JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s the midway point of the high school football season. News4Jax picks its top four games of Friday night, followed by its next four. The full schedule is below. All games are 7 p.m. unless indicated. Super 10 rankings are in parentheses.
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TOP FOUR
(1) Trinity Christian (5-0) at (2) Bolles (5-0), 7:30 p.m.: The rivalry clash is back and it’s a 1-2 tilt of two of the most successful programs in state history. The Bulldogs have 11 state championships, second in state history behind St. Thomas Aquinas’ 12. Trinity won its eighth state championship last year, all of them under coach Verlon Dorminey. It’s a series that has been back and forth. Bolles won four of the first five games in this series (1997, ‘98, ‘99 and 2000); Trinity won the ‘98 playoff game, split in 2017 (one was a forfeit loss) and both the following year. Bolles routed the Conquerors, 36-12, in Week 1 of 2020. This spot on the schedule makes it feel like a playoff game. The Bulldogs are extremely talented on both lines. RB Kade Frew (688 rushing yards, 11 TDs) benefits from exceptional blocking up front. He eclipsed 3,000 career rushing yards in last week’s 31-0 win over University Christian. Defensively, Bolles is rock solid. LB Jack Pyburn (45 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks) is the king of the big hit and a TFL machine. DL Hayden Schwartz (27 tackles, 2 sacks) always has to be accounted for. That pressure up front has allowed Bolles’ secondary to emerge. DBs Kavon Miller and Kemani Wilson have combined for half of the Bulldogs’ eight interceptions this season. Spencer Surface had three takeaways last week. The Conquerors counter with arguably the best freshman QB in the area in Colin Hurley. If he’s got time to throw, he’ll pick defenses apart. WR Fred Highsmith is ridiculously efficient. Of his 12 receptions, eight have gone for TDs. Darias James is right there, too. He’s got five TDs on just 13 grabs. The Conquerors also have the luxury of two strong backs, Darnell Rogers (658 yards, 6 TDs) and a rested Treyaun Webb. He made his season debut last week after being held out due to injury. LBs Caden Morrell (47 tackles, 2 sacks) and Cameron Anderson (44 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 2 sacks) are strong in the middle of the field.
Mandarin (2-3, 0-1) at (5) Creekside (5-0, 1-0)*: The Mustangs are coming off an upset win at Baker County. The Knights are riding the best start in program history. A Mandarin loss means a district title is likely gone. QB Jacob Dennie (886 passing yards, 10 TDs) and RB Preston Strope (465 rushing yards, 8 TDs) headline the Creekside offense. And LBs Vincent Approbato and Christian Yousefzadeh have been nonstop in making plays for the Knights. They’ve got four sacks apiece and been game-changers on that side of the ball since Week 1′s Bold City Showcase. The Mustangs had a superb defensive stand to beat Baker County, 21-20. LB Carmello Murphy and LB/S Tony Carter have 66 tackles each to pace Mandarin’s defense. They’ve also combined for 18 TFLs. They’re everywhere. Mandarin’s offense is still developing, but freshman QB Tramell Jones looks like the real deal. He’s passed for 710 yards (8 TDs, 4 INTs), and been aided by a solid ground game of TJ Lane (315 yards, 3 TDs) and Terrance Johnson (317 yards, 2 TDs). Expect big defense in this one.
Raines (2-2, 0-0) at Parker (4-1, 1-0), 6:30 p.m.*: A big district clash and the News4Jax game of the week. The Braves won this game last year, 20-14. It’s a major step up in competition for Parker. All four of its victories have come to teams who are a combined 4-15, and the Braves have struggled to move the ball against better teams. The flip side of that is Parker’s defense is stout. S Damani Dent (30 tackles), CB Anthony Glover (24 tackles, 3 INTs) and versatile two-way player CJ Dorsey (19 tackles, INT) are tough to move the ball on through the air. They’ll get a good test this week from QB Reshawn Latimer (5 passing TDs, 337 passing yards), RB Kareem Burke (483 rushing yards, 232 receiving yards, 5 total TDs) and WR Quincy Burroughs (130 receiving yards, 2 TDs). Expect a low-scoring, defensive battle.
(9) Baker County (3-2, 1-0) at Bishop Kenny (4-0, 0-0): Raise your hand if you thought the Crusaders would be sitting unbeaten at midseason. They were 1-8 a year ago. This is a big step up in competition, though. Kenny has posted three shutouts, albeit, against Providence, Stanton and first-year program, Tocoi Creek. Only Englewood has managed to score on the Crusaders and mustered just 12 points. That’s some crazy good defense. LBs Baylor Newsom (53 tackles, 7 TFL) and Boyd Curry (30 tackles, 3 sacks), and S Cory McCalip (32 tackles) have helped make Kenny the area’s lowest-scoring defensive unit. QB James Resar (475 passing yards, 7 TDs, INT; 264 rushing yards, 6 TDs) has been a two-way threat. The challenge for the Crusaders is can they have similar success against a stronger opponent? Baker County RBs Jamarian Baker (400 rushing yards, 6 TDs) and Cam Smith (454 rushing yards, 5 TDs) work very well in the two-back system. LBs Camilo Rollins (52 tackles, 3 sacks) and Toby Kinghorn (34 tackles), and DE Orlando Holland (25 tackles, 6 sacks) are tough. Get by those players and DB Jamil Jones, who has an area-high five interceptions, is waiting in the secondary.
