All In The Family

On Friday night I had the opportunity to visit cozy little Denison Field in downtown Winter Haven (FL) to see the Winter Haven High School Blue Devils face off in their annual Pre-Season Classic football game against the Ridge Community High School Bolts from Davenport (FL).

 
If you haven't been to a high school football game in many years (like myself) I highly recommend that you take the time to visit one of your local stadiums and check out what may be the last place that you can find real, pure football still being played. 

 
With all the scandal and apparent corruption in college football and even talk about paying college football players gaining momentum, I think it is safe to say that at least most high school football players are still playing simply for the love of the game or the simple respect and admiration of the family, friends and neighbors.

 
But what really interested me on this local high school football game was not so much the players on the field but the coaches on the sidelines.  Before we get into that let me first give you a little history lesson about Winter Haven High School from the schools web site:

In 1886 the first school was started on the second floor of Boyd's Hall, which is the site of the present-day City Hall. Then, in 1890 a frame school building was built at the corner of Central Avenue and First Street. More space was added in 1912 for the 200 pupils now going to school. Three years later a brick building replaced the frame ones, making room for twelve grades. All elementary and high school grades were accommodated in the twenty-two classrooms of this building until 1922-23. An eight-room structure for the high school was erected on Fourth Street, this is the present annex at Denison Junior High School. In 1925 a large stucco structure (two stories plus an above-ground basement) was erected on the adjacent lot for the high school, and the smaller building became a junior high school.

 
If you have followed University of Miami football for the last 40 years like I have (It's a family tradition that started with my father and dates back to the early 1970s) then the last name of "Tate" may mean something to you.

Charlie Tate was the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes from 1964 to 1970.  In six seasons and part of a seventh, he compiled an overall win-loss record of 34–27–3. His best season with the Hurricanes came in 1966, when his team went 8–2–1 and won the Liberty Bowl against Virginia Tech. Tate also served as the Athletic Director at Miami from 1969-1970 when he abruptly resigned as the Hurricanes' AD and head coach after the second game of the 1970 football season.

Chuck Foreman was Tate's most famous recruit in the late 1960s. When interviewed at the ESPN Club, Foreman, who went on to a great career in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, said of Tate, "He had faith in me, as a black athlete in the South during that tumultuous time, and I will never forget him. He was a great, generous man."

Charlie Tate was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

His sons Charlie Tate Jr., Richard Tate and Robert Tate, can all currently be found coaching high school football in Central Florida.  Charlie Tate Jr., who can be seen below (at Center) coaching up his team on the sidelines during Friday's game, is the head Coach for the Winter Haven Blue Devils.

 
His brother  Richard Tate is the Head Coach for the Ridge Community High School Bolts while his brother Robert Tate serves as the Offensive Coordinator .

Got all that?  Yes indeed, for the Tate's, coaching high school football is a family affair!

The game was a blowout with Winter Haven racing out to a 37-0 first half advantage. 

Tate had his Blue Devils operating with precision in this pre-season match-up as they displayed what seemed to be an obvious advantage of speed and talent advantage over the seemingly lifeless Bolts.

In the first half the Blue Devils had their balanced offense on display as they rushed for 119 yards and passed for 119 yards while racking up five touchdowns. The defense also forced a safety on a bad snap.

Senior quarterback Levi Borders helped the Blue Devils racked 297 total yards.  Borders tossed touchdown strikes of 19 yards to Luke Ewles, 15 yards to Fred Rhone and 10 yards to Jontrell Hawkins and the rout was clearly on.

With starting running back Adam Lane sidelined with a broken ankle Winter Haven's Walter Bridges filled in admirably and managed to to gain 86 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns.

 
The Ridge offense could not get un-tracked and their special teams made several major miscues that resulted in Winter Haven finding themselves in scoring position of which they took advantage for most of the first half.

 
The Winter Haven cheerleaders stayed interested in the game despite the lopsided score but the Blue Devil's marching band appeared to get bored of playing their school fight song after every score.

 
The game ended with the Blue Devils romping over the Bolts by the same first half score of 37-0.

Comments

[AlpharettaCane]

Cool nickname..Bolts.

Great article and accompanying pics!

[VA Cane]

First

[VA Cane]

Or tied for first. Soup I just won a shirt a couple days ago; no need for me to have 2. I won one on Jan 4 2011 when the new shirts were not out and never followed up....check the archives. Thats 3 in the year. I will e mail you for 1....if one of our service guys does not have one, its fine with me to send one to them, I will send my size and address!!! Thanks buddy!!

