Mainland at St. Edwards , the ugly truth...

[Dan in Daytona]

Besides this year's Florida 6A championship game, this was set to be a life defining moment for the Mainland players, most of whom have never traveled a great distance or been on a commercial jetliner to anywhere. Unlike national touring Cocoa, Booker T, Miami Central, and STA, Mainland has only traveled out of state once in my lifetime, Georgia 2008. And I was born long ago in the 1950's. To say that this airplane ride to a football powerhouse isn't a very special time and place for the Mainland High community would be, in the words of Mike Tyson, ludicrous. If not for the generosity of St. Edwards Catholic High School and others, along with the scrambling Buc coaching staff with wives, this heavenly dream trip was unexpectedly headed straight to hell, compliments of a very questionable promoter with two pending lawsuits now in South Carolina. The unofficial words being whispered about are Ponzi scheme. Mainland and St. Edwards are both out thousands of dollars. Speculation is Cocoa's trip last weekend to Ohio was payed for by Mainland High School, who had just sent $$$$ north. Cocoa, as of last Monday morning, still had not been given flight data or confirmed hotel accommodations and was nervously awaiting word from the promoter. They got their reprieve Monday afternoon. Mainland got nothing. Funny thing about the whole deal was Mainland was originally scheduled to play at Cocoa on October 9th with no out of state games in the works for this season. One of the two ( Cocoa or St Ed's) had an open week, and that's when the promoter came into the picture. Cocoa and St Edwards had both used this guy before to facilitate out of state games. And he always came through for them. Well so much that....The Mainland team will head north Thursday morning on a bus. Eight hours later they will arrive in Hickory, N.C. Lenoir-Rhyne University found a practice field for them to run around on. Friday morning they board the bus and eight hours later hit Cleveland. Heard the scheduled 2:00 pm game was bumped up to a noon start so the Buccaneers can hit the road early back to Daytona Beach. Here we come Ohio. The only public high school in Florida with a longer consecutive playoff streak then Mainland is Lakeland High at 22yrs. Mainland is now at 21 straight years. Come out and see us. It will be worth the price of admission.

 

[D. South]

Besides this year's Florida 6A championship game, this was set to be a life defining moment for the Mainland players, most of whom have never traveled a great distance or been on a commercial jetliner to anywhere. Unlike national touring Cocoa, Booker T, Miami Central, and STA, Mainland has only traveled out of state once in my lifetime, Georgia 2008. And I was born long ago in the 1950's. To say that this airplane ride to a football powerhouse isn't a very special time and place for the Mainland High community would be, in the words of Mike Tyson, ludicrous. If not for the generosity of St. Edwards Catholic High School and others, along with the scrambling Buc coaching staff with wives, this heavenly dream trip was unexpectedly headed straight to hell, compliments of a very questionable promoter with two pending lawsuits now in South Carolina. The unofficial words being whispered about are Ponzi scheme. Mainland and St. Edwards are both out thousands of dollars. Speculation is Cocoa's trip last weekend to Ohio was payed for by Mainland High School, who had just sent $$$$ north. Cocoa, as of last Monday morning, still had not been given flight data or confirmed hotel accommodations and was nervously awaiting word from the promoter. They got their reprieve Monday afternoon. Mainland got nothing. Funny thing about the whole deal was Mainland was originally scheduled to play at Cocoa on October 9th with no out of state games in the works for this season. One of the two ( Cocoa or St Ed's) had an open week, and that's when the promoter came into the picture. Cocoa and St Edwards had both used this guy before to facilitate out of state games. And he always came through for them. Well so much that....The Mainland team will head north Thursday morning on a bus. Eight hours later they will arrive in Hickory, N.C. Lenoir-Rhyne University found a practice field for them to run around on. Friday morning they board the bus and eight hours later hit Cleveland. Heard the scheduled 2:00 pm game was bumped up to a noon start so the Buccaneers can hit the road early back to Daytona Beach. Here we come Ohio. The only public high school in Florida with a longer consecutive playoff streak then Mainland is Lakeland High at 22yrs. Mainland is now at 21 straight years. Come out and see us. It will be worth the price of admission.