NEXT FOUR
Baldwin (3-0) at Episcopal (3-1): These two have treated area fans to some good ones over the last two seasons. Indians haven’t lost a regular-season game since 2019. Eagles have won two consecutive games since losing to Ponte Vedra.
First Coast (0-5, 0-1) at (6) Nease (4-1, 2-0)*: The Buccaneers are winless but they gave White everything it could handle last week. The Panthers, led by tough LB Ben Bogle and excellent junior QB Marcus Stokes can take another big step to winning a district title here.
Fleming Island (2-3, 0-1) at Ponte Vedra (3-2, 1-1)*: Another district clash with serious playoff implications. Neither team can afford a second district loss in 3-7A as teams chase Nease.
Sandalwood (2-3, 0-1) at Oakleaf (3-2, 0-0)*: The Knights have district title expectations and the Saints can’t afford another district loss. Sandalwood got back on track last week in a blowout of Ribault.
Week 6, Florida schedule
Thursday, Sept. 30, all games 7 p.m. unless indicated; district games indicated by an *
Jackson (2-3) at Fernandina Beach (1-4)
Friday, Oct. 1
Akelynn’s Angels Christian (0-3) at Union County (4-0), 7:30 p.m.
American Collegiate (1-2) at Bradford (2-3), 7:30 p.m.
Atlantic Coast (2-2, 0-1) at Fletcher (1-3, 1-0), 6:30 p.m.*
Baker County (3-2, 1-0) at Bishop Kenny (4-0, 0-0)*
Baldwin (3-0) at Episcopal (3-1)
Bell (2-3) at Interlachen (0-4)
Cedar Creek Christian (0-4) at Harvest (0-3)
Christ’s Church (3-2) at Bishop Snyder (3-1)
Cornerstone Charter (0-3) at Crescent City (3-2)
Eagle’s View (3-1) at Deltona Trinity Christian (1-3)
Englewood (2-3, 1-1) at Riverside (5-0, 1-0), 6:30 p.m.*
First Coast (0-5, 0-1) at Nease (4-1, 2-0)*
Flagler Palm Coast (2-2, 0-1) at Oviedo (3-1, 0-1)*
Fleming Island (2-3, 0-1) at Ponte Vedra (3-2, 1-1) *
Fort White (3-1) at Keystone Heights (5-0)
Hamilton County (1-3) at North Florida Educational (2-2)
Hawthorne (4-0) at Suwannee (3-2), 7:30 p.m.
Jordan Christian Prep (3-2) at Young Kids in Motion (0-4), 6 p.m.
Mandarin (2-3, 0-1) at Creekside (5-0, 1-0)*
Matanzas (1-4, 0-1) at Middleburg (3-1, 0-1)*
Palatka (1-2, 0-0) at Clay (2-2, 0-0)*
Providence (3-2) vs. Tocoi Creek (0-3), at St. Augustine High
Raines (2-2, 0-0) at Parker (4-1, 1-0), 6:30 p.m.*
Ribault (1-4, 0-0) at Yulee (2-3, 0-1)*
St. Augustine (2-2, 1-0) at Ridgeview (1-3, 0-0)*
Sandalwood (2-3, 0-1) at Oakleaf (3-2, 0-0)*
Trinity Christian (5-0) at Bolles (5-0), 7:30 p.m.
West Nassau (0-3) at Orange Park (2-3)
West Oaks (3-3) at Zarephath Academy (1-3)
Westside (1-4, 0-2) at Columbia (3-2, 1-0), 7:30 p.m.*
White (3-0, 1-0) at Paxon (1-4, 0-1), 6:30 p.m.*
Wolfson (1-4) at Daytona Beach Father Lopez (2-2)
Off: Bartram Trail, Hilliard, Menendez, St. Joseph, Stanton, University Christian.
Week 7, Georgia
Friday, Oct. 1, all games 7:30 p.m.; region games indicated by an *
Charlton County (5-0, 1-0) at Turner County (1-3, 0-0)*
Glynn Academy (1-3-1, 0-1) at Bradwell Institute (0-3, 0-1)*
Rabun County (4-1) at Pierce County (4-1)
South Effingham (1-3, 0-1) at Brunswick (5-0, 1-0)*
Warner Robins (5-0) at Camden County (4-2)
Off: Ware County.