High School Football Kicks Off Around North Central Florida

For those itching to watch some high school football, the wait won’t be much longer. Sixteen teams will kick off their seasons across the North Central Florida area tonight, including six from Alachua County.

Taking a Look at the Matchups

Perhaps the biggest contest taking place around the area will be between the Newberry Panthers and Hawthorne Hornets. The Panthers won last year’s matchup between the two schools in an overtime thriller, 20-17. Kickoff for tonight’s game is set for 7:30 p.m.

Head coach Cornelius Ingram said his team this year is young, but also has a lot of depth, too.

Also beginning their season tonight is Saint Francis Academy. The Wolves travel over to St. Augustine for a matchup against St. Joseph Academy starting at 7 p.m.

Wolves’ head coach Scott McDaniel said his team has some holes to fill this year, but there are also a lot of players on the current roster that are capable of making plays, too.

Furthermore, McDaniel said the COVID-19 pandemic made it a challenge to do workouts inside the weight room, but the team was able to improvise by doing some things outdoors.

The Trenton Tigers will also be kicking off their season tonight when they go up against the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tigers’ head coach Bill Wiles said his squad had a positive summer and are excited to get back on the field.

In terms of the matchup with the Blue Wave, Wiles said he is expecting P.K. Yonge to play clean, tough football come game time.

Other Notable Games Happening

In addition to the three high school football matchups mentioned already, the Oak Hall Eagles, Williston Red Devils and Santa Fe Raiders will also be opening up their seasons as well. The rest of Friday’s games can be seen below.

• Lakeside Christian vs. Oak Hall, 7 p.m.
• Williston vs. Branford, 7:30 p.m.
• Santa Fe vs. Suwannee, 7 p.m.
• Ocala Christian Academy vs. Bronson, 7:30 p.m.
• Baker County vs. Bradford, 7:30 p.m.