JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s Week 4 of the high school football season. Here are six games to watch around the area this week.
All games are Friday at 7 p.m. unless indicated.
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Columbia (0-0) at Trinity Christian (0-1), 7:30 p.m.: Could be the headliner of Week 4. The Tigers are making their 2020 debut after delaying their practice and season start due to COVID-19 concerns. This team is always a contender to go two rounds deep or more into the playoffs. Will the later start be a good or a bad thing for the Tigers? According to the Lake City Reporter, the Tigers will play both QBs against Trinity (Ty Wehinger and Kade Jackson). The Conquerors were off following a 36-12 loss to Bolles in Week 2, a chance to clear up some early season injuries. This offense will run through QB Jacory Jordan and he’s got some talent even beyond headliners Marcus Burke and Treyaun Webb. Freshman Darnell Rogers had 35 yards rushing on eight carries against Bolles, and junior WRs Fred Highsmith and L.J. Kelley both had TD catches. This series has been tough to call, with a 2-2 split in recent history. Columbia has wins in 2019 (38-7) and 2017 (24-14). Trinity notched a thrilling 31-30 win in 2018 and cruised 34-0 in 2016.
Creekside (1-1) at Bolles (2-0), 7:30 p.m.: The Knights have put up a combined 75 points in their first two weeks, including a 35-0 pasting over First Coast last week. Can the Knights slow down Bolles RB Kade Frew (51 carries, 354 yards, 5 TDs), who is on the short list as one of the area’s best players. ATH Caden Fordham fits into that conversation, too. He’s second on the team in tackles (14) behind Mack Marrone (17 tackles), and he’s starting to log some offensive snaps like he did last year. Fordham had four carries and a pair of TDs last week against St. Augustine. Creekside RB Preston Strope (321 rushing yards, 8 TDs), QB Daniel Plummer (364 passing yards, 2 TDs) and WR Jack Goodrich (166 receiving yards, 2 TDs) headline the Creekside offense.
Episcopal (2-0) at Baldwin (2-0), 6 p.m.: No doubt one of the best matchups of Week 4. These teams split last season, with the Indians rolling in the regular season (35-7) and the Eagles winning their first-ever playoff game in the rematch (35-25). Baldwin joined the Super 10 this week on the strength of its start which has included wins over 2019 playoff teams Westside and West Nassau. Baldwin has a relentless pass rush and that disruption is what it thrives on. S/LB Tyson McClendon (8.5 sacks) and LB/DE Carl Nesmith (4 sacks) front that unit. Baldwin can get the offense moving, too, as evidenced by its 36 points last week against West Nassau. QB Bryce Tompkins (444 yards, 4 TDs) has hit four different targets for TDs this season. For the Eagles, they’ve been in two slugfests. They led by 32 against Bishop Kenny in their opener and had to come back at the finish to win that one, 42-38. They beat Englewood (27-22) last week in another tight one. QB Tucker Tomberlin (415 passing yards, 6 TDs) has made some big throws in his career and ATH Ershod Jasey (329 rushing yards, 2 TDs) is a playmaker on both sides of the ball. TE Nick Elksnis is averaging a TD every 2.3 catches.
Flagler Palm Coast (1-0) at Fletcher (1-1), 6 p.m.: Another tough opponent for the Senators, who battled Fleming Island last week in a 28-20 loss. RB Myles Montgomery (346 rushing yards, 4 TDs) remains one of the top ball carriers around, although he’ll have a challenging assignment in solving the Bulldogs. FPC RB Chris Parks is coming off of a 172-yard, 3-TD game against Matanzas last week. LB Corey Vandyke had a pair of sacks and a pick last week for the Bulldogs.
Lee (1-0) at Mandarin (1-1), 6 p.m.: The Generals beat an always-tough Ribault in their opener last week. These teams haven’t met often in recent history, just twice in recent history with the Generals winning both (38-13 in 2018 and 33-27 last year). Mandarin hasn’t played particularly well on offense this season, with just two offensive TDs. But the Mustangs have done well on defense and special teams. Isaiah Sparrow had a pick-six last week against Bartram Trail. Nic Mitchell has four of Mandarin’s five sacks this season. Diondre Johnson had an 88-yard kickoff return TD in the opener against Atlantic Coast. The Generals had a solid game against the Trojans last week, with QB Cale Zarah throwing a pair of TDs and Dayon Rawls averaging 6.4 yards per carry against an always-stout Ribault front.
St. Augustine (1-1) at Bartram Trail (2-0): The Bears couldn’t scratch out a win in this series for what felt like an eternity. Now, they can’t stop winning. Bartram lost its first 19 games against the Yellow Jackets and in one cruel way after another. But the Bears have won the last two games in this St. Johns County clash, a running clock blowout by 30 in 2018 and a 43-40 thriller last year. This series tends to favor close games, with 12 decided by seven points or less. The Yellow Jackets lost to Super 10 No. 1 Bolles, but that game was much closer than the 40-23 final score indicated. The big weapons for St. Augustine have had good seasons to start (QB Sammy Edwards, RB Ty Baxter). Can the Yellow Jackets slow down Bartram’s offense? QB Santino Marucci has thrown four TDs. RB A.J. Jones III is a big play waiting to happen (357 all-purpose yards, three TDs).
WEEK 4 SCHEDULE
FLORIDA
All games at 7 p.m. unless indicated
Friday, Sept. 25
Atlantic Coast 21, Parker 20
Baldwin 23, Episcopal 13
Bartram Trail 35, St. Augustine 21
Bishop Kenny 30, West Nassau 21
Branford 42, Bishop Snyder 6
Carrollwood Day 42, Fort White 0
Creekside 31, Bolles 24 (OT)
Eagle’s View 58, Gainesville St. Francis 30
East Lake 30, Palatka 0
Englewood 34, Middleburg 20
Fernandina Beach 34, Stanton 0
Fleming Island 33, Ridgeview 10
Fletcher 13, Flagler Palm Coast 0
Hilliard 47, St. Joseph 6
Jackson 44, Wolfson 8
Keystone Heights 35, Umatilla 0
Lee 25, Mandarin 20
Matanzas 52, Port Orange Atlantic 0
Munroe Day 34, Providence 28 (OT)
Nease 39, Yulee 34
Oakleaf 45, University Christian 28
Paxon 16, Cedar Creek Christian 12
Ponte Vedra 37, Menendez 10
Raines 56, Orange Park 0
Sandalwood 27, Ribault 26
Seffner Christian 21, NFEI 7
Suwannee 38, Bradford 20
Trinity Christian 28, Columbia 21
Union County 49, Interlachen 14
Westside 36, White 8
Zephyrhills Christian 35, Crescent City 0
Off: Baker County, Christ’s Church, Clay, First Coast, Joshua Christian, Zarephath Academy.
GEORGIA
Thursday, Sept. 24
Brunswick 41, Northeast Macon 12
Friday, Sept. 25
Camden County 24, Marietta 21
McIntosh County 29, Charlton County 21
Ware County 45, Thomson 12
Off: Glynn Academy, Pierce County.