JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school football season is back, and with it, our weekly predictions on games in the area. News4Jax sports editor Justin Barney reveals his weekly high school football picks every Thursday.
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All games Friday at 7 p.m. unless indicated
Bolles (1-0) at Columbia (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Game of the week. Can the Tigers slow down the Bulldogs’ tough ground game? N4J pick: Bolles 31, Columbia 27.
Bradford (0-1) at Union County (0-1), 7:30 p.m.: Tornadoes clip Tigers in this one. N4J pick: Bradford 24, Union County 20.
Christ’s Church (1-0) at Cedar Creek Christian (0-0): Eagles go to 2-0 under coach Koreen Burch. N4J pick: Christ’s Church 23, Cedar Creek 13.
Creekside (1-0) at Nease (1-0): Big wins for both schools last week, but Knights prevail here. N4J pick: Creekside 27, Nease 21.
Daytona Beach Mainland (0-0) at Flagler Palm Coast (0-0): FPC edges the Buccaneers in the openers for both. N4J pick: FPC 23, Mainland 20.
Englewood (1-0) at Bishop Kenny (1-0): Host Crusaders stay perfect. N4J pick: Kenny 27, Englewood 13.
Fleming Island (0-1) at Lake Minneola (1-0): Tough road trip for the Golden Eagles. N4J pick: Lake Minneola 35, Fleming 14.
Fletcher (0-1) at Parker (0-1), 6:30 p.m.: Chance to rebound from tough losses last week. N4J pick: Fletcher 20, Parker 14.
Fort White (0-0) at Newberry (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Panthers won this by 20 last year, but it’s closer this time. N4J pick: Newberry 27, Fort White 20.
Gainesville Buchholz (1-0) at Sandalwood (1-0), 6:30 p.m.: Bobcats are always a difficult opponent. N4J pick: Buchholz 28, Sandalwood 20.
Gainesville Eastside (0-1) at Middleburg (1-0): Make that two in a row for the Broncos. N4J pick: Middleburg 30, Eastside 20.
Gainesville Oak Hall (0-1) at Bishop Snyder (0-0): Cardinals pick up their first win. N4J pick: Snyder 27, Oak Hall 20.
Hilliard (1-0) at Stanton (0-1), 6:30 p.m.: Red Flashes knock off another Gateway Conference team. N4J pick: Hilliard 34, Stanton 7.
Jackson (0-1) at Providence (0-1): Tigers get their first points of the season after a Week 1 shutout. N4J pick: Jackson 38, Providence 20.
Keystone Heights (1-0) at Bell (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Indians win handily in this one. N4J pick: Keystone Heights 34, Bell 20.
Mandarin (0-1) at Spruce Creek (1-0): Mustangs have to regroup quickly after a loss to Atlantic Coast. N4J pick: Spruce Creek 31, Mandarin 26.
Matanzas (0-1) at Port Orange Atlantic (0-1): Pirates get in the win column. N4J pick: Matanzas 23, Atlantic 17.
Menendez (1-0) at St. Augustine (0-0): Yellow Jackets got tripped up by COVID last week, but they win for the 19th time against their rival Falcons. N4J pick: St. Augustine 35, Menendez 14.
Miami Carol City (1-0) at Oakleaf (1-0): Chiefs edge the Knights in a tight one. N4J pick: Carol City 24, Oakleaf 23.
Miami Columbus (1-0) at Bartram Trail (1-0): Very tough game for the Bears. N4J pick: Columbus 33, Bartram 20.
Palatka (0-0) at Eustis (1-0): Battle of the Panthers goes to Eustis. N4J pick: Eustis 19, Palatka 14.
Ponte Vedra (0-1) at Episcopal (1-0): Sharks bounce back from rivalry loss against Nease. N4J pick: Ponte Vedra 24, Episcopal 17.
Raines (0-1) at First Coast (0-1), 6:30 p.m.: Tough losses for both last week. Vikings get on the board. N4J pick: Raines 28, First Coast 20.
Ribault (0-1) at Trinity Christian (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Trojans have a tough defense, but not enough offense to keep pace here. N4J pick: Trinity 28, Ribault 7.
Ridgeview (0-0) at Orange Park (0-1): Tossup on this one. Raiders are hosting and have a game under their belts. N4J pick: OP 21, Ridgeview 16.
Riverside (1-0) at Atlantic Coast (1-0), 6:30 p.m.: Excellent matchup on paper, but Generals D on another level. N4J pick: Riverside 30, Atlantic Coast 10.
Umatilla (0-1) at Crescent City (0-1): Host Raiders win a close one. N4J pick: Crescent City 20, Umatilla 14.
University Christian (1-0) at Zephyrhills Christian (0-0): UC not going to slow down here. N4J pick: UC 35, Zephyrhills 13.
Viera (0-1) at Baker County (1-0): Wildcats keep on humming along. N4J pick: Baker County 27, Viera 13.
Westside (1-0) at Suwannee (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Bulldogs take a W in a late replacement game. N4J pick: Suwannee 30, Westside 21.
Wolfson (0-1) at Paxon (0-1), 6:30 p.m.: Golden Eagles get back on track after tough loss to Englewood. N4J pick: Paxon 35, Wolfson 14.
Young Kids in Motion (0-1) at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal (0-1): Tough opener for Young Kids last week. N4J pick: Saint Stephen’s 42, Young Kids in Motion 0.
Yulee (0-1) at Fernandina Beach (0-1): Hornets continue their rivalry stronghold over Pirates. N4J pick: Yulee 24, Fernandina Beach 14.
Other games
Local teams in bold; home team in CAPS
SEFFNER CHRISTIAN (1-0) over North Florida Educational (0-0); ST. JOHN PAUL II (0-1) over Harvest (0-1)
Canceled games
Santa Fe (1-0) at Suwannee (1-0), 7:30 p.m., canceled due to COVID-19
Tocoi Creek (0-1) at Interlachen (0-1), canceled due to COVID-19
White (1-0) at Westside (1-0), 6:30 p.m., canceled due to COVID-19
OFF: Baldwin, Clay, Eagle’s View, Interlachen, St. Joseph, Tocoi Creek, West Nassau, White, Zarephath Academy.