[VA Cane]

or anybody else who has not gotten one.....I am glad to share with anybody. Been lucky last 2 weeks....survived a quake, hurricane, works picked up, and won on here. Lifes pretty good, Huh?

[VA Cane]

Neat article as well.....I go to see my HS play at least once a year...HS football is big around Richmond, lotta kids play at VT...R Gordon was from here as well...I enjoy the games!!

[SinisterCane]

Screw the Dolphins AS A STAFF AND A RECORD LABLE AND IF YOUR DOWN WITH THE Dolphins then screw U too!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/fl-florida-gators-2009-reunion-sun-life-0828,0,4248503.story

Pac

[SinisterCane]

I'm offically a Jags fan and I hope that joke of an organiztion"Brokeback phins" goes 0-16 for the next sixteen years

[SOUP]

I will e mail you for 1....if one of our service guys does not have one, its fine with me to send one to them, I will send my size and address!!! Thanks buddy!!

Posted by: VA Cane | August 28, 2011 at 03:09 PM

U got it!

[Usagainsttheworld]

Robert Marve----errrr check that----

Chase Ford

[canesteeler]

Nice article.

[TLuv]

What up Space? I've been out of commission since Friday night. Caught a bad case of the flu. Hot flashes, body aches, 101 temp...the works. Any new info I should know about?

[TLuv]

nice article

[AlpharettaCane]

From SI.com

Brent Musburger Drinking Game
This is from 2007 but you get the idea of the game…

For those “folks” about to enjoy the “dandy” ABC Prime Time Game-of-the-week, Brent Musburger usually is calling the biggest game for ABC, “pard-ner”.

The Brent Musburger Drinking Game

WARNING! Play at your own risk. It is conceivable your whole party will be passed out with 8 minutes remaining in the first half.

*Note: Partner is spelled “Pardner,” because that’s the way Brent says it.

Rule #1: “The Pardner”

A person is picked to be the Pardner at the beginning of the game. The first time Brent says “Pardner,” the Pardner has to take 1 drink, and then picks someone else to be the Pardner. The next time Brent says it, the new Pardner has to take 2 drinks, and then pick a new Pardner, and so on and so on. The Pardner must wear a special “Pardner” hat.

Rule #2: “Folks”

Everyone drinks 1 when Brent says “Folks.” However, if Brent says “Hold on Folks”, everyone must drink once but the first person to drink has to finish their drink for not holding on.

Rule #3: “It’s a foot race!”.

Whenever Brent says “It’s a foot race” everyone has to finish their drink. The first one done becomes “That Man” and gets to punch the Pardner in the arm.

Rule #4: “There’s that man again”.

After someone becomes “That Man,” they get to give away 3 drinks to someone of their choosing the next time Brent says “That Man.” That person then becomes “That Man.” If Brent says “That Man” before “It’s a footrace,” The Pardner becomes That Man. If The Pardner becomes That Man first, he gets to punch the new That Man in the arm twice after giving away the 3 drinks. There must also be a special hat for “That Man.”

Rule #5: “Dr. Pepper”. - (This works in bowl games; whichever food or drink is the title sponsor)

Every time Brent says “Dr. Pepper” everyone has to yell out “I’M A PEPPER!” and take 2 drinks. Afterwards, each person must give out a satisfied “AAAAAAAHHHHH!”, as if in a Dr. Pepper commercial. Anyone who fails to do so must drink again.

Rule #6: “Jack Arute”.

Whenever Brent says “Our ol’ buddy Jack Arute” everyone has to say “AROOOOOOT!” Last one to do it has to do a shot. If everyone does it simultaneously, the Pardner must do a shot.

Rule #7: “In the college game”.

Whenever Brent says this little gem, everyone must say “Shut the fuck up Brent”, drink 2, and punch the Pardner in the arm.

Rule #8: Mentioning a Big 10 school during a game involving no Big 10 teams.

Whenever Brent does this, the first person who names the Big 10 school’s mascot gets to make somebody drink for 11 seconds, since there’s 11 schools in the Big 10.

Rule #9: Calling a touchdown before the player actually scores.

For example, during an interception return, Brent says “It’s a touchdown!” before the player actually scores. In this case, everyone must start drinking and continue to drink until the player actually does score. If by some odd event, the player does NOT score, everyone must finish their drink.

Rule #10: “Kirk, my man”.

