Looks like the old crew is getting back together once again...Congrats Derren Bryan and the other assistants that are coming back!!
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Many here in Hardee are thrilled about this exciting news! Derren Bryan was previously Hardee's head football coach from 2000-2006, he has the highest winning percentage of any head coach in the entire history of Hardee's football program, he also has the second most overall wins of any head coach in our program's history, only Bob Martin (1978-1995) has more overall wins than Derren Bryan. Hardee is one of the oldest high school football programs in the entire state, Hardee first started playing football in 1909 (when we were known as Wauchula HS back then) and has been playing DeSoto continuously every single year since 1921 which was recognized as Florida's oldest continuous high school football rivalry back in 1984 by both Governor Bob Graham and the FHSAA, so having the highest winning percentage of any head coach and the second most overall wins of any head coach in the long history of Hardee's football program shows how great of a coach Derren Bryan is.Can we expect regular reports on the spring practices, and regular season games?
Whenever he stepped away in Dec 2006 or Jan 2007 he went to work at a well know local insurance group here. I believe he was their Information Tech guru and I know he had originally helped setup an athletic foundation for all local sports. He didn't entirely quit coaching he helped at the junior high level.Happy for you. What's he been or where has he been since? Because today's high school football athlete in the era of free agency and government intervention, with NIL looming large in high school, is a different breed.
That sounds great, two great old programs coming back. Again happy for you and hope they get it rolling like the old days.Whenever he stepped away in Dec 2006 or Jan 2007 he went to work at a well know local insurance group here. I believe he was their Information Tech guru and I know he had originally helped setup an athletic foundation for all local sports. He didn't entirely quit coaching he helped at the junior high level.
I recall reading the Tampa Tribune's Heartland paper the day he resigned and it was published in the paper he said "I am young enough to come back someday". He kept that promise.
I talked with his old DC and he said he's going to give it a shot once again and come back. Hopefully Jake comes back (if he hasn't already, I thought I seen him out there cannot remember) as Dale and Steve are still there..
They all been in the loop the whole time just in the background and lower levels.
Now if only Desoto can get back into shape & straighten out it may get fun once again. I miss the fun of those days.
Let's see what happens...
I wish Desoto was coming back but I was HOPING they would. Believe it or not Desoto chose a person who has a losing record (from what I was told) vs one of their own who has supported, who has done great work for Desoto, who has voluteered much of his own time over the past 20+ years. There comes a point when a county like Desoto needs to choose one of their own instead of going outside. The man was HC for Desoto basketball and helped Coached football for the longest decades.That sounds great, two great old programs coming back. Again happy for you and hope they get it rolling like the old days.
There has been some great games between SE and Hardee!! The best one I've seen was early 2000s. That was the hardest game between the two teams and I believe that was the year SE won state. It was a very close game all the way through and you would think you were watching the State Championship the way both teams were playing. It was an all defensive game which you don't see much anymore.I remember going to a 1977 Southeast vs Hardee game, I went primarily because Southeast had a player that was Bo Jackson before there was a Bo jackson....His name was Zontina Jackson......He was built like a brick chit house, before weight rooms were a thing. Played RB and LB for Southeast. Coach Maechtle was just a DC and Southeast was coached by Woody Woodward. Zontina had his typical game but Hardee won the game......Hardee back then was always a tuff game. I believe when I was even younger being taken to a few Palmetto/Hardee games as well.
If memory serves me right, that Southeast team lost 3 games that year.....Hardee, Venice and St Pete Catholic...(which I believe had Marty Lyons on that team)...was a pretty good SE team all in all!
I believe SE state titles were won in 1993 and 1994, then they played for a state title in 1998 against Miami Northwestern but lost 28-0. 1999 I believe they lost to STA in the semi-finals in a game I believe STA pulled out in the closing moments of the game.There has been some great games between SE and Hardee!! The best one I've seen was early 2000s. That was the hardest game between the two teams and I believe that was the year SE won state. It was a very close game all the way through and you would think you were watching the State Championship the way both teams were playing. It was an all defensive game which you don't see much anymore.