Longtime Observer

So, is CAI a nationally relevant team in 2022?

I agree what you're saying, with the exception of Buchholz. A Gainesville/Alachua county all-star team would be pretty loaded.

The answer, as Sammy suggested, is an "Open" division. Schools like Baker County and Merrit Island could always opt out of the Open division, while schools like Venice and Lakeland could opt in.

Agreed. Schools like Lakeland and Venice, despite being "suburban", both recruit (the players do the recruiting) very effectively. Just last year, Venice blew out Miami Columbus and Apopka (close to Orlando). And Lakeland has the history they have, and perhaps the most loaded team ever on the way. And I'm quite sure they'd both prefer to play with those other teams. But the FHSAA wants as many title games as possible, and most teams from outside of urban areas aren't like Venice/Lakeland with the recruiting, so they like the split.

Hopefully, but it doesn't seem likely anytime soon. I'm hoping for a final bowl game of sorts. Like the Gieco game, but with "metro" and "suburban" champs volunteering to play.

It's happened many times, though Traz isn't the only place it's happened by any means.

Jones is terribly overrated...because they have the OOS game. They lost to both Edgewater (who was mopped by Lake Gibson) and Pine Forest. What they have is a semi-famous, ambitious head coach who wants to drum up attention for the team. Media covering HS football has almost always fell for the marketing tricks of coaches. And they always tend to underrate the few old school coaches that take the opposite, "Lou Holtz" approach to talking about their teams.

Too many stories of shots being fired during games. It's a good bet the fans/boosters of many schools are asking not to play there. It's a shame.

So, it sounds like, at best, Central would only play Lakeland if it was at Traz Powell? 😂 Lakeland made the attempt after they did what Central does every year in Dade county. I think it's fair to say both teams are guilty of the same thing. (Which, of course, means fans of one team only consider how the other team is bad/weak/scared etc.)

It depends on what criteria you use to determine the rankings. Is it based on the number of scheduled games against assumed nationally elite teams? If so, they're not top 100. Is it based on how a team does with average versions of its teams under the current head coach- whereby Mater Dei losing thirty-two (32) games between 2008 and 2015 (no fewer than 3 in any of those seasons) might suggest the Monarchs "usually" lose several games a season and don't win a title- then they also aren't top 100. Is it based on the talent and experience on the roster, as determined by colleges recruiting and games started? If so, they are top 10 in the country. Is it based on historical accomplishments with loaded teams? If so, they are top 10 in the country. On paper (which is all we have for any team right now), this is by far the most loaded Lakeland roster ever. Given they've had multiple teams blow out STA in state title games, they have teams who've traveled to the Bay area and beat DLS in a year when the Spartans won the CA Open bowl title, etc, if this team really is way better than those teams...only a hopeless homer would argue they aren't top 10 nationally. * It appears as if Miami Central ducked Lakeland this year. And their head coach was "all up in his feelings making several Twitter posts trying to justify it. So, it looks like there's some "tension" between the Rockets and Dreadnaughts. 😁

MD and SJB are obviously the top 2 I refer to. In one (1) season, Servite managed to win one of two games against SJB. That didn't mean Servite is now top 2 in CA.

Mark Fletcher, OSU commit, and a couple of 4* DBs are more than just Innis.

Servite split the series. And that's one (1) win for a non-top 2 team of note. You start trying to compile a list of major wins for non-top 2 CA teams (DLS of yesteryear excluded) and it's a short, underwhelming list.

He was too short to be a viable corner, too small to be a safety, and too raw to be a WR. Ultimately, to keep a guy on scholarship, he's got to be a viable option with a position group on O or D. Kick returner was his specialty, but they have plenty of guys who can do that.

Let's see who the nine are that aren't affiliated, and then evaluate their rosters. My hunch is they are teams that are simply too obviously good to leave out.

And yet this conclusion is based entirely on the strength of the top two teams in CA. All of the other teams that lose to those two end up bumped up in the rankings as a result. When you actually look to see who the other teams outside of the top two BEAT, you're left wanting.

Has AHP lost some players that I'm not aware of? Last I checked they had a lot of big time players, including a couple of Ohio State commits.

Their schedule should be better this year, granted. Point is, if they had a big name that is a PGL client, they'd be top 10. And the reason is because they have a top 10 roster, with above average-compared to the top 25- coaching/coordinators. They have 15 kids on defense alone with D1 offers, including the consensus best defensive player in the country. And it's a good bet the kids from their neck of the woods are more likely to be underrated than the kids playing for a private power in the largest media market in the country where HS football is a thing.

Fun fact: If Lakeland merely scheduled a game against any "PGL client" they'd immediately be in the top 10. That they're #25 in a rankings list done by someone who works tirelessly to discredit them due to their not being a "PGL client" is informative.

if you can't appreciate this. Great job by Maxpreps in showcasing this rivalry. It appears as if this kind of rivalry is dead, at least until the FHSAA fixes the mess they created with the "Metro" and "Suburban" classifications. Legendary game with legendary programs.