Armwood High School
Encyclopedia
Armwood High School, located in Seffner, Florida
, on U.S. Highway 92 opened in August 1984. The school is named after Blanche Armwood
, a longtime Tampa
resident, educator and activist. The school's mascot is the Hawk. The principal is Mike Ippolito.
and the Lake Gibson Braves in the 2003 and 2004 class 4A State Championship Games. Their attempt at a three-peat in 2005 fell short. The Hawks, who trailed the Tim Tebow
-led Nease Panthers 41-22 going into the fourth quarter, rallied to narrow the score to 44-37 before unraveling on their final drive.
The Hawks have been known for years now to have a distinct home-field-advantage at Lyle Flagg Field. Since the early 2000s, the Hawks have had a strong unofficial student-body section consisting of two groups, the Maroon Platoon and the Blue Crew. With the support of these individuals, the Hawks won an impressive 50 consecutive games at home from 2003-2009.
Beginning in the 2008 season, the Hawks earned the honor of being decreed a "Nike Elite Program," which entitled the team to state-of-the-art Nike
uniforms. This came after being courted by other sports apparel companies such as Under Armour.
Seffner, Florida
Seffner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,467 at the 2000 census, although its ZIP codes , which boundaries extend beyond the ones given by the census and include the places of Mango and a portion of Thonotosassa, have...
, on U.S. Highway 92 opened in August 1984. The school is named after Blanche Armwood
Blanche Armwood
Blanche Armwood , Educator, activist and the first African-American woman in the state of Florida to graduate from an accredited law school. Blanche is also known for being the first Executive Secretary of the Tampa Urban League and as a founder of five Household Industrial Arts Schools for...
, a longtime Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
resident, educator and activist. The school's mascot is the Hawk. The principal is Mike Ippolito.
Athletics
Armwood is best known for their powerhouse of a football program, which began in 1986. From 2003-2005, the team made three straight FHSAA state final appearances, defeating Matt GrotheMatt Grothe
Matt Grothe is a professional quarterback who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Storm. He has been with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He played college football at South Florida....
and the Lake Gibson Braves in the 2003 and 2004 class 4A State Championship Games. Their attempt at a three-peat in 2005 fell short. The Hawks, who trailed the Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
-led Nease Panthers 41-22 going into the fourth quarter, rallied to narrow the score to 44-37 before unraveling on their final drive.
The Hawks have been known for years now to have a distinct home-field-advantage at Lyle Flagg Field. Since the early 2000s, the Hawks have had a strong unofficial student-body section consisting of two groups, the Maroon Platoon and the Blue Crew. With the support of these individuals, the Hawks won an impressive 50 consecutive games at home from 2003-2009.
Beginning in the 2008 season, the Hawks earned the honor of being decreed a "Nike Elite Program," which entitled the team to state-of-the-art Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
uniforms. This came after being courted by other sports apparel companies such as Under Armour.
Notable alumni
- Sterling HitchcockSterling HitchcockSterling Alex Hitchcock is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played from to , mostly with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres....
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, current Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player for the Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay RaysThe Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field... - Jarrett Buie, former National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player for the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... - Mike Pearson, retired National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Offensive Lineman - Jonathan OrdwayJonathan OrdwayJonathan David Ordway is an Arena football defensive back for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. He formerly played for the Tampa Bay Storm, Ottawa Renegades and Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League...
, current Arena Football League player for the Chicago RushChicago RushThe Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...