FL HS Gridiron Report: The Good, Bad, and Ugly – Post-Championship Fan TribunalLive from a dimly lit virtual Zoom panel that's somehow more chaotic than a fourth-quarter fumble recovery, this is your host, Chet "No Bias" Hargrove, bringing you the raw, unfiltered aftermath of last week's FHSAA state title games. We've rounded up a jury of jilted fans from the losing squads – because nothing says 'healing' like venting to strangers online. Remember, folks: these opinions are hotter than a Florida sideline in August, and about as reliable. Let's meet our panel. Chet Hargrove (Reporter): Alright, welcome to the tribunal. We're talking the heartbreaks from Classes 1A through 7A – games that had more plot twists than a bad Netflix thriller. First up, representing the Broward County powerhouse crew from Chaminade-Madonna, who fell 17-14 to Cardinal Newman in a shocking 1A final upset. Dynasty dethroned on a late field goal – that's gotta burn, LaToya?LaToya "Lion Pride" Jenkins (Broward Fan, multitasking with a vape pen and what looks like a late-night snack run, rocking gold chains and a Chaminade hoodie): Chet, baby, that was straight-up highway robbery! Our Lions? Four-time defending champs, straight Hollywood royalty grindin' harder than anybody. We wuz supposed to five-peat easy! But nah, them Newman boys got that Catholic miracle juice – probably prayed extra hard or somethin'. Late field goal? Refs let 'em line up slow on purpose! If we play 'em in the streets, no whistles, Chaminade eats. This loss? It's fuel, Chet. Next year, we roarin' back louder. hic Is my camera on straight? Chet: It's live, LaToya – and that "miracle juice" talk might get us flagged. Dynasty vibes in full denial mode. Next, from Miami-Dade hood crew, Miami Northwestern Bulls, who lost 23-22 to Raines in a gut-wrenching 3A final that came down to the final seconds. Divine comeback or just bad luck, Jamal?Jamal "The Bullhorn" Ramirez (Miami-Dade Fan, sipping something suspiciously brown from a red Solo cup, wearing a faded Northwestern jersey that's seen better decades): Man, Chet, that was robbery part two! Raines got that lucky last-second TD – ball bounced like it was guided by Duval angels or somethin'! Our boys from the hood? Pure heart, warriors in the 305 trenches. We had 'em buried late, then boom, miracle play. Refs? Swallowin' whistles all night! We wuz cheated again! Pass the bottle, this one hurt worse than the last. Hood don't forget! Chet: Easy, Jamal – sounds like divine intervention struck twice this year. Keep it PG; the stream's blowing up. Now, shifting to Polk County pride. Lakeland Dreadnaughts – wait, hold up, folks, Lakeland actually won their class this year? Nah, scratch that – they got shut out again by STA! moving on... Actually, let's hit Duval County's elite private school scene – the Bolles Bulldogs, who got blown out 52-28 by Cardinal Mooney in the 2A final. Straight ass-whupping, no miracles needed. Snobby take incoming, Preston? Preston "Bulldog Baron" Worthington III (Duval Private School Fan, in a polo shirt and khakis, sipping what he claims is "artisanal herbal tea" but his eyes say otherwise, with a backdrop of a yacht club flag): Chet, darling, this is utterly mortifying. Bolles is an institution of excellence – our alumni run boardrooms, not... whatever those Sarasota public programs produce. We clearly underestimated Mooney; one assumes titles are won on pedigree, not some vulgar ground-and-pound. That score? Positively barbaric. Divine? Hardly – more like a lapse in our refined preparation. Financially elite? Absolutely, but it funds superior coaching, not brute force. We'll regroup at the holiday regatta. Donations welcome? sniff This tea hits different tonight. Chet: Whoa, Preston, easy on the elitism – some of us tailgate with coolers, not caterers. LaToya, you hearing this? Your Lions got upset by a private school too – solidarity? LaToya: Preston, honey, at least our loss was close! Y'all got trucked like a rental! Private money don't buy rings every year – karma for actin' superior! Jamal: Yeah, Preston! Y'all think yachts win games? Nah, heart does! Our Northwestern squad fights harder than Bolles ever could. That blowout? Straight embarrassing! Preston: Plebeians, please – this discourse is beneath Bolles standards. We shall endure, as always. More... tea? Chet: And there you have it, folks – the good (the excuses), the bad (the biases), and the ugly (these coping mechanisms). Florida high school football: where dynasties fall, miracles happen, and fans never admit defeat. Tune in next week – if these folks sober up. Chet out.(Panel erupts into chaos: LaToya cackling about "Hollywood magic gone wrong," Jamal ranting "hood robbed again," Preston sighing about "standards slipping," Zoom glitches galore. Fade to black.)

Vero is a well run team, but has had trouble with penalties, and the 18 they received in the championship certainly helped towards the loss. As far as the coaching miscues, yes, in my opinion, they were part of a trend of over thinking and panicked clock watching decision making. Vero has tended to play not to lose instead of keeping their foot on the gas to win the game, it almost cost them in the semi’s and obviously everyone saw what happened in the final. 

You are right, teams can get better (coaching, graduation, and 8th graders becoming 9th graders). I am not saying teams shouldn't try to get better, I just think the system doesn't allow incremental growth without gaming the system. Some coaches realize that they need to schedule down, so they do. I just want the FHSAA to help coaches to do that. They might be winners, but are they winners against similar competition? For years, there would be a team from the Pasco County area that would go 9-1 and make the regional finals only to be running clocked when they faced a team from way outside their area. They were winners, but not against quality competition. But again, teams that are consistently regional finalists would be playing against teams that are also consistently regional finalists. That would be a better comparison for their level than winning against a bunch of teams that are not competitive. 

The sad part is that the FHSAA could compete. These schools are clamoring for competitive play more than anything else, and the FHSAA system does not foster that. Look at the teams that are moving to the SSAA; most of them have not been competitive in the FHSAA system. I believe that kids, communities, parents, coaches, and administrators want to play in competitive games, not blowouts. I don't think MegaElite High School intends to play a non-Elite high school in a district game any more than the non-Elite high school does. I think the program and the sport grow when games are competitive — even if both teams are not very good — rather than playing running clock games. Sometimes running clock games happen, and there is nothing you can do about it. But when they happen because they are forced during the regular season by a system that continually creates running clocks, it becomes frustrating for everyone involved. The FHSAA needs to be willing to rip the band-aid and create a promotion/relegation system. I would bet most of the teams in the SSAA would be in 1A or 2A, where they would face similar schools. At the top of the pyramid, we would have 32 genuinely competitive teams, with no guarantee that school X, Y, or Z will win the state championship. While I haven't done the research yet, I imagine all the teams that played at FIU would probably be in Class 6A (top level) in my promotion/relegation league. Even if that was the Elite 8 of a playoff, would anybody be willing to guarantee a victory for one of the teams? 

Here's what I don't understand about people who say we need bigger classes. They often point to Georgia, Georgia's classes range from 79 (for the smallest schools) to 58 (for the largest schools).    Actually, I am willing to bet that most states don't have classifications with 100 team classes. I think some of the answers are a little simpler, decrease the number of classes per region to 3 (especially if we are using a rating system instead of district champs/runner-ups). This accomplishes the goal of larger districts, ensures the best teams get in, and doesn't water it down. This is where I make my promotion/relegation pitch, but I will save it for next week once the classifications/MaxPreps rankings are done for the year.