Beef 'O' Brady's High School Scoreboard

Sorry for the absence...

2010-10-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

but the fever bug struck last week.. I was lucky to be able to get out of bed Friday and do the show.

Ah, but never the less, we had shake-down week... and what a week it was.

St. Thomas Aquinas proved to the world that they belong among the national elite programs with a dismantling of Camden County, 45-28. Once again the Raiders gave up a late score to make the margin of victory seem manageable, but this one was all STA.

Armwood used its defense and its power rushing attack to keep the Plant Panthers offense off the field and handed Plant a 17-0 shutout. Plant may have lost the services of senior phenom James Wilder Jr. with a possible knee injury.

Miami Northwestern took the first step of the gauntlet with an nail-biting 26-25 win over Booker T. Washington. Last year the Bulls fell to BTW and then upended Central. This year they once again face the Rockets just six days after winning over the Tornados. Up after this is Columbus, which is unbeaten. Things don't get any easier for the Bulls.

Cocoa faced the last team to beat them - Merritt Island - and handled the test very well, with a 24-0 victory over the Mustangs. Cocoa hasn't lost a game since 2008.

Lincoln and Pine Forest met in a battle of two teams desperately needing a win. Pine Forest gave the ball up six times, but Loucheiz Purifoy, who made two of those turnovers, took the game over in the fourth quarter... He had a block of a field goal - and returned it 67 yards for a score - and when the Trojans tied it at 21, he busted loose for a 78 yard run to put the game away. The score would have been 35-21 but Purifoy fumbled through the end zone on the previous drive. Of course, Trebian Suggs added 191 yards rushing as Pine Forest appears to have righted the ship.

A couple of teams bounced out of the Top 25 - Niceville was beaten by Pace 31-17 and dropped out as well as Plant, Miramar (a 30-28 loser to Hallandale) and Tampa Robinson (a 29-28 loser to Jesuit).

Madison County continues to roll over opponents, regardless of classification... and how about Trinity's impressive 40-0 win over Nease. Don't you think Fletcher would love to have that opener against Nease back?

Is there a team that has played a tougher schedule in northeast Florida than First Coast? Four playoff teams including one state finalist dot the Buccaneer schedule through the first five weeks and the Bucs are 5-0 without the services of Eric Beverly.

A couple of teams to keep an eye on....

Venice (4-1) their only loss is to Lakeland and they manhandled Southeast... Big game with Manatee forthcoming.

St. Petersburg (5-0) The Green Devils are rolling and some say are the best in Pinellas.

Kathleen (4-1) - the Red Devils only loss came to Jesuit.

Rumors, gossip and innuendo

2010-09-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Rumor has it (and it may be true by the time we post) that John Maronto will end his coaching career at Mainland High School this week.

The embattled coach has been under fire since being arrested and charged with solicitation two weeks ago. Mainland, which was picked by many to represent the north in 6A, started the season 0-2 and Maronto didn't want to be a distraction to the team.

So many times we fail to allow those who are in the spotlight to live their lives in anonymity and are very quick to make light of those who fall from grace. One has to wonder when it comes 'our time' to stand in that spotlight if we will expect the grace we so often fail to extend to those less fortunate.

I am by no means condoning the behavior of coach, but remind us all that in this country, a man is innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, that's not the case for most - who have already pre-judged and issued their verdict as well as their punishment.

St. Thomas Aquinas remains our #1 team in the Beef 'O' Brady's Top 25, although Cocoa will do something Friday they haven't done all year - play a Florida opponent. Many have asked how Cocoa cannot be the #1 team in the poll. And yes, I will state it here - there is a bias towards the smaller schools. Many voters believe that - while Cocoa, Bolles, Madison County and Pensacola (just to name a few) are dominant programs, how would they stack up against the upper level of the big classifications. Say what you will about Abilene, the Tigers didn't face Abilene at full strength. I'm not slighting Cocoa in the least, but Herschel Sims is a baller and makes a difference in any game he plays in.

Palatka broke a 16 game losing streak Friday night and gave Kyle Rice his first win at Palatka. ... Middleburg is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since Alan Hall was at quarterback... Don't look now, but Naples is quietly sneaking up on people... and what about coach Rod Schafer and the Lake Wales Highlanders, off to a 3-0 start.

Off topic - as fast as my Atlanta Braves have tanked in the NL East, one has to wonder where the Braves would be in Pierson, FL native Chipper Jones was healthy.

This Friday we'll be staying close to home as the Beef 'O' Brady's Scoreboard show airs from Jacksonville. We'll be live at the Beef 'O' Brady's on Beach Blvd. at Kernan Road after the Sandalwood/First Coast game.

Ponder(ing) thougths for this week

2010-09-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Last week it was controversy, this week it was lightning.

Lightning canceled, delayed or post-poned at least 100 games last Friday night including our rivalry game between South Lake and East Ridge. Most were made up either Saturday or Monday, but it wreaked havoc on the schedules.

For Florida, playing Texas teams seems to be easy. Florida's Glades Central Miami Central and Cocoa got big wins this weekend on the road to the Lone Star State but Miramar gambled and lost - missing on a two-point conversion that would have won the game against DeSoto.

Plant, the #1 ranked team last week in the Top 25 - looked average against Hillsborough, but keep in mind Plant is still not healthy. All of those Panther-haters will see if the Panthers are legit over the next two-three weeks as they face Abilene and Armwood.

Is there a more road weary team than Cocoa? The Tigers traveled to Daytona Beach, Pennsylvania and Abilene, Texas in successive weeks - and came out 3-0. Yet despite receiving five first place votes in the Beef 'O' Brady's Top 25, the Tigers are still ranked seventh.

Manatee has its hands full this week with rival Southeast at Kiker Field. The Seminoles are 2-0 and ready to spring the upset. Last year Southeast led in the fourth quarter before Manatee pulled away. I'm picking the upset.

Lincoln gave Valdosta all it could handle Friday night, but the Trojans, still dealing with injuries, were unable to conquer the Wildcats. Leon, which also played in Lowndes County against the Vikings, didn't even come close - getting blown out 52-7.

My friend Larry Blustein says 'sleep on Pensacola all you want - they will be a top 5 team'... evidently the pollsters were listening as the Tigers are now #3 in the latest Top 25.

Dwyer decided to accept the punishment handed out to Nick O'Leary for giving the Ohio fans the one-fingered salute after a nationally-televised battle. O'Leary will sit out this week's game with Pahokee after sitting out last week's victory over Palm Beach Gardens. Pahokee, which most considered to be rebuilding this year, is off to a 2-0 start.

Who are your biggest surprises for 2010 so far? Two weeks in and who is disappointing? Remember very few districts have started play yet.

This week we're off to LaBelle for the Cowboys and the Vikings of Bishop Verot.

Week 1 - full of controversy

2010-09-09T00:56:00.000-07:00

Now that week 1 of high school football is offically behind us - why are we not shocked that the season already is rife with controversy.

This weekend was not a good time for coaches (John Maronto) or teams (Dwyer) or players (Nick O'Leary).

Maronto found himself victim to the old adage of 'never screw up on a slow news day'. The 68 year-old head football coach for Mainland was arrested Saturday night for 'solicitation'. Remember that all parties in this country are innocent until proven guilty - unless you're dealing with the IRS or the other five-letter acronym for the management body of high school sports in the sunshine state.

Dwyer found itself scoring not once, not twice, but three times in the final four minutes of a classic game in Ohio - only to have the referees decide that they needed to go to Pearle Vision and get their lens' checked out. Now I'm not one for bashing officials - and usually will defend them... but this was borderline criminal what these guys did to Dwyer.

Nick O'Leary is a house-hold name. If he wasn't before the game with Glenville (OH) - he is now. The grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus is arguably the best tight end in the country. He's also the bullseye for the aftermath of the controversal calls in Columbus (Miami fans - get ready). After the heart-breaking loss, O'Leary was giving the 'one-fingered' salute to the fans and players of Glenville. Maybe he was just telling them that they were #1... then again - maybe not.

