good lord have mercy, because i am the h8r, i cannot sit and read this without saying something. seriously, what planet are you from?  you thought, after all the talk about the open division playoffs, that they would put those 6 teams from district play???? and then you follow up that by spewing top 8 teams from each county?  what in the actual he77 are you taking, because we all need some of it.   the FINAL ranking BEFORE the playoffs are conducted, WHILE the playoff selection show is going on, THE FINAL RANKINGS WILL PULL THE TOP 8 TEAMS FROM THE FHSAA RANKINGS AND PLACE THEM INTO THE OPEN DIVISION PLAYOFFS.   THEY DO NOT GO INTO THEIR OWN DISTRICT. THIS WILL ADD 8 TEAMS INTO THE PLAYOFFS TO TAKE THEIR PLACE. Floored I just read this,  smfh

Man, lemme tell ya 'bout this ol' forum warrior nolebull813—dude's got more passion for the game than I got for scratch-offs at the Publix counter. Back in the hood days of the 60s and 70s, growin' up dodgin' trouble in Tallahassee, we didn't have forums to debate rankings; we just argued on the corner till somebody threw hands or facts. I chased my FAMU degree thinkin' it'd lead to easy street, but nah, ended up slingin' subs and stories to customers, gamblin' on whether the next one gonna buy lotto or argue over deli meat. Won a ten-spot yesterday bettin' a lady'd complain 'bout the turkey bein' too thin-sliced—she did, and we both laughed like Ron White roastin' a bad decision.   Nolebull813 drops them Top 25 lists like clockwork during season, STA sittin' pretty at the top, Chaminade lurkin', no real breakdown, just straight fire opinions. Reminds me of Wavebb's old Wave Index—cat swore it was some secret sauce formula for his Top 10, mixin' stats I could never crack. I studied that thing harder than my business finals, still couldn't figure it. Then, fool me, he always posted that address for bettin' pools on games. I sent in thirty bucks on a lock—Madison County smashin' somebody—turned out 'bout as reliable as boardin' a plane with Wavebb pilotin': Money gone, no takeoff, just me chucklin' at my own dumb self. Dry as SNL Weekend Update mockin' an empty promise.   But where nolebull really gets folks chucklin' is when he talks privates dominatin' 'cause all the talent's piled up deep in South Florida now, like population just exploded yesterday. Brother, I lived through the 70s and 80s—South Florida was already thick as thieves back then! Broward had 'round 620,000 folks in '70, shot up to over a million by '90; Miami-Dade from 1.2 million to damn near 2 million; Palm Beach triplin' from 350k. Growth was wilder then than now—folks pourin' in like it was free land. Yet publics like Dillard, Carol City, Northwestern was stackin' rings and NFL talent without all these privates recruitin' statewide. Nowadays population's bigger sure, but the real shift? Them privates pullin' kids from everywhere, not just local density.   MarkCannon jumps in them threads too, goin' hammer and tongs with Jambun82 over Charlotte County drama, Pop Warner beef turnin' into mileage arguments and hockey jabs. It's hilarious, like two ol' timers at the bar debatin' who owes the tab—keeps the Huddle poppin' while nolebull stirs the pot on classifications and transfers. Me? I bet my coworker five bucks that thread'd go off-rails before page three. Cashed in easy, noimsay?   Last break at Publix, this young buck in a Gators hat starts quotin' nolebull's latest on why privates own South Florida talent—"It's the population boom!" I said, "Son, that boom hit hardest back when I was chasin' drunks and strippers thinkin' it'd end good. Spoiler: It didn't, just like ignorin' how recruitin' changed the game." We cracked up, and I wagered him a free sub his take'd hold water. He bought his own—lost that one, but smiled anyway.   Look, nolebull813's enthusiasm keeps me scrollin' these forums more than real work ever did. Florida HS ball's magic 'cause of cats like him droppin' bold takes. Just toss in a stat or two next time, brother—make it like upgradin' from my bad bets to a sure thing. Till then, keep 'em comin'; life's too short for quiet forums, noimsay? And here I am headin' into the weekend, feet up on the porch, cold one cracked open, Morgan Wallen and Florida Georgia Line blastin' "Up Down" on the speaker—workin' on my night moves while the sun drops. Ain't nothin' better after a week of deli drama and forum fun. Y'all stay easy out there.

PREACH BROTHER!!

Not here to dispute your theory of difference in talent between South and Central FL, but the other verifiable differences is like apples and oranges.  Using your example of STA located in Broward a county a third smaller than Orange yet with a half million more residents compacted into that smaller area means less travel for taking the cream of the crop.  Lake Brantley is a terrible example as they seldom get that many transfers, but you point them out because they got a bunch from a single private school this year when a certain QB transferred there.  Numbers in that case make little difference.  If Lake Brantley were getting the top players from the surrounding area year after year their results would obviously be different.  Jones is a better example as they do get some top line players every year and managed to go toe to toe with AHP for the championship. And ease your mind friend as I don't have selective outrage for poaching as it is wrong regardless who does it.  Point being, privates have distinct advantages over most publics when it comes to recruiting especially when done consistently well over time in a densely populated area.  A few publics share some of those advantages again mostly in Metro areas and not simply the south as Raines proved this year.  Lastly, you are again confused as why I believe in separate championships for privates and publics, but it has nothing to do with any "MORAL HIGH GROUND"!!

OLAY!