Largo's Three High Schools' Football Teams Learn 2011 Schedule

Earlier this week, the Florida High School Athletic Association released its master schedule for all high school football teams in the state. Patch decided to touch base with the three of Largo's high schools' football coaches to get their reactions to their slates for the coming season.

Indian Rocks Christian

Golden Eagles coach Mark Buchanan can't wait for the season to start. Sure, every high school football coach wishes they were readying for the regular season as opposed to spring practice.

But Buchanan has added incentive to look forward to the 2010 campaign. The FHSAA reshuffled district alignments and now, IRC will face more local teams in their district as opposed to traveling halfway across the state to play district foes.

"Eight of our games will be district games," Buchanan said. "So just about every week will mean something which I enjoy."

But it's the added incentive to face more local teams that has Buchanan eager for September.

"All the teams are our schedule we were already rivals because we played them so often because they are local teams," Buchanan said. "Now that those teams are in our district, it's a little more special."

Indian Rocks Christian

Sept. 16 Keswick Christian

Sept. 23 at Bradenton Christian

Sept. 30 at Cambridge Christian

Oct. 7 Admiral Farragut

Oct. 14 at Canterbury

Oct. 21 Northside Christian

Oct. 28 Carrollwood Day

Nov. 11 at Clearwater Central Catholic

Largo

Since Rick Rodriguez took over as coach for Largo High School's football team 12 years ago, he's built what most would consider the best football program in Pinellas County. It's churned out not just college players, but NFL players including Dexter McCluster who was drafted last year by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round.

In recent years, the Packers have become not just a local force, but one of the state's top programs. So it's not unusual to see such a good team with a loaded schedule.

"We have a challenging schedule this year," Rodriguez said.

If it eases his pain, local cable operator Bright House Networks has tentatively scheduled Largo to open the 2011 season at fellow Tampa Bay area power Bradenton Southeast Thursday, Sept. 1 televised live on Bright House Networks cable channel 47.

"That's very humbling to start out with a good team like that live on TV," Rodriguez said.

The rest of his schedule may be more humbling.  Among the teams the Packers will face are cross-town Pinellas Park, Countryside, East Lake, Boca Ciega and Tarpon Springs. Countryside is Largo's equal, East Lake is expected to have its best team in school history with a future Division-I college quarterback.

Largo

Sept. 1 at Bradenton Southeast

Sept. 9 at Pinellas Park

Sept. 16 Countryside

Sept. 23 Osceola

Sept. 30 East Lake

Oct. 21 at Boca Ciega

Oct. 28 Bradenton Lakewood Ranch

Nov. 4 Tarpon Springs

Nov. 11 at Gibbs

Pinellas Park

When Kenny Crawford took the job as coach of Pinellas Park's football team, The Patriots, three years ago, his goal was to turn an annual doormat into a program opponents would respect. It's an uphill climb but progress is quite noticeable.

So when Crawford saw the Patriots schedule for the 2011 season, he noticed it was formidable, but as Ric Flair would say, "To be the best you have to beat the best."

It's a challenge Crawford welcomes.

"Our schedule is pretty hard, tough, very competitive," Crawford said. "There are some good football teams we're playing."

Among those are Largo, St. Petersburg and Countryside, quite possibly the best three teams in Pinellas County with two of the best quarterbacks in the state, Largo's Juwan Brown and Countryside's Gray Crow, who recently verbally committed to the University of Miami.

"We'll just have to go to work," Crawford said. "Every single game will be a lot of work, no doubt about it. But we love the challenge, it's great. Every game will be interesting."

Pinellas Park

Sept. 2 Osceola

Sept. 9 Largo

Sept. 16 Dixie M. Hollins

Sept. 23 at Clearwater

Oct. 6 Saint Petersburg

Oct. 14 at Boca Ciega

Oct. 21 Northeast

Oct. 28 at Countryside

Nov. 4 at Seminole

Nov. 11 at Palm Harbor