60 straight wins or state titles

[Floridatech]

Which one do you all prefer,.....haven't been beaten in the regular season since seven years or winning a couple state titles with 2 or 3 losses during the regular season.....

Ex 61 straight from Vero in the regular season

Ex Apopka lost like 2 or 3 in the regular season but put together 3 straight runs to states in the toughest classification winning the title 2 outta 3 times

[DisabledAccount]

10 minutes ago, Floridatech said:

Which one do you all prefer,.....haven't been beaten in the regular season since seven years or winning a couple state titles with 2 or 3 losses during the regular season.....

Ex 61 straight from Vero in the regular season

Ex Apopka lost like 2 or 3 in the regular season but put together 3 straight runs to states in the toughest classification winning the title 2 outta 3 times

State titles without a moment's hesitation

[A-Town 561]

Just now, Floridatech said:

Which one do you all prefer,.....haven't been beaten in the regular season since seven years or winning a couple state titles with 2 or 3 losses during the regular season.....

Ex 61 straight from Vero in the regular season

Ex Apopka lost like 2 or 3 in the regular season but put together 3 straight runs to states in the toughest classification winning the title 2 outta 3 times

Oh, are we playing Jeopardy????..... Ok 

What is "state Championship" for 300 Alex 

 

I'd rather be 6-4 or  5-5 for 3 years win a 2  state championships than to go 10-0 in the regular season and lose every year in the playoffs. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to rain on Vero's parade, but I prefer a state championship because, in the end, the 8A state champion will be talking about more than Vero's 61 game winning streak....Unless ...Vero themselves become the 8A State champions.

 

I tell you this though.....If Vero Beach wins the 8A state championship that would be MONUMENTOUS for their program.

 

[DarterBlue2]

58 minutes ago, Floridatech said:

Ex Apopka lost like 2 or 3 in the regular season but put together 3 straight runs to states in the toughest classification winning the title 2 outta 3 times

Apopka was 6-4 regular season in 2014 and ended up state champs at 11-4 when they beat Columbus.

[Hwy17]

Nobody remembers you going 10-0 in the regular season.  I'd even suffer through some 0-10 seasons if I knew we'd win a state title. 

[Floridatech]

31 minutes ago, DarterBlue2 said:

Apopka was 6-4 regular season in 2014 and ended up state champs at 11-4 when they beat Columbus.

That's impressive af

[fishspinners]

Mia Northwestern was 5-5 going into the playoffs last year and then rattled off five straight wins to claim the state title. I doubt any team would rather go undefeated in the regular season rather then win the ultimate prize.

[HornetFan]

When you realize that only 8 teams win state each year, a winning season is important to a lot of kids playing high school football.

[DisabledAccount]

33 minutes ago, HornetFan said:

When you realize that only 8 teams win state each year, a winning season is important to a lot of kids playing high school football.

Yes but that's not the question here

 

I wouldn't care if my regular season record is 4-6 or 5-5 if I won a state title, regular seasons are forgotten over time, a title is forever

[Coach]

I'd be that team to sneak into the playoffs at 4-6 to win a ring. Hands down. No hesitation. 

[muckboy561]

State Rings duh!!!!!!

[shredstar]

22 hours ago, DarterBlue2 said:

Apopka was 6-4 regular season in 2014 and ended up state champs at 11-4 when they beat Columbus.

I am sure those Mandarin kids wouldn't trade their rings for any amount of regular season wins.  They were also 6-4 before going on their run and ironically also beat Columbus for the title.  Proves that beginning next week, everyone's record is 0-0.  While going undefeated in the regular season is nice, the vast majority of teams who go undefeated in the regular season never end up winning anything.

[DarterBlue2]

Just now, shredstar said:

I am sure those Mandarin kids wouldn't trade their rings for any amount of regular season wins.  They were also 6-4 before going on their run and ironically also beat Columbus for the title.  Proves that beginning next week, everyone's record is 0-0.  While going undefeated in the regular season is nice, the vast majority of teams who go undefeated in the regular season never end up winning anything.

Exactly. I will consceed, though, that winning 60 regular season games in a row is very difficult, even if your district is weak and you cherry pick your non-district games. 

