If Brian Gilbert ever decides to give up coaching and teaching, he may want to consider opening his own travel agency.

The Zephyrs are headed to Florida next month to participate in a scrimmage, and while football may be the ultimate purpose for their visit, the players and their families will be able to take advantage of the amenities offered by the Sunshine State.

Gilbert said his experience in traveling with a team to Florida was conceived while he was head football coach at Palisades High School. He took a team in 2004 to St. Petersburg and that experience proved extremely positive prompting him to do the same thing with his Whitehall football team.

"It was a great experience traveling together on the trip," Gilbert said.

It not only brought the football team closer, but families were also included, adding to the enjoyment of the trip.

"Bringing families together, flying down, was really a lot of fun," he said.

He said that once he got his feet wet within the program at Whitehall, he then broached the subject with Athletic Director Robert Hartman and the booster club.

At first, Gilbert wanted to use companies that specialized in sports travels and searched the web for a suitable match. However, he found that the costs in arranging such a trip were prohibitive, forcing him to find another solution.

That's when travel agent Gilbert was born.

Gilbert decided to do all the work himself, including reserving the hotels, booking the flights, securing the rental cars, the whole shebang.

That DIY spirit extended to the gridiron as well, even arranging the scrimmage game with Haines City High School on Aug, 21, after a conversation with their head coach Ron Johnson.

Gilbert said it will be the first time a high school team from the northeastern United States will visit Polk County to play a scrimmage. The school lies in a rural area, approximately 60 miles east of Tampa and 65 miles southwest of Orlando.

While the setting may be a bit rural, the football program is certainly big time. The Hornets play in 7A, the state's biggest classification. They also boast one of the top safeties in the nation, according to several rankling publications. Derwin James Jr. is headed to Florida State next season, and while safety is his primary position, he also plays halfback on offense. Many of his YouTube videos show him demolishing running backs. Additionally, the Hornets have a number of Division I-caliber athletes on the squad.

Gilbert said the team will leave Wednesday, Aug. 20, arriving in Tampa later that evening. On Thursday they will head to the University of South Florida where they'll tour the campus, culminating in a walk-through at one of their facilities. From that point they'll board buses for the trip to Haines City High.

The game is scheduled for Thursday evening, with both the varsity and JV. teams participating.

On Friday, the players get a little R&R with families. Gilbert said the options include Busch Gardens, Adventure Island and the beach. They depart Saturday.

Gilbert said that Florida holds formal spring practices that conclude with a game against another school. He said the day before the game against Manatee High School, the Hornets coach was fired.

"Everything was all set and that happened," said Gilbert. "Right now they don't have a coach, but no matter who it is, the game is on."

He said that development was a bit stressful, but the administration assured him the game was still scheduled. And while he exchanged games films with Johnson before the firing, he's not clear what to expect from the Hornets.

"It's really all up in the air right now," he said

In order to make the trip possible, Gilbert has been working in tandem with the booster club to see that they can raise the required money. He said that Whitehall Football Booster Club President Chrissy Hixon has been doing a tremendous job coordinating their fundraising activities. To date, they've held a golf tournament, and will also add a "Discount Card Blitz" from area businesses this week.

"She's done a great job helping with this trip," said Gilbert.

Still, they would like to add to their coffers. Gilbert said that anyone interested in donating or sponsoring an individual player, please contact the Varsity W Club where donations can be directed to his attention.

He also said that alumni have made significant contributions in helping them achieve their goal.

It's Florida, or bust.