The Best High School Teams of All Time Tournament is in full swing with lots of intriguing matchups. Check out this matchup of two of the best teams from our area.
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Corey’s Take
St. Augustine
There is no better public school football coach than Joey Wiles. What Wiles has been able to do with that program is phenomenal.
They say everything runs in cycles, I can remember in the early 1990s when St. Augustine was barely .500 but still a scrappy head hunter team.
That all changed with the hiring of Wiles, who not only made St. Augustine into a instant winner but a statewide title contender.
Beginning in 1999, the Yellow Jackets reeled off 17 straight playoff appearances, culminating with 1 state title, 2 state runner-up finishes, 2 Final Fours and 3 Elite 8 appearances.
The lone state title was a special class as the 2005 St. Augustine Yellow Jackets capped a perfect 15-0 season with 31-15 win over Sarasota Booker in the state title game in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
A year after falling in the Final Four to eventual state champion Bolles, with virtually that same team back they were not to be denied their senior season.
St. Augustine always has a defense year in and year out and that was the case in 2005 as the Jackets led by cornerback Jacques Rickerson (Tennessee) who racked up 8 interceptions, shutout 5 of their 10 regular season opponents allowing just 61 points in 10 games.
The offense wasn’t too shabby either led by quarterback/defensive back Quinterrance Cooper (Western Kentucky) and tailback/kick returner Brandon James (Florida) who scored 23 TDs. Against several playoff bound teams such as First Coast (28-0), Bartram Trail (26-0), Oviedo (20-0), Lake Mary (48-21), Clay (37-10) and Nease (20-14), the offense exploded.
Come playoff time the Jackets rolled over Raines (31-6), Pensacola (28-21), Pensacola Washington (38-12) and North Marion (21-19) to advance to Orlando.
[ABTM id=24571]
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Andre’s Take..
University Christian 2015
“This may be the most talented team in UC’s history”. These were the words of Head Coach David Penland III. A coach that has seen his fair share of teams over the years coaching in various spots, and a man who grew up in a football family. So it’s safe to take his word that his University Christian team was darn good. They demolished Tampa Cambridge in the state championship 61-16, one of the most lopsided victories in Florida State Championship history. It was a fitting example of how good the 2015 team was all year. On offense Hussein Howe scored five times on the ground in the championship game. His partner in the backfield O.J Anderson, also ran wild validating their regular season performances . The two backs both rushed for more than a thousand yards in the season. Teams would have to pick their poison in trying to stop their running game all year.
At 11-3 on the season their only losses came to national powerhouses. Brentwood Academy of Tennessee was ranked the #2 team in the state of Tennessee, winning their final game of the season and being crowned champs as the 32nd best team in the entire nation. They would lose a heart breaker 37-36 to Dixie County on the road. A team who went deep into the playoffs losing only to the eventual State Champs the 15-0 Trenton Tigers. Their third loss was to arguably the best team in the nation. A tough hard fought loss to our very own Trinity Christian Conquerors 35-20. Everyone else on their schedule they virtually demolished pitching five shutouts!
37-0 over Providence
75-0 over Arlington Country Day
61-0 over Harvest Community
76-0 over Eagles View
and..
31-0 over Victory Christian ( playoff game)
Linebackers Titus Curry, Hussein Howe and company led a defense that wrecked shop all year long. Including wins over Cedar Creek 61-18, Maclay 59-6 (playoff game), a 9-3 Fort White team 35-13, and perennial football powerhouse North Florida Christian 38-30! UC didn’t just beat you up on offense with their powerful offensive line, they beat you down on defense with their aggressive players and schemes. They would do the same to St. Augustine.
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Now it’s your turn.. Vote below in our poll to let us kn ow who wins this matchup of two of the best teams from our area!