[Legion37]

Well both if you can do it. Say Lakeland from 2004-2007 - 53 straight wins and 3 titles sounds good.

 

 

[Legion37]

Or say Lakeland's 60 game regular season win streak from 1995 to 2001.

In which they won two titles, 96 and 99

That sounds good too...

[Legion37]

Without a title Vero's success will simply be a footnote in the record book. Impressive but not the goal that everyone would really like to have.

It's a darn impressive feat but I bet they would love one title to go with it.

[badbird]

29 minutes ago, Legion37 said:

Well both if you can do it. Say Lakeland from 2004-2007 - 53 straight wins and 3 titles sounds good.

 

 

LAKELAND -- Hazel Haley has seen a million games around here. Even she hadn't seen many like the one Friday night.

Her favorite team lost. That hadn't happened since she was 88 years old.

Hazel's 91 now, meaning it has been three state championships and a state-record 53 games since Lakeland fans felt like this. They didn't just leave disappointed; it was a shattering experience.

Literally.

 

Osceola won 25-21 when quarterback T'Sharvan Bell leaped into the end zone from a yard out with 24.4 seconds left.

About 0.3 second later, the window in the visiting team's coaching box was punched out in celebration. A woman came out a minute later with an embarrassed grin.

"He thought it was plastic," she said.

It was the kind of moment and the kind of night that reminds you why high school football is so often better than what people see on Saturdays and Sundays. Nothing against the Patriots-Colts, but not even they can provide what fans got at Bryant Stadium.

Free parking.

A waterboy who is barely taller than the players' socks.

$2.50 hamburgers.

Runners like Osceola's Gerard "Momo" Thomas and Lakeland's Jason Guzman, neither of who are much taller than the waterboy.

 

Two-way players like Bell, who played quarterback, cornerback and basically never left the field for three hours.

Fans like Hazel.

She really hadn't seen a million Dreadnaughts games, but it's not much of an exaggeration. Hazel graduated from Lakeland High in 1933 and became a teacher seven years later.

What was the football scene like 70 years ago?

"It was like this, darlin'," Hazel said.

There were maybe 9,000 people there Friday night, including an elderly gent with a big orange battleship on his head. Some things haven't changed since the Hoover Administration.

"That Dreadnaught spirit was there," Hazel said. "Just like this."

She didn't stop teaching English until last year. After all those Friday nights drenched in Dreadnaughts spirit, she's developed a good nose for scouting.

How about those Kowboys?

"I'm a little apprehensive," Hazel said.

Osceola was unbeaten and ranked No. 2 in Class 5A. Lakeland was No. 1 but had lost all but four starters off last year's team.

Both teams have qualified for the playoffs and probably will face each other again in three weeks. So all that was at stake Friday was a home-field advantage in that game.

Well, that and all that ongoing history. Lakeland's quarterback, Jarred Haggins, was in the fourth grade the last time the Dreadnaughts lost at home.

He guided Lakeland to a 21-7 third-quarter lead. Hazel, sitting in her 45-yard-line seat, relaxed a minute.

"It's looking better," she said.

Then history was weirdly derailed. Lakeland appeared to have taken a 27-13 lead, but tailback T.K. Lamb fumbled just before reaching the end zone.

Osceola recovered and scored a quick touchdown. After a punt, the Kowboys got the ball at the Lakeland's 37-yard line with 2 minutes, 59 seconds left.

You didn't need Hazel's football eyes to see what was coming. Bell drove the Kowboys downfield.

He scored. A window broke. So did about 7,500 Dreadnaughts hearts.

Lakeland's players threw their helmets down in disgust. A few of them couldn't hold back the tears.

"Hey," a Lakeland assistant yelled. "We're going to see them again in three weeks!"

If it's anything like Friday night, here's a piece of football wisdom worthy of Hazel Haley.

Install plastic windows in the coaching box.

[skyway]

6 minutes ago, badbird said:

LAKELAND -- Hazel Haley has seen a million games around here. Even she hadn't seen many like the one Friday night.

Her favorite team lost. That hadn't happened since she was 88 years old.

