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View Full Version : Lakeland HS football, kinda unusual


OUinFLA
9/14/2006, 10:32 PM
Lakeland Fla HS Dreadnaughts (dont ask) ranked # 3 nationally(last year #1) is doing something this weekend you dont usually see in HS football.

Tonight they boarded a plane to fly to Cincinnatti to play the #8 ranked HS football team in the country.

Anyone else know of HS teams that would fly that far to play a regular season game?

This HS has won the Florida division 5A championship 5 or 6 times in their storied past. And the past decade have regularly been ranked in the top 10 nationwide.
OUinFLA
9/14/2006, 10:37 PM
Here's a link from Cincinnatti explaining a rather cool HS football event.

Ohio HS football challenge (http://www.wxix.com/Global/story.asp?S=5390864)
Jello Biafra
9/14/2006, 10:40 PM
Here's a link from Cincinnatti explaining a rather cool HS football event.

Ohio HS football challenge (http://www.wxix.com/Global/story.asp?S=5390864)


this seems to be a trend lately. I would like to have seen what would have happened when jenks was REALLY on top of the high school world about 5 or 6 years ago and see how they would have fared against the best in the country.

alabama hoover just flew to tulsa union a couple of weeks ago....was pretty ugly for the redskins.
Wishboned
9/14/2006, 11:07 PM
Was it Union or Jenks that had a home and home series with some team from California a few years ago?
SoonerDood
9/15/2006, 04:46 AM
Union had a series with Clovis, CA (Fresno area). They were the regional champions (like Texas, too big for a single State Title.) Union won by scores of 36-0 and 31-3. Union also played a series with Farmington, NM, in the late 90s. Those were also very lopsided in Union's favor, 56-3 and 52-17.
Sooner_Bob
9/15/2006, 06:11 AM
I lived in Farmington when Union came to town, but for whatever reason never went to the game. Sigh.

Hoover, Alabama flew up to Tulsa to play Union a few weeks ago.
RacerX
9/15/2006, 06:13 AM
Union has a new coach this year.
AlbqSooner
9/15/2006, 06:18 AM
In the 60s, Pennsylvania, thinking they were all that, started the Hershey Bowl and invited the winner of the Oil Bowl to play their high school all star team. Lasted 3 years, with Texas winning two and Oklahoma winning one. All were mismatches.
oKOIhoma fan
9/15/2006, 07:06 AM
Local HS here in South Carolina (BYRNES) is traveling to Ohio to play this weekend
pgagolfpro77
9/15/2006, 07:34 AM
High School teams flying all over the country to play seems to be becoming more and more the norm.

I heard on the Sports Animal last friday that Herbstreit or someone is holding an U.S. versus Ohio competition (or something of the sort) starting next year, and that both Union (Tulsa) and Hoover (AL) were expected to be invitees (only not playing eachother this time, as it was evident Hoover would beat that a$$). So, if we are gonna start having national competitions to find the best High School team in the country, I think we will begin to see more and more travel, and maybe even new, cross country rivalries develop. I, for one, think that is pretty sweet!

:)
BoogercountySooner
9/15/2006, 07:54 AM
Back in the early 90's Springdale, Ar. HS team went to Hawaii to play a team.
OUinFLA
9/15/2006, 07:59 AM
Well.............I gotta ask this question.
Since we here in Florida dont seem to have enough money to build new schools we need, and the teachers are complaining constsantly about income levels (as they should)..........where do the schools get the monies to fly a team up to a game in Ohio?

I guess not all school districts are as strapped for money as my county is, however, it does seem like national HS football has to either generate more funds than the costs, or the HS education level drops yet another notch.

I assume the simple solution is..............raise property taxes..... again.
sooner_born_1960
9/15/2006, 08:22 AM
I'm pretty sure booster clubs raise the money.
SoonerInFla
9/15/2006, 10:20 AM
Come on Dude.
You know FEMA pays for it.
StoopTroup
9/15/2006, 10:22 AM
Come on Dude.
You know FEMA pays for it.
If they win do they get new trailers for their families?
sooner94
9/15/2006, 10:30 AM
I think it is more common now for top HS team to play teams in other states. Last night I watched Evangel Christian (from Louisiana) play Southlake Carroll (outside of Dallas). Evangel has produced QB's such as Josh Booty, Brock Berlin, Brett Rawls (insert joke here) and I think John David Booty. They have won 4 of the last 5 championships in their class. Southlake Carroll has been the #1 ranked HS team (according to USA today) in the country at the end of the last 2 seasons. The QB Chase Daniel at Missouri played there.

