Forums

Thank you LAZ for putting facts to paper in the place of simple gut feelings as I have stated during my last few years as a participant on this forum that I felt certain publics decided to start participating in the recruiting game around 2000 as they recognized the writing on the wall.  Those publics, who will be left un-named felt this was the only choice if they wanted to compete with STA,  Bolles School, Trinity Christian and as of late AHP, C-MD and others.  Not here to weigh in on the decision made by those publics but it did help them level the playing field with eventually someone deciding they should bust Lakeland in 2011 for denying STA several championships during that decade assessing heavy financial penalties on that school.  For that very reason I have believed that these top privates should compete with each other for 1 or 2 state championships while the publics can compete for an additional 3 or 4 based on enrollment eliminating the incentive to recruit knowing like other things in life, not everyone follows the rules.  Spare me the line regarding what our state legislature will or will not do in this regard as that simply misses the entire point. 

Thanks for sharing Laz, fixed your detailed breakdown just alittle during my free time at the customer service counter—this is a fantastic dataset showing the shift in Florida high school football state championship games between private and public schools (focusing on the 100 matchup games where they faced off directly).Key Trends in Private vs. Public Dominance (1963–2025)The data clearly illustrates the rise of private schools, especially from the 2000s onward: Decade PrivateWins Public Wins Total Games Private Win % Avg. Point Margin 1963–69 1 0 1 100% 14 1970–79 2 7 9 22% 28 1980–89 4 6 10 40% 15 1990–99 7 8 15 47% 15 2000–09 14 11 25 56% 17 2010–19 17 8 25 68% 20 2020–25 14 1 15 93% 13 Total 59 41 100 59% 17 Observations: Early decades (1960s–1980s): Public schools dominated heavily. In the 1970s, publics won 78% of these matchups with massive margins (often blowouts). Transition (1990s): Nearly even, with publics still holding a slight edge. Private surge (2000s onward): Privates flipped the script, winning 56% in the 2000s, then 68% in the 2010s, and an overwhelming 93% in the 2020s so far (14–1). Overall, privates now hold a 59–41 edge across all 100 games, with an average score of ~32–15 in decided contests. Margins peaked in public-favor eras (e.g., 28 points in 1970s) and private-favor eras (20 points in 2010s), but have tightened a bit recently. This aligns with broader discussions about recruiting advantages, resources, and the growth of powerhouse private programs like St. Thomas Aquinas, American Heritage (Plantation), Chaminade-Madonna, Bolles, and Columbus. Publics like Pahokee, Lakeland, and Miami-area schools held strong for decades but have faced increasing challenges in these title matchups. Man, listen here… back when I was runnin’ the streets of Tallahassee in the late ‘60s, dodgin’ switches from my mama and tryin’ to sneak a peek at the FAMU Rattlers practice, public schools owned Florida high school football like I owned that raggedy Schwinn bicycle I rode everywhere. Noimsayin? You couldn’t tell nobody different. Them country boys and city kids in public jerseys was straight beasts—FAMU High, Kathleen, Greensboro, Graceville—sound like a church roll call the way they was baptizin’ these private schools every December.   I’m lookin’ at Laz breakdown (big props to that man for doin’ the Lord’s work), and it hit me like that time I bet $50 on Florida A&M to cover against Bethune in ‘73 and watched ‘em lose by 30… slow and painful. From ‘63 to ‘79? Publics went 7-3 against the privates in title games, and when they won it wasn’t close—average score 34-6. That’s like me walkin’ into the club with a fresh haircut and a borrowed suit; I felt invincible even though I knew I was still broke.   Then the ‘80s and ‘90s it got respectable—privates started winnin’ a few, but publics still holdin’ the edge. I remember tellin’ my homeboy Peanut at the Publix counter last week, “Man, back then a private school winnin’ state felt like me actually takin’ home that fine cashier from the gentlemen’s club—rare, and everybody talkin’ ‘bout it for years.   ”But Lawd… 2000s roll around and the whole script flipped harder than that stripper I dated in ‘05 who told me her real name was “Tiffany” but her W-2 said “LaQuanda.” Privates start winnin’ 14-11 that decade, then 17-8 in the 2010s, and now in the 2020s? 14-1! Fourteen to ONE! That’s not dominance, that’s a straight-up eviction notice. St. Thomas, Chaminade, American Heritage, Columbus—they out here recruitin’ like Diddy used to throw parties. No geographic boundaries, grabbin’ kids from three counties away like they shoppin’ at the outlet mall.   Overall 59-41 private now across 100 of these head-to-head title games. Used to be publics puttin’ up 34-6 type beatdowns. Now the privates winnin’ by 17 on average. Hell, I done seen more comebacks in my love life than public schools have had in these championship games lately.   And don’t get me started on the margins—publics used to run folks out the stadium. Now half these games look like private school highlights on loop. I told this lady at the deli counter the other day—big fine woman, smelled like coconut oil and bad decisions—she asked why I looked so disgusted starin’ at my phone. I said, “Ma’am, these private schools done turned Florida high school football into the SEC vs. the Sun Belt. Ain’t fair, but damn if it ain’t entertainin’.   ”I’m still gon’ watch every snap though. And yeah… I might throw a little somethin’ on St. Thomas next year. Don’t judge me. Old habits die hard, noimsayin?   Anyway, I’m ‘bout to clock in for the evening shift. Pray for ya boy—last night this drunk lady in a sequin dress tried to pay for her rotisserie chicken and Pinot Grigio with a handful of casino chips and a wink. Told her, “Sweetheart, this Publix, not the Seminole Hard Rock.” She laughed, slipped me her number on the receipt… I might call it. Don’t judge me, I got a type. 

