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FHSAA OKs bowl series, girl lacrosse helmets [Orlando Sentinel](Orlando Sentinel (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 30--GAINESVILLE -- The Florida High School Athletic Association's board of directors voted unanimously Monday to allow some of its state champion football teams to participate in the inaugural State Champions Bowl Series. Just don't call the winners of the three games national champions. "That is virtually impossible to do," FHSAA executive director Roger Dearing said. "This will be a bowl game of state champions. You have to win a state championship in your state classification to be eligible to play." In other key decisions, the FHSAA approved soft helmets for girls lacrosse players by a 9-6 vote and moved back the end of the wrestling season by one week. The football series will be played on Saturday, Dec. 27, at a site in Florida to be determined. That is two weeks after the second of two weeks of state football finals at the Florida Citrus Bowl and almost six weeks after the start of boys basketball season. Chicago-based Paragon Marketing will organize the event, which will be televised by the ESPN networks. "The state of Florida has a reputation for having some of the nation's best high-school football talent in the nation," said board member Andy Chiles, Lake Nona's athletic director. "This will give us a chance to showcase that talent." Participants will be selected by Paragon based on national rankings. Any team has the right to turn down the bid. "Because it will be televised nationally and streamed around the world, there are a lot of positives," Chiles said. "Playing an extra game for a team is always a concern, but the exposure is great. It's nothing but good for the student-athlete." The deal with Paragon guarantees $50,000 to the FHSAA if at least one state school accepts a bid. A team's expenses will be paid, and it will receive $25,000 in sports equipment or apparel, or a combination of cash and goods. While the vote on the bowl series was easy, the decision on whether girls lacrosse players should wear solf helmets was more difficult. Parents, high-school and college coaches and medical personnel spoke for more than an hour against the measure. They contended the headgear would not prevent concussions and would make players more aggressive. Manufacturers spoke in favor of requiring helmets. "I am not happy," West Orange coach Mary Hopkins said. "I served on the FHSAA girls lacrosse advisory group, along with eight or nine other coaches, and we voted unanimously against them because there isn't an advantage." The soft helmets are expected to cost each player between $50 and $60, Lyman and UCF lacrosse coach Maurice Gibson said. "There are problems with the head gear," Gibson said. "I feel like they are making a mountain out of a molehill. There isn't any more of a problem with concussions than in baseball or soccer." The end of wrestling season was pushed back to avoid a scheduling conflict with Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, site of the state tournament March 13-14. [email protected] or 352-742-5921 ___ (c)2014 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |