Why is Jax Mandarin not a powerhouse?

[Pipe Dreams]

I played through Pop Warner at my local program, which is among the best in the state and has a good connection to the HS program. I played for one team for 8 years.

Mandarin is a powerhouse at the youth level and they always play my local program tough. They have national titles, they are nationally known... Mandarin is, overall, better than any Central Florida program. Dr. Phillips and Apopka are the only programs that come close.

One thing about APK and DP is different - the talent flows into the high school and there is already pride in playing for the community, the town, the program... the Blue Darter, the Panther.

A huge mystery to me for years has been.... Why is this not the case at Mandarin? They are a sleeping giant in my opinion. No disprespect to the program - they do well overall - but what is the missing link?

(side note: I lost to Lakeshore in Pop Warner in 1999 and 2000. guess who their QB was???)

 

[blackpopsicle]

That program has taken some huge hits in the past few years. JD Hall had it rising, and his sad passing threw it into the ditch for a while.

At that point, they were raided by several SJCounty schools, and their talent level went way down. Jacksonville has historically been a recruiting area and I believe that the county AD just didn't feel like fooling with it. As I can remember, no one has ever has done a thing in response to BLATANT recruiting by the publics and as we know the private schools are what they are.

After Hall, they had a coach that ran spread without the proper talent, then got fired for dating a recent graduate and sending a video that the mom intercepted and well, you know how parents can be.

Since then, the new coach is doing a fine job, the right way, but rebuilding a program now, when the recruiting deal is pretty much 'anything goes', is difficult, especially if you aren't one of the schools in town that gets to use special assignments.

 

[Sayitdontsprayit]

Mandarin is what it is for a few reasons. The opening of Atlantic Cost HS split a larger area that those pop warner kids come from. The principal there could care less if they even have a football team. Due to the coaching turnover there kids have been plucked to other strong programs in the area. Bartram Trail capitalized big time when the above mentioned coach was let go by picking up two major D1 players which sprung BT to a final 4 clash with Armwood that year. But they ran into the Matt Jones train.

 

[Sayitdontsprayit]

After Hall, they had a coach that ran spread without the proper talent,

These type of comments are funny to me. This coach actually came from Olympia and took over Mandarin who had just come off a 1-9 season after the passing of the JD Hall. He did nothing but go 7-3 and had the team playing in the 3 team shootout for a shot at the playoffs where they lost to Deland in overtime. They took First Coast to the 4th quarter. Took state power Jackson to the 4th quarter and lost to Deland on the road by 1 point.

I just don't understand how you can say he ran the wrong system???? Shots at coaches and their style of coaching are often times so ridiculous on these boards.. Like what coach looks at his talent and says you know what I want to purposely stink so I will run a system that I don't have the talent for. So it's only the right system if they win state? Well the coach after JD Hall passed went 1-9 with the same talent then new coach runs spread and goes 7-3 and it's the wrong system.. HMM

Coach bashing gotta love it....

 

[Neutral 0bserver]

blackpopsicle should be here in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ...

 

[redfishron]

I thought Pop was kind of gentle, considering.

Anybody catch that?

 

[blackpopsicle]

Coach Bashing? Did I say anything about the video? The weak a$$ed district, the 7 wins against 3a and below teams? That would have been bashing.

His run game was suspect, OL couldn't block 1on1 when it counted, he had a middling QB, and decent receivers.
That's not the personnel to run spread IMO. Bashing? He's been bashed way worse than this.

 

[Sayitdontsprayit]

Ahhh ok, that's what I thought. It's personal. I got ya there blackpopsicle... So you didn't get the job over him or he didn't hire you for a position or you sat the bench. Thanks for clearing it up. Haters gonna hate.

 

[blackpopsicle]

Ahhh ok, that's what I thought. It's personal. I got ya there blackpopsicle... So you didn't get the job over him or he didn't hire you for a position or you sat the bench. Thanks for clearing it up. Haters gonna hate.

