Spring football games take center stage but how important are they? Volusia-Flagler coaches sound off

Among the first tasks on Jerrime "Squatty" Bell's agenda upon his hiring as Mainland football coach was to find a spring game.

When hopes to join the 11-team, two-day jamboree at Palm Beach Gardens were dashed, Bell pivoted and booked the defending state champion Buccaneers for matchups with nearby rival Spruce Creek and playoff foe Rockledge.

"I wanted to find a game for them to showcase their talents," Bell said. "It may be the last time for these seniors to put forth that effort to get those high-level scholarships.

"I feel like it gives them a unique chance to showcase their skills, things you can't see in practices in a controlled setting. Kids' natural instincts take over when the bullets are flying, and that can give them an edge in their recruitment."

Spring high school football: Recruiting, coaching changes, lead Volusia-Flagler things to watch

Florida's spring high school football season wraps up this week with a significant number of head-to-head exhibitions and multi-team jamborees. The overwhelming majority of teams hailing from Volusia and Flagler counties are set to participate, or have already taken the field.

As opposed to the fall, when the results count and championships are the ultimate prize, the spring season is about laying the foundation. Basic offensive and defensive concepts are introduced, fundamentals are taught and the depth chart puzzle starts to be pieced together.

For Mike Klein, hired April 23 as the head coach at Seabreeze, spring camp is his introduction to an entirely new group of kids. Exactly one month to his arrival, the Sandcrabs will face Fleming Island at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

"To me, we view spring as a time to work on us. It culminates with getting to have a game experience," Klein said. "We're really focused on ourselves. No one's winning a playoff game or a trophy in the spring. We're minimally focused on the opponent in spring and heavily focused on ourselves. It's a huge evaluation time for where we're strong and what our deficiencies are.

"The end goal is never that spring game date. That's for the guys to go out and have fun. … As a high school football player, you only get so many games. Every opportunity you get to strap up and play against somebody is a blessing."

John Wilkinson changed his spring game stance over the last two years. The four-time state champion coach elected not to schedule one in his last five years at Cocoa, and his first five at New Smyrna Beach.

"The times have changed in terms of recruiting, social media and things like that. Playing games is important to a certain group of people," Wilkinson said. "I think we're going to get our work done during the four weeks. The game is more of a reward to the kids to be able to go out and hit somebody other than their own teammates."

On the whole, springtime is vital for high school recruitment. Division I coaches hit the road and scout players during the school day, at practices and on game days. Matanzas coach Matt Forrest, who was an assistant on four Division I staffs, cautions about the importance of spring games directly impacting an athlete's recruitment, however.

"You're really going there to evaluate who's on your board," said Forrest, whose Pirates will hold an intersquad scrimmage rather than a spring game after previous plans fell through. "Maybe the spring game puts it over the edge for a kid you like but aren't sure about.

"It was more the practices (for me) to see how a kid's habits are. Everybody is juiced up for a game. You're going to see everyone's best case scenario."

Still, Volusia County's school district caused an uproar earlier this month when its principals largely voted against athletes who transferred midyear to participate in spring games. Lary Beal, the district's athletic director, said spring football is viewed as an extension of the fall and that students must fall within the "good cause" policy outlined in Article 9.3.2.2.2d of the Florida High School Athletic Association's Handbook.

"We're going to revisit and see if our plan needs to be adjusted (for the 2024-25 school year) as the choice description has been adjusted. It's a hot topic around the state," Beal said.

Fourteen area teams have a spring game scheduled between May 15-24, including three head-to-head matchups: Trinity Christian at Taylor, Pine Ridge at Flagler Palm Coast and an anticipated showdown between Mainland and Spruce Creek.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school football: How important are spring games, jamborees?