Remembering The “Suncoast Bowl” which pitted the two top local non-playoff teams against each other. Often it was Pinellas v Hillsborough. The games were played at Clearwater High School. The Bowl was held in late November from 1977-1993. The game died after the FHSAA expanded the playoffs to include district runner-ups in 1993.

“”We just got to the point where we had a difficult time finding teams,” said Nathan Hightower, president of Springtime City Kiwanis Club, which ran the bowl. “”We really didn’t see the community supporting it anymore and that’s a shame.”

Florida High School Activities Association commissioner Ron Davis said he knows the playoff format has eliminated some of the better bowl games. “”I’m sorry that it has,” he said. At the same time, he added, “”It has been financially better for the FHSAA.”

1977 Plant 17 Clearwater 13
1978 Leto 21 Seminole 19
1979 Clearwater 28 Leto 14
1980 Clearwater 21 Hillsborough 6
1981 Clearwater 24 Brandon 10
1982 Clearwater 24 Brandon 10
1983 Clearwater 33 Leto 7
1984 Lakewood 23 Pasco 7
1985 Plant 24 Clearwater 20
1986 Brandon 30 Northeast 27
1987 Northeast 28 Tampa Catholic 14
1988 Clearwater 28 Osceola 21
1989 Largo 21 Citrus 0
1990 Clearwater 31 Tampa Bay Tech 7
1991 Clearwater 17 Plant 9
1992 Clearwater 28 East Lake 6
1993 Gaither 14 Countryside 3

Of the 17 Bowl games 14 were Hillsborough v Pinellas. In those games Pinellas led the series 9-5.

Data used in this came from both the Tampa Tribune and the Tampa Times archives.