Name This State Champion Team-Delray Beach Carver

[OldSchoolLion]

For many years in Florida, schools were segregated and Black high schools were not allowed to play against their White counterparts.  Things started to change about 50 years ago. 

Which was the first all-Black high school to win an FHSAA football title?

Extra credit:  What year did they win the title and what team did they defeat?   

[gatorman-uf]

Carver High School (Delray Beach)
196_?
North Centralish Florida School (St. Augustine, Palatka, Bradford, Williston, Baker County) Something like that

[FL_HS_football]

Taken from the "Ghosts of the Orange Bowl" Facebook page   

The late Roger Coffey was one of South Florida's all time great high school football coaches. Coffey was the first African American football coach to lead his school to a FHSAA state championship when he led all-black Delray Beach Carver to back-to-back state titles in 1968 and 1969. It was an amazing start to a career that spanned more than 30 years while coaching at Delray Beach Carver, Boca Raton, Miami Northwestern, Miami Jackson and Miami Central High Schools. During that time, he coached some of South Florida's most iconic players and teams.

When Coffey started his coaching career in the mid 1960s, high school football in Florida was segregated. Black high schools were not allowed to play their white counterparts. There was also the stereotype that black schools had good athletes but lacked good coaching and discipline. Coffey's Delray Beach Carver teams would shatter that myth. As Florida schools began to integrate in the late 1960s, Carver was one of the first black high schools allowed to join the FHSAA and compete against white schools.

Carver players often endured horrible racist taunts from opponents and opposing fans. The team competed in Class B, a classification created by the FHSAA for small high schools at the time. Carver defeated Williston in the 1968 Class B championship game and Alachua Santa Fe in the 1969 title game. Carver was loaded with great athletes, including defensive back/receiver Barry Hill, who went to play for the Miami Dolphins. Both state championship games were played on the road in front of hostile crowds. Carver players and coaches had to be escorted by state troopers to protect their safety.

[Dan in Daytona]

Saw them knock Daytona Fr. Lopez out of the playoffs in one of those championship years. Had a cousin playing for the Green Wave at that time. Lopez had black athletes in the early 1960's. They were recuited out of the public junior highs (7-9 grd.). One of the earliest was (Dr) Ernest Cook. Later on he was a star fullback for the U. of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Back then no college freshman could play on a D-1 Varsity team (only JV). Yes Kids, colleges had JV teams....

[OldSchoolLion]

Great job, guys.  The 68 and 69 Carver teams dominated, holding their playoff opponents to an average of 7 points or less in those years.  Great coach Roger Coffey passed away about 5 years ago at the age of 77.   What some teams/players went through to play back then was remarkable.