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. A glance at all Week 6 games. All games Friday at 7 p.m. unless indicated.
Last week: 26-8. Season: 125-43 (.744).
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Week 6 picks
Thursday, Sept. 30
Jackson (2-3) at Fernandina Beach (1-4): Tigers won’t let Pirates stack back-to-back wins together. N4J pick: Jackson 28, Fernandina Beach 14.
Friday, Oct. 1
Akelynn’s Angels Christian (1-3) at Union County (4-0), 7:30 p.m.: Tigers roll in this one. N4J pick: Union County 42, Akelynn’s Angels 6.
American Collegiate (1-2) at Bradford (2-3), 7:30 p.m.: Tornadoes in a close one. N4J pick: Bradford 27, American Collegiate 21.
Atlantic Coast (2-2, 0-1) at Fletcher (1-3, 1-0), 6:30 p.m.*: Senators are in the race for the district title and can’t afford a loss here. Can the Stingrays make it two in a row over Fletcher? N4J pick: Atlantic Coast 21, Fletcher 13.
Baker County (3-2, 1-0) at Bishop Kenny (4-0, 0-0)*: Unbeaten start has been solid, but Crusaders haven’t faced a team like the Wildcats yet. N4J pick: Baker County 35, Kenny 14.
Baldwin (3-0) at Episcopal (3-1): Indians continue to stockpile regular season wins. N4J pick: Baldwin 23, Episcopal 16.
Christ’s Church (3-2) at Bishop Snyder (3-1): Good clash of smaller programs. Cardinals’ defense has been popping. N4J pick: Snyder 27, Christ’s Church 20.
Eagle’s View (3-1) at Deltona Trinity Christian (1-3): Warriors bounce back after a one-point loss last week. N4J pick: Eagle’s View 35, Deltona Trinity 14.
Englewood (2-3, 1-1) at Riverside (5-0, 1-0), 6:30 p.m.*: Generals are unforgiving on the defensive side of the ball. N4J pick: Riverside 38, Englewood 8.
First Coast (0-5, 0-1) at Nease (4-1, 2-0)*: Panthers are on the rise, but this one will be closer than expected. N4J pick: Nease 28, First Coast 21.
Flagler Palm Coast (2-2, 0-1) at Oviedo (3-1, 0-1)*: Another tough district game for FPC. N4J pick: Oviedo 18, FPC 14.
Fleming Island (2-3, 0-1) at Ponte Vedra (3-2, 1-1)*: Neither squad can afford to drop a second district game. N4J pick: Ponte Vedra 23, Fleming Island 14.
Fort White (3-1) at Keystone Heights (5-0): Very good battle, but Keystone stays perfect. N4J pick: Keystone Heights 31, Fort White 20.
Hamilton County (1-3) at North Florida Educational (2-2): Eagles notch a W at home. N4J pick: NFEI 24, Hamilton County 20.
Hawthorne (4-0) at Suwannee (3-2), 7:30 p.m.: Bulldogs get back on the winning track. N4J pick: Suwannee 30, Hawthorne 24.
Mandarin (2-3, 0-1) at Creekside (5-0, 1-0)*: Could it be a trap game for the Knights? Going to be a close one. N4J pick: Creekside 24, Mandarin 17.
Matanzas (1-4, 0-1) at Middleburg (3-1, 0-1)*: Get on the Broncos bus. It’s rolling. N4J pick: Middleburg 36, Matanzas 13.
Palatka (1-2, 0-0) at Clay (2-2, 0-0)*: Blue Devils open district play with a big win. N4J pick: Clay 33, Palatka 13.
Providence (3-2) vs. Tocoi Creek (0-3), at St. Augustine High: Stallions have played very well this season: N4J pick: Providence 31, Tocoi Creek 13.
Raines (2-2, 0-0) at Parker (4-1, 1-0), 6:30 p.m.*: A measuring stick game for the Braves. Can they beat the Vikings for the second consecutive year? N4J pick: Raines 21, Parker 20.
Ribault (1-4, 0-0) at Yulee (2-3, 0-1)*: Hornets end a two-game slide and notch a district win. N4J pick: Yulee 21, Ribault 19.
St. Augustine (2-2, 1-0) at Ridgeview (1-3, 0-0)*: Yellow Jackets bounce back after loss to Bartram Trail. N4J pick: St. Augustine 35, Ridgeview 13.
Sandalwood (2-3, 0-1) at Oakleaf (3-2, 0-0)*: Tossup game. Host Knights get the edge here. N4J pick: Oakleaf 27, Sandalwood 20.
Trinity Christian (5-0) at Bolles (5-0), 7:30 p.m.: Game of the week. Edge to the No. 2 Bulldogs and the strength on both lines. N4J pick: Bolles 31, Trinity Christian 28.
West Nassau (0-3) at Orange Park (2-3): Warriors still can’t shake their slide. N4J pick: Orange Park 33, West Nassau 17.
West Oaks (3-3) at Zarephath Academy (1-3): It’ll be close, but the host Eagles can’t catch up. N4J pick: West Oaks 31, Zarephath 27.
Westside (1-4, 0-2) at Columbia (3-2, 1-0), 7:30 p.m.*: Tigers in a rout. N4J pick: Columbia 35, Westside 7.
White (3-0, 1-0) at Paxon (1-4, 0-1), 6:30 p.m.*: Commanders got a scare last week, but not this week. N4J pick: White 34, Paxon 7.
Wolfson (1-4) at Daytona Beach Father Lopez (2-2): Wolfpack came up a point short last week. N4J pick: Lopez 27, Wolfson 14.
Off: Bartram Trail, Hilliard, Menendez, St. Joseph, Stanton, University Christian.
Others
Home team in CAPS; local team in bold
Bell (2-3) over INTERLACHEN (0-4); Cedar Creek Christian (0-4) over HARVEST (0-3); CRESCENT CITY (3-2) over Cornerstone Charter (0-3); Jordan Christian Prep (3-2) over YOUNG KIDS IN MOTION (0-4), 6 p.m.