Even the event founder - Kirk Herbstreit - was upset by the outcome, telling Joe Rose of WQAM "it made me sick to my stomach".

As if to add insult to injury - the five-letter body in Gainesville handed down its decision... stone him! Ok - so they're not as radical as the Iranian government and they don't have nuclear weapons, but does the punishment fit the crime?

Here's what I think should happen. O'Leary should go to coach Jack Daniels - who has stated he'd rather forfeit two games than play without O'Leary - and say, "Coach, I let my emotions get the best of me. I'd be honored to be in the stands cheering for you against Gardens (Saturday) and Pahokee" That would go a long way with 'restoring' the image of O'Leary - and show true sportsmanship and class.

Ok - back to reality.

From this past week's observations...

- I saw the Countryside Cougars Friday against Boca Ciega and coach Jared Davis has some weapons. So does Bogey.

- St. Thomas Aquinas is reloaded and I think is 'on a mission from God' to quote the Blues Brothers. The Raiders dismantled a very respected Dallas Skyline team. Too bad the Raiders couldn't have faced Euless Trinity instead of Skyline - now THAT would have been a game for the ages.

- Cocoa has very quietly gone 2-0 and still has one more out-of-state opponent left to play - Abeline. The Tigers look to be ready to defend their 2A crown.

- Miami Central played its heart out in a 45-42 loss to Camden Co. (GA).

- I'm taking a lot of flack for voting Plant #1 on my ballot. I usually stick with the team as my #1 until they lose. Plant had that honor prior to the non-counting kickoff classic against Manatee (which Manatee won last year - but that didn't matter either). I don't drop teams after a kickoff classic game no matter how bad they play.

- Eric Beverly may be able to make it back in time for the latter third of the season for the First Coast (Jacksonville) Buccaneers.

- Dwyer's record is really 1-0 ...

Our deepest condolences go out to the Wekiva family after the sudden death of one of their players.

This Friday we're at the Beef's in Clermont spotlighting the South Lake County war... East Ridge vs. South Lake. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they close Groveland (South Lake) and Clermont (East Ridge) High Schools and now - here they are - back again...

Here's the first week of the Beef 'O' Brady's Top 25



RN      SCHOOL(FPV)                             CL      W-L     PTS
1        Tampa Plant(4)                          5A      1-0     261
2       Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer(4)             4A      0-1     259
3       Pensacola                               3A      1-0     258
4       Seffner Armwood                 4A      1-0     249
5       Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas(1)    5A      1-0     246
6       Miami Central(1)                        6A      0-1     232
7       Bradenton Manatee(1)                    5A      1-0     227
8       Tampa Jefferson                 3A      1-0     224
9       Miami Northwestern                      6A      1-0     223
10      Orlando Dr. Phillips                    6A      1-0     220
11      Cocoa                                   2A      2-0     197
12      Belle Glade Glades Central              2A      1-0     194
13      Lakeland                                5A      1-0     167
14      Miami Washington                        3A      1-0     135
15      Deland                                  6A      1-0     130
16      Apopka                          6A      1-0     116
17      Miramar                         6A      1-0     90
18      Jacksonville Bolles                     2B      1-0     81
19      St. Augustine                           3A      1-0     75
20      Tampa Robinson                  2A      1-0     70
21      Pompano Beach Ely                       5A      1-0     43
22      Hollywood Chaminade Prep                2B      0-1     34
23      Lakeland Kathleen                       4A      0-1     21
25T     Tallahassee Lincoln                     4A      0-1     18
25T     Jacksonville First Coast                        5A      1-0     18
 
Others receiving votes: 
North Marion (Citra) - 3A, 0-1, 17; Jax. Trinity Christian      - 1A, 1-0, 13; Mainland - 6A, 0-1, 12; Charlotte (Punta Gorda) - 4A, 1-0, 11; South Fort Myers - 3A, 1-0, 11; Boyd Anderson(Lauderdale Lakes) 5A, 1-0, 10; Countryside (Clearwater) - 5A, 1-0, 9; Niceville - 4A, 1-0, 9; Lake Wales - 3A, 1-0, 4; Olympia (Orlando) - 6A, 1-0, 3; Palm Bay (Melbourne) - 4A, 1-0, 2; Belen Jesuit (Miami) - 2B, 1-0, 2; Immokalee - 2A, 1-0, 1; Madison Co. (Madison) - 2A,1-0, 1; Miami Jackson - 3A, 1-0, 1

2010 schedule is released

2010-07-22T10:16:00.001-07:00

Ok sports fans - we're hitting the road for our 20th season in syndication.

here's where we are heading:

1 Sept. 3 Plant at Tampa Bay Tech
2 Sept. 10 East Ridge at South Lake
3 Sept. 17 Fort Myers Verot at LaBelle
4 Sept. 24 First Coast (Jax) at Sandalwood (Jax)
5 Oct. 1 Pine Forest (Pensacola) at Lincoln (Tally)
6 Oct. 8 Nease at Bartram Trail
7 Oct. 15 St. Thomas Aquinas at Miramar
8 Oct. 22 Astronaut at Cocoa
9 Oct. 29 Raines (Jax) at Santa Fe (Alachua)
10 Nov. 5 Daytona Mainland at Deland
11 Nov. 12 Live Oak Suwannee at Columbia

Round 3 predictions

2009-12-04T06:57:00.001-08:00

Well, if you want to get it right in 6A - just pick against me.

I was a pathetic 3-5 in 6A last week, and overall 31-17 for the week, 96-48 overall. Not one of my better years, but I did get 2B completely correct :-D

Here we go with round 3...(remember - pick against me!)

6A
Deland over Winter Park
Apopka over Treasure Coast
Miramar over Dr. Krop
South Dade upsets Central

5A
Lakeland over Fleming Island
Plant over Countryside
Manatee over Bayside
St. Thomas over Ely (but closer than most expect)

4A
Niceville over Lincoln (don't make the same mistake twice with Niceville)
Edgewater over Tarpon Springs
Armwood over Charlotte (guess I just lost my fishing trip with Silver King)
Dwyer over New Smyrna

3A
St. Augustine over Pensacola
North Marion over Jefferson
Lake Wales over Lehigh
Belen Jesuit over Westwood

2A
Cocoa over Godby (7-6 with a missed extra point - no wait - that was last year)
Glades Central over Robinson

2B
Bolles over Pensacola Catholic
Tampa Catholic over Chaminade Prep

1A
Trinity Christian over Freeport
Fort Meade over American Heritage (Delray)

1B
Warner Christian over Hawthorne
Glades Day over Out-of-Door

Well, that's it for me... our show comes to an end tonight... I (sadly) will not be attending this year's football championships.

Round two - after Turkey day

2009-11-27T09:07:00.000-08:00

Last week was affectionately called 'turkey week' ... picks were less than edible.

However, we'll try again to help you make sense of the 2009 state playoffs. Trust me, a 65-31 record is not much to brag about.

