Thursday, February 7, 2013
Six Cougar football players, including USF-bound defensive star Mike Love, signed letters of intent Tuesday to play at the collegiate level.
National signing day is like Christmas for high school athletes. Photos are taken, hugs and kisses are doled out, and smiles can be found on the faces of every kid in sight, knowing they get to continue to play the sport they love at the college level. The annual event was particularly impressive at Countryside High School on Tuesday, as a huge crowd packed the media center to witness six football players and a number of other athletes sign letters of intent with their new schools. Mike Love, a highly recruited defensive lineman who chose to stay close to home to play at the University of South Florida, was trying to soak it all in as cameras flashed all around him. “I saw this day coming, but it’s a lot more than I expected,” he said. “…
Saturday, October 20, 2012
The crosstown rivals hooked up for a senior night showdown. Check out these scenes from the game, and feel free to upload your own photos, too.
Countryside saw their seniors play their final regular season home football game Friday night, and the whole team combined to send the 24 seniors out in style. The Cougars waxed crosstown rival Clearwater, jumping out to a 31-7 halftime lead before cruising to a 44-7 victory. But the win was bittersweet for the team, and especially the upperclassmen. An investigation into the eligibility of their starting quarterback, Christian Strong, has left the team waiting to hear if some of its wins will be vacated, putting their postseason prospects in jeopardy. "Obviously we hear things, but we just try to put it out of our minds and stay focused," senior wideout Joey Ganci said of the investigation. "I hope that we can make a deep run in the …
Saturday, September 29, 2012
How did a coach labeled as a "no rehire" end up at Countryside, where he was removed for making inappropriate comments toward a varsity player? The Tampa Bay Times investigates.
An assistant football coach at Countryside High School was not a registered volunteer, which could lead to disciplinary actions against officials at the high school, the Tampa Bay Times reports in its Home Team blog. According to the blog: Two weeks ago, Countryside removed volunteer assistant Derrick Smith for making inappropriate comments toward a varsity player. That same week, the school district’s Office of Professional Standards opened an investigation into Countryside head coach Jared Davis. It's unclear if the incidents were related, as the results of the investigation into Davis will not be released until Oct. 8, the Times reports. However, Smith, 35, was labeled as a "no rehire" by the Pinellas County School District after a 2008…
Friday, September 14, 2012
The teams are ranked 1-2 in recent polls, and Friday's game promises to be an entertaining affair.
Two highly ranked Pinellas County football teams meet on the gridiron Friday night, as the top-rated Countryside Cougars take on the second-ranked Largo Packers at Cougar Stadium. Countryside (2-0) comes into the meeting having not lost a regular season game since October of 2009. The Cougars got by a tough opponent last week in East Lake, but should face an even tougher test this week. The Packers (2-0) have also enjoyed a recent run of success under head coach Rick Rodriguez, making the playoffs each of the last seven years and boasting another solid team this season. The fact that both teams hare highly ranked and expected to go deep into the playoffs, combined with the fact that the winner of the game could run the table and go …
Sunday, September 9, 2012
The Cougars used strong defense and a potent rushing attacks to topple their cross-town rivals.
Coming into Friday night's contest against cross-town rival East Lake, the Countryside Cougars had not lost a regular season football game since October 2009. After the game was over, the Cougars' streak was still intact, as Countryside used tough defense and power running to defeat the Eagles, 27-14 at Cougar Stadium. Countryside (2-0) led the whole way, but East Lake (1-1) made it close when quarterback Pete DiNovo hit wide receiver George Campbell for a 75-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 20-14 going into the fourth quarter. But a defensive stand on fourth down, combined with a kill-the-clock drive that culminated in a short touchdown run by fullback Ryan Yates with seconds left in the game, iced the victory for C-Side. "We're …
Friday, August 31, 2012
The Cougars will look to extend their 20-0 regular season record this year under head coach Jared Davis.
