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By BOB PUTNAM
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 25, 2001
BRADENTON -- Osceola, faced with the prospect of playing in a tough district filled with out-of-county opponents, has opted to play an independent schedule next season.
"There was a lot of travel staying with this district, and competition is tough, too," coach George Palmer said. "If I knew if we could be competitive in this district, it would have been a harder choice to make."
The Warriors were scheduled to play in Class 3A, District 8, which includes Blake, Sarasota Booker, Jesuit, Palmetto, Robinson and Bradenton Southeast.
The six schools went a combined 41-19 last season, and five made the playoffs. Osceola was the only school in the district that had a losing record (4-6).
"We just don't have the depth to stay with some of those teams," Palmer said. "Booker beat Southeast in the regular season, and Southeast beat Seminole in the playoffs. It's tough."
Competition is not the only obstacle. The Warriors were the only public school in the county not competing in an all-Pinellas district. Palmer said the extra travel could have hurt attendance, and with only four games left to schedule county teams, some rivalries were in jeopardy.
Osceola appealed to the Florida High School Activities Association to move up to Class 4A or 5A and join other Pinellas schools, but the appeal was denied, Palmer said.
Instead, Osceola will play only Pinellas teams and won't be eligible for the playoffs.