We woke up to 75 degrees and the beach weather of St. Augustine, Florida. After taking care of a few things on the RV it was time to head out and get to know the boys of Nease High School. Nease is a prestigious program that has sent over 20 players to DI colleges in the last three years. This year they have reloaded, are undefeated, and back in the race to repeat as 4A State Champs.
Visiting their practice was an experience unlike anything we have done yet due to the friendliness of Coach Howard. When we arrived, Coach was so excited to have the Maxpreps Express on campus he rode shotgun with us and had us drive the RV onto the practice field for all to see. I offered to spin a few doughnuts on the field, but Coach wasn't going for it. After the madness Coach Howard introduced us to the team, we told them a little about the tour, and Chris fielded questions about his lack of Madden skills. We handed out a ton of gear, got some interviews, and took some practice footage.
The biggest news to me was how Nease has been unable to defeat St. Augustine for the past 13 years. Nease's rise to prominence has come on the heels of many frustrating seasons. But with the hiring of Coach Howard came a new era and the games in past years have been as close as it gets, coming down to controversial calls and last minute plays. Bottom line, Nease is tired of hearing about their inability to overcome their local rivals and looking forward to Friday's chance to put the streak to an end.