Worst Playoff Losses in FHSAA History

[OldSchoolLion]

The following 27 games involved margins of victory of 60 or more points. 

 

Observations:

• 22/27 games took place since 2003, when football went to 7 classes.  
• Only 2/27 games took place when there were less than 6 classes. 
• Many of these games took place in the lower classes.
• 5 of the 15 worst defeats since 2011 took place in 4A and Cocoa was responsible for 3 of those. 
• Many of these were first round playoff games.
• Pahokee was responsible for one and victim of one. 
• Port St Joe and Chaminade-Madonna added themselves to the list this year.

FHSAA Playoff Games with Margins of Victory of 60 or More Points:

• 2006 Pahokee 72 Florida Christian 0
• 2012 Booker T Washington 71 North Broward Prep 0
• 2011 Miami Central 71 Pembroke Pines Charter 0 (forfeited)
• 2013 Cocoa 70 Labelle 0
• 2014 Booker T Washington 70 Somerset Academy 0
• 2004 Nease 76 Citrus 6
• 2011 NFC 69 Admiral Farragut 0
• 2001 Madison County 69 Nassau County 0
• 2018 Port St Joe 69 Liberty County 0
• 2014 Cocoa 67 Avon Park 0 
• 2011 Cocoa 65 Clewiston 0
• 2001 Glades Day 72 Admiral Farragut 7
• 2006 St Thomas Aquinas 64 Atlantic(Delray) 0
• 2008 Bolles 70 Jones 6
• 2007 South Sumter 63 Fernandina Beach 0
• 2014 Bolles 63 Umatilla 0 
• 2010 Warner Christian 63 Trinity Christian(Deltona) 0
• 2000 Venice 77 Dwyer 14 (state final)
• 2018 Chaminade-Madonna 62 Palmer Trinity 0
• 2007 Pahokee 62 University 0
• 2012 Warner Christian 62 Foundation 0
• 2001 PK Yonge 61 Master's Academy 0
• 1988 Suwanee 61 Walton 0
• 2006 North Marion 68 Citrus 7
• 2009 Plant 77 Alonso 16
• 1985 Wildwood 60 Pahokee 0
• 2008 Plant 67 Lakewood 7

[OldSchoolLion]

Sorry, but I don't care what playoff system you use.  When you have 6+ classes and this many teams in the playoffs, there will be big blowouts. Playoff games with 60 point margins were almost unheard of prior to 2000.

[Sharkbait]

2018  PSJ   69    Liberty Co   0

[gatorman-uf]

I also think the game has changed in the last 10 years with more uptempo high paced games where, 60 yard runs or catches are common instead of 3 yards and a cloud of dirt.

[FL_HS_football]

I know the basis of your post was margin of loss, but 2 games stand out for me that didn't make your list. The 1993 state title game Southridge vs Manatee, I believe Southridge put up 69 points on Manatee, scoring in just about every way imaginable.....was truly a Murphy's law type game " Anything that could go wrong, went wrong". The only thing keeping this game from making the list was Manatee's offense put up I believe 36 points.

The other game was a 2nd round playoff loss to Lakeland 19-14. Manatee came into the game ranked #1 nationally and probably a bit too over-confident as they were already looking forward to a game against Pensacola Woodham. 2 Manatee turnovers inside the Lakeland 5 however became more than Manatee could over-come. Watched Lakeland play Woodham  the next week at Lakeland..........................which Woodham won, using its over-all superior team speed to its advantage. Then made the drive to Pensacola the following week to watch Woodham claim the state title with a win over Southriidge. Another ironic thing about Lakeland's 1984 win over Manatee, was the final score was the exact same score from the year earlier when Manatee knocked a better Lakeland team out of the playoffs.

That 1984 Manatee team was probably a team every Manatee fan including myself, figured was a given to play for a state title, only to see it all go up in smoke that evening against a Lakeland team on any other night they would have beaten.

[gwdrum75]

3 hours ago, FL_HS_football said:

I know the basis of your post was margin of loss, but 2 games stand out for me that didn't make your list. The 1993 state title game Southridge vs Manatee, I believe Southridge put up 69 points on Manatee, scoring in just about every way imaginable.....was truly a Murphy's law type game " Anything that could go wrong, went wrong". The only thing keeping this game from making the list was Manatee's offense put up I believe 36 points.

Don Soldinger was all too happy to run up the score in that game as well.

[954gator]

Not the worst by any means but STA got SMOKED in the title game in 2004.   Was pretty bad.   I remember having to hear it on the radio.   Who the F is this Chris Rainey kid!?!?

[Jambun82]

9 hours ago, gwdrum75 said:

Don Soldinger was all too happy to run up the score in that game as well.

Why is that? Was there some kind of personal issue between Don Soldinger and Joe Kinnan?

[FL_HS_football]

8 hours ago, Jambun82 said:

Why is that? Was there some kind of personal issue between Don Soldinger and Joe Kinnan?

I ignored the response, but the only thing I can figure he's implying here...(since I thought they were friends), was that the 1983 State title was basically decided on a bad officials "no fumble" call. The official's call was that Tracy Sanders knee was down prior to him fumbling, replays subsequently showed his knee wasn't down and Manatee scored the deciding TD a play or 2 later. Southridge had 2-3 more opportunities on offense after that Manatee score to answer that score, but was unable to generate anything on offense with their last offensive series ending with seconds left in the game on a Doug Andrews sack on 4th down to seal the win for Manatee. It was actually a great game with 2 equally matched teams. The year prior neither Southridge or Manatee qualified for the playoffs, and Soldinger and Kinnan decided to get together for a Thanksgiving day Bowl game. That game was also a classic as it went to OT, with Southridge pulling out the victory in OT. Just ironic the same two teams would meet a year later to play for the state title.

[Jambun82]

FL-HS_football, thank you for that great information. I enjoy reading about those kind of high school football stories.