Hazel's 91 now, meaning it has been three state championships and a state-record 53 games since Lakeland fans felt like this. They didn't just leave disappointed; it was a shattering experience.

Literally.

 

Osceola won 25-21 when quarterback T'Sharvan Bell leaped into the end zone from a yard out with 24.4 seconds left.

About 0.3 second later, the window in the visiting team's coaching box was punched out in celebration. A woman came out a minute later with an embarrassed grin.

"He thought it was plastic," she said.

It was the kind of moment and the kind of night that reminds you why high school football is so often better than what people see on Saturdays and Sundays. Nothing against the Patriots-Colts, but not even they can provide what fans got at Bryant Stadium.

Free parking.

A waterboy who is barely taller than the players' socks.

$2.50 hamburgers.

Runners like Osceola's Gerard "Momo" Thomas and Lakeland's Jason Guzman, neither of who are much taller than the waterboy.

 

Two-way players like Bell, who played quarterback, cornerback and basically never left the field for three hours.

Fans like Hazel.

She really hadn't seen a million Dreadnaughts games, but it's not much of an exaggeration. Hazel graduated from Lakeland High in 1933 and became a teacher seven years later.

What was the football scene like 70 years ago?

"It was like this, darlin'," Hazel said.

There were maybe 9,000 people there Friday night, including an elderly gent with a big orange battleship on his head. Some things haven't changed since the Hoover Administration.

"That Dreadnaught spirit was there," Hazel said. "Just like this."

She didn't stop teaching English until last year. After all those Friday nights drenched in Dreadnaughts spirit, she's developed a good nose for scouting.

How about those Kowboys?

"I'm a little apprehensive," Hazel said.

Osceola was unbeaten and ranked No. 2 in Class 5A. Lakeland was No. 1 but had lost all but four starters off last year's team.

Both teams have qualified for the playoffs and probably will face each other again in three weeks. So all that was at stake Friday was a home-field advantage in that game.

Well, that and all that ongoing history. Lakeland's quarterback, Jarred Haggins, was in the fourth grade the last time the Dreadnaughts lost at home.

He guided Lakeland to a 21-7 third-quarter lead. Hazel, sitting in her 45-yard-line seat, relaxed a minute.

"It's looking better," she said.

Then history was weirdly derailed. Lakeland appeared to have taken a 27-13 lead, but tailback T.K. Lamb fumbled just before reaching the end zone.

Osceola recovered and scored a quick touchdown. After a punt, the Kowboys got the ball at the Lakeland's 37-yard line with 2 minutes, 59 seconds left.

You didn't need Hazel's football eyes to see what was coming. Bell drove the Kowboys downfield.

He scored. A window broke. So did about 7,500 Dreadnaughts hearts.

Lakeland's players threw their helmets down in disgust. A few of them couldn't hold back the tears.

"Hey," a Lakeland assistant yelled. "We're going to see them again in three weeks!"

If it's anything like Friday night, here's a piece of football wisdom worthy of Hazel Haley.

Install plastic windows in the coaching box.

A truly tragic night.

[DarterBlue2]

24 minutes ago, skyway said:

A truly tragic night.

For Lakeland, yes. For Badbird, that was a great night which is why I suspect he shared it!

[Legion37]

53 minutes ago, DarterBlue2 said:

For Lakeland, yes. For Badbird, that was a great night which is why I suspect he shared it!

All good things come to an end.

But I wouldn't have missed those rides for the world.

And Osceola didn't win a title that year.

Which would they have preferred, ending Lakelands winning streak or the 2007 Class 5A title? 

[DarterBlue2]

1 minute ago, Legion37 said:

All good things come to an end.

But I wouldn't have missed those rides for the world.

And Osceola didn't win a title that year.

Which would they have preferred, ending Lakelands winning streak or the 2007 Class 5A title? 

Unfortunately for Osceola, T Bell, the QB, safety and Mr. everything missed the final on crutches. Also, Bubba Brown, their principal offense weapon was at 60% against St. Thomas. Despite this, they gave a decent showing in the title game. But to answer your question, of course they would have preferred the title! As a matter of fact, from Lakeland's perspective, you would have probably preferred Osceola win it too, as it would have made the double loss more palatable.