JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school football season begins this week and News4Jax takes a look at the 10 best matchups of the season, as well as the top games by county.
District games indicated by an *. Games begin at 7 p.m. unless indicated.
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Aug. 23, Trinity Christian at Columbia, 7:30 p.m.: These two have played in some wild games the last three seasons (31-30 Trinity last year, 24-14 Columbia in 2017 and 34-0 Trinity in '16). They meet right off the bat as the Conquerors, No. 1 in our Super 10 make the trek to Lake City to meet the No. 4 Tigers.
Aug. 24, Lee vs. Bartram Trail (at Bolles), 1 p.m.: The last time these teams met they turned in one of the best games in area history, a 61-59 Lee win in the 2016 regional finals. This one leads off the Bold City Showcase on WJXT.
Sept. 7, Raines at Lee, 2 p.m.: The Vikings have lost one game in both 2017 and '18 and gone on to run the table in each of those. Guess who those defeats were to?
Sept. 13, Plantation American Heritage at Trinity Christian, 7:30: Both teams are nationally ranked and have state championship aspirations, Trinity in 3A and Heritage in 5A.
Sept. 20, Miami Carol City at Trinity Christian, 7:30: The five-time champion and nationally ranked Chiefs meet the seven-time champion and nationally ranked Conquerors. Buckle up.
Oct. 11, Mandarin at Oakleaf, 7 p.m.*: One of the top QB recruits in the country in Carson Beck faces a star pass rusher in Chantz Williams in a major district clash.
Oct. 11, Trinity Christian at Colquitt County, Ga., 8 p.m.: The Conquerors pay a visit to Moultrie to face a three-time state champ, and the program that was recognized by High School Football America as the national champ in 2015.
Oct. 12, Ribault at Raines, 2 p.m.*: The 50th installment of the Northwest Classic gets a new date this year, thanks to the teams being in the same district.
Oct. 18, Mandarin at Sandalwood, 7 p.m.*: Two Elite 11 quarterbacks, Mandarin's Carson Beck and Sandalwood's Jeff Sims, face off in a nationally televised game on ESPNU with major playoff implications.
Oct. 25, Trinity Christian at Raines, 6 p.m.: Two-time defending state champ Vikings, who move up to Class 5A, host the presumptive 3A title favorite Conquerors.
The county rivalries
Clay
Aug. 23, Fleming Island at Clay
Aug. 30, Orange Park at Middleburg
Sept. 13, Clay at Orange Park*
Oct. 25, Clay at Ridgeview*
Nov. 1, Orange Park at Fleming Island, 7:30
Nov. 1, Oakleaf at Clay
Duval
Aug. 24, Atlantic Coast vs. Mandarin (at Bolles), 4 p.m.
Aug. 31, Sandalwood at Fletcher, 10 a.m.
Oct. 4, Sandalwood at Raines, 6 p.m.
Oct. 11, Paxon at Stanton, 6 p.m.*
Oct. 18, White at Westside, 6 p.m.*
Oct. 31, Lee at White, 6 p.m.
Oct. 17, Lee at Trinity Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1, Bishop Kenny at University Christian
Flagler
Aug. 23, Matanzas at Flagler Palm Coast
Glynn
Oct. 25, Brunswick at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.*
Nassau
Sept. 6, West Nassau at Yulee
Aug. 30, Yulee at Fernandina Beach
Oct. 11, Fernandina Beach at West Nassau
St. Johns
Aug. 23, Nease at Ponte Vedra
Aug. 30, St. Augustine at Menendez
Sept. 6, Creekside at Bartram Trail
Sept. 20, Bartram Trail at St. Augustine
The cross-county clashes
Aug. 23, Baker County at Bradford, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30, Columbia at Oakleaf
Sept. 13, St. Augustine at Bolles, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20, Lee at Mandarin, 6 p.m.
Oct. 4, Columbia at Madison County, 7:30 p.m.*
Oct. 11, Columbia at Lee, 6 p.m.*
Oct. 11, Mandarin at Oakleaf, 7 p.m.*
Oct. 25, Camden County at Lowndes, 7:30 p.m.*
Nov. 1, Palatka at St. Augustine