Great breakdown. What you see is most of the same teams in the latter years winning the lion’s share of the all time amounts and that’s because those teams decided to put the utmost emphasis on elite athletics in particular American-rules football.    Also I would like to point out that as time progressed, and the classes got way more watered down, the private powers were left in their own cushy class without any resistance. When there is 8 classes, the top private in their own class is gonna rule the roost.    And the rules changed years ago with open enrollment to allow publics to play by the same rules. I posted a link before the season about the Orange County transfers and it had literally 100’s with some teams having double digit transfers. ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!!    Blame the FHSAA for giving STA and AHP their own classes to dominate instead of having 5 classes where the best of the best regardless of public/private will survive!

This topic was requested by I-4 and reflects the private school rise to prominence, decade by decade from 1963-2025. In all, there have been exactly 100 title games played between private schools and public schools. Here is a breakdown of all those contests.  Private vs Public in State Championship Games  1963-69           Jesuit  Pvt 39 Kathleen Pub 25             1963-69 Total           Private Wins 1   Public Wins 0   Average Game Score 39-25   Point Margin 14               1970-79           Hastings Pub 34 Trinity Prep Pvt 7 Forest Pub 46 Chaminade Pvt 6 Greensboro Pub 28 Shorecrest Pvt 0 FAMU Pub 38 Shorecrest Pvt 0 FAMU Pub 59 Trinity Prep Pvt 7 FAMU Pub 45 Benjamin Pvt 6 Ernest Ward Pub 13 Benjamin Pvt 6 Bishop Moore Pvt 21 Shanks Pub 12 Cardinal Mooney Pvt 18 Wewahitchka Pub 13             1970-79 Total           Private Wins 2   Public Wins 7   Average Game Score 34-6   Point Margin 28               1980-89                       Tate Pub 35 Columbus Pvt 7 Woodham Pub 23 Columbus Pvt 14 Baker Pub 20 Glades Day Pvt 7 Baker Pub 48 Glades Day Pvt 7 Baker Pub 33 Glades Day Pvt 0 Graceville Pub 21 Glades Day Pvt 7 Glades Day Pvt 7 Baker Pub 6 Glades Day Pvt 9 Baker Pub 3 Bolles Pvt 27 Palmetto Pub 21 Glades Day Pvt 8 Century Pub 7             1980-89 Total           Private Wins 4    Public Wins 6   Average Game Score 23-8   Point Margin 15               1990-99           Suwannee Pub 44 Cardinal Gibbons Pvt 14 Fort Walton Beach Pub 39 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 14 Pasco Pub 28 Jesuit Pvt 16 Graceville Pub 24 Glades Day Pvt 7 Union County Pub 21 Bishop Verot Pvt 0 Lakeland Pub 40 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 6 Bartow Pub 14 Bolles Pvt 13 Frostproof Pub 6 Trinity Christian Pvt 0 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 24 Leon Pub 9 Bolles Pvt 42 Lake Wales Pub 21 Bolles Pvt 28 Hardee Pub 21 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 13 Rutherford Pub 10 Bolles Pvt 29 Pahokee Pub 14 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 38 Escambia Pub 35 North Florida Christian Pvt 23 Fort Meade Pub 13             1990-99 Total           Private Wins 7   Public Wins 8   Average Game Score 28-13   Point Margin 15               2000-09           Pine Forest Pub 34 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 27 Lincoln Pub 28 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 20 Lakeland Pub 31 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 7 Pahokee Pub 43 Pensacola Catholic Pvt 9 Lakeland Pub 39 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 10 Lakeland Pub 45 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 42 Pahokee Pub 25 Trinity