Carolina, and North  Georgia. Them kids played just as hard as these kids in Florida. Just not as scouted. I've seen some kids that were really, really good and only 150 people or so, watching from the stands. 

One of coolest games was in the Mountains of North Carolina, in the Tri-State area. The fog rolled in about 10 mins after kick off, the lights were on , the place was lit up, you could just barely see the ball on a pass play so not a lot of passing, but the running was fantastic. Old field, old bleachers, right in the middle of the small town. Can't remember the name of the schools, but will never forget the game.

[Cat_Scratch]

47 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

That is too cool peezy.  I went to a high school game in Alaska once.  They were in a league where the kids might have to travel many hours plus a boat trip to play a game.  We got it so easy!

Now that was something you don't see hardly ever unless you live there.

Like that you bring a lot of unknowns to the board. Thanks.

[OldSchoolLion]

14 minutes ago, Cat_Scratch said:

Now that was something you don't see hardly ever unless you live there.

Like that you bring a lot of unknowns to the board. Thanks.

If interested, check out where Kodiak Alaska is on a map.  They play in a league with teams from the Kenai Peninsula.  They travel to the mainland and vice versa.  It takes nearly 15 hours to Soldotna(where I saw the game), 10 hours of which is a ferry ride.  Kodiak is playing a team in Fairbanks this year.  Travel time will be about 24 hours...each way...for a football game!!!  And we have fans bitching about a one hour ride.  

[Cat_Scratch]

17 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

If interested, check out where Kodiak Alaska is on a map.  They play in a league with teams from the Kenai Peninsula.  They travel to the mainland and vice versa.  It takes nearly 15 hours to Soldotna(where I saw the game), 10 hours of which is a ferry ride.  Kodiak is playing a team in Fairbanks this year.  Travel time will be about 24 hours...each way...for a football game!!!  And we have fans bitching about a one hour ride.  

WOW!!!!

[peezy28]

5 hours ago, OldSchoolLion said:

That is too cool peezy.  I went to a high school game in Alaska once.  They were in a league where the kids might have to travel many hours plus a boat trip to play a game.  We got it so easy!

Well damn!, Other state games I have been too are New Jersey, VA (DMV area) Georgia, and Texas.

[nolebull813]

i want to watch a game in all 67 counties before I die. So far I got......(home stadium in parentheses)

Hillsborough - Plant, Armwood, Jesuit, Jefferson, TC, Berkeley, Wharton, TBT, probably missing some)

Pinellas (East Lake vs CCC and Ft Laud University vs CCC)

Polk (Lakeland vs Plant/Kathleen vs Viera)

Manatee (Manatee vs Dwyer in the semis, Bosco,NJ and IMG)

Pasco (Mitchell vs Chamberlain)

Hernando (Nature Coast vs Tavares)

Sumter (South Sumter) can't remember the opponent 

Citrus (Crystal River vs Citrus)

Osceola (Osceola vs Tampa Bay Tech in playoffs)

Volusia (Mainland vs West Point,MS and Glades Central vs Skyline TX)

Indian River (Vero Beach vs Ft Pierce Central)

Madison (Madison County vs Coffee,GA)

Leon (Few games at Gene Cox. Lincoln mostly) 

Escambia (West Florida vs Tate)

that's off my head. I gotta look in my tote for old ticket stubs, programs or scrapbooks. 

[OldSchoolLion]

28 minutes ago, nolebull813 said:

i want to watch a game in all 67 counties before I die. So far I got......(home stadium in parentheses)

Hillsborough - Plant, Armwood, Jesuit, Jefferson, TC, Berkeley, Wharton, TBT, probably missing some)

Pinellas (East Lake vs CCC and Ft Laud University vs CCC)

Polk (Lakeland vs Plant/Kathleen vs Viera)

Manatee (Manatee vs Dwyer in the semis, Bosco,NJ and IMG)

Pasco (Mitchell vs Chamberlain)

Hernando (Nature Coast vs Tavares)

Sumter (South Sumter) can't remember the opponent 

Citrus (Crystal River vs Citrus)

Osceola (Osceola vs Tampa Bay Tech in playoffs)

Volusia (Mainland vs West Point,MS and Glades Central vs Skyline TX)

Indian River (Vero Beach vs Ft Pierce Central)

Madison (Madison County vs Coffee,GA)

Leon (Few games at Gene Cox. Lincoln mostly) 

Escambia (West Florida vs Tate)

that's off my head. I gotta look in my tote for old ticket stubs, programs or scrapbooks. 