Head to DJ's and post this.

This sounds so crappy, it's almost comical - what else could possibly be added to stack the deck against them (sorry, I don't see playing the game 2 hours earlier as being helpful, only worse).

And unfortunately, nobody on this forum is really interested in things like this unless it involves a 1A team from the sticks.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

DSouth, tried to post a new thread hours ago. Even sent PM to DJ. Sight didn't allow me too copy and paste. I do admit to being a paper and pencil guy, very low tech. It's yours take it!

 

[Dan in Daytona]

Game moved two hours earlier so Mainland can get back to Florida sooner....

 

[D. South]

Game moved two hours earlier so Mainland can get back to Florida sooner....

I understood what you meant, I just don't see that helping the Bucs out when it comes to actually playing the game.

They're going to drive for 16 hours over a 2 day span, get to Ohio, do a small amount of prep, sleep, then wake up early for a 12pm game?

It's going to feel like 11am for them too.

2 hours means very little when the drive back is still 16 hours, but it does mean a lot if it gives you 2 extra hours to wake up and get ready after 2 days on a bus.

Bucs will have to play their most focused game of the season to get out of there with a good result.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

This program has an " us against the world, chip on the shoulder" attitude. Mentally they will be alright. Physically, with the long bus ride and the loss of Denzel , that's the area we both have questions. I still think Mainland is the better team. After Saturday you will too.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

Thanks for the hookup over there, DSouth. Wings on me...one of these days

 

[D. South]

This program has an " us against the world, chip on the shoulder" attitude. Mentally they will be alright. Physically, with the long bus ride and the loss of Denzel , that's the area we both have questions. I still think Mainland is the better team. After Saturday you will too.

I already thought they were the better team, or at the least even.

It's these crazy intangibles that have me concerned - those are things that I don't think many HS coaches have to plan around.

Add onto that having your star-of-stars QB very doubtful for the game, and it's a litany of circumstances to overcome.

St. Edward isn't likely to score a ton of points, and Mainland's strength is always defense, so the game should be close regardless of the Buc's offensive situation. That's where not having Denzel has my interest piqued: is Cyrus going to pull double duty and play QB and S?

I guess the main thing that's on my nerves about it is the unprofessional manner that this was dumped on them. It's not surprising that a promoter mucked things up, however this nonsense does give one team a world of advantages beyond already being the home team, and that shouldn't happen.

 

[D. South]

Thanks for the hookup over there, DSouth. Wings on me...one of these days

If I'm ever in Daytona I'll take that offer.

 

[blackpopsicle]

Something to be said for teams that are allegedly the best in the country, taking bus rides across county to play teams that are allegedly ... The best in the country.
All that headache, heartache, and liability for the sake of a trophy rather than the sake of the game.

We're getting further away from sportsmanship and closer to showmanship.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

Something to be said for teams that are allegedly the best in the country, taking bus rides across county to play teams that are allegedly ... The best in the country.
All that headache, heartache, and liability for the sake of a trophy rather than the sake of the game
We're getting further away from sportsmanship and closer to showmanship.

Pop, the coaches didn't want to disappoint the kids who wanted the trip and the challenge. To cancel would have been easy. It's a trip of a life for them.....plane, train, or bus.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

