Entire Florida HS football coaching staff suspended following locker room fight

The Gators are scheduled to kickoff their 2023 season on the road Friday night against River Ridge.

Land O’ Lakes High School (Fla.) announced yesterday that the entire football coaching staff has been suspended over allegations that a fight occurred in the locker room after practice.

The school district addressed the news in the following statement, per Spectrum News 9:

“According to the school district, the staff at Land O’ Lakes High School is suspended from their duties, ‘effective immediately, due to allegations of a fight that occurred in the team locker room post-practice… We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our students and take these allegations seriously. We assure parents, students, and the community that we are taking the necessary steps to address the situation.'”

The Gators are scheduled to kick off the 2023 season on the road Friday night against River Ridge.

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Florida HS football games could be delayed due to extreme heat

The heat may affect the start of the 2023 season, slated for this coming weekend for many schools.

The start of high school football season comes at the hottest time of year for many regions across the United States. One of the hottest states in the bunch is Florida, which like many parts of the country, has experienced extreme weather and heat throughout the summer. At one point last month, Florida’s waters were measured to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Playing any sport in these conditions is risky, especially one as intense as football – to say nothing of the added burdens of wearing helmets, pads and uniforms. The heat may affect the start of the 2023 season, slated for this coming weekend for many schools.

According to Dan DeLuca at the Fort Myers News-Press, some Florida high school football games may be delayed or postponed if the heat exceeds certain thresholds.

“At 82 degrees or below on the wet bulb, athletic practices and games can be held without restrictions. Up to 86.9 degrees, they can proceed with discretion. At 87 degrees or higher, practice times are limited, rest breaks are increased and football players are instructed to remove some protective equipment, which would result in game delays. A wet bulb temperature above 92 degrees means all outdoor activities are suspended and cannot resume until temperatures cool.”

The first major game in the state will come on Saturday, Aug. 26, between two top-ten national teams from the 2022 season in St. Frances (Md.) and Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.).

That contest will be broadcast live on ESPN from Ft. Lauderdale. Google’s forecast for the day is currently showing a predicted temperature of 88 degrees to go with 77% humidity. That comes out to a wet bulb temperature of 81.92. Kickoff is at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time.

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Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa donates equipment to Miami high school

Tua also played QB for a while as the team went through drills.

One of the rising stars in the NFL is Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is coming off a breakout 2022 season. Despite having missed several games due to concussions, Tagovailoa still managed to total 3,548 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and a league-best 105.5 passer rating.

Tua also led the league in touchdown percentage (6.3%) and yards per attempt (8.9) and posted some very impressive advanced stats, as well.

Even as he excels on the field, Tua is paying it forward off of it. Earlier this week Tagovailoa surprised students at Miami Edison High School (Fla.) by donating $65,000 worth of equipment and uniforms in partnership with Gatorade and their Equity in Sports initiative.

Tua also played QB for a while as the team went through drills. Afterward, he shared some wisdom with the young athletes, per the Palm Beach Post.

“The hardest thing is to be out here when everyone else isn’t… To do the hard, grind work. Do the things it takes to be great. Dream big. Work on your dream… Listen to the people that matter… Your grandparents. Your parents. Your uncles. Your aunties. Your big brother. Big sister. Do something big for your family.”

Here’s a video of Tagovailoa surprising the team.

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Florida HS football star charged as adult in double shooting

Florida high school football star charged as adult in double shooting

Greene was set to play at Plantation High School (Fla.) this coming season.

Dillard (Fla.) defensive lineman Tarrell Greene has been charged as an adult in a double shooting that happened over Memorial Day weekend in Fort Lauderdale, according to a report by Marissa Bagg at NBC6.

Baggs’ report states that a surveillance video shows Greene shooting one of the victims after he turned away from him, then firing on the second victim while he was riding his bicycle. The 16-year-old Greene will be charged as an adult, facing counts of aggravated battery and unlawful possession of a firearm.

“Greene was taken into custody shortly after the shooting and is facing charges including two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and one count possession of a firearm by a juvenile.”

The teen’s defensive line coach Darel Strong has stood by Greene, insisting that he must have acted in self-defense.

Greene was set to play at Plantation High School (Fla.) this coming season. He has offers from over 10 college teams, including Alabama, Georgia, Miami and Texas A&M.

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Lack of referees threatens Southwest Florida high school football

One region in Florida may about to have a new appreciation for referees and the work they do.

Being a referee can frequently be a thankless job, no matter what league, sport or level they’re working at. That can be particularly true at the high school level, where refs also have to deal with fights in the stands and unruly parents. It’s a wonder anyone wants to sign up for the job.

One region in Florida may about to have a new appreciation for referees and the work they do.

According to a report by Jaron May at NBC2, The South Gulf Football Officials Association does not have enough officials for the 2023 high school football season.

The group expects around 75-80 people to sign up to be referees this year. The only problem is they need over 100 to officiate all the games.

SFGOA president Adam Weissberger is putting the call out for help, per CBS2.