Alas, we will try again with this week's picks:

6A - (10-6 last week)
Mainland over Deland
Seminole over Winter Park
Apopka over Dr. Phillips
Treasure Coast over Boca Raton
Miramar over Plantation
Carol City over Dr. Krop
Northwestern over Central
Southridge over South Dade

5A - (11-5 last week)
Fleming Island over Seabreeze
Lakeland over Osceola
Plant over Alonso
Tampa Bay Tech over Countryside
Manatee over St. Petersburg
Bayside over Melbourne
Ely over Boyd Anderson
St. Thomas over South Broward

4A - (Hey - I went 12-4 here!)
Fort Walton Beach over Niceville (upset special)
Columbia over Lincoln
Gainesville over Tarpon Springs
Lake Gibson over Edgewater
Armwood over Largo
Charlotte over Cape Coral
New Smyrna Beach over Palm Bay
Dwyer over Stranahan

3A - (9-7 - so take that with a grain of salt)
Jackson over Pensacola
St. Augustine over Clay
North Marion over Vanguard
Jefferson over Lakewood
Lake Wales over Braden River
South Fort Myers over Lehigh
Merrit Island over Westwood
Washington over Belen Jesuit

2A - (6-2 last week)
Baker County over Godby
Cocoa over Astronaut
Robinson over Hardee
Glades Central over American Heritage (Plantation)

2B - (5-3 last week)
Pensacola Catholic over Florida High
Bolles over Trinity Catholic
Tampa Catholic over Lake Highland Prep
Chaminade Prep over North Broward Prep

1A - (6-2 last week)
Liberty County over Freeport
Trinity Christian over Melbourne Central Catholic
Fort Meade over Dixie County
American Heritage (Delray) over Calvary Christian

1B - (6-2 last week)
Hawthorne over Jefferson Co.
Warner Christian over Florida Air
Evangelical Christian over Out-of-Door
Jupiter Christian over Glades Day

So we pick a few upsets to shake things up. If I'm right, I look like a guru... if I'm wrong - what was I thinking.

Blame it on the turkey!

Post-season preview

2009-11-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

Well, the regular season is over - so it's time to take a look at the post-season.

Some interesting games abound, we'll be live from Apopka. One big story came earlier this week when Parkway was bounced from the playoffs. The FHSAA vacated the bracket and ruled Parkway used an ineligible player. Parkway - of course - can appeal, but it's not likely the decision will be reversed.

I took the time to make some picks for the first round. Some are based on my 'loyalties' (Sandalwood) and some are based on a gut feeling.

6A
Orange Park
Sandalwood
Seminole
Winter Park
Apopka
Olympia
Treasure Coast
Vero Beach
Deerfield Beach
Miramar
Everglades
Carol City
Northwestern
Central
South Dade
Southridge

5A
Seabreeze
Fleming Island
Oviedo
Lakeland
Plant
Newsome
Tampa Bay Tech
Countryside
Manatee
Venice
Bayside
Santaluces
West Boca
Ely
South Broward
St. Thomas Aquinas

4A
Pine Forest
Niceville
Lincoln
Columbia
Gainesville
Lake Weir
Edgewater
Lake Gibson
Armwood
Hillsborough
Charlotte
Cape Coral
New Smyrna
Palm Bay
Dwyer
PB Lakes

3A
Pensacola
Jackson
Clay
St. Augustine
North Marion
Dunnellon
Pasco
Jefferson
Winter Haven
Southeast
Riverdale
S. Fort Myers
Merritt Island
McCarthy
Miami Jackson
Washington

2A
Madison Co.
Godby
Astronaut
Cocoa
Jesuit
Robinson
American Heritage
Glades Central

2B
Florida Hi
Taylor Co.
Trinity Catholic
Bolles
Island Coast
Tampa Catholic
Pahokee
North Broward Prep

1A
Blountstown
Liberty Co.
Trinity Christian
NFC
Dixie Co.
Fort Meade
American Heritage

1B
LaFayette
Hawthorne
Warner Christian
Florida Air
Victory
Out-Of-Door
Jupiter Christian
Glades Day

Rivalry Week - and then some

2009-11-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

It's rivalry week. The end of the high school football regular season.

For several hundred teams, it's time to put the pads away after tonight. For a select group (96 to be exact) the season goes on next week. I know, I know - there are some bowl games - but for all pratical purposes, the season ends this week.

Some teams have something to prove. Maybe a shot a redemption or a shot at breaking a long-standing losing streak.

Others are hopeful that they can keep players healthy for the playoff run next week.

We'll take a look at four big rivalry games and discuss amongst yourselves...

LAKELAND VS. KATHLEEN - Wow what a game this would have been. Lakeland is 9-0 and Kathleen is 3-6 - on paper. The Red Devils are 9-0 on the field and feel that this is their one shot at redemption. A chance to tell the world - see, we belong!

Expect a standing-room only crowd for this one and the fireworks will be both on the field and after the game. Lakeland has dominated this series of late - and I don't see it changing. Emotions only carry you so far.

SEABREEZE VS. MAINLAND The Buccaneers are due for a mental letdown after a battle with Deland last week. Seabreeze is also heading to the post-season. Last year this was a great game between two playoff teams and the same is expected this year. I see Seabreeze edging out the Buccaneers.

MIAMI CENTRAL VS. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON Booker T. has a chance to run the trifecta, beating Jackson, Northwestern and Central all in the same season. Central, heading for the 6A post-season, wants to keep players healthy and take their shot at Northwestern in three weeks... however, the Rockets have too much firepower and there will be no undefeated teams in the Liberty City/Overtown area after Saturday night.

FORT MEADE AT FROSTPROOF - how about a little small-school love... just down the road from Lakeland/Kathleen, this orange grove rivalry is one to write home to momma about - unless she's cheering for the other team. Usually, this game features two playoff-bound opponents, but Frostproof was eliminated Monday in a three-way shootout. Jamelle Cornelius (head coach of Fort Meade) played in this game four times and is overly familiar with the rivalry. Frostproof gets a shot of redemption and stumps the Miners perfect season with a win at Farris Brannen Stadium.

TAMPA CATHOLIC AT TAMPA JESUIT This is where we are this Friday night. The two parochial schools in Tampa go head-to-head. Both teams are playoff bound, but the rivalry remains the same. Everything is on the line for this one, except a state title. I look for Catholic to pull out the win, but watch out for the Tigers... we'll be live at the Beef 'O' Brady's on N. Himes just down the road from Jesuit - so stop by and say 'hello'...

LAKE CITY-COLUMBIA VS. LIVE OAK SUWANNEE The 'Old Oaken Bucket' is on the line in this classic rivalry that dates back to 1912... If Columbia hadn't joined the Gateway Conference in the 70's, This would be the state's oldest, continuous Rivalry. Suwannee is playing for pride - nothing else. Columbia has a date with the post-season but don't think Craig Howard and the Tigers are going to overlook the 'Dogs. Columbia takes the Oaken Bucket.

PAHOKEE VS. GLADES CENTRAL Last year this game had to be moved to a Saturday during the day, and I think that's a great idea. It gives people around the Muck and the rest of Palm Beach County a chance to come see one of the all-time great border wars. Twelve miles separate these two communities and it could arguably be said that 'Titletown' is no longer Valdosta or Green Bay, but the Muck. Between Glades Day (6 titles) Glades Central (5) and Pahokee (5)... there's more hardware in these two towns than anywhere else in Florida. If only these two were undefeated... that's all that's missing. Pahokee takes the Muck Bowl this year...

Other big games to watch out for this week include:

COCOA AT BOLLES Two state champions collide in what could have been a playoff preview if Bolles had not dropped to 2B. Cocoa dropped from 3A to 2A and has a perfect 9-0 record. Bolles dropped from 2A to 2B and also is 9-0. Someone's got to lose this game... swami says - Bolles goes down.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS AT CYPRESS BAY - Oh what could have been. If the Lightning and Raiders had played last year, that would have been a battle. This game is more about the two coaching personalities. Mark Guandolo wanted a shot at St. Thomas when he was at Chaminade... but this Lightning team isn't last year's and St. Thomas Aquinas is on a mission. This one could get ugly in a hurry

Playoff Blog - part II - 2A-1B

2009-11-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

As we get ready to tee it up for high school football tonight, we continue to look at the playoff races in the smaller classifications.

One of the bigger games this weekend is an interesting 2A match up between Raines and Ribault in Jacksonville. The Northwest Classic is usually played at the Gator Bowl - but hasn't been there in several years since the inception of the Jaguars. Maybe it's because the Raines/Ribualt game might draw a bigger crowd.

