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FHSAA Announces Football Districts

File photo by Mark Pinson/Highlands Today

All four of the high school football teams in the Heartland are in different districts for the 2009 season.

By MARK PINSON Highlands Today

Published: January 18, 2009

SEBRING - Travel and the costs that go with away games were the main concerns for athletic directors and football coaches in the Heartland with the recent release of the Florida High School Athletic Association's tentative district football alignments for 2009 and 2010.

On Friday, the FHSAA announced the new alignments and Avon Park, Hardee, Lake Placid and Sebring are all in different districts.

Avon Park is now in Class 2B-District 5 with Berkeley Prep, Clearwater Central Catholic, Lake Highland Prep, Mulberry and Tampa Catholic.

"We like this district a lot better," said Red Devil athletic director Mort Jackson. "This will cut down on our travel expenses and the schools we play are much more accessible.

"We also won't have to get the kids out of school early and that's always important."

Red Devil football coach Andy Bonjokian is looking forward to the season.

"I'm pretty happy with where we're at because the other district they had us in would have called for some long bus trips and would have been a nightmare logistically," said the AP coach. "The new district has some schools that we used to play and all of them have solid football programs.

"We'll have some different looks on the schedule and we're excited about playing some new schools and renewing our rivalry with Mulberry, Tampa Catholic and Clearwater Central Catholic."

Lake Placid is now in Class 2B-District 6 with Sarasota Cardinal Mooney, Clewiston, Fort Myers Dunbar, Gateway Charter (Fort Myers), Island Coast (Cape Coral) and LaBelle.

"We're excited about being in a new district and one that's got so many teams," said Green Dragon football coach Jason Holden. "It makes it more competitive because you can lose a couple of district games and still have a shot at the playoffs maybe.

"There are some quality teams in the new district that we have a history with and it should be interesting to see how it plays out."

Sebring is now in Class 3A-District 9 with Auburndale, Celebration, Lake Nona (Orlando), Lake Wales, Poinciana, Tenoroc (Lakeland) and Winter Haven.

"We're happy because that's the district we appealed to go into," said Blue Streak athletic director Terry Quarles. "It's much easier travel and we think it will benefit our gate.

"We play a lot of the Polk County schools anyway and this will give us a chance to build some new rivalries, and with the budget cuts, we need all the gate we can get."

Hardee is now in Class 2A-District 6 with DeSoto County, Estero and Immokalee.

WHAT'S CHANGED?

Avon Park is now in Class 2B-District 5 with:

Berkeley Prep

Clearwater Central Catholic

Lake Highland Prep

Mulberry

Tampa Catholic

Lake Placid is now in Class 2B-District 6 with:

Sarasota Cardinal Mooney

Clewiston

Fort Myers Dunbar