Dang, Optimist Spit-take. That's a huge jump in logic, one that would lead others to think you got me all fuc&ed up like some kinna slap dick coaching decepticon.
#1, I just said he was running spread when he should have been running down, down kick cause that's what his talent level would have called for. No vendetta, just opinion. Troll technique is weak, geek.
#2, Personal? My team whooped that ass, proper, son. AND got $1500 for running across town and running inside zone cause Coach Spreademnshredem was new to town and thought he could pad his record against 3a Jackson.
#3, Couldn't get hired where? At fooooooooooogling Mandarin? When your boy left they would have hired John Wayne Gacy JUST TO UPGRADE THE CURRENT PR.

Spit-take,please, know who the foooooooog you are trolling before you bring that weaka$$ed goat kibble up in

MY HOUSE.

 

[redwolfbait]

Gimme two claps and a Ric Flair! Whooooooooooooooo!

Jason, you better take a break, son.

 

[Sayitdontsprayit]

LOL You mad bro? I played for coach. Great coach and great guy. I go down and talk to his team now once or twice a year. He is a spread guy. Coaches run what they believe in. IE Chip Kelly. You probably think Chip is a racist right? Or he shouldn't run spread with Bradford?

As an aspiring head coach myself I believe there is no special scheme. At the end of the day all schemes have to be executed to succeed. If there were a magical offense or defense everyone would run it. I took exception to what you said because I am from there and I played there and I loved coach.

The principal did coach wrong bro. He did nothing wrong and that was proven, look it up. IE he still coaches. But if you read my original post on this thread I didn't say anything about you calling out his personal life. I took exception to you saying he shouldn't have run spread. I thought this was a football board not facebook.

I remember playing ya'll boys that year and it wasn't no beat down. If I remember right you scored on a 4th and goal right before half time to take the lead?? I think you were getting shutout up to that point.... Score at half was like 7-3 or 14-3.... I don't remember the details but I know it wasn't no beat down. But didn't you guys go 11-1 that year ranked top 5 in the state?? So how exactly did we schedule down by playing you guys?? It did help us get better though so thanks.

 

[blackpopsicle]

He got done wrong by the girls parents and the media. I bet he knew that he was doing on that count carried risk, if he didn't he sure knows it now.

Like I said, serving up an opinion about scheme is talking football, not coach bashing.

Hey, you played for him. That makes it a whole lot more personal for you than for me.

 

[jambun82]

Blackposicle, there seems to be some problems in Duval County right now relating to High School Football. I am not sure if you coach in Duval or not, but do you know about some of these problems? I don't want get too specific, but I was wondering if you knew what I was referring too? Thank you.

 

[redwolfbait]

What did he say?

 

[blackpopsicle]

Blackposicle, there seems to be some problems in Duval County right now relating to High School Football. I am not sure if you coach in Duval or not, but do you know about some of these problems? I don't want get too specific, but I was wondering if you knew what I was referring too? Thank you.

Always problems. Going to give me a hint? Seriously, Moon, I often don't get your posts. You may be retired, but you stay busy.

 

[jambun82]

Retired? I can only wish I was retired. I was referring to something that I am not comfortable discussing on the message board. The Coaching Staffs and Athletic Directors of Duval County would know what I mean. Thank you anyway, and all the best to you and your team this season.

 

[Phac Nam]

Duval County public schools may be the toughest place to coach in the state...I'm sure others have differing opinions and I'd be happy to hear them. Someone said it earlier in this thread and I think it applies across the board...90% of Duval County public schools would be just fine with the idea of not even fielding a team.

 

[jambun82]

Phac Nam, I have heard statements very similar to what you just described many times over the years. Many good football coaches have left the county to coach elsewhere over the years, and it is a shame that this seems to be a reality.

 

[Phac Nam]

Rudderless ships tend to run aground at every turn. Speaking of the suits/pant suits downtown, not the men who wear whistles.

 

[redfishron]

Phac Nam, I have heard statements very similar to what you just described many times over the years. Many good football coaches have left the county to coach elsewhere over the years, and it is a shame that this seems to be a reality.

Hey, watch your dang language Jambone. This is a family board.