Raines has won this game for the last seven years and Ribault coach Anthony Flynn wants the trophy to be moved to Ribault. This is a Saturday tilt - so if you're not doing anything on in the Jacksonville area - check this game out. Winner is the district champ, loser is the runner-up.

3-1A - Providence needs a win over defending 1A champ North Florida Christian to make it to the post-season. Eagles need a win to stay alive in defending their crown. This one's for all the marbles as Trinity Christian (Jax) has clinched the district crown. Can Clint Trickett and company get that much-wanted rematch with Trinity? They've got to get by the Stallions first.

Bishop Moore defeated Jones last night - so Bishop Moore is in as district champ and Frostproof is the runner-up.

OTHER GAMES OF NOTE - CLASS 2A

In 1-2A, Godby will take on Rickards. If the Cougars win, they're district champs... if not - there is a 3-way shootout for the title with Madison County.

Cocoa takes on Rockledge in the Bar-b-que Bowl with a playoff berth on the line. Roc
kledge must win to force a possible three-way tie with Astronaut. Otherwise, Cocoa is the district champ and Astronaut is the runner-up.

The state's oldest rivalry, Desoto and Hardee will match up for the title in 6-2A. The winner is the champ and the loser is the runner-up. Waiting in the wings for the loser is Robinson while the winner gets the winner of St. Pete Cathlolic/Tampa Jesuit.

Cardinal Gibbons takes on American Heritage Plantation in the battle for 8-2A. Winner is the district champ, loser is the runner-up.

Glades Central needs to beat Suncoast to win the district 7-2A, but that's a forgone conclusion.

In 2B, it looks like this:

1-2B - winner of the Pensacola Catholic/Chipley game is the champion. If Chipley loses, it's a three-way tie for second between Marianna, Chipley and Walton. Pensacola Catholic is in regardless.

2-2B - Taylor County wins the district with a victory over the Baby Noles from Florida High. If Florida High wins, then the 'Noles are the champs and Taylor Co. is the runner-up. Florida High holds the tie-breaker over Fort White in head-to-head.

3-2B - Bolles is in - Episcopal/West Nassau winner is the runner-up.

4-2B - Trinity Catholic wins the district with a victory over Mount Dora. A Hurricane win could create a three-way tie with Newberry (provided the Panthers win over Williston). A Williston win and a TC win creates a three-way tie for second with Newberry and Mount Dora.

5-2B - Tampa Catholic is the district champ - Lake Highland Prep is the runner-up.

6-2B - Winner of the Dunbar/Clewiston game is the district champ - loser falls into a three-way tie with Island Coast, provided the Gators knock off Labelle. If not, the loser is the runner-up.

7-2B - The standings show Pahokee at undefeated in the district, but there's speculation the Blue Devils may have to forfeit a district game. With that said, Pahokee needs to beat University to clinch the district championship. A loss to University puts Pahokee on the outside looking in and puts North Broward Prep as the district champ.

8-2B - Chaminade Madonna Prep is back on top and Gulliver Prep is battling Monsignor Pace for the runner-up spot. Should be a key game to watch from Opa-Locka.

Class 1A

1-1A - Freeport has won the district and South Walton is the runner-up.

2-1A - As it seems to always do - it comes down to the battle for the Apalachicola River. Blountstown and Liberty County go at it and if Blountstown can win, they're the district champ and Port St. Joe is the runner-up. If Liberty County wins, it's a three-way tie - provided Port St. Joe wins over rival Wewa...

4-1A - Melbourne Central Catholic is in - Crescent City is in with a win over John Carroll. If John Carroll wins, it's a possible three-way tie with Holy Trinity.

5-1A - Dixie County is the Champ and Wildwood needs a win over The Villages to claim the runner-up spot. If the Buffalo pull the upset and Hilliard beats Chiefland, it's a three-way tie.

6-1A - The Battlin' Miners of Fort Meade roll into Clearwater to take on the Central Catholic Maurauders. Should be a great game with Fort Meade clinching the district with a win. A CCC win, along with a Berkeley Prep win over Indian Rocks Christian creates a three-way tie for second. If Fort Meade and Berkeley Prep win, Fort Meade's the champ and Berkeley Prep is the runner-up.

7-1A - Calvary Christian takes on American Heritage-Delray for the title...loser is the runner-up.

8-1A - Parkway is the champ - Westminster Christian can gain the runner-up bid with a win over the Dolphins of Marathon. A Marathon win and a win by Dade Christian over Archbishop Curley creates a three-way tie.

Class 1B

1-1B - Jefferson County is the champ, and FAMU High needs a win over winless Rocky Bayou to clinch the runner-up spot.

2-1B - Hawthorne takes on Arlington Country Day for the district crown. If ACD wins, then it's a possible three-way tie with Lafayette, if Lafayette wins over St. John's Country Day.

3-1B - Warner Christian takes on Florida Air for the championship. Winner is the district champ, loser is the runner-up.

4-1B - Pine Castle is the champ and Agape Christian is the runner-up.

5-1B - Victory Christian is the champ, Admiral Farragut is the runner-up.

6-1B - Out-of-Door (Sarasota) is the champ, Evangelical Christian (Fort Myers) is the runner-up.

7-1B - Jupiter Christian is the champ, Glades Day is the runner-up.

8-1B - Macarthur North is the champ, Sheridan Hills Christian is the runner-up.

Don't forget to call in your scores tonight from 10 PM to midnight - 1-888-407-2673

Here are the scores from last night's action:

Fort Lauderdale Stranahan 46, Monarch 16
Fort Walton Beach 23, Mosley 6
Gainesville Buchholz 35, Middleburg 35
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna 42, Doral Academy 0
Melbourne Central Catholic 50, Heritage 10
Miami High 44, Coral Park 7
Miami Carol City 14, American 0
Miami Columbus 60, Ronald Reagan 0
Miami Dr. Krop 23, North Miami 10
Miami Northwestern 61, Miami Beach 0
Miami Palmer Trinity 42, Posnack 8
Miami Southridge 31, Coral Reef 14
Miami Sunset 35, Braddock 21
North Miami Beach 38, Goleman 8
Orlando Bishop Moore 23, Orlando Jones 0
Ormond Beach Calvary Christian 42, Lighthouse Christian 6
Palm Beach Gardens 29, Port St. Lucie West Centennial 21
Southwest Miami 46, Hialeah Gardens 21
St. Augustine St. Joseph 62, Florida School for the Deaf 6
Sunshine Ranches Archbishop McCarthy 42, Hallandale 6

Tuesday Morning Coffee - on Thursday

2009-11-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

The chill in the air makes the coffee taste better this morning. It's November and you can feel the football post-season in the air.

This Friday night we're at Daytona for the big game - Deland vs. Mainland. Is there anyone who plays a tougher schedule than Mainland? I don't think so.

Other big games around the state include NFC and Providence. If the Eagles are going to defend their 1A title, they've got to make the post-season. Trinity Christian wrapped up the district with a win over Providence Friday night.

Here's a look at some key games this weekend:

Desoto travels to Hardee - This is the state's oldest continuous rivalry and well worth the price of admission as the Dogs (Arcadia) take on the 'Cats (Hardee)... should be a great matchup with a district crown awaiting the winner.

Lake Gibson at Kathleen - Ok, so this one lost a little luster when Kathleen had to forfeit six games - and is appealing to the FHSAA (good luck with that)... but the Red Devils can salvage a chance to claim 'Lakeland City Champs' with a win over the Braves and then a win over the 'Naughts next week. Lake Gibson is 6-1 and ready to win the district title outright with a victory.

Fletcher at First Coast - Marty Lee told me his team was young, but the Buccaneers have a chance to win a district championship in 5A after three straight in 4A. Fletcher has a penchant for playing an easy schedule and this could come back to haunt the Senators - as First Coast has faced some very tough competition... Don't be deceived by the 26-3 loss to Andrew Jackson - Lee held out some starters from that game to save them for Middleburg and Fletcher. That being said, Jackson may be the best team in Jacksonville (public school - anyway).

