78 Florida High School Rivalries

[nolebull813]

9 minutes ago, Dan in Daytona said:

Here's a very short lived one, and far flung, The Big 8 Conference : Daytona Mainland, Sanford Seminole, Deland, Gainesville Purple Hurricanes, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Lakeland Kathleen, and ??......#oldandforgetful

Seabreeze 

[DisabledAccount]

Old Gateway conference 

 

This was during 1970s

 

Lake City Columbia 

Ribault 

Raines

Jackson

Ed White 

Forrest (now Westside)

Wolfson 

Fletcher

Sandalwood 

Terry Parker 

[Dan in Daytona]

2 minutes ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

Old Gateway conference 

 

This was during 1970s

 

Lake City Columbia 

Ribault 

Raines

Jackson

Ed White 

Forrest (now Westside)

Wolfson 

Fletcher

Sandalwood 

Terry Parker 

For many years Bethune-Cookman played in Jacksonville against Albany State, or Savanna State (both S. Ga). Like the high school conference, made up of mostly, Jax schools, it was called the "Gateway" Classic.  

[Dan in Daytona]

Jacksonville and Gateway makes sense. When the snow birds came down south on US1 or A1A  in the winter, Jax was the "Gateway" to tropical and exotic Florida. The land of coconut palms, sandy beaches, sunshine, and snakes, gators, palmetto bugs, mosquitoes, swamp land, yellow fever, oven baking heat, hucksters, and flimflam artist.  #nativeborn 

[OldSchoolLion]

This past year, Fort Myers and North Fort Myers met in the playoffs.  It was the first time ever these two rivals have met in the playoffs...and both schools have been around for 50+ years.  Fort myers won 7-6.

During the regular season, these two teams meet in an old rivalry known as the Battle of the Caloosahatchee River.  So, one can imagine how exciting this was for local folks.  

I am amazed when I hear stories like this.  Due to quirks in our playoff system over the years, certain teams have never met.  

[OldSchoolLion]

Some of these rivalry games attracted huge crowds, even back in the Stone Ages.  Fort Lauderdale High and Stranahan first met in 1958.  Beginning in 1968, the game was played on Thanksgiving Day/Eve.  In 1969, with the score tied 15-15, a standing-room crowd of 11,000 watched as Fort Lauderdale High`s Benny LaChance intercepted a Stranahan pass and scrambled out of bounds with three seconds left.  A personal foul gave Fort Lauderdale the ball on the Stranahan 34-yard line. Fort Lauderdale quarterback Al Alvarez scrambled to his left and connected with his receiver as time expired to win 21-15. It was the final game of the `69 season, the victory giving Fort Lauderdale (10-0) its first undefeated season.  Fort Lauderdale then lost in the playoffs  14-6 to Miami Jackson.

 

 

[OldSchoolLion]

There's a reason Rockledge and Cocoa high schools have such a fierce rivalry and it can all be traced back to turf. The current Rockledge High School building was actually Cocoa High School at one time. Yes, Cocoa High School was in Rockledge and then moved to its current location. Once Cocoa high moved, Rockledge high took its place.   Cocoa High School was at the Rockledge location until 1970 and moved into its new facility because of capacity issues

 

[muckboy561]

Palm Beach Central vs Wellington for Palm Beach County

[nolebull813]

Update with Evans and Colonial. I just finished the compete history for Colonial. 

They played Evans every year from 1959-1992. 

Colonial's record by years against Evans 

(1959-1975) Colonial went 14-2-1

(1976-1992) Colonial went 1-14

(1993-2017) Colonial and Evans only played twice. In 2007 and 2008 in which Evans won. 

So Colonial went 15-20-1 vs Evans 

[Sharkbait]

Blountstown/Port St Joe -72 meetings between Blountstown and Port St. Joe since 1950. The Tigers hold a 38-32-2 edge in the series during that span. 

75% of games decided by a touchdown or less

[KeemD321]

Also for Brevard you have:

Space Coast/Titusville

Palm Bay/Bayside 

Palm Bay/Heritage

Rockledge/Viera

MCC/Holy Trinity 

[OldSchoolLion]

...one of the many good rivalry series, Niceville vs Crestview.  After 30 years of domination by Niceville, Crestview has finally turned the tables of late.