FBU National Championship Bracket Breakdown

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Miami–The FBU National Championship youth football tournament, which is among the nation’s best events for youth football, is coming to the Football Hotbed of Florida.  Naples to be exact.  Today, the FBU National Championship committee released its brackets and Football Hotbed wasted no time breaking them down for this 64-team tournament.  Here is the analysis by Football Hotbed director, Brandon Odoi:  

Brandon Odoi wrote:

My thoughts on the FBU National Championship bracket that was just released:  Watch the bracket preview here 

OVERALL SUMMARY:

Once again the road to the championship in the South goes through Buford, GA. I like in the West Palm Bracket to go to Team West Palm Beach and director, Central McClellion.  They will likely meet up with Team Dade County and director Damian Sosa.  So I’ll take West Palm vs. Dade County in grades 6th & 8th with team Gulf Coast powered by the great Pensecola Browns 12U team coached by LaDaron M. Clardy to be in the 2nd round final. I see those guys all advancing to Buford, GA. In the Southern most bracket, I think Broward County makes it out on 6th and 8th for sure and if Ro Wallace, head coach of the Carol City 14U team (arguably the best in the nation) has Broward’s 7th grade team as reported, they’ll be very good. 

Chris Mcgonigal will win 6th grade in for Broward County, FL and be in Georgia and Broward County’s Tyrone Parker should win 8th grade easily though Team Naples is tough out in the opening round final.

So in Georgia the big match up will be GFL vs. Broward County.  This will basically be the Grayson Rams (GFL) 8th Grade vs. the Carol City Chiefs 14U (Florida Youth Football League). It’s a can’t miss game.

Waiting on Broward County  or GFL in Naples should be Terrence Byrd at 8th grade leading Team Maryland full of Hamilton Tigers and Westlake Bulldogs (though Kentucky and St. Louis should challenge). Out West, I like the Dallas team at 8th grade to be in Naples and not sure about the West teams since the IE Ducks 14U kids with several Eastbay All-Americans aren’t participating.  Going out on a limb and taking team Orange County.  Director Steve Daniels has been in this tournament several times before and has connections to pull LA talent from the metro LA teams there and can put together a winner with ease.

So my final four at 8th grade is:

• South Bracket: Broward County, FL (defending champs at 7th grade)
• East Bracket: Team Maryland (defending regional champs, lost to GFL in the 8th grade semis in ’13)
• Plains: Dallas (if they can put the pieces around Carson Collins at QB, they should be solid)
• West: Orange County (IE Ducks are not participating and going to the AYF Nationals, if they weren’t, we’d take Inland Empire)

My pick:

It’s impossible for me to pick against Broward County (not because I live in Broward County) but because they won last year in convincing fashion and every kid returning to that team is even better than he was last year and in many cases two fold the normal off season progression.  So I’m picking Broward County to repeat (these are the sme kids from the South Florida 7th grade team of 2013).  These kids don’t want to lose.  Having said that, the GFL team has the easiest road to Naples.  They don’t ever have to travel before the final four and that may catch up with south Florida who will essentially have to travel to Naples, Buford and back to Naples to win (three times) while the GFL travels only once.  I like GFL as a deeper team also, so if there are any injuries, the GFL can rebound. I don’t have the same confidence that Broward is as deep, particularly on the Offensive Line (GFL’s strength).

Regional Breakdown:

East: It’s hard not to like what Mike Anderson and Terrence Bryd have built with Team Maryland.  They have dominated the bracket in the tournament’s four year history and there’s not reason to think that will change.  Kentucky, who began as a major threat in the first two years has cooled off but I expect them to make a return soon but with this tournament, much of that has to do with who the team directors are.  Anderson’s been there and done that.  He won in 2012 at 7th grade and finished as a runner up in 8th grade last year.  He knows the travel logistics, how to raise money (very key to this tournament for last minute travel) and how to bring everyone together on the same page fast.  His tryouts are always talent rich, this year was no exception.  It’s only a haunch, but look for the Hampton, VA teams to make some noise.  There are several studs in that area, namely Football Hotbed Youth All-Americans Jake Low and Tank Land.

South: I’m looking no further than Broward County and GFL here at 8th grade for sure and Broward for 6 and 7th grades with 6th being a stone cold lock.  Keep an eye on Nashville.  Coach Lorenzo Spikes has some weapons at 8th grade, particularly out of Oliver Middle and could give fits to his first round opponents like St. Louis and Kentucky fits but that bracket will produce a very tough out in Buford.  Seventh grade is a toss up to me and it’s any man’s game and obviously South Florida’s Broward County team will be a favorite but so will the GFL team with two stud quarterbacks, both All-Americans.

Plains: This bracket has been dominated by Texas in the past and there’s no reason to think that will change, especially with St. Louis moving out east (how did that happen by the way?). I like San Antonio and Dallas because of talent level and organization with Dallas taking the lead.  Keep an eye on Indiana and Wisconsin, teams who have both had success in this tournament. They could be surprise final four attendees.

West: Knowing the IE Ducks are not participating in the tournament leads us to believe that Orange County or Los Angeles is probably going to make a run at 8th grade.  But keep an eye on Seattle.  They were in the final five during the inaugural year of the tournament and they have talent in Washington.  Depending on who is running the Phoenix team, they could also be very competitive given the Hotbed of talent in that area.  But we’re going with Orange County on 8th grade and won’t guess on 6th and 7th but lean toward California teams ending up in Naples from out west.

Overall, this is a great tournament and we’ll have continuing coverage throughout.  It’s a Hotbed World!