Originally it was to be a 2 hr. and 15min. flight to Cleveland on Friday morning. Saturday game with a 2 PM start. Fly home early Sunday morning ( 2hr,15min ). No showmanship, no sportsmanship involved at all. Clean deal, Cocoa and St Edwards do it every year. Why not give the kids a trip they will NEVER FORGET!!!
....Let me tell you (blackpopsicle) about mine. Sure going across the Golden Gate Bridge or the Brooklyn Bridge the first times were neat. New York Worlds Fair was fine, Disneyland, Grand Canyon, St Louis Arch also fine, guarding the Czechoslovakian border, with an M-16 in my hand, standing on the West German side on a Saturday night, not so much fun. But that trip, with my Mainland teammates in the early 1970's to Florida Field ( University of Florida ), still rates up there with any I have ever experienced. We went up on a Greyhound bus the Saturday before the next week's game. As a team we watched the Gators, lead by Nat Moore's three touchdowns, beat Old Miss. Now for the fun part. You see, then Florida Field had the new "AstroTurf" playing surface that most of the NFL teams played on back then. We were all given brand new white soccer style turf shoes. Man, could we fly up and down that carpet covered concrete with a center drainage ridge that sloped to the sidelines. Next Friday's game was to be played there against the Gainesville Purple Hurricanes and our coaches wanted us to practice on the field before we played on it. We ran around out there under the stadium lights for a couple of hours. What a time we had. Practice had never, ever been that much fun. We returned that Friday and lost to the 'Canes 20-0. They were lead by an athletic quarterback who was the son of the then Gator A.D. Doug Dickey. Well..so much for happy endings. Buc Forever

 

[blackpopsicle]

Why can't THAT be the norm or an instate trip with an overnight? The OOS trips today aren't about the kids.
That's a great reason, to be sure, them getting a great trip. I'm of the opinion that these OOS trips are more about ADs and Coaches and Boosters stroking their own egos playing team owner. The trips are used as recruiting lures. The mythical national championship talk is used to generate site hits. And now, promoters are involved to make money. That's what they do. Media networks are in to sell viewing fees.

Yeah. It's FTK. For the Kids.

Sometimes, those letters stand for something else, too.

 

[Neutral 0bserver]

100 years from now, a high school teacher somewhere may start history class by saying "Believe it not, football was once a varsity sport played in high school.

For the first 100 years or so, there wasn't much of an agenda involved. Participants won 'letters' for their efforts and enjoyed the admiration of their peers. Generally speaking, it was cool to be a 'football hero'. Someone even wrote a song about it.

Games were played on Friday nights between neighboring schools. Keen rivalries developed, but sportsmanship typically prevailed. Players and fans alike normally headed to local pizza restaurants after games.

But somehow, things changed."

The teacher then shows a video containing footage of a $60 million HS stadium that was built in TX, kids getting off buses after a two day trip to play against a team 7-8 states away, players intentionally knocking down a referee, a pregame coin toss in which both team's captains refused to shake hands, an academy in FL that was created for parents who agreed to pay enormous sums of money to have their son drop out of regular HS and train full-time to become a professional football player.

After the video concludes, the teachers says, "Football had it's hay day. No question about that. My great grandfather played. Many would argue that, at one time, it was America's favorite sport. Then it all came tumbling down. Any one have any questions?"

First hand goes up.

"Why did a high school go all that way to play a game?"

Next hand. "Why would players try to hurt the official?"

Then, "Who would spend ridiculous money for a HS stadium or tuition at a football academy?"

"How could they call it a 'sport', if it gt to he point where little or no sportsmanship was involved?"

"If the game enjoyed 100 years of success, what motivated people to change it?"

The teacher responds to that one.

"You have to understand that 100 years ago top professional football players were being paid obscene amounts of money. Kids in HS dreamed of earning a share the bounty. As the financial state of the game approached a crescendo, almost everyone involved realized that - if they could get creative enough - they too might have a chance to cash in and share the wealth."

Student: "Then 'greed' killed what was intended to be an amateur game? How could that be possible?"

Teacher: "Actually, the downfall was amazingly simple. There were three elements involved. First, even though they had nothing to do with the game itself, 'sales types' became involved. Seocondly, understanding that a very high percentage of their target market was from a lower socio-economic strata, con artists from all 4 corners of the U.S. realized that they could make people do almost anything they desired if they did one simple thing - use the third element."

Student: "What was the third element?"

Teacher: "They uttered the magic word."

Student: "What was it?"

