18 can't-miss Jacksonville high school football matchups to watch
It's the dog days of August in Florida, so there's not exactly a nip in the air yet.But make no mistake: The start of high school football in the Sunshine State is here.After a couple of weeks of practice, with kickoff classics arriving soon and the opening week of the Florida High School Athletic Association regular season set for Aug. 21, the Times-Union previews 18 of the can't-miss matchups across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. This list includes at least one game from every week on the schedule.As a further twist, no team can appear here more than twice, which means some quality contests didn't make the final cut.All of the games on this list will match teams located either within Jacksonville's city limits or in nearby counties, so several important contests against opponents from outside the area aren't listed here. WEEK 0West Nassau at Paxon, 6:30 p.m.Fans of the ground game, take note for Friday night. It's the city's first game that counts, and it matches a West Nassau rushing attack that pounded out more than 4,600 combined yards last year against a returning star (Paxon's K.J. Palmer) who ran for more than 2,000 on his own.WEEK 1 (Aug. 21)Columbia at Bolles, 7 p.m.A good one for fans of the trenches. Bolles overwhelmed most of its opponents on the ground last year and brings back state rushing king Xander Edwards behind a mostly-new line. Columbia's own defense is packed with run stuffers like Jaden McCray and Jaylen Underwood. Can they avenge last year's 31-0 loss?WEEK 2 (Aug. 28)University Christian at Trinity Christian, 7 p.m.Wait, a district decider in Week 2? It could happen. The district, which also includes Impact Christian, will still have eight more weeks to go, but the winner of this matchup between multiple state champions will have the inside track on a playoff spot while still in August.Bradford at Baker County, 7:30 p.m.It's grudge match time. The Tornadoes and Wildcats have kept up a vigorous rivalry for decades, and Jamie Rodgers' coaching switch from Bradford back to Baker County adds a new chapter to the series. Bradford has a six-game winning streak against the Tornadoes.WEEK 3 (Sept. 4)Beachside at Tocoi Creek, 7 p.m.In St. Johns County, this one is called the Surf 'N' Turf Bowl: Surf (Barracudas) vs. Turf (Toros). It's become a fun rivalry over the past four years, and this year it's a test for both teams ahead of districts that aren't easy to call. Last year's meeting was all Surf, a 45-14 win for Beachside and its air attack.WEEK 4 (Sept. 11)Mandarin at Nease, 7 p.m.Pretty much every game in District 2-5A belongs on a games-to-watch list, but this one stands out because of the recent playoff runs for both. Each team returns a Super 11 defensive player in Kindrid Outland for Mandarin and Kash Kolbow for Nease, plus athletes all over the field.St. Augustine at Middleburg, 7 p.m.Middleburg has been steadily improving for five years now, regularly nailing down FHSAA playoff berths. To earn a long-awaited district title, they'll likely have to find a way past a St. Augustine lineup that's in transition at several positions but looks solid on defense.WEEK 5 (Sept. 18)Mandarin at Raines, 6:30 p.m.Fans have been waiting for this one for nearly eight years, and now it's here. Expect a packed house at the Graveyard for Knox Annis, Brysen Wright and the Mandarin offense against the reigning champions and their defensive stars, including Troy Butler and Johdeem Jones.Bartram Trail at Creekside, 7 p.m.The Battle of Longleaf Pine Parkway has become one of those throw-out-the-records games, an all-out contest for top honors in northwestern St. Johns County. The Bears dominated for years, but Creekside emerged on top 28-14 in 2025.WEEK 6 (Sept. 25)First Coast at Atlantic Coast, 6:30 p.m.Pass rusher vs. pass blocker. It's a chance to see two of Jacksonville's leading senior linemen in action, First Coast offensive tackle Marcus Small (Syracuse commit) against Atlantic Coast defensive end Desmond Malpress (Clemson commit). Watch those one-on-one matchups.WEEK 7 (Oct. 2)White at Oakleaf, 7 p.m.Many Northeast Florida teams are taking a break on Week 7, but these two will be full speed ahead in Clay County. The Commanders' King Mercer and Knights' Mike Conner will be two receivers on highlight alert. Oakleaf won a 45-41 thriller last fall.WEEK 8 (Oct. 9)Bartram Trail at Beachside, 7 p.m.The first meeting of many? Although the fifth-year Barracudas are only about 10 miles away from Bartram Trail, most of that distance along a single road, the schools have yet to meet in football. File this game under "most likely to be remembered as rivalry year one."Palatka at Menendez, 7 p.m.Two teams that aren't used to winning a district title get a chance to do exactly that. Westside and Wolfson are also in this district, although going by past seasons, the winner of Palatka-Menendez has a great chance to hoist a trophy.WEEK 9 (Oct. 16)Columbia at White, 6:30 p.m.Among other things, there's an elite recruit matchup of Columbia wide receiver Kyren Caldwell, committed to Maryland, and Commanders cornerback Jacquari Parks, headed for Wake Forest. Depending on how things go with Yulee, Ribault and Riverside, this could be a district decider as well.Bolles at Trinity Christian, 7 p.m.They don't come much more successful than these two teams in Florida history. Junior Xander Edwards of Bolles and sophomore Micah Anderson of Trinity are breakaway threats in the running game, and these defenses are loaded. Bolles won 35-12 in 2025. Fletcher at Ponte Vedra, 7 p.m.Two of Northeast Florida's coastal teams, from the opposite sides of the Duval-St. Johns County line, meet for the first time since 2021. Watch for the running contest of Fletcher's Jah'myri Jennings and Ponte Vedra's Alexander Winkles, who could combine for serious yardage.WEEK 10 (Oct. 23)Ponte Vedra at Nease, 7 p.m.Fans used to the Battle of the Bridge near the start of the season will get a bit of a jolt from the switch to Week 10. This time, the St. Johns County rivals could have playoff seeding or even a district championship on the line. Nease won 38-28 in 2025.WEEK 11 (Oct. 30)Ribault at Raines, 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31Jacksonville's longest continuous public school rivalry still active, Ribault-Raines weekend always brings the tradition, even though the scores on the field have tilted sharply toward the state champion Vikings of late. They're going for 10 in a row in the series. 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From there, select the yearly plan that works best for you and your family.Once you have registered, go to the redeem sectionhere, and use this USA TODAY Network promo code:USAT15How long is USA TODAY Network running this promotion?The registration period for the NFHS Network PROMO CODE is from August 1 to September 7.Once you've signed up, you'll have access to the NFHS Network for the entire year ending in August of 2027.How to stream games on NFHS NetworkOnce you have registered, you'll be able to search from the thousands of high school games available on the NFHS Network, from must-see local showdowns to Super 25 matchups and more.This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 18 can't-miss Jacksonville high school football matchups to watch
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