“We need anybody who’s out there watching to come out and help us out… Get into our training classes and learn how to be an official… We want to try to put as many games on Friday night as we possibly can. To do that we need some help.”

The first games begin on August 17.

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Boy who got prosthetic arm from ‘Iron Man’ now playing linebacker in high school

These days Pring is doing a bit of heroic work of his own.

In 2014, Alex Pring was gifted a 3D-printed prosthetic arm by “Iron Man” actor Robert Downey Jr., made by student engineers at UCF. These days Pring is doing a bit of heroic work of his own.

According to Catherine Silver at Click Orlando, Pring is now playing linebacker at South Lake High School (Fla.).

Obviously, that comes with unique challenges for an athlete with only one arm, but Pring overcomes it with his work ethic. He told Silver that he’s working three times as hard as anyone else.

“I have had to overcome so many things… Whether it’s in the weight room, how to tackle, how to run. It’s like learning to walk again. It’s a lot… I have put in my work. I think I am putting in three times as much work as most people.”

While it’s a long shot for any footballer, there is a precedent for Pring to follow if he has hopes of playing the game at its highest level.

Former Lakewood (Fla.) and UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin only has one hand, and he was drafted into the NFL by the Seattle Seahawks back in 2018. He played four seasons in the league before announcing his retirement last August.

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Florida powerhouse IMG Academy sold for $1.25 billion

Some of the nation’s best high school football players attend.

One of the country’s best high school football and basketball schools—and really, most all sports—has been sold.

According to a report by Herald-Tribune’s Derek Gilliam,  IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, has been sold by Endeavor Group Holdings to private equity group BPEA EQT for a total of $1.25 billion. Endeavor president Mark Shapiro says the school is in good hands.

Blue Cain of the IMG Academy celebrates a teammates dunk against Prolific Prep in GEICO High School Nationals quarterfinal game ay Suncoast Credit Union Arena.

“With Asia being IMG Academy’s largest source of international students, BPEA EQT sees strong potential to support the Company’s expansion across multiple markets in the region, including Singapore, India, Vietnam, Greater China, and Indonesia,” EQT said in a Tuesday news release. “BPEA EQT plans to leverage its proven sector expertise within education and track record from having supported its existing portfolio company Nord Anglia Education’s international growth over the past 15 years.”

IMG is a private, sports-centric school that costs nearly $90,000 per year in tuition and boarding, per the Wall Street Journal.

The annual Kickoff Classic, at the newly-renovated, upgraded bleachers and new LED lights at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium in Bradenton, on Friday August, 19, 2022. Manatee Hurricanes won the game 30 to 21 over the IMG Academy White (Ascenders).

Some of the nation’s best high school football players attend, including several members on our list of the Top 100 football recruits in the 2023 class. Their varsity team ranked No. 7 in our final Super 25 rankings of the year.

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The NFL’s all-time rushing leader has come out of Florida, as has the most physically-dominant runner of our time.

Texas has a strong claim as being the best state for producing all-time great running backs. Then again, Texas also has some quality competition for that title. The NFL’s all-time rushing leader has come out of Florida, as has the most physically-dominant runner of our time.

Here are five of the greatest running backs ever to come through Florida.

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Lakeland (Fla.) football coach Bill Castle retires after 8th state title

Lakeland (Fla.) is losing a great one.

Players win championships, not organizations. That said, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a good head coach – especially at this level, with players rotating out every four years.

Lakeland (Fla.) is losing a great one. Bill Castle has been their head football coach for the last 47 years and has been part of the program for 52. However, he recently announced his retirement after Lakeland won the state championship over Venice.

Castle admitted to Fox13 that he’s going to miss coaching.

“I am going to miss coaching, no doubt about it. You do it as long as I have been doing it, it’s in your DNA… I am going to miss the kids and all the things that go with it.”

The victory over Venice (Fla.) was Castle’s eighth career state championship and 473rd win all-time, a new record for Florida.

Lakeland finished the season at No. 12 in our Super 25 rankings. Their athletic director says they have not decided on a replacement as of yet.

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Florida flips 4-star recruit Roderick Kearney from Florida State

Florida scored a big recruiting win over their rivals at Florida State on Monday evening. 

Florida scored a big recruiting win over rival Florida State on Monday evening.

Four-star offensive lineman Roderick Kearney had previously committed to the Seminoles, but he’s changed his mind and announced he’ll go to the Swamp instead.

Kearney (6-foot-4, 300 pounds) is one of the best OL prospects in the class of 2023. He ranks No. 4 among all interior offensive linemen, No. 28 in the state and No. 123 nationally, per 247Sports.

The Gators are getting a mauler in the trenches with impressive power and an aggressive streak. As a Junior, he was credited with 56 pancake blocks last season in 10 games for Orange Park (Fla.).

Kearney joining the club brings Florida’s total number of recruits for the 2023 cycle to 22 and gives the Gators some breathing room in the recruiting rankings. While they are still at No. 8 behind LSU, there’s now more space between them and ninth-ranked Clemson. Meanwhile, Florida State dropped to No. 19.

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