Other games to watch:

Cypress Bay vs. Everglades - This one is a key game - point blank - for the playoffs. Winner is district champ, loser is runner up.

Gainesville vs. Lake Weir - This one is the game in North Central Florida. 16-2 is the record between these two teams.

Cape Coral vs. Ida Baker - Baker is five years old and playing for a district championship. Cape Coral is 8-0, Baker is 7-1... great game for Southwest Florida.

Bishop Kenny vs. Jackson - The Crusaders are 7-1 and Jackson is 8-0. Experience in big games goes to the Tigers - who have a stellar defense.

Nease vs. Clay - The Nease Panthers are getting healthy at the right time. Good news for Nease and bad news for Clay. The Blue Devils can win the district with a victory - otherwise, it could be a three-way tie between these two and Bartram Trail.

Hernando vs. Nature Coast - we all remember what happened after this game last year. The Sharks blew past the Leapords 34-3 and then had to vacate their district crown after a dispute on the field with South Lake. Now Nature Coast is trying to stay alive in the playoff race. A win by the Sharks creates a possible three-way tie with Crystal River. A loss gives Hernando the runner-up spot behind Dunnellon.

Land 'O Lakes vs. Mitchell - winner is district runner-up behind Pasco.

Lakewood vs. Spoto not bad for the four year school Spoto. A win puts them in the playoffs as the runner-up to Jefferson. A loss puts Lakewood in.

Southeast vs. Bayshore The 'Noles need a win to clinch the district. Bayshore needs a win to force a possible three-way tie with Braden River (provided the Pirates win over Lemon Bay).

Barron Collier vs. Lely - Experts agree this one kinda shocks us. The fact is - Naples is out of playoff contention. Well, here it is... If Lehigh wins over
Cypress Lake, AND Lely beats Barron Collier, Lehigh is champ and Lely is runner-up. If Barron Collier and Lehigh win, BC is the district champ and Lehigh is the runner-up. Unless... if Cypress Lake beats Lehigh, and Lely beats Barron Collier, then there's a three-way tie for second between Lehigh, Barron Collier and Naples. Confused yet?

We'll take a look at the smaller classes tomorrow... anyone have more coffee?

Week 9 - separation

2009-10-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

When I ran track, my coach would always talk about 'separation'. He told me that - as a distance runner, I had to keep the pace for three laps - then turn it on.

The separation would either demoralize the rest of the runners or force them to use more energy to catch me.

Now - that was a long time ago and about 150 pounds ago as well... but.

The same is true in this week's key district matchups.

Two jump out as 'must see' games...

The first, well, it's Venice and Manatee. After starting the season with an ugly loss to Oscar Smith on ESPN U, Venice has run roughshod through their schedule to get to this game at 7-1. Manatee has been struggling offensively and needs to put together a complete game to keep Trey Burton off the field. Burton is a three-year starter that's already verbally committed to Florida.

Manatee has struggled the last two weeks to put teams away, but has the offensive firepower to stay with Venice. This can't be a run-and-shoot game, because Venice thrives on short drives and quick scores.

The Indians' main weakness is its defense. A big lead against Charlotte two weeks ago almost disappeared in the late goings.

Another key district showdown is Bolles and Episcopal. Yes - that's right - Episcopal. The Eagles are quietly climbing into the playoff race and Bolles proved last week that they are just as human as the rest of us. Bolles lost a key player to injury (Brent Benedict) and faced a West Nassau team that was inspired and played toe-to-toe with the 'Dogs.

But that was last week. This week the 'Dogs return to Skinner Barco Stadium and face the Eagles, who had last week off. Look for Bolles to score early and often and try to put this game away. If not, Episcopal can stay with the 'Dogs and force Bolles to get physical.

By the way, Bolles will play Cocoa, the defending 3A champ (now 2A) Nov. 13. Too bad the Dogs dropped to 2B or this could be a state championship preview.

Cowboys looking for respect

Madison County is still stinging from their loss to Godby and defensively, they've shown that they can shut down just about anyone. Madison beat Rickards 21-0 last week to clinch at least a tie for a playoff berth and now hope the Raiders can stun Godby and force a three-way shootout. Otherwise, Madison's 10 year district championship streak is apparently over.

Air Dreadnaughts

Lakeland showed everyone that they're still one of the odds-on favorites in 5A north Friday, pounding Osceola into submission. Lakeland threw the ball at will on the Kowboys, which featured a defense that shut down Dr. Phillips and its passing game, but couldn't contain the one-two punch of the Dreadnaughts. The first two plays from scrimmage for Lakeland were a 70 yard bomb to McRoy and then a 55 yard bomb to Brewster.

Here we go with the stretch run

2009-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

We enter week 8 and very few things have changed.

St. Thomas Aquinas is still on top.

Everyone else seems to be chasing.

This week we've got some key matchups around the state that will go a long way towards determining who advances in the 2009 FHSAA playoffs.

First and foremost is our spotlight game - Kissimmee Osceola at Lakeland. The winner of this game has advanced to the State title game in 5A five years in a row - yep - five years in a row.

Osceola has played a killer schedule, including 6A powers Dr. Phillips and Mainland. Lakeland is - well, Lakeland. The 'Naughts have not dominated as years past, but did go to California and beat De LaSalle in overtime.

Thomas Bryant Stadium will be rocking as this one gets underway.

Some notes from last week:

Columbus still searches for a cure of the Bulls blues... The Explorers fell down 15-0 before a late rally closed the game to 15-13 and a failed two-point try would have tied it up. Credit Northwestern with coming out of the gauntlet with a 2-1 record.

Booker T. Washington survived their closest scare, defeating North Miami Beach 10-8.

Naples fell to Lely for the first time in a while, 12-6 and what's going on at Immokalee. The Indians haven't won since beating Naples.

Venice showed the world that they're peaking at just the right time and if Manatee doesn't get its offensive issues solved, Venice could take the district.

Sad news out of Connecticut as former Florida high school star Jasper Howard was stabbed to death after a UCONN game. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Just when you thought it was over, the Madison County Cowboys showed Lincoln that playing at Boot Hill still matters. Madco jumped out to a 31-7 lead over the Trojans and coasted to a 38-20 win one week after Godby stunned the 'Boys 21-14. Madison's district streak of 11 is in jeapordy after that loss.

Back at it - sorry for the week off

2009-10-13T07:49:00.001-07:00

OK - so I took a week off from the blogs... call it a 'fall break'

As an FSU fan, I'm in need of a break - literally.

Made my first trip to Crawfordville, FL in over 40 years. I last went to Wakulla Springs when I was but six years old. Bobby Bowden was still an assistant at Florida State then. Very nice atmosphere and great hospitality from the folks at Wakulla High School.

One thing I did notice is that Wakulla played two classes up. Yep - that's two classes up. They were originally supposed to be in 2A with Godby and Madison, and instead, moved up to 4A. The War Eagles are young and will be a force to reckon with in two years.

Lincoln, on the other hand, looks like they've put it together. After losing two key players early in the season, and their coach briefly, the Trojans are starting to get it offensively and should make a jaunt to the post-season. The Lincoln/Leon game is going to be one for the ages.

How about Godby's big win against Madison County. The Cowboys fell down 21-0 before a ferocious rally in the 4th and Godby had to hold on for dear life. This could be the first time since 1996 that Madison doesn't win the district - which is virtually unheard of - and I think - breaks a string of 12 straight titles...

Northwestern bounced back from a loss to Booker T. Washington and dropped the Central Rockets 22-14 in a game that could have been played May 1 (flag day). ESPN televised the game and wow - I think the refs had more tv time than the stars.

Speaking of Booker T - is anyone going to challenge the Tornados now that they've defeated Northwestern? Ah yes, there's that date with Miami Central on November 14.

