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Does the level of play seem to be down this season in Florida?
By
Mike Sumner, in The Huddle
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By gatorman-uf · Posted
Proseteye, I was around when OTC was playing those teams, these new OTC teams are not on that level. Don't get me wrong they are good, but they just aren't the same. In 2005, OTC struggled with Union County (twice) (Union was good then with CJ Spiller) and Pahokee on their way to a 14-0 season. In 2006, OTC goes 13-1 with a loss in the state championship to Pahokee. In 2007, Coach Bell is gone, schedule is upgraded, and OTC struggles to 7-5 including two losses to Newberry and a loss to Union County. In 2008, OTC goes 12-2 with a loss against Mainland and Pahokee (again). In 2009, OTC goes 9-3 with loses against Bolles, Tampa Catholic, and Gainesville. in 2010, OTC goes 14-0 beats some impressive teams along the way including a Derrick Henry led Yulee team, Bolles, and University School (when University School was doing it's thing). in 2011, OTC goes 7-5 including losing to some local schools (Vanguard, North Marion, Gainesville). In 2012, OTC goes 8-5. In 2013, OTC goes 8-4. In 2014, OTC goes 10-2 against a fairly easy schedule to lose to the developing juggernaut of Trinity Christian. In 2015, OTC goes 4-8 (including a loss to Lake Weir) In 2016, OTC goes 4-5. In 2017, OTC goes 5-3 (misses playoffs). In 2018, OTC goes 5-5 (misses playoffs). In 2019, OTC goes 8-4 with an impressive home playoff win against Trinity Christian (Jax). So why go through the last few years, OTC's successes are a long time ago of when they were a dominant beast. Vanguard: 2004: 2-7 2005: 5-5 2006: 5-5 2007: 2-8 2008: 0-10 2009: 6-6 2010: 10-3 2011: 7-4 2012: 6-6 2013: 5-5 2014: 4-6 2015: 9-3 2016: 10-2 2017: 11-1 2018: 13-1 2019: 9-3 I think partially what has happened is that Vanguard has stabilized it's football program. Notice the worse years of Vanguard coincide with the best years of OTC. There was a reason that OTC was called the Marion County All-Stars for a while. As long as Vanguard continues to have a solid program, OTC won't get the 1 or 2 additional star players they need to make them a state finalist. They will continue to be good, but not able to overcome some of the recruiting powerhouses. Additionally, if you go back to the years of 2B, it was made up of a lot of the larger 1A schools today. You weren't playing Trinity Christian, Pensacola Catholic, Florida High, Chaminade-Madonna to win the state, the competition was easier. It is telling that since they did away with 2B that Trinity has struggled with consistency. -
Maybe you were not around when the Celtics were able to take on anybody and either defeat them or compete with them. Teams like TCA, Bolles, Jesuit, Gainesville, Vanguard, Pahokee, IMG, East Lake, Palmetto, Madison, University, Booker, and Mainland. All good teams and most of them in higher classifications. So, going up against Chaminade would not be something that is uncharacteristic of the Celtics. I'm really disappointed in Coach Thomas's decision to leave Trinity just when the team was getting ready to make some real noise. He already had the players at Trinity. -
By gatorman-uf · Posted
If you look at Marion County, they have a different situation where all team sports are paid the same as football coaches (except soccer and volleyball). The number has been $5,000 since 2007 and I willing to bet the reason why the basketball coach and the football coach are equal has to do with the work the Vanguard Basketball Coach Haley did in creating a program and pushing for higher pay. -
By gatorman-uf · Posted
Local Control and Local Decisions (both in Georgia and Florida). It is a hard sell to both school boards and unions to pay a teacher less than 40K and then turn around a pay a football coach 65K for being a "coach," especially when principals and schools are graded not on how good a football program is, but whether the school is an A, B, C, D, or F. Florida as a whole does not support extracurriculars because the people living in the communities haven't been there long. We are a transient state. All the counties that we listed as top pay (Okaloose, Bay, Walton) are panhandle counties. Counties where people have lived in them forever. Where grandma's grandma lived. As a whole, I wonder what percentage of coaches take leadership roles in their local union and push for higher supplements (even if it was incremental of $100 a year). A lot of the unions seem to be led by elementary school teachers who have little experience with the value/importance of coaches. As for gate... Let's think costs first... 1) Referees: $65 x 5 = $325 per game plus travel stipends 2) Security: $20 x 3 hours x 5 officers = $300 per game 3) Ticket Takers: $25 per game per individual (maybe 6 people): $150 per game 4) Line the Field: $100-200 in supplies per game _____________________________________ $875 per game (and this is a VERY conservative number). Start adding in: New Jerseys/Pants (once every 2 years) ($140 for a set?) x 80 players Helmets Refurbished every year and replaced every XX years. Practice Gear Balls Pre-Game Meals HUDL Account Coach Polos/Outfits Practice Equipment (tackling dummies, blocking sledds, chutes). I wish school districts would understand that if you want these boys and girls to representatives of your community than you should pay for them to be just that. Basic equipment and costs should be covered by the school districts. Teams should have to fund raise just in hopes having enough money to travel to a game or hire referees or get jerseys. -
It's better because how is trinty Catholic ever going to beat chamme madonna. Union county not beating Madison. But Andrew Thomas is probably going to get some players to try.
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