AVON PARK - Losing always fertilizes dissension and animosity, but Avon Park head coach Earnest Perkins has seen his fair share of mud-slinging this season.
"This has been the weirdest season of my life," the second-year skipper said. "Even though we have had more than our share of losses, but we're still in this. It is in our hands to turn this season around.
"This has become a four-game series and we still have the same goal of winning the district."
Tonight, the Red Devils face the Bartow Yellow Jackets, in the first of a four-game road trip to end the season for Avon Park.
Bartow (3-4) , which lost 23-7 to Fort Meade last week, find themselves in the same position as the Red Devils - rebuilding. The Yellow Jackets graduated almost half its starters - more if you count special teams - from their 10-4 squad that made it to the state semifinals in '06. Returning only four starters on offense, Bartow has been scrambling around trying to find players to build around.
Freshman tailback Rodney Smith and Tyree Brooks have been carrying the offensive load for the Yellow Jackets - both backs combined for five touchdowns against Barron Collier earlier in the season.
Avon Park has had its own struggles finding players to replace the 28 lost from last season's senior-laden team. With so many sophomores and juniors starting on varsity for the first time, rebuilding was an inevitability for the Red Devils this year.
But losing has brought about a division in the community, with many Avon Park fans divided on its support of the coach and the team.
"We can't fault the fans for wanting a winner," Red Devil defensive line coach Dwayne Council said. "Everyone has answers when they are on the other side of the field, but the truth is that they are not at practice and see how hard the kids and the staff work. How we implement a game plan and see if it is executed on a Friday night.
"The fans are paying so they have the right to their expectations, but the kids play for free. They are the ones that are affected the most because they are the ones in the trenches."
Numerous comments on local blogs have asked for the firing of Perkins and certain members of his staff. The criticism hit a fever pitch after last week's 28-12 home loss to LaBelle and many of the Red Devil players came to the defense of their coach.
That outpour of support caught Perkins off guard.
"I didn't' really know how the players felt about me or what I am trying to accomplish here," Perkins said. "That really caught me by surprise and really touched me.
"The fact of the matter is I love children. I am trying to build something that this community will be proud of. I want Avon Park football to be an asset to the community and open the hearts and minds of the people of Avon Park. I want this town to get behind this team win, lose or draw. These kids deserve that much."
The expectations for any football team is to reach the pinnacle and compete at the highest level and play the best. The Red Devils playoff hopes come down to just two games - DeSoto and Sebring - and with a win against Hardee, anything can happen in this wild year of football.
No matter the outcome, Perkins and his staff have a plan in place and time is all that is needed to bring those plans to reality.
"I want to bring Avon Park a state championship," Perkins said. "But I am not about to alter the way I approach that goal. Discipline, academics and football has been my philosophy for over 30 years and I'm not about to compromise that for anyone."
Avon Park at Bartow
WHEN: Tonight at 7:30
WHERE: Yellow Jacket Stadium
COST: $5
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