Advertisement

Ten reasons to love high school football in Hillsborough County

 
The Yellow Jackets’ music and moves will keep your attention on the field during halftime.
The Yellow Jackets’ music and moves will keep your attention on the field during halftime.
Published Aug. 27, 2015

Friday marks the official start to the 2015 football season — one that promises up to 16 weeks of competition, culminating in the chance for teams to bring home a state championship, which hasn't been done in Hillsborough County since 2011. But outside of the X's and O's, playoff favorites and highly touted recruits, there are a lot of fun things that Hillsborough County high school football has to offer. Here are some of our favorites:

Games at Dad's Stadium: What's not to love about the home of the Panthers? Plant's stadium has a unique layout that brings the fans closer than ever to the action on the field. Add in the fact that the student section and band are some of the liveliest around, and it's no wonder the Panthers — who had a 21-game home win streak in the playoffs until they lost to Apopka in the 2013 region semifinal — rarely lose on home turf.

Animated coaches: Chances are you can hear Spoto coach Dale Caparaso's gravelly voice barking orders at his team while making your way in from the parking lot. Caparaso is equal parts football coach and Tasmanian devil on Friday nights and you're never quite sure if he's going to blow a spark plug or not. But one thing is certain: his players would run through a brick wall for him.

Blake's band: Go for the football, stay for the band. Blake's famous marching Yellow Jackets routinely turn their section of the bleachers into a block party regardless of the score. And when they roll out onto the field for halftime, it gets serious. The band can deftly jump from the classics to jazz to funk to hip-hop on the drum major's cue. And the dizzying display of color and sound is bubbling over with swagger. A must-see.

Sharp uniforms: Lennard's burnt orange color scheme was super sweet even when the Longhorns weren't good. Now that they are, they'll make your teeth ache (that's a compliment, promise).

Showy entrances: Sometimes, the drama starts before the game even begins. And at Gaither, that's just the way they like it. Behind one of the end zones is a barn from which the Cowboys emerge with a burst of excitement, often through clouds of smoke.

Frito pie and turkey legs: The debate regarding which end of Hillsborough is tops in football won't be settled anytime soon. But when it comes to concession food, east county has it on lock. Leading the way is the decadent Frito pie at East Bay. Salty and crunchy Fritos topped with chili and cheese sauce. Finish it off with sour cream and onions and you're set. A close second is Riverview's famous brontosaurus-sized smoked turkey legs.

Storied histories: All it takes is a glimpse of the Gothic architecture at Hillsborough High, built in 1928, to see the school's rich history. And that history carries over to the football field. Established in the early 1900s, Brandon High and Plant High also have long traditions, which can be witnessed in small bits of character in and around the football stadiums.

Contentious districts: Redistricting took place during the offseason, and the best kind of districts are the ones in which every game could be a nail-biter. And that goes for 7A-9 (Bloomingdale, Durant, East Bay, Lennard, Plant City, Strawberry Crest, Tampa Bay Tech), where six of the seven teams had either had an eight-win year or went to the playoffs in the past two seasons. "It's a very tough district. It was a competitive district last year; we feel like it's one of the strongest in the area this year," Plant City coach Greg Meyer said. "To be perfectly honest with you, that's exactly the way we want it."

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Tampa Catholic-Jesuit showdown: The Catholic schools are fewer than 3 miles apart and lately have faced off for the last regular-season game of the year. Jesuit holds a 15-game win streak, but the series is more exciting than it seems. Just take last year, for example, when Tampa Catholic led most of the night before Jesuit won on a last-second field goal. "To me, this rivalry means everything to us. This streak of them winning has been going on for a while," TC running back Devan Barrett said. "My team and I are sick of this streak, so it will end this year."

Plant vs. Armwood: The Panthers and Hawks are two of the better programs in the state. We're lucky enough to have them just 16 miles apart in our own back yard. Now that they're in different districts, the teams — which own a combined six state titles — don't play every year, but when they do, it's sure to draw a crowd. In 2012, Plant beat Armwood 20-19 by blocking an extra point in overtime. The two times before that, the Hawks shut out the Panthers on the field (later forfeiting the games due to the use of ineligible players). They meet again on Sept. 25. Mark it down now, then get to the game early.