We are winding down the high school football season with state semifinals (Rural) and region finals (Class 1A-7A) coming up this Friday.

What began with 13 area teams in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state playoffs has dwindled down to five: Chiefland and Hawthorne (Rural), Fort White (Rural Florida Invitational Tournament), Bradford (Starke) (2A) and Buchholz (6A).

Last week, my guests on “The Prep Zone Sports Show” were Oak Hall School football coach R.J. Fuhr, whose team won the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA) 11-man Class 3A title this past Saturday, and Hawthorne football coach Cornelius Ingram, who will gun for his sixth straight state championship game appearance on Friday.

Although there is no show this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday (the show will resume next Wednesday, Dec. 3), we will have coverage of Ingram and the Hornets this Friday in their state semifinal game against Chiefland.

Hawthorne, which defeated Williston, 30-8, in last week’s FHSAA Rural-Region 4 Final, is one win away from securing its sixth straight state championship game appearance. I’ll have more on that in this Friday’s newsletter.

The No. 2 seed Hornets (9-1), who haven’t lost at home since 2019, have won seven in a row against the No. 3 seed Indians (11-1), but not since a 40-0 victory in the 2020 FHSAA Class 1A Quarterfinals.

Chiefland is seeking its first state title game appearance since winning the Class 2A state title in 1997.

You can listen to the game ‘live’ and ‘archived’ online at MainStreet Daily News beginning at 7:15 p.m., followed by the kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

Join Cam Parker (Play-by-play) and Alex Washburn (Color) for all the action.

Our radio broadcast on Friday is Mandarin (Jacksonville) at Buchholz. This is a matchup of two of the top four teams in the state, regardless of classification.

Buchholz, which advanced with a 29-17 win last Friday against No. 4 seed Nease (Ponte Vedra) in the FHSAA Class 6A-Region 1 Semifinals, is the top overall seed in Class 6A, while the visiting Mustangs (11-1) are ranked second in the region and No. 2 in the state behind the Bobcats (11-1) in the final FHSAA Class 6A rankings.

The winner advances to the state semifinals.

Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color), and Aiden Wacksman (Pregame/Halftime/Postgame) for this FHSAA Class 6A-Region 1 Final.

You can listen to the game on 106.9 FM “I am Country” and audio online at IamCountryGainesville.com. The pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the kickoff at 7 p.m.

There is no Jacksonville Jaguars Coaches Show on 106.9 FM “I am Country” this week due to the holiday. However, you can listen to Jaguars’ game on radio this Sunday, Nov. 30, at the Tennessee Titans. Coverage on the radio begins at noon, followed by the kickoff at 1 p.m.

Hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving!