Scrimmage
Exhibition
Preseason

It's all the same. He is trying to make the point that the kids and coaches try to win in the kickoff classic. But that's implying that the counter to his argument is they are all trying to lose. No one is going into any type of competitive format with the intention of losing. So it's kind of useless to state the obvious. The only thing that the kickoff preseason exhibition scrimmage during week zero does is knock the rust off a little bit, and let the kids hit another team in a live format before the season starts. That's it. Anything else is reading WWWWAAAAAAYYYYYY too much into it

Of course you play to win. Totally agree. But also would guess there were kids on both sides who saw the field  more than they would if this was a league game between two teams battling for a title.

That's exactly what I am saying, Do NFL teams Try to lose pre season games?.... No, and the games don't count and they are irrelevant no matter what the outcome other then teams trying to sharpen up.... Claiming that these games should be considered in rankings is just stupid.... 🤣

NFL teams do not go into preseason games looking to put together gameplans that will maximize the chances of winning the preseason game. They gameplan to utilize players and plays they may or may not want to use for the games they are trying to win. Which players are going to make the roster? Which personell groupings may work for us down the road and which do not?  Can we give fans something with entertainment value to justfy charging for tickets to games where we are not scheming to win?

Multiple things are true here:
1) Only morons read anything into the scores or records of NFL exhibitions.
2) Only morons think Florida high school kickoff classics are similar to NFL exhibitions.

Putting together rankings lists is an evaluative, purely subjective process. Sarasota Cardinal Mooney is, objectively, 1-0. STA is, objectively, also 1-0. Literally no one thinks that means the teams are equivalent, even though their records are equivalent. Mooney lost 49-0 at home while doing everything they could to win the game. Again, the loss doesn't tarnish their record, or damage their chances in state playoffs within their class. But it does tell us they're nowhere near STA, which was not something we learned after the teams' 2025 game. You would be catastrophically stupid to think we know nothing about how those 2026 teams compare since their game didn't officially count in the record.

[But also would guess]

Of course you play to win. Totally agree. But also would guess there were kids on both sides who saw the field  more than they would if this was a league game between two teams battling for a title.

You don't need to guess with the games I've mentioned. They were all broadcast live on YouTube. One could sit and watch them and know who played and for how long.

Never have been able to determine how much emphasis to put on scrimmage games.  I know that Mooney beat a pretty solid Berkley team last night, 38-21 to go 1-0.

Also, I'm afraid you're stuck in 2023 in regards to Berekeley Prep  being "pretty solid". They are 11-10 the last two seasons against a fairly weak schedule. Further, their results vs. Mooney reinforce my claims about Mooney's drop-off. In 2025, a much better Mooney team beat BP at BP 49-10. This season, Mooney only led 26-21 late in the 3rd quarter and won 39-21. From a 39 point win on the road to an 18 point win at home. A 21 point reduction in margin, not factoring in the flip of home field advantage. That's about the drop-off one would expect, given the similar downward trend in comparing the 2025 STA outcome to the 2026 outcome.

The 2025 Mooney team was elite within Florida, and possibly underrated even where they were rated. The 2026 team is not among the top 20 teams in the state.

Also, I'm afraid you're stuck in 2023 in regards to Berekeley Prep  being "pretty solid". They are 11-10 the last two seasons against a fairly weak schedule. Further, their results vs. Mooney reinforce my claims about Mooney's drop-off. In 2025, a much better Mooney team beat BP at BP 49-10. This season, Mooney only led 26-21 late in the 3rd quarter and won 39-21. From a 39 point win on the road to an 18 point win at home. A 21 point reduction in margin, not factoring in the flip of home field advantage. That's about the drop-off one would expect, given the similar downward trend in comparing the 2025 STA outcome to the 2026 outcome.

The 2025 Mooney team was elite within Florida, and possibly underrated even where they were rated. The 2026 team is not among the top 20 teams in the state.

Mooney only had to play one team in the top 25 of the state all year and that was in the finals. And the other quality opponent they played against they lost to. And they lost the preseason game which is another loss.

So where do you want them to be ranked with that resume?

Mooney only had to play one team in the top 25 of the state all year and that was in the finals. And the other quality opponent they played against they lost to. And they lost the preseason game which is another loss.

So where do you want them to be ranked with that resume?

Not really interested in relitigating 2025 rankings. My intention was to convey that I'm not some Cardinal Mooney "hater", or am oblivious to the special team they had last year. The point is that we know, right now as we speak, that CM is substantially down from the best team in school history. I'm not sure that should be surprising. But, if the dropoff goes unrecognized, the 2026 team could be the grossly unfair beneficiaries. It is simply a false choice to say that either the likes of Wellen Park or SmartEn Sports beats Mooney OR Mooney is a top 8 team in Florida. A vastly diminished CM may well beat Wellen Park et al...and still be nowhere near the top 8 in the state. But, if the 2026 team inherits a ranking based on what the 2025 team was, and then manages to beat a bunch of slapdicks and never drops because they never lost, they may well end up in the top 8 anyway. They aren't actually a top 20 team in Florida this year, and I'm not sure they're top 30 either.

How well do the Lake Mary and Cardinal Mooney rankings hold up now? (asking for a friend)

Not really interested in relitigating 2025 rankings. My intention was to convey that I'm not some Cardinal Mooney "hater", or am oblivious to the special team they had last year. The point is that we know, right now as we speak, that CM is substantially down from the best team in school history. I'm not sure that should be surprising. But, if the dropoff goes unrecognized, the 2026 team could be the grossly unfair beneficiaries. It is simply a false choice to say that either the likes of Wellen Park or SmartEn Sports beats Mooney OR Mooney is a top 8 team in Florida. A vastly diminished CM may well beat Wellen Park et al...and still be nowhere near the top 8 in the state. But, if the 2026 team inherits a ranking based on what the 2025 team was, and then manages to beat a bunch of slapdicks and never drops because they never lost, they may well end up in the top 8 anyway. They aren't actually a top 20 team in Florida this year, and I'm not sure they're top 30 either.

Just to be clear, are you talking about the same C-M team that waxed AHP by 19 points? The AHP team that beat ESL and lost to Lakeland by 5? Also, it appears that they have given a very good Sierra Canyon their best game so far this season. SC is butt drilling OLu tonight.

Just to be clear, are you talking about the same C-M team that waxed AHP by 19 points? The AHP team that beat ESL and lost to Lakeland by 5? Also, it appears that they have given a very good Sierra Canyon their best game so far this season. SC is butt drilling OLu tonight.

This is definitely not the best Chaminade team in school history. They're better than I expected, though.

Sierra Canyon may well be the best team in...the country.

This is definitely not the best Chaminade team in school history. They're better than I expected, though.

Sierra Canyon may well be the best team in...the country.

I don't think anyone is claiming this C-M team is the best in their history. However, a lot of folks are saying they are STILL a force to be reckoned with.

[Sierra Canyon may well be the best team in...the country.]

This is definitely not the best Chaminade team in school history. They're better than I expected, though.

Sierra Canyon may well be the best team in...the country.

No they're not.


They're a top 15 team maybe 10 but not the top team in the country.

Fakatou is a legit 5 star player though.