Teacher: "That's it for today. Your homework assignment is read accounts from a century ago and come back here tomorrow with the single word responsible for turning a game that many of our ancestors played and loved into an activity that became so abhorred by society that it was basically disbanded."

Nu'Trelle to the board: Much easier assignment for you. You don't have to go back 100 years! What's the "magic word"? And it is just one word.

 

[peezy28]

Good luck bucs... I must tell you the travel alone will put you down 14 nothing when you walk in the door... But if the Bucs are focused they will come through.

 

[Pipe Dreams]

Sucks that the players wont get that experience and have to drive. I'll be rooting for Mainland all year. A few years ago I went to a small mom and pop restaurant in Daytona (I go there often for work) and there was a picture of the 2001(?) state championship team on the wall. Always been a fan. I also liked Palm Bay and Rockledge back then when The Orlando Sentinel had the "Super 6".

Fun fact Dan: Dp and Daytona Beach were (alongside Apopka) the best pop warner programs in Central Florida for years. The last game (before this season) between the Bucs and Dp was 2002, when they spoiled our regular season in my last year of Pop Warner before becoming a sophomore and playing for DPHS. The year prior we spoiled their undefeated season in the playoffs with a 40-6 win....Well they wanted payback and they got it. 14-6 late and a long TD sealed it. 22-6. We were supposed to cruise and face Apopka the next round. I was on that Dp Pop Warner team! Was the last time the two programs met in 13 years! Before that it was an annual matchup at the Pop Warner level. It was a rivalry, as was Cocoa-Dp. Of course, that was when PW was at its height and every player basically played in that youth league. Was basically HS football on the youth level back then... Glad the matchup is back (at least for 2 years).

 

[blackpopsicle]

Nu'Trelle to the board: Much easier assignment for you. You don't have to go back 100 years! What's the "magic word"? And it is just one word.

Proseteye!

 

[HWY 41]

" As a team we watched the Gators, lead by Nat Moore's three touchdowns, beat Old Miss."

Dan I don't know where you went or what game you saw, ole miss only played in Gainesville in the 70's once, 1973. Ole miss won 13-10. Nat Moore wasn't QB, Dave Bowden was. It was cold and windy. Ole miss scored with 5 mins to go to win. Lee mcgriff scored only UF touchdown. Oh and Doug Dickey was never AD at UF. Must have been a better game, I mean the one you saw on that wonderful trip. Must have been to La-la land. Oh by the way, I was there too! My dad and I didn't miss a game in the 70s.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

" As a team we watched the Gators, lead by Nat Moore's three touchdowns, beat Old Miss."

Dan I don't know where you went or what game you saw, ole miss only played in Gainesville in the 70's once, 1973. Ole miss won 13-10. Nat Moore wasn't QB, Dave Bowden was. It was cold and windy. Ole miss scored with 5 mins to go to win. Lee mcgriff scored only UF touchdown. Oh and Doug Dickey was never AD at UF. Must have been a better game, I mean the one you saw on that wonderful trip. Must have been to La-la land. Oh by the way, I was there too! My dad and I didn't miss a game in the 70s.

Come on HWY41, LaLa land ? How about mistaken, confused, old age, onset of dementia.... It was 1972. We sat in the open end of the stadium behind the goalposts in the metal bleachers. After a quick "google search" , MISSISSIPPI STATE 13 FLORIDA 28, Sept. 30, 1972. My bad, mixed up the Mississippi's. Come on Man, it was 43 yrs ago !!! Also Doug Dickey was the Head Coach of the Gators and not the A.D., my bad again. He went on to be the AD at Tennessee later. Can't find a stat sheet for the game, but RUNNINGBACK Nat Moore had 3 scores ( in my mind anyway ). He moved to wide out with the Dolphins. Now, where did I call Nat a QB ? Find it and win a chicken wing dinner. I'll wait...The QB was Doug Dickey's son ( Daniel ?) ... so much for that glass house of yours

 

[HWY 41]

