There’s no phone call or even an email that lets coaches know their football team didn’t make the state playoffs.
“We learned of it when the brackets were published the Sunday after our Friday, Nov. 5 loss,”
said Key West football Coach John Hughes.
The Conchs weren’t included.
“We really knew it after the loss (54-35 to Dade Christian). We were ranked ninth
going into that game, so a lot had to happen for us to move up,” said Hughes, whose team
finished with 5 wins and 5 losses overall and 2-1 in District 16-5A, which made them runners-up.
In the past, the district runners-up made the tournament. This year, it was based on rankings.
So the Conchs’ season is over, but there’s still work to be done.
Hughes said his big job now is placing his seven seniors, five who played regularly, in college. The coach is confident he’ll find offers for all, but he must also find schools that entice the seniors. “Our players may not want to go to college where it’s cold. Last year, our quarterback, William Andrews, had an offer from a college in Massachusetts, but he chose to go to Florida State as a non-player,” said Hughes.
The rest of this year’s team, the underclassmen, will be lifting weights and training after the holiday break.
Ever wonder what other sports the Florida High School Athletic Association includes? How about bowling in the fall, for which Key West would have to find lanes. Probably too difficult.
When we were discussing his new duties, athletic director Justin Martin mentioned beach volleyball. It’s a spring sport and we have plenty of beaches.
Another potential spring sport candidate is boys weightlifting. With Key West already offering girls weightlifting, it might be a possibility.
The FHSAA also offers flag football and water polo in the spring.
Meanwhile, at the college level, Florida’s Big Three football teams — Florida, Miami and Florida State — are having disappointing seasons. And all three coaches’ jobs are on the line.
Florida’s Dan Mullen bit the dust after Saturday’s 24-23 overtime loss to Missouri. That left the
Gators at 5 wins, 6 losses and Mullen out of a job that had paid him $7.6 million a year. He’ll get a buyout of $12 million.
The Gators are favored against the Seminoles Saturday. The winner will be bowl eligible. The loser will be finished for the season. Florida State (5-6) has won two in a row (Miami and Boston), and a victory Saturday could help coach Mike Norwell keep his job. His salary is $3.75 million with a buyout of $16 million. His salary was reduced by 20% a year ago because of the pandemic.
Before the season started, much was predicted for University of Miami. There have been a few good victories, including Saturday’s 38-26 triumph at Virginia Tech, which gave the Canes a 6-5 record and made them bowl eligible. A win against Duke this week would help save Manny Diaz’s job. He earns between $7 million and $8 million over two years with a buyout of $8 million.
Seventy-year-old Butch Davis beat them all by announcing a few weeks ago that this would be
his last year at Florida International, and he hasn’t stopped criticizing his bosses since. He is worth about $1.5 million, according to several listings.