Whenever Brent says “Kirk, my man”, the Pardner gets to choose someone to be Kirk. From that point on, that person must be referred to as “Kirk, my man” until the game is over. “Kirk, my man” gets to give away 5 drinks the rest of the game any time Brent says “Kirk, my man”. If someone talks to “Kirk, my man” without calling him that, they have to do a shot. If there is someone playing the game actually named Kirk, that person is automatically “Kirk, my man”.

[AlpharettaCane]

For those of you that aren't admirers of Criag James, either as a broadcaster or for his role in the Mike Leach scandal:

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2011-articles/july/a-tribute-to-your-joe-morgan-memorial-tournament-winner-craig-james.html

(Finally, someone else who thought Joe Morgan was a terrible announcer.....)

[SOUP]

Nice article.

Posted by: canesteeler | August 28, 2011 at 03:49 PM

Nice article

Posted by: TLuv | August 28, 2011 at 04:03 PM

Thank U x 2!

Mucho research went into that piece.

I will be going to a few different high schools to cover games in Polk County. Some pretty good football being played around here in Lakeland (of course) but also in Lake Wales, Bartow, Haines City and Winter Haven.

[HillViewCane]

Stan Van Gundy on the Miami situation ...
pay the players.

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was on the University of Miami campus the other day, dropping off his daughter for the semester. Sports scandal swirled all around the school, though it wasn't obvious on the manicured campus. "The system is set up for everybody but the kids while pretending to be about the kids," Van Gundy said. "Athletics and education should be separate. Colleges shouldn't be farm systems. It doesn't make any logical sense. But the schools don't want to be blatantly in the situation of being professional sports even though they already are professional sports. They just want to disguise it, so they hide behind education. But, really, all you want is enough of your athletes to graduate so it looks like that's what you care about. Anyone around sports knows it is all a bunch of bull [expletive]..."

Read more: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/304070?eref=sircrc&eref=fromSI#ixzz1WMBlCaxt

[AlpharettaCane]

Must read article for college football fans. Interesting takes on the announcers, plus games of the year.

Great stuff.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/richard_deitsch/08/22/collegefootball.television/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t11_a1

[OCALACANE]

Sup SpaceCadets?

Check this out...

Represent

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=209009969152396

[SOUP]

Ocala sighting! Did U get me email about the Tix? I got 2 for the Bethune Cookman game on 10/1 and 2 for the Duke Game on 11/5. U gotta let me know which game U are interested in soon!

[SOUP]

Now this right here is LOL funny:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southwest-Florida-Alumni-Club-of-the-University-of-Miami/118037908220434#!/photo.php?fbid=257987354225488&set=pu.118037908220434&type=1&theater

[SOUP]

CanesFest:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/28/2378369/fans-smother-miami-hurricanes.html

[SOUP]

Quick Bounce Back:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/28/2378367/university-of-miami-could-bounce.html

[SOUP]

Learning From Mistakes:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/27/2376690/um-will-learn-from-any-mistakes.html

[SinisterCane]

Live in Jax and plan on going to the FSU game, trying to locate affordable tickets? thanks in advance.

[4-Real]

Iz any of u Assclowns aware that bama is being investigated 4 the same reason as Miami & Ohio st. yet espn ( a.k.a. S.E.Cspn ) or nobody else has said anything bout da matter? While yall posting sh*t bout punk-ass brent musburger yall need to be e-mailing Cote, Manny & Lonzo Highsmith with that bama article til it go mainstream. If the ncaa hammer us, they gotta hammer bama 2!

[VA Cane]

Soup sent you e mail. Thanks again my friend!!

[2002nemo]

Lull before the storm. Borrrrrrring!

[CGNC]

Taters gonna Tate - LOL

[Sarasota 'cane]

Yeahzzz youzzz bunch a azzzclownszzz, get realzz and shizzz!

Go'zz 'canezzz

[CGNC]

Sota! Back away from the vodka - LOL - drinking and blogging is probably some kind of NCAA violation

TLuv - feel better

[TLuv]

Thanks CGNC!

[solarcane]

rounding third and heading for home!

soup,
this high school football game article was a nice idea.

CGNC,
I was Zip lining at the US National Whitewater Center, Charlotte today.
almost 1/4 mile zip trip

What cool, fantastic, inexpensive place to spend a day!

We are going back in October to hit the all day whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Olympic training courses.

http://usnwc.org/activities/whitewater-rafting/

[solarcane]

When you got a full belly, a full diaper, it's your Birtday, and your Granpa is there to spend it with you, life is good.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/solarcane/alex2.jpg

[CGNC]

Solar, I haven't been there but Heather went there for a senior class field trip - she loved it. Let me know when you go in October, maybe I can meet you there. I think you can kayak the Catawba River from there, not sure

[360Canes]

I say the NC2A should give us R. Williams since we've been so good with the investigation.