My friend Larry Lastarza has it going on with his LAZ index. He's picking 80 percent - with a point spread to boot.

Manatee has averaged - yes, averaged - 36 points per game. Only Southeast has held the Hurricanes below 35 points. Don't forget we'll be at Hawkins Stadium for the Venice/Manatee game October 30. Speaking of Venice, the Indians have ripped off five wins in a row since losing to Nationally-ranked Oscar Smith (VA). Venice is averaging 36 points per game - so defenses will be tested. The Indians face off with Charlotte this week, another offensive juggernaut.

This year's Beef 'O' Brady's Top 25 has been consistent. The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders are the #1 team and everyone else is a distant #2 or better. I don't know who the #2 team is. It's a crap shoot between Glades Central, Lakeland, Manatee, Booker T. and Niceville.

Speaking of Niceville, the Eagles have legitimately the biggest beef of the them all in the rankings. They play a killer schedule (Lincoln, Godby, Pine Forest, Pace) and yet, get very little state-wide love.

Ok - I'm done for today - but we'll try to give you more later.

2009-10-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Talk, as they say - is cheap.

It's time to put up or shut up. St. Thomas Aquinas and Byrnes... it's finally here.

And I'm going to miss it.

Yep, I'm one of the few state-wide (and nation-wide) media members who will NOT be in attendance at Lockhart Stadium tomorrow.

Why?

I have a previous commitment.

I'll be at Armwood/Plant. I picked this game a long time ago and the folks at Armwood and Plant have always treated me to a great show - so I'm sticking with the original plan.

But I'll be watching.

An 8 PM kickoff allows me to watch the game at the Beefs in Seffner while doing the show (an ADD person's nightmare) but if I could manage the Lakeland/De LaSalle game last week - I can manage this one.

There are other 'big' games this week.

One is Saturday night at Traz Powell - as the Bulls of Northwestern take on Washington's Tornado attack.

My friend Larry Lastarza (LAZ Index) picks Washington to upset the Bulls.

Not going to happen Larry.

Northwestern has a date Thursday with Central - in what could go a long way to deciding who's going to represent 6A South this year. I'm not saying there aren't other teams out there - but Central and Northwestern are head and shoulders better than anyone else in districts 9-16.

Lincoln goes to Pine Forest - that's another big game for the Trojans. You saw former Lincoln standout quarterback BJ Daniels do to Florida State what he did to several teams throughout his prep career - make people miss.

Other games to watch include Madison County taking on Columbia in a battle of unbeatens. Craig Howard has 'righted' the Tigers' ship after a dismal 4-6 campaign last year and has a 3-0-1 record. Madison is young, but still - well - it's the Cowboys.

This year's battle for the Bone (Seminole and Deland) features a great matchup. Deland's offense vs. Seminole's defense.

Several big games, but the tv cameras will be on Lockhart for a few hours... if you're interested in going to the game - visit the St. Thomas Aquinas website for ticket information.

It's Friday! time for some football

2009-09-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so once again - Friday has arrived.

What's the big game this week? I know that next week has a plethora of great games (Armwood/Plant, St. Thomas/Byrnes)... but what's the game that has the buzz that everyone wants to talk about or attend.

My friend Michael Langston of Florida Varsity is attending the Leon/Madison game at Leon. Yes, at Leon.

Bill Ragans wanted to give his kids a special treat, so the Lions are going to play a 'home game' at Leon High School. It would be great for Tallahassee schools to have their own stadiums... can you imagine how tough Lincoln, Godby or Leon would be if they played an actual home game?

Speaking of home games - how about St. Thomas Aquinas giving up home field advantage to play at Lockhart Stadium. Yes, St. Thomas plays games at Lockhart - but Brian Piccolo Stadium is where the Raiders are virutally unbeatable. Kudos to George Smith and the gang for choosing to accomodate a big crowd for the double-header.

Naples continues to get bad news. Two weeks ago it was the flu - now their starting quarterback is out for the season. Bill Kramer's boys want to just "focus on who they have and go from there". Reminds me of the line from Hoosiers - "I would hope that you would cheer for who we are - not who we are not"...

What was Central thinking last night - throwing with a 62-14 lead over Springs... Puullleeezee! This isn't the NCAA - we have a playoff in high school football. You don't need to impress the voters. It's plays like that which lead to kids getting hurt.

Watching Stephen Garcia run the Gamecock offense last night reminded me of his high school career. Take what the defense gives you. South Carolina will be better than most people think when they play the Gators.

Great quote by Miami QB Jacory Harris "I'm still learning this game and want to eliminate the mistakes that I'm making... I've not played the perfect game yet"... this kid is a winner and we all got a chance to see that at South Lake Carroll in 2007.

Here's the scores from last night's action - courtesy of Larry Blustein and the Miami Herald.

Davie University 49, Inlet Grove 6
Deland 42, Spruce Creek 0
Doral Ronald Reagan 22, Braddock 17
Fort Lauderdale Dillard 38, Douglas 28
Fort Myers Riverdale 35, Mariner 2
Hollywood McArthur 28, Flanagan 14
Miami Central 70, Miami Springs 24
Miami Columbus 36, Miami High 0
North Miami Beach 16, American 0
Orlando Jones 12, Gainesville Eastside 7
Palatka Peniel Baptist 14, St. Augustine Florida Deaf 6 (OT)
Port St. Lucie West Centennial 35, Fort Pierce Central 7
South Miami 35, Coral Park 7
Village Academy 38, Hillel 7

Tonight we're live from the Beef 'O' Brady's in Satellite Beach as the Scorpions take on Rockledge...

2009-09-24T08:15:00.001-07:00

Through three weeks of football, very little has surprised me.

Except the obvious...

It's been pretty status quo - until Pahokee fell apart at home against Dwyer, and lost 34-6... when's the last time Pahokee was beaten by 28 points? Wow - you have to go back quite a ways to find it.

Going back to 2002 - the Blue Devils were manhandled by Clewiston 35-14, but in the state of Florida, that's the worst defeat I can find in over eight years... Byrnes beat the Blue Devils 38-12, but that game was right after Pahokee lost a player and this game was at Pahokee.

Speculation about the Top 25 and arugments about who is the overall best team are pretty solid. We pretty much all agree that St. Thomas Aquinas is the team to beat but Miami Northwestern or Miami Central may be able to shake loose some of those votes - depending on who wins that matchup on October 8.

One of the biggest improvements this season is - well, my alma mater - Sandalwood. The Saints were 1-9 last year and are off to a 3-0 start. Sandalwood has a four game winning streak going. Adam Geis returned to the head coaching position after budget cuts forced Bob Withrow out after only one season.

Plant will likley regain the services of starting quarterback Phillip Ely this week, but don't look for the Panthers to tip their hand too much this week. next week, however, the Panthers take on #6 Armwood.

Andrew Jackson sent a very loud message to the world - beating a very good Godby team 13-7 to stay undefeatd.

Here's a look at the latest Beef 'O' Brady's Top 25...