FYI- Southlake Carroll won by 30.

As far as paying travel expenses if flying is involved, the games are usually on TV, so there is some TV $$$ involved for both teams. I know that Fox sometimes shows high profile HS games. Last night the game was on channel 21 here in Dallas.
soonerjoker
9/15/2006, 10:36 AM
i think all this travel is pretty silly.
OUinFLA
9/15/2006, 10:37 AM
i think all this travel is pretty silly.


me too, but I suspect the above post nails it.
TV $$$$
TMcGee86
9/15/2006, 10:39 AM
Union had a series with Clovis, CA (Fresno area). They were the regional champions (like Texas, too big for a single State Title.) Union won by scores of 36-0 and 31-3. Union also played a series with Farmington, NM, in the late 90s. Those were also very lopsided in Union's favor, 56-3 and 52-17.

Texas has a single State Title. Just like Oklahoma.

The only difference is they divide 5A into Division 1 and Division 2. However those are not regionally based, they are based on school size.

So it's just like having 6A only they call it 5A Div1.


Recently they have added it for classifications 4A-2A, but it's the same idea all the way down.
Europasooner
9/15/2006, 10:47 AM
Columbia, Missouri, Rock Ridge High School is flying out to Las Vegas, Nevada to play Bishop Gorman High, home of OU Players DeMarco Murray and Ryan Reynolds.

The game may also hold some interest for Sooner fans in that Rock Bridge's QB who verballed to Georgia is not reconsidering and has been offered by the Sooners. His name is Logan Gray and he is considered the #12 QB prospect in the the nation by Scout.com. Rock Bridge also has a TE, Aron White who has verballed to Georgia.
KaiserSooner
9/15/2006, 10:53 AM
???

What's with the Georgia connection to Mizzou's own backyard?
swardboy
9/15/2006, 02:55 PM
Back in the '80's, a Huntsville, AL team went to Massillon, Oh to play. Massillon is a legendary high school powerhouse. The Huntsville team upset them.
the_ouskull
9/15/2006, 06:04 PM
Come on Dude.
You know college boosters, shoe companies, and taxpayers pay for it.

Fixed that for ya.

the_ouskull
mdklatt
9/15/2006, 06:07 PM
(like Texas, too big for a single State Title.)

:confused:


Texas has a single state title....
mdklatt
9/15/2006, 06:08 PM
Texas has a single State Title. Just like Oklahoma.

The only difference is they divide 5A into Division 1 and Division 2. However those are not regionally based, they are based on school size.

So it's just like having 6A only they call it 5A Div1.



Yeah, what he said.
Jewstin
9/15/2006, 06:45 PM
Yeah, during my senior year at Union, we played Clovis and steamrolled 'em.

Now that Bill Blankenship is gone, Union won't be the same for a while. I was a part of the football program there for a time till a vertabrae break in practice ended it all, but I can tell you that he was a great coach, rivaled only by Allan Trimble at Jenks.

Although, I do have my own personal issues with the politics that went on concerning players and playing time ... ;)
Europasooner
9/15/2006, 08:42 PM
Yeah, during my senior year at Union, we played Clovis and steamrolled 'em.

Now that Bill Blankenship is gone, Union won't be the same for a while. I was a part of the football program there for a time till a vertabrae break in practice ended it all, but I can tell you that he was a great coach, rivaled only by Allan Trimble at Jenks.

Although, I do have my own personal issues with the politics that went on concerning players and playing time ... ;)

I agree that Blankenship and Trimbleare fine coaches, but Mike Lee from Clinton is probably the best. Look what he does and rarely has a player move on to play D1 football.
Indy Sooner
9/15/2006, 09:17 PM
Union has a new coach this year.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/SPORTS0202/609150496/1057/SPORTS02
OUinFLA
9/19/2006, 10:07 AM
Lakeland prevailed over Ohio's best in double overtime last Saturday.

Regarding the cost of the trip, I found out that ESPN picked up the tab for expenses for the team to travel to Ohio and participate in the game.

I also found out that the booster club picks up the tab for all traveling expenses for the team when they take busses to in state games. So, it's comforting to me that my tax bill is not about to be increased to fund these trips. :D