Florida Lacrosse News on Substack 02/18/2025
Welcome to today's post!
#TAFTAG
#LayOffTheRefs
#FloridaRising
#LacrosseFanandDamnProudOfIt
#StopYellingWard
#AcknowledgeFloridaLacrosse
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Welcome - Southwest Florida Shootout Tournament Video
Buy tickets HERE
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A Very Special Rivalry
Last week, the annual game between Immokalee and Calvary Christian-Ft Lauderdale occurred. CC took the 11-2 win, but as always, the result takes a backseat to the relationship between the 2 schools and their head coaches, Adam Bond of CC and Scott Rickard of Immokalee. CC jumped out early and after the first, it was pretty much a status quo margin the rest of the way.
It’s been 9 years now since they met at the 2016 FLN All-Star Game that we ran before the Finals on Saturday in Jupiter, back when there were only 2 games that day in the one class years. Adam, Scott and I coached the South team (North-South back then for the format) to victory but that was not as important as how well Adam and Scott got on. They agreed to play the following year and the rest naturally evolved.
Immokalee took the 2017 game 9-7, a game I attended, on their way to a 13-7 record, a remarkable record for the school and the difficulties they face playing this sport. They put up a 5-2 4th quarter to pull it out. Senior Marc Galindo put up a 4G/1A game while senior Raymond Perez saved 10 of 17 SOGs. CC was led that day by freshman Jason Thomforde, who went on to play at Limestone and Ben Fuchs’ 11 saves in goal, who started for years at D3 Potsdam.
Ahh, the circle of life . . . Marc still holds the record at Immokalee for Goals and Points in a season, as well as being the all-time leading point producer for the school and I suspect Jason holds that for CC.
CC came back in 2018 to win 12-4 and the two schools try to play each other every year. CC has taken them all since 2017. Covid intervened for two of them, but even when not playing, the two schools and their communities have stayed close. When Hurricane Irma hit in 2017, the city took extensive damage. The CC community stepped up to help out, further cementing their bonds.
If any programs out there are truly looking for inspiration and leadership in how programs are run and a friendly rivalry is sustained and nurtured, this is where you look.
Not at those who whine about recruiting or limitations, etc. All of us eventually come to understand life is not fair, no one knows that more than the Immokalee lacrosse community. They face barriers that other programs would shrink from and give up on. Thankfully, they have an AD unlike the Stonemans of the world, and a head coach/coaching staff who is to be admired by all. CC has the same blessing of an AD who gets it and a coaching staff just as understanding of what the Haudenosaunee first gifted all of us.
May I be around for the 20th anniversary and beyond to celebrate that.
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Maybe I’m getting this wrong, but it seems like scoring is way up across the state . . . let me know if you agree or not.
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