Sad, very sad..

[TheCatCoachesMissesMe]

Even though I don't go to football games anymore, went twice this year, left at halftime at each game, it was a sad day for Hardee fans.

Decided to look at the score at halftime and seen it was Booker 50 Hardee 0 at halftime...not the 4th qrt but HALFTIME. This has to be historical for Hardee football and sad at the same time.

To be honest, Hardee had zero offense this whole year from the 2 games I watched, zilch, nothing, and this reflects going up in ranks or those who controls things.

 

[gatorman001]

Although their record doesn't indicate it, Booker had what I would call a team of all stars. Hardee wasn't the only 1st round blow out, the entire state was littered with 1st round blow outs this year.

We have too many classifications, I believe we need just 6. Probably result in a team like Hardee either dropping a classification and/or not qualifying for the playoffs.

 

[TheCatCoachesMissesMe]

or leave FHSAA and move over to the other side which I hope happens. I will be honest with you, high school football became very less enjoyable with me when we played American Plantation in the playoffs, I was down there talking with a gentleman who worked for the school part time. He told me he worked there to payoff his daughter's schooling which is a good deal between parent and the school. But he proceeded to tell me how they were actually recruiting from out of state, bring in players and give them free tuition. I sent an email to that Dr director at FHSAA at the time back in 2012/13 don't recall the year and talked with him about this. His reply was "my hands are tied by state legislatures"!! That's when high school football became less and less interesting for me and eventually I decided to quit watching.

Schools like Hardee and Desoto who use 99.9% homegrown players, who may get a transfer once in a while should leave FHSAA and move over to the other league. Just my humble opinion. There are many others in Hardee who believes the same way I do.

Private school recruiting has ruined high school football!! To be honest I quit watching college football after they began paying the players. I really don't care about the NFL, they are way overpaid, example the QB for Tampa Bay Bucs!!! He hasn't won a thing and they give him that huge contract and then push out your best ever Linebacker you ever had instead of giving him more compensation. The LB helped the team win a Super Bowl, the current QB wasn't even on the team but he is reward more. I hate the NFL because of this.

 

[MarkECannon]

Cat, this is the first year I’ve even paid attention to the SSAA. I was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty good football which was enjoyable to watch. In the regular season I saw Umatilla play Mount Dora Christian. In the playoffs I attended Christ’s Church vs Master’s Academy. The SSAA might be the right situation for your Wildcats.

 

[MarkECannon]

Cat, what Bucs linebacker are you referring to?

 

[Silver King]

H-Cat, live long enough like we have and you'll see the pendulum swing I don't care what league you're playing in. It's like penalties, some bad calls hurt you, some help you - generally balances out. Sometimes "fer ye and sometimes agin ye". I was on the up swing as a Tarpon, then there was a down turn, another upswing, then a down turn. You're no babe in the woods, high school coaches have recruited for 30 years - big teams like Valdosta since the early 1960s.

I still enjoy watching a Tarpon game on a Friday night in Punta Gorda. I always said I wouldn't trade the experience me and my three boys got here as Tarpons in any single season - for a State Title elsewhere that season. We rode with the Tarpons and we're the winningest family in program history with 84 wins.

I'm also pretty happy where we are at this year - a few mercenary kids left the program - a couple to a 5-5 team. But we finished 7-4 and just about beat Ft Myers -- who has the dean of SW FL coaches -- in the playoffs.

Successful programs get copied, coaches retire or move on, support and community change - if it were static what fun would that be bringing a program back? And now there's free agency. Teams will figure it out. I've already heard some big rumors about next year. But still plan on watching next year, home games anyway.

 

[TheCatCoachesMissesMe]

Cat, what Bucs linebacker are you referring to?

Devin White!!

 

[MarkECannon]

With all due respect Cat but Devin White over Derrick Brooks?