Since Jared Davis took over Clearwater Countryside High football in 2010, he has quickly taken a strong program to a level of dominance. The Cougars have yet to lose a regular season game under Davis, going 20-0. Despite such a standard, Davis waves off any thought that the past may put too much pressure on his present players. “We don’t really think of it like that,” Davis said. “We just have a recipe for success, and we stick to that and what we have to do to win the next game.” This year, barring injuries, shouldn’t be much different that Davis’ first two seasons at Countryside in that the Cougars should again be strong. Start off with defensive end Mike Love, who racked up 15 sacks last season. He is ranked as a three-star prospect by …
28.02111
-82.711469
Countryside High School
3000 State Road 580, Clearwater, FL
/articles/football-preview-clearwater-countryside-high-s-roll-could-continue
932849
/locations/7693526
John Davis' Marauders have the speed and skill to make a push for a state crown in 2012-13.
This could finally be the year John Davis’ Marauders have a break out season. Sure, Clearwater Central Catholic football has always been good under Davis. But his teams never really made a run for a state title. This could be the year. CCC isn’t just deep, it has speed to burn all over the field. Last year, Davis took a step up and had CCC battled one of Pinellas County’s big boys, East Lake, and the two teams had a classic game that CCC, Davis still contends, let slip away at the end. Tell this to Davis and he immediately puts on the brakes. “You never know for sure until you play the game,” Davis said. “No one is going to hand [a win] to us. “On paper, we look pretty good. We have a lot of speed.” Davis is going to use that speed to his …
27.930965
-82.723159
Clearwater Central Catholic
2750 Haines Bayshore Rd, Clearwater, FL
/articles/football-preview-clearwater-central-catholic-poised-for-breakout
928842
/locations/7693452
Former Dunedin High coach Mark Everett finds himself in a new situation as he takes over Calvary Christian.
Last decade, one of the top teams annually in Pinellas County was Dunedin, led by coach Mark Everett. Now, after a year in which he served as an assistant at Calvary Christian, Everett takes over the program. “It’s exciting and fun to be back in it,” Everett said. “It’s a good situation for me.” And a different situation. At Dunedin, Everett often was dealing with players who were bound for Florida, South Florida and other top-notch schools. Football for many of Everett’s players, so some thought, was their lone chance to escape tough if not violent neighborhoods and troubled backgrounds. That is not the case at all with Calvary Christian. Often, players come from strong families in comfortable neighborhoods and football is more of a …
27.966868
-82.708987
Calvary Christian High School
110 N McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL
/articles/football-preview-calvary-christian-s-new-coach-eases-in
931235
/locations/7693366
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Clearwater High School is preparing for long time head football coach Tom Bostic's farewell season as they seek a "head coach in waiting" for the 2013 season.
Clearwater High School is preparing for long-time head football coach Tom Bostic's farewell season as they seek a "head coach in waiting" for the 2013 season. Bostic lead the program for 30 years. According to the job listing on the Florida High School Athletic Association website: The coach would serve as an assistant varsity football coach for this upcoming football season with the intent to take over the head coaching position for the 2013 football season. A teaching position is a strong possibility. Interested candidates can email resumes by Friday, July 20, to Katherine Biddle at biddlek@pcsb.org or call 727-298-1620 ext. 2114.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Both Countryside and Clearwater play this week's games tonight. Both teams are on the road.
Yes, it's Thursday night. But there's high school football to be played. Pinellas County's public schools are playing tonight and that includes Countryside and Clearwater. Here is a quick preview of each game: Countryside (5-0) at Northeast (2-3) The past two seasons the Cougars have run the table in the regular season posting undefeated records and advanced to the region championship game. So far Countryside is halfway there. Led by running back Diomi Roberts (614 yards and eight touchdowns) and quarterback Gray Crow (six touchdowns and 783 yards passing), Countryside is a dominant offensive squad. Barring turnovers, there shouldn't be much of a problem for the Cougars to rack up their sixth win. Northeast is hurting, both emotionally …
Kerryn Ellson
6:02 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
Way to go kids!! The staff at www.GulfviewLiving.com is very proud of you and wish you the best of luck!! We have also shared your success on our FB page facebook/kerrynellsonrealtor. more ›