[UMike]

I was talking to my father-in-law who is a Florida fan about the Miami situation...and I was thinking..how is over 30 arrest in a few years NOT considered "lack of institutional control" lol

[dj moonbat]

The Brent Musburger Drinking Game

Posted by: AlpharettaCane | August 28, 2011 at 04:05 PM

God, back in my heavy drinking days I would've killed to go to a football watching party that played that game.

[TLuv]

how is over 30 arrest in a few years NOT considered "lack of institutional control" lol
Posted by: UMike | August 28, 2011 at 11:02 PM

$64,000 question that's yet to be answered

[Six]

86 - ha, you gotta take that up with the Bucs and my boss

Not like I wasn't working from 12pm-12:30am straight ... had about 1 hour for lunch & that's it ... the rest of the time? Unloading/loading the satellite truck bottom racks where the cameras are, putting the big boxes they're in onto rolling carts - weighed no less than 300 lbs. - and rolling them to either endzone to be lifted up to be placed in their little cubby hole where the cameras then had to be built ... same had to be done with the upper cameras and high endzone camera, except at least the carts got to go into the elevator for the uppers

At least those guys get to stand behind a camera the entire time. I gotta put that handheld camera on my shoulder, 35 lbs, have the cable tied off to my belt, have 2 cable handlers behind me the entire time, following me wherever I go from endzone to endzone. The most I put that camera down off my shoulder the entire game is probably 5 minutes total? and that includes halftime

If you did get a field pass from us, then you'd be working your ass off the entire game

I'd have you pulling cable, haha

The girl we had pulling long cable for me, she passed out during the 1st Quarter. Eyes rolled up into her head, knees buckled and she fell right onto her shoulder - had to be carted off. Dehydrated and dizzy as hell

Old Skool I'm sure can tell you as well about shooting NFL football games when you're the host station

Only guys that have it easy physically are all the people sitting in the satellite truck, where it's a cool 70 degrees

Now, if you want to take my place when we head up to DC this Thursday for the final pre-season game, it's all good. I dunno how good you are at shooting field eye level handheld camera the entire game, but if you're down to do it, I'll hook you up with my boss, haha

Then again, you might get in one of the rental cars we have up there waiting for us and go watch the Lingerie Bowl instead ... don't lie

[Six]

Here's a pic I took with my cell phone when we were setting up the high rooftop bumpshot camera

http://i56.tinypic.com/13zpowg.jpg

It's on a small walkway, just across from the top level of the stands of the south west endzone

When it's breezy up there, you really feel it

[Montreal-Cane]

Longtime national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said by “locking in the positives.’’

"The first thing Miami has to do is give Golden an extension to his contract — guarantee him like five, six, seven years, which could help him and help the school weather the storm,’’ Lemming said. “The recruits all have faith in him. You talk to recruits, they all love the guy. Coaches have already embraced him in Dade and Broward County, which is remarkable since many did like Randy [Shannon] too.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/28/2379575/newcomers-key-to-weather-storm.html#ixzz1WPD5ebR9

[TJL]

Gameweek!!

know thy enemy:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/maryland_terps/blog/2011/08/crowton_donr_judge_me_by_lsu_offense.html

[TJL]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bs-sp-terps-position-changes-20110825,0,1650052.story

[solarcane]

A lot of young guys will be playing in the game vs. Maryland...Chickillo, Dorsett, Perryman.....says Golden

[solarcane]

Joe: Do you expect any word from the NCAA soon?
golden "We expect in the next 48 hours we hear something"

[solarcane]

Golden also says Spencer Whipple has gotten more work of late. And he says NCAA has not told school of any clearings.

[canechic]

Solar that baby is adorable! :)

Just reading not blogging but that cute face required a compliment!

Have a great day!

PS Fran get better and remember I am not that far if you need anything.
Mary Lou hang in there!
TLuv - EmergenC and green tea!

[UMike]

Is anyone else worried about Figs starting at tackle?

[SOUP]

Then again, you might get in one of the rental cars we have up there waiting for us and go watch the Lingerie Bowl instead ... don't lie.

Posted by: Six | August 29, 2011 at 12:50 AM

I've got season tix to the Lingerie League already so I'm good there. LOL

[SOUP]

Is anyone else worried about Figs starting at tackle?

Posted by: UMike | August 29, 2011 at 08:52 AM

Worry is like a rocking chair.

Keeps U busy, but gets U nowhere.