Do you have any information about the Citrus High teams of the early 70's when they made the state semis? Would be fun to know who the best Citrus County team ever was. 

 

[nolebull813]

8 hours ago, OldSchoolLion said:

Do you have any information about the Citrus High teams of the early 70's when they made the state semis? Would be fun to know who the best Citrus County team ever was. 

 

In 73 Citrus went 10-2 and in 74 went 11-1

both losses in the semi finals were to the eventual state champ. This was in 2A. 

Technically this was the furthest any team from Citrus County advanced. But you only had to win one game to make the semis back then. Lol. Equivalent to the 2nd round today. 

In 1996 Crystal River went 11-2 and 3 rounds deep in 4A. That is technically the furthest a Citus County team advanced game wise. 

Maybe that is the best team. 

Crystal River had a nice 6 year run from 1996-2001. 

They went 60-11

[OldSchoolLion]

23 minutes ago, nolebull813 said:

In 73 Citrus went 10-2 and in 74 went 11-1

both losses in the semi finals were to the eventual state champ. This was in 2A. 

Technically this was the furthest any team from Citrus County advanced. But you only had to win one game to make the semis back then. Lol. Equivalent to the 2nd round today. 

In 1996 Crystal River went 11-2 and 3 rounds deep in 4A. That is technically the furthest a Citus County team advanced game wise. 

Maybe that is the best team. 

Crystal River had a nice 6 year run from 1996-2001. 

They went 60-11

Great information.  Do you happen to know who was in Citrus' district back then?  Ocala Forest had some powerhouse teams back in the early 70's. Curious if those teams played each other then. Guess it would have been a non-district if they did.

I don't remember teams from Citrus or Hernando coming down to play Hillsborough or Polk County teams in the 90's.  Maybe my memory fails me. 

[nolebull813]

14 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

Great information.  Do you happen to know who was in Citrus' district back then?  Ocala Forest had some powerhouse teams back in the early 70's. Curious if those teams played each other then. Guess it would have been a non-district if they did.

I don't remember teams from Citrus or Hernando coming down to play Hillsborough or Polk County teams in the 90's.  Maybe my memory fails me. 

I will post what I can from the info you asked when I get ahold of all the results. I'll see what else I have

[peezy28]

12 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

i want to watch a game in all 67 counties before I die. So far I got......(home stadium in parentheses)

Hillsborough - Plant, Armwood, Jesuit, Jefferson, TC, Berkeley, Wharton, TBT, probably missing some)

Pinellas (East Lake vs CCC and Ft Laud University vs CCC)

Polk (Lakeland vs Plant/Kathleen vs Viera)

Manatee (Manatee vs Dwyer in the semis, Bosco,NJ and IMG)

Pasco (Mitchell vs Chamberlain)

Hernando (Nature Coast vs Tavares)

Sumter (South Sumter) can't remember the opponent 

Citrus (Crystal River vs Citrus)

Osceola (Osceola vs Tampa Bay Tech in playoffs)

Volusia (Mainland vs West Point,MS and Glades Central vs Skyline TX)

Indian River (Vero Beach vs Ft Pierce Central)

Madison (Madison County vs Coffee,GA)

Leon (Few games at Gene Cox. Lincoln mostly) 

Escambia (West Florida vs Tate)

that's off my head. I gotta look in my tote for old ticket stubs, programs or scrapbooks. 

If I remember correctly you were up in Tally round same time I was??? 00-05, I used to go to all the Lincoln games that was the stacked years of the Cromarties, Rouses, Threat, Dickey, Bauserman etc