1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) (10) 5A 2-0 250
2. Miami Northwestern 6A 2-0 239
3. Miami Central 6A 3-0 231
4. Glades Central (Belle Glade) 2A 3-0 217
5. Bolles (Jacksonville) 2B 2-0 204
6. Armwood (Seffner) 4A 2-0 203
7. Lakeland 5A 3-0 192
8. Manatee (Bradenton) 5A 3-0 173
9. Booker T. Washington (Miami) 3A 3-0 160
10. Niceville 4A 2-0 158
11. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) 4A 2-1 152
12. Charlotte (Punta Gorda) 4A 3-0 144
13. Dr. Phillips (Orlando) 6A 3-0 125
14. St. Augustine 3A 3-0 122
15. Pahokee 2B 2-1 111
16. Apopka 6A 3-0 99
17. Mainland (Daytona Beach) 6A 2-1 80
18. Columbus (Miami) 6A 3-0 76
19. Tampa Bay Tech 5A 1-1 54
20. Jackson (Jacksonville) 3A 3-0 50
21. North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) 1A 2-0 45
22. Plant (Tampa) 5A 1-1 38
23. Madison County 2A 2-0 28
24. Tampa Catholic 2B 2-0 27
25. Miramar 6A 2-0 15

Others receiving votes
Largo 4A 3-0 13; Monsignor Pace (Miami) 2B 1-1 7; Jefferson (Tampa) 3A 2-1 6; Venice 5A 2-1 6; Barron Collier (Naples) 3A 3-0 5; Hillsborough (Tampa) 4A 1-1 5; Plantation 6A 2-0 5; Cocoa 2A 2-0 3; Frostproof 2B 3-0 1; Osceola (Kissimmee) 5A 1-2 2

Just talked to Rash Ghazi of Paragon. He's excited about the double-header at Lockhart next week. Get your tickets NOW. St. Thomas Aqinas vs. Byrnes at 8 PM on ESPNU... before that - Deerfeild Beach takes on St. Cloud. Tickets are $12 and are available at St. Thomas Aquinas and at www.ticketweb.com.

2009-09-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Two reasons why I hate Thursday night football games for high school:

1 - it really hurts the crowd and the gate, which most schools depend on. But in Miami it's even a bigger challenge with the fact that only five high school stadiums are used by over 50 high schools ... so with this week's Jewish New Year celebration falling today at sundown - several schools played Wednesday and Thursday.

Here's this week's scoreboard and we'll be live from Tampa tonight as we show a little small school love. Turning the spotlight on Tampa Catholic (#3 in 2B), Trinity Catholic is the defending 2B north champ and has only a loss to 4A Gainesville.

Join us live from the Beefs at 2819 S. MacDill Ave. in Tampa...

Here's your week 3 scoreboard thus far.

WEDNESDAY
Miami Central 63, Miami Beach 0
Miami Christopher Columbus 26, Homestead South Dade 22
North Miami Beach 24, Miami Edison 7

THURSDAY
Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 23, East Lee 20
Brandon 21, Plant City 12
Cape Coral 25, North Fort Myers 20
Cape Coral Ida Baker 20, Island Coast 3
Clearwater 9, Northeast 7
Clearwater Countryside 52, Seminole Osceola 17
Coconut Creek North Broward Prep 21, Spruce Creek 0
Coral Springs 21, Piper 12
Davie University School 25, Coral Springs Charter 0
Delray Beach Atlantic 33, Boyton Beach 0
Englewood Lemon Bay 56, Estero 35
Fort Lauderdale 28, Nova 14
Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian 35, St. Andrew's 13
Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest 43, LaSalle 37
Fort Myers Dunbar 31, Fort Myers 7
Fort Myers Riverdale 30, Lehigh 7
Hialeah Miami Lakes, 40, Westland Hialeah 0
Hollywood Hills 23, Flanagan 18
Hollywood South Broward 21, Parkland Douglas 10
Lake Worth Park Vista 55, Spanish River 0
Largo 42, St. Petersburg Gibbs 32
Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson 24, Coconut Creek 7
Loxahatchee Seminole Ridge 23, Jupiter 3
Melbourne Florida Air Academy 40, Trinity Prep 13
Miami Belen Jesuit 27, Gulliver 19
Miami Booker T. Washington 54, North Miami 0
Miami Jackson 25, Norland 25
Miami Killian 38, South Miami 14
Miami Northwestern 42, Hialeah 20
Miami Southridge 42, Varela 8
Miami Sunset 28, Miami High 13
Oakland Park Northeast 8, Dillard 2
Orlando Lake Highland Prep 26, Tampa Berkeley Prep 0
Palm Beach Central 10, Inlet grove 7
Pembroke Pines Charter 40, Pompano Beach 0
Pembroke Pines West Broward 7, Coral Glades 6
Pinellas Park 21, Dunedin 7
Pompano Beach Ely 46, Taravella 21
Riverview 34, Lennard 12
Seffner Armwood 9, Tampa Bay Tech 6
South Plantation 41, Hallandale 6
St. Petersburg 52, Dixie Hollins 0
St. Petersburg Lakewood 34, Boca Ciego 14
Stuart Martin Couty 26, Eau Gallie 7
Stuart South Fork 33, Okeechobee 0
Palm Beach Lakes 28, Suncoast 0
Punta Gorda Charlotte 41 Mariner 7
Tallahassee Lincoln 16, Florida High 6
Tampa Alonso 35, Newsome 10
Tampa Gaither 15, Wharton 14 (OT)
Tampa Hillsborough 47, Chamberlain 0
Tampa Jesuit 24, Durant 0
Tampa Leto 22, Bloomingdale 15
Tampa Middleton 26, Blake 14
Tampa Plant 46, Jefferson 13
Tampa Robinson 30, King 24 (OT)
Tampa Spoto 42, East Bay 0
Tarpon Springs East Lake 13, Tarpon Springs 3
Wellington 21, Lantana Santaluces 15

Week 2 upsets

2009-09-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Week 2 is pretty much in the books and we're already starting to see some shifting in the Beef 'O' Brady's Top 25.

While the top 8 or 9 teams show no signs for weakness - the 10-25 spots are pretty much up for grabs.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is Dr. Phillips. How no one ranked them in their Top 25 (Florida Varsity, Friday Night Football) is beyond me now. I have to admit that Austin Lyon from the Orlando Sentinel tipped me off on the Panthers.

They went to Kissimmee and downed the Kowboys in a monsoon 9-0.

Other early surprises include Plant starting 0-1 and Hillsborough starting 0-1. Those two play at 4 PM on Saturday and the scary thing is - one of them will be 0-2.

Naples took it on the chin - again - AT Immokalee. Bill Kramer's boys lost 25-24. Also losing (shockingly so) is First Coast. This is a very talented team that's off to an 0-2 start after losing to Camden County (GA) in the last seconds.

Speaking of Camden County - the 'Cats are off to a 1-2 start and were two plays away from being 0-3... wow.

St. Thomas, Pahokee, Northwestern, Miami Central and Glades Central continue to shine and the good thing is - four of the five will meet each other somewhere down the road in the season. St. Thomas will be tested October 2 against Byrnes (SC) on national TV. Kudos to the Raiders for moving the game to Lockhart - which seats 20,000 as opposed to Piccolo Stadium - which is a great facility - but can't handle the crowd that might be expected.

Mainland, Lincoln and Godby bounced back from season-opening losses - and wow did Godby bounce back - blasting by Pace 48-28.

Niceville showed us that they are the team to reckon with in the panhandle, blowing by rival Choctawhatchee 49-0.

Friday night I got the chance to see three very good football players - Tyler Krider from Lake Brantley put on a one-man show and led the Patriots by Oviedo 34-29 - despite the dynamic duo attack of QB Blake Bortles and RB Stu Butler. Bortles and Butler were quite the tandem - and led Oviedo to a 29-21 lead late - but the Patriots rallied and pulled it out to keep from going 0-2.

And I have to give props to my Sandalwood Saints - off to a 2-0 start after a thrilling 14-13 win over rival Fletcher.

Week one thoughts...

2009-09-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we found out that Miami Central is legitimate, Glades Central is dangerous and Tampa Bay Tech is resurgent.

Several thoughts come to mind after the first week of high school football, but I'm dealing with lack of sleep after attending the Florida State/Miami showdown.

Watching Jacory Harris pick apart FSU's secondary brought back memories of Southlake Carroll (2007) and Lake Brantley (2006)... Harris showed us why he was Mr. Football and could lead Miami back to the promised land relatively quickly.

Tampa Bay Tech showed us that the game isn't over until the clock reads :00... the Titans rallied from 16 down to win over Plant 32-30 at Dad's Stadium... Take heart Plant faithful, the last time the defending 4A champ from Tampa lost a season opener - they won the title (Armwood 2005 - lost to Hillsborough 21-20 and won the title). Plant was playing without its starting quarterback and seemingly had the game under control.

