Since spring ball starts next Monday, I figured let's do a way to early list of top teams. I think the usual suspects will return to the fold.....DP, Apopka, Mainland......however talk about darkhorses or teams on the come up who could challenge for a spot. Always fun to see what others think.
Top Central Florida Teams for 2016
- Thread starter UHSTitan
- Start date
Ok so I guess I'll throw out a few.....
Sanford Seminole
Port Orange Spruce Creek
University-Orange City
Bishop Moore
Oviedo
Jones
Evans
Anyone got any others?
Sanford Seminole
Port Orange Spruce Creek
University-Orange City
Bishop Moore
Oviedo
Jones
Evans
Anyone got any others?
It's funny that the Kowboys of Osceola never get any love, yet no one in Orlando beats them except on rare occasions. They're a perennial powerhouse that gets little respect....
Dan in Daytona....I didn't put them on my list because I figured they were senior loaded last year and would be in a rebuilding process, similar to West Orange, if u know more then please share. They have been a monster program for years and a back to back state runner ups in 7A and 8A the last two years.
UHS, I know nothing about this year's team. But I do know, like Mainland, they always have athletes. Outside of Apopka, they with Cocoa, Palm Bay and Mainland have been the most successful teams for the last 15-20 years in this part of Central Florida. Would be very surprised if they don't reload and continue to kick a$$. But time will tell....Peace
I'm not leaving out Apopka, Cocoa, Mainland, Osceola, DP, Palm Bay or any other team that been doing it for years and will continue for years to come, I'm just looking to see what teams people think can move into that elite status. I do believe it's time for Central Florida to challenge the South Florida teams for that ring, we have the cats to do it!!!
1. Mainland
2. Dr. Phillips
3. Orange City
4. Apopka
5. Cocoa
6. Osceola
7. West Orange
8. TFA (transfers, most from DP)
2. Dr. Phillips
3. Orange City
4. Apopka
5. Cocoa
6. Osceola
7. West Orange
8. TFA (transfers, most from DP)
Pipe Dreams....DP really lost kids to transfer??? Usually they pick up some high profile kids not lose them.
Happens a lot with TFA. A lot of their boosters ran the DP Pop Warner system for years. I don't like it but it is what it is. We don't get many transfers anymore. Net transfers are in the negative over last 5 years.
DP will be good. Just got a stud LB from powerhouse Everett Mass (and his dad, new assistant coach, Gulla). Despite the transfers DP is very deep this year. Some top end talent left, a 5-star a 3-star and a to-be 2-star. Lost a junior who will have 2-3.
DP will be good. Just got a stud LB from powerhouse Everett Mass (and his dad, new assistant coach, Gulla). Despite the transfers DP is very deep this year. Some top end talent left, a 5-star a 3-star and a to-be 2-star. Lost a junior who will have 2-3.
DP has always had a ton of talent. Some of the best I saw was when I was coaching at Deland with Ryan Smith. We lost 21-7, but had two called back for questionable holding calls and DP scored one over my safety but from my line of view he was out but they called it a TD. Regardless that team was LOADED!!!!! Nick Patti was the best QB I've seen in high school!!!!
Dan, not that I've heard any talk or rumors because I haven't, but... Look for Cocoa's Wilks to coach a team up in your area in the next 2 or 3 years... He lives in the Smyrna area and his wife teaches in Daytona and I have a feeling the drive to Cocoa every morning is starting to wear on him.
Look for Viera to become a contender soon. Also Heritage Palm Bay gets a little uppity now and then.
Look for Viera to become a contender soon. Also Heritage Palm Bay gets a little uppity now and then.
Cat, if the next 2 or 3 yrs is anything like the last 2 or 3 Wilks will have at least a 1/2 dozen teams to choose from in Volusia County. Lots of turmoil up here. Poor pay, cut throat school board, personnel shortages, indifferent administrators, lagging attendance, you name it, we got it all in a bad way.
Dan, one thing that this school board has done very well in Volusia County with is trying to help athletic departments with issues relating to playing fields, and other budget concerns. I have talked to several Athletic Directors who are very pleased with this fact after being ignored by previous school boards in the County.
