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COACH’S FORUM - Bradford County

Our squad faced off with private school power house Bolles this past friday and lost 48-6. I was not pleased with the outcome but once again most of our players gave great effort. We have had several players injured during the course of the season and were short handed even before game time. We lost starting wide receiver Seth Upthegrove during the game and it looks like he will miss the remainder of the year. Seth was really doing well for us and he will be a huge loss to our offense. As a team we have to keep fighting and find a way to win games. This week we play a very talented Ribault Trojans football team that is coming off of a big win vs. Yulee High School. The game will be another big test for our program. The road game will be a challenge but our players are excited to play in Jacksonville against a tough opponent.

I would like to shift gears a little now and share a few thoughts on private schools vs. public schools. Bradford High School has played several private schools during the nine years that i have been associated with the Tornado football team. We have played University Christian, Trinity Christian, Arlington Country Day, Bolles and Bishop Kenny and others during the season. We now play Bishop Kenny every spring and we close our season vs. a private school power house from Texas, Houston Christian at the Disney Wide World of Sports. I do not mind competing with private schools in non-district games but playing them when a play off berth is at stake is not a level playing field for most public school teams. Bolles has not lost hardly any district games since the eighties. Most public schools have a down year or two within a twenty year period. The advantages of a controlled enrollment, the ability to recruit players from other school zones through out the state, out of state recruitment, international recruitment and unlimited resources give many private schools a uneven advantage that is within the current rules of the FHSAA. When public school coaches complain about the non level playing fields, many private school coaches respond with rebuttals of how hard they coach their kids and that we ( public school coaches ) need to coach our kids up.

The FHSAA recognized the problem a few years back when the private schools enrollment was multiplied by 1.5. This attempted solution just moved the problem up to larger classifications and coaches in the higher classes protested and the FHSAA reversed the decision. There is a problem and it is not going away unless the state separates public and private schools for play off purposes. The Jacksonville area alone has several private schools of all sizes that could be grouped into several districts. This separation of public and private schools is not a radical plan as it is utilized in many states. The FHSAA would be able to generate more money with the additional play off and championship contests.

One local area school with a rich tradition has been hit hard in state playoff contests by private schools. Union County High School won three state championships during 94,95 and 96. In the last few years the Tigers have lost to Bolles, Trinity Christian, Pensacola Catholic and Trinity Catholic. If not for those defeats the Tigers would have possibly played for or won additional championships. Other schools have been hit as well. The public vs. private issue is not just a football problem. Maybe in the near future the FHSAA will realize that their is a unfair gap between public and private schools that only a few can bridge.

It is my job as a head coach to speak up for my players and school . Thank you for the opportunity to express my feelings in this forum.