Dan, you the man... I am messing with you. You are right it was miss st. the year you went. People forget, that UF use to play miss. St. and Auburn every year, rarely playing Tenn, ole miss, Vandy and bama. It's all good. Hope the trip goes good. Hope it's a safe one

 

[Dan in Daytona]

Thanks HWY, remember Purple Hurricane QB Eddie McAshan ? He was the real deal. Beat a very good 1967 Buc team in Daytona. That was the first Mainland game I ever attended. Mainland's stud that year was future "Super Sophs" member (RB) Tommy Durrance. He along with (QB) John Reeves, and (WR) Carlos Alvarez were the Gator young guns in '69. Eddie went on to become the first ever black starting QB of a southern school, Georgia Tech. I think he still lives around the Gainesville area......rambling's of an old man, Peace

 

[HWY 41]

Hey nothing wrong with that... It ain't like it use to be... Yeah that Gator team opened up beating #7 houston.. Florida unveiled the new passing offense with John Reaves... Uh later that year he set a record that will never be broken... 9 interceptions against Auburn... That's hard to do..lol

 

[Dan in Daytona]

Nine pics in one game, damn. I guess now a days John is more known for being the father of Lane Kiffin's attractive wife. Pretty good gene pool there...

 

[Silver King]

Danny, that was my buddy Burton Lawless's (Guard) Sophomore season and my freshman year out in Dodge City and the NAIA. I got to start as a freshman, don't think freshman could in the NCAA. Anyway, he ended up on most of the All Gator teams, think a couple had him as one of the all time best to play his position. He was a TE at Charlotte, I've teased him since he couldn't play guard in HS because that was my position but he did a nice job playing it in college and the NFL.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

SK, back in those days I was a Cowboy fan. That whole "America's Team" killed it for me. I remember your teammate back then. He was a good one. Just think he had to go D-1 to play, you being the 190 lb monster that you were

 

[Cat_Scratch]

Dan, make sure your guys shadow #20, Gest. The kid has talent and ripped of huge runs that torched Cocoa. They have a defense that can stop big runs but leave Receivers wide open. Had it not rained and been 45 degrees, I think Cocoa would have won. We had the athletes but in the end the weather and the road trip caught up to us. It was 17 - 14 with 4 minutes or so left where we ran out of gas at the 50. They ripped off a 55 yard run with a little over a minute to play to go up 24-14.

 

[Dan in Daytona]

Thanks Cat, I caught the whole game last week from the St Ed's broadcast. Yes # 20 is a very special back. No way he gets overlooked. Cocoa played a real clean, disciplined game. We have to do the same or it will be trouble. That last score, from the victory formation, meant nothing. The weather conditions were extreme, strong wind, rain, and 40_degree temps. Ours should be much better this weekend. The school's web sight ( St Ed's) will stream the Mainland game at 12 noon Saturday. If surf's under 5 ft you got no excuses

 

[Neutral 0bserver]

Not tryin to make fun of Daytona Dan, but Ohio is a big state. If the boy can mix-up Mississippi State with Ole Miss, there's a good chance he'll mix up Cincinnati with Cleveland and never even make it to the Mainland-St. Ed game, nomsayin?

 

[D. South]

Thanks Cat, I caught the whole game last week from the St Ed's broadcast. Yes # 20 is a very special back. No way he gets overlooked. Cocoa played a real clean, disciplined game. We have to do the same or it will be trouble. That last score, from the victory formation, meant nothing. The weather conditions were extreme, strong wind, rain, and 40_degree temps. Ours should be much better this weekend. The school's web sight ( St Ed's) will stream the Mainland game at 12 noon Saturday. If surf's under 5 ft you got no excuses

I've read over the last few hours that the game is back on for 2pm.

Doesn't matter to me, since I won't be able to see it whether it's at 12 or 2, but that's what I've been seeing today.

 

[Silver King]

Neut, C'mon man: Tomato, Tamaato, 'Mater, what's the big deal? Let's get behind our boy, Danny. Wherever you stop above the Florida -Georgia line, Danny; GATA! Good luck.