Daytona Beach — Glades Central and Glades Day, powerhouse programs that share a rich high school football tradition and the undying devotion of passionate fans in Belle Glade, will play on the same stage for the first time ever to start their 2010 seasons. The Raiders and Gators – each winners of six state championships – will play back-to-back Aug. 28, games as part of the inaugural four-game Gridiron Challenge Florida vs. USA series at 10,000-seat Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. Glades Central, renowned for spawning future major college and NFL players, will open a Saturday tripleheader against Dallas Skyline, another assembly line of talent that had 11 major college signees following the 2009 season. “The national rankings and the pride that goes along with it, that’s mainly for the fans,” Glades Central coach Jesse Hester said in a press conference held Friday morning at Vince Carter’s Restaurant in Daytona Beach. “As a coach, any time you can take the opportunity to let your program grow you have to accept those challenges.”
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Glades Day, Florida’s reigning Class 1B champ, will follow Glades Central onto the field and take on Georgia 1A quarterfinalist Twiggs County. Gators coach Pete Walker said it will be the first time his school has faced out-of-state competition since an early 1990s homefield loss against Charlton County, Ga. “Hopefully [Glades Central] will watch us and root for us. We’ll be there rooting for them,” Walker said. “We’re isolated and there’s not a whole lot for kids in Belle Glade outside of football. You’re playing for your community.” Kelvin Taylor, who set a state single-season scoring record with 49 touchdowns as a freshman, was one of the players attending Friday’s gathering and said he hopes to be cleared by doctors on Tuesday to practice. Taylor underwent arthriscopic surgery to his right knee after sustaining a spring practice injury in May. “I’ve been cutting and running full speed. I’m fine,” Taylor said. “Hopefully, I’ll be back on the [practice] field Wednesday.” The Florida High School Athletic Association has granted permission for the Gridiron Challenge games to count as official season openers on a weekend that is designated for preseason games for the rest of the state. Glades will also fly to Texas to face Denton on Sept. 10. “We’re young, but we’re real talented,” Hester said. “We’re going to score points regardless of who we face. Teams with a lot of size can give us problems and Skyline is very big. If their size doesn’t overwhelm us we can be successful. Our kids look at this as a challenge.” The Gridiron series kicks off on Aug. 27, with host Daytona Beach Mainland taking on reigning Mississippi 5A champion West Point in the first official game played on newly installed FieldTurf at Municipal Stadium. Cocoa, which has won back-to-back Florida titles and 24 consecutive games, plays Saturday’s finale against Olive Branch, Miss., which has won 10 games or more for six consecutive seasons. Buddy Collings can be read at OrlandoSentinel.com/varsityblog and reached at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com
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