Yeah Jambun I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with that statement. We have horrible facilities and have been fighting for over two years to get a home stadium. Last year the "practice" field was deemed unplayable and the other field we had got tore up and we had to practice in a dried up retention pond behind the baseball field. We have to play at other schools when we have home games, one last year btw!! So maybe at other schools they love what's going on but we are left out of that!!!!
I'm with you Titan. How many years of only away games now ? 4,5 yrs ? Atlantic High's set up is a joke. Pine Ridge is Pop Warner quality at best, and that pitiful field at Deltona is wore out, over used and dangerous. Spruce Creek is minor league. Zero for visiting side. Lets don't even start with the garbage seating from all of the above. Jambun you need to get out of the county a little more. Everything here is on cheap.
Dan, this is going to be my third year there and I can count on one hand the number of "home" games we've played. Most were at Deltona High and one last year at Pine Ridge. It sure would be nice to build school spirit and pride by having our own place. Not to mention the players feeling the comforts of a true home field. However we live on the road so we don't worry about where we are....we come to win every Friday night!!!
UHSTitan, your athletic director is very much looking forward to working with this new school board about support for facilities at University High School. The process is moving, and things are getting better. It will take time, but at least this school board is listening to ideas as opposed to the previous school boards, who essentially said "we don't care about athletics, and you are on your own." The same thing is happening at Atlantic, where progress is being made, albeit slowly, and getting the Sharks to get bleachers and possibly lights, so they can play their home games at their school at night, not at 4:00 pm or at Spruce Creek High School, which they will do this year. Spruce Creek is another school that has made improvements, and will be able to play all of their home games at their school, and not at the city stadium in New Smyrna Beach.
Dan, I don't think that there is any way that you can compare our senior-citizen heavy county to other counties such as Seminole, or Orange. We simply do not have the money or the tax base that there other counties have, and I am just not comfortable comparing Volusia County Schools to the Lake Brantleys, Dr. Phillips, or Hagertys, of the state.
Didn't know Hagerty had good funding.
DP has a lot of community, business and former player support. It opened in 1987 but now there are legacy players on the roster for the first time ever. The booster club does well and goes into the community to get the job done. They built a brand. Orange City can do the same. Hell I like them. Should have been Orange City HS tho (even tho thats an actual city and the zone goes outside of it).
Only time I played Orange City while I was at DP was in 2000 in pop warner (only time the two programs have ever met period). We won 20-12 (we went 12-1 that year) but the Orange City team ended up going 13-2, losing at nationals in division 2. We lost to Tebow/Franchott Allen and Lakeshore 19-6 in the state final four. Our only score was a busted play and qb sneak that went like 95 yards. Back then Franchott Allen (West Virginia DB) was a level above everybody else. I digress
That was also the only year I ever beat Apopka. Went 0-3 against them in HS.
THEY. APOPKA. ARE "THE" HS FOOTBALL TOWN IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
Bushnell is also a good HS football town.
DP has a lot of community, business and former player support. It opened in 1987 but now there are legacy players on the roster for the first time ever. The booster club does well and goes into the community to get the job done. They built a brand. Orange City can do the same. Hell I like them. Should have been Orange City HS tho (even tho thats an actual city and the zone goes outside of it).
Only time I played Orange City while I was at DP was in 2000 in pop warner (only time the two programs have ever met period). We won 20-12 (we went 12-1 that year) but the Orange City team ended up going 13-2, losing at nationals in division 2. We lost to Tebow/Franchott Allen and Lakeshore 19-6 in the state final four. Our only score was a busted play and qb sneak that went like 95 yards. Back then Franchott Allen (West Virginia DB) was a level above everybody else. I digress
That was also the only year I ever beat Apopka. Went 0-3 against them in HS.
THEY. APOPKA. ARE "THE" HS FOOTBALL TOWN IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
Bushnell is also a good HS football town.
Pipe Dreams, the point is that Hagerty, and other schools in Seminole County are probably have very good funding compared to schools in Volusia County. The officials in Volusia County get paid the same amount as any county in the state, it is a standard rate. What is not the same is the amount for gas that officials receive as well as the game fee. That is negotiated between the Officials Association and the schools.
