Teams:
Bayshore
Booker
DeSoto County
Hardee
Lemon Bay
Southeast
It’s still for the ‘Dogs…
But the pack isn’t far behind with four possible teams in contention especially if Southeast can pull things back together from a disastrous 1-9 season. The Bulldogs swept the district schedule en route to an 8-3 season in 2014 and return enough pieces to at least be considered the favorite in this district, but just like many other districts this one could hold its form or become complete chaos by seasons’ end. Booker, the runners-up return virtually everyone from a 6-4 squad that finished 3-1 in-district. Hardee would have been a part of that equation if not for a tough loss on the road to Bayshore to finished third at 2-2 in the district and 5-5 overall. They have their QB Hayden Lindsey returning and could factor yet again. The x-factor is the Southeast Seminoles. More on them at the end.
Get to know these teams…
DeSoto hosts CCC in the regular season along with Bayshore hosting CCC week zero, Hardee plays Fort Meade and Frostproof, and Southeast will host Leto in their fall classic and travel to Nature Coast week one. Booker and Lemon Bay have traditionally popped up on teams from the Bay Area schedules, so getting a little more familiar with these squads isn’t just a passing thing. It’s time to embrace the fact that this area is expanding and teams like Hardee and DeSoto County along with several teams from Manatee and Sarasota Counties are crossing paths with teams from the four counties every year.
Wouldn’t it be cool if…
The oldest rivalry in Florida high school football dating back to 1921 settles the postseason fate between DeSoto County and Hardee? That game will take place in Wauchula on the 30th of October and could very well settle things. Hardee will have to avenge last year’s 26-13 loss to Booker, but the ‘Cats have the Tornadoes coming to their place so things could very well fall into place for this grand old game to be a good old-fashioned backyard brawl. As mentioned he X-factor is Southeast. They are certainly one of the most-recognizeable programs up and down the peninsula, but it’s been a long time since they could say they were kings of the mountain. They certainly stunned folks by suffering a 1-9 record in 2014, but things are different this season and their romp over North Port in the spring and their game with Leto in their fall classic will help them build momentum. Wouldn’t it be cool if the ‘Noles somehow put it together for a special season and make this district a true old-school gauntlet? We shall see.