Catholic Pvt 11 FAMU Pub 14 Victory Christian Pvt 10 Madison County Pub 28 Tampa Catholic Pvt 7 Pahokee Pub 21 Trinity Catholic Pvt 17 Pensacola Pub 28 Belen Jesuit Pvt 7 Gulliver Prep Pvt 31 Marianna Pub 21 North Florida Christian Pvt 20 Fort Meade Pub 16 North Florida Christian Pvt 28 Fort Meade Pub 16 Chaminade Pvt 27 Madison County Pub 0 Trinity Christian Pvt 17 Fort Meade Pub 7 Bolles Pvt 42 Jefferson Pub 21 Chaminade Pvt 50 South Sumter Pub 15 Trinity Catholic Pvt 37 Pahokee Pub 30 Evangel Christian Pvt 49 Graceville Pub 22 Bolles Pvt 27 Clewiston Pub 24 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 35 Osceola (Kissimmee) Pub 20 Jupiter Christian Pvt 27 FAMU Pub 14 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 56 Lakeland Pub 7 North Florida Christian Pvt 17 Fort Meade Pub 7             2000-09 Total           Private Wins 14   Public Wins 11   Average Game Score 32-15   Point Margin 17               2010-19           Washington(Miami) Pub 35 Bolles Pvt 7 Washington(Miami) Pub 40 Bolles Pvt 21 Apopka Pub 30 Columbus Pvt 23 Washington(Miami) Pub 54 Bolles Pvt 35 Cocoa Pub 31 Bolles Pvt 17 Mandarin Pub 37 Columbus Pvt 35 Lakeland Pub 33 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 20 Washington(Miami) Pub 25 Bolles Pvt 21 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 29 Plant  Pub 7 Bolles Pvt 33 Washington(Miami) Pub 25 American Heritage(Del) Pvt 30 Madison County Pub 3 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 41 Lincoln Pub 25 NSU University Pvt 24 Madison County Pub 17 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 66 Clay Pub 8 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 31 Osceola (Kissimmee) Pub 0 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 38 Godby Pub 0 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 45 Viera (Melbourne) Pub 10 Bishop Moore Pvt 37 Wakulla Pub 34 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 45 Plant  Pub 6 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 35 Ponte Vedra Pub 33 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 44 Baker County Pub 15 Cardinal Gibbons Pvt 48 North Marion Pub 10 Columbus Pvt 21 Apopka Pub 20 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 28 Edgewater Pub 23 Chaminade Pvt 35 Florida High  Pub 20             2010-19 Total           Private Wins 17   Public Wins 8   Average Game Score 37-17   Point Margin 20               2020-25           Miami Central Pub 38 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 31 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 31 Edgewater Pub 21 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 24 Rickards Pub 6 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 42 Tampa Bay Tech Pub 14 Jesuit Pvt 35 Pine Forest Pub 29 Cardinal Gibbons Pvt 21 Cocoa Pub 19 Columbus Pvt 16 Apopka Pub 13 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 38 Homestead Pub 21 Columbus Pvt 38 Mandarin Pub 19 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 31 Homestead Pub 28 Berkeley Prep Pvt 28 Miami Norland Pub 20 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 34 Lakeland Pub 0 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 40 Jones Pub 31 St. Thomas Aquinas Pvt 29 Lakeland Pub 0 American Heritage(Pl) Pvt 33 Jones Pub 28             2020-25 Total           Private Wins 14   Public Wins 1   Average Game Score 32-19   Point Margin 13               1963-2025 Grand Total           Private Wins 59   Public Wins 41   Average Game Score 32-15   Point Margin 17  

No, but Jambun said “Olay” when I offered to take him to see his Panthers play.  Not trying to give you a hard time Jambun but are you homebound?