Miami Central went to Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach and left absolutely no doubt that the Rockets were firing - winning 34-3 in a game that wasn't that close. That October 8 game with Northwestern is getting bigger by the moment.

Glades Central flexed its muscle late in the first half and took a blocked field goal and a two-point conversion to the house to take an 8-7 lead over Dwyer - then dominated the second half to win.

Pahokee is - well - Pahokee. The Blue Devils opened Anquan Boldin Stadium with a 13-6 win over Atlantic and look to be primed for another run at the 2B title.

Niceville survived Lincoln 41-34 but one has to wonder where the game would have ended up if Lincoln's star running back Buck Allen doesn't suffer a broken leg. Not that Niceville isn't that good, but Lincoln sorely missed Allen.

St. Augustine and North Marion got together for their annual clash - and it was just that - a great clash! Overtime and a 34-33 win by the Yellow Jackets when the Colts go for 2....

More news and notes coming later...

It's On!

2009-09-04T05:54:00.001-07:00

In the words of that airline commercial - It's on!

Week 1 is upon us an already some great games have happened.

Niceville used a 32 yard run by Roy Finch on fourth down late in the game to snatch a 41-34 offensive slugfest with Tallahassee Lincoln. Sadly, running back Javorious Allen left the game with an early diagnosis of a broken femur. Lincoln quarterback Evan Brigman who threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Niceville was led by QB Kyle McDorman - who threw for 187 yards and four touchdowns.

Gainesville defeated Ocala Trinity Catholic 35-17 which shocked a few experts who picked Trinity Catholic to roll over the Purple Hurricanes.

Other scores from around the state - courtesy of the Miami Herald...

WEDNESDAY
Miami Reagan 34, Hialeah Gardens 0
Miami Varela 26, South Miami 14

THURSDAYDaytona Beach Seabreeze 40, Port Orange Spruce Creek 7
Deerfield Beach 42, Coconut Creek 30
Gonzalez Tate 38, Pensacola Washington 7
Hialeah 22, American 7
Hollywood South Broward 27
Hallandale 0
Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 32, Coral Springs Taravella 14
Lantana Santaluces 19, Spanish River 0
Miami Country Day 15, McArthur North 14
Miami Dr. Krop 21, Edison 14
Miami Ferguson 14, Coral Reef 7
Miami Senior 28, Braddock 7
Miami Beach Hillel at Sheridan Hills, PPD.
Ocala St. Johns 34, St. Augustine Florida Deaf 0
Parkland Douglas 49, Monarch 25
Pensacola Escambia 46, Springfield Rutherford 7
Royal Palm Beach 21, Palm Beach Central 14
Southwest Miami 52, Coral Park 16
Vanguard 32, Posnack 6

We'll be live from the Beef 'O' Brady's in Palatka tonight with the premier of the Beef 'O' Brady's High School Football Scoreboard - for the 20th year!

You can join us at 888-407-2673 or give a listen at one of these stations:

WBOB –AM 1320-Jacksonville
WBOB-FM 103.7 Jacksonville BeachWOKC-AM -1570- Okeechobee
WGGG-AM- 1230 -Gainesville
WMOP-AM-900-Ocala
WIYD-AM-1260-Palatka
WHOO -AM 1080-Kissimmee
WCJX-FM-106.5- Lake City
WQHL-FM-98.1-Live Oak
WQHL-AM-1250-Live Oak
WMAF-AM-1230-Madison
WWBF-AM-1130-Bartow
WIXC-AM-1060 –Melbourne
WZZS-FM-106.9- Zolfo Springs
WAKU-FM 94.1 - Tallahassee
WNDB-AM-1150-Daytona Beach
WWBA-AM-1040- Tampa
WFJV-FM-107.5-Crystal River
WRLE-FM 94.9 - Dunnellon
WSWN-AM-900- Belle Glade
WLKF-AM-1410-Lakeland
WEFL-AM 760 – West Palm Beach
WHBO-AM-1470- Clearwater
WCNZ – AM 1620 – Naples
WMYR-AM 1410 – Fort Myers
WNZF-AM 1550 – Bunnell
WNZF-FM 106.3 – Palm Coast/St. Augustine
WWPR-AM 1490 - Bradenton
WWJB-AM 1450 – Brooksville
WAMT-AM 1190 - Orlando

or on the net at www.floridacast.com

It's time to tee it up and kick it off

2009-08-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

Week one of high school football is right around the corner, but for Venice and St. Thomas Aquinas, the season has already started.

The Raiders looked - well - just like last year. St. Thomas defeated Upper Arlington (OH) 52-7 in a game that wasn't even that close. I got a call from a friend who asked 'is St. Thomas that good or is Upper Arlington that bad'... both - I replied.

Venice didn't fair as well as Trey Burton matched up his Indian squad against Oscar Smith (VA) in a nationally televised game on Friday night. Burton had problems with the weather and the pass protection. One commentator said he 'runs like Tebow' but needs to work on his passing attack. I wonder if he meant he 'runs like Tebow' did in Tebow's senior season at Nease.

Burton will be hard-pressed to match last year's success run and I had some thoughts that Venice would give St. Thomas Aquinas a run for their money. Don't think that is going to happen, but watch out for Manatee. Joe Kinnan and the boys at Bradenton Manatee are ready for another shot at redemption and mark the Venice/Manatee game as a 'must-see'.

Meanwhile, Byrnes (SC) rolled over Central Gwinnett to start off the season 1-0. Byrnes will come to Brian Piccolo Stadium and play the Raiders later this year - that's a definite must-see event. This will be the first time that #1 and #2 have faced each other IN FLORIDA. Remember that Northwestern went to SMU and dismantled Southlake Carroll before over 35,000.

I don't think they'll draw over 35,000 for the STA/Byrnes game, but one has to wonder if they could - if there were a venue similar to SMU.

On that note, the only venue that would even be close - Lockhart Stadium - has a date with the wrecking ball after the 2010 football season. It's very sad to see Lockhart go.

Yusif Shakir's debut at Lincoln was short-lived. The first-year coach has been suspended from all football duties after a DUI arrest Saturday night in Tallahassee. Offensive coordinator and QB coach Mike Zatoris will take over the helm for the Trojans.

Kyle Rice, who led Lincoln to four straight playoff appearances after Dave Wilson retired - kicks off his season at Palatka this Friday. The Panthers host Bartram Trail and we'll be live from the Beef's in Palatka.

I'll have more for you as the week progresses, including the release of the pre-season Beef 'O' Brady's Top 25.

Ah Two-a-days' - how I missed you

2009-08-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

it's August 10 and the two-a-days have started in the hot August sun.

Boy does this bring back memories...

Yes, I know - I'm old... I remember salt pills and water and that was it. No Gatorade, no UnderArmor or Nike gear.

I remember coach Podany at Arlington Jr. High in Jacksonville running us until we puked.

And I remember thinking 'why am I here'...

ST. THOMAS OFF TO OHIO...

The Raiders will play in the Herbstreet Classic in Ohio after the Texas event fell through. For St. Thomas Aquinas, they start the season ranked #1 in almost everyone's poll. Even MaxPreps - which is traditionally skewed to Texas - recognizes that Florida is indeed king this year.

The Raiders will open the season in the big horseshoe - Ohio State University's stadium. They have a rough matchup scheduled for October 2 when Byrnes, SC comes a calling. No Florida team (yet) has beaten Byrnes, but Byrnes has yet to cross the St. Mary's River to get to Florida.

TAKING THE WEEKEND OFF...

We will not be doing a preview show - per se - this year. Although talks are under way with Michael Langston, Larry Blustein, Corey Long and myself to create a preview show and possibly a weekly preview show. We'll keep you posted.

TWEETING AWAY

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