- Wednesday's "The Prep Zone Sports Show" will take a look back at Week 1 of high school football and will be aired on Mainstreetdailynews.com from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Forest (Ocala) will travel to Eastside on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Citizens Field with the game being broadcast on 106.9 FM "I Am Country" starting at 6:30 p.m.
- Defending state champion Hawthorne (1-0) will host Newberry (0-1) in an Alachua County showdown Friday with coverage on 106.9 FM and online streaming.
We are back at the locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. for “The Prep Zone Sports Show.” This time we will be at the Archer Road location.
Join Mainstreet Daily News sports director Mike Ridaught and co-host Marty Pallman as they look back at Week 1 of high school football in the area and preview this week’s games. Plus, we’ll talk about the other fall sports underway.
Their guests for this episode include Mainstreet sports broadcast analyst Mac McCray and Noah Ram, who covers prep sports for The Gainesville Sun.
You can listen to the show ‘live’ and ‘archived’ online at ThePrepZone.com and Mainstreet Daily News.
Last Friday, we kicked off our seventh year of broadcasting high school football on 106.9 FM “I am Country” and our sixth year of streaming games (audio only) on Mainstreet Daily News (MDN).
Our first Thursday football game of the season features former Gator football player John Brantley and the Forest (Ocala) Wildcats, who travel to Citizens Field for a 7 p.m. kickoff against Eastside.
In his first season with his alma mater last year, Brantley guided the Wildcats to a 6-4 season. Although they missed the FHSAA playoffs, it was Forest’s first winning season in nine years.
“The biggest thing we’re having to overcome at Forest as a head coach and a coaching staff is changing the culture over there because you’ve got to learn how to win and winning becomes something that’s second nature to you after a while,” said Brantley, who played quarterback for the Gators in the late 1970s. “We proved that and learned that at Trinity Catholic when we were over there all those years. So that’s the learning process we’re going through here, but for a first year, total success and something to build on.”
Most of last year’s players are back for Forest, which opened the season with a 15-6 win at North Marion (Citra) last week.
“Well, 90% of our production is back for this year,” Brantley said. “The only thing that offsets some of that is we’re in a tougher district (Class 5A-District 3). We’ve got a little bit tougher schedule, so we’ve got to deal with that, but that’s okay. That’s how we’re going to get better.”
Offensively, eight starters are back, including quarterback Caleb Stanford.
“He’s done a great job of picking up our system and our offense, and it’s so much easier going into spring practice (this past spring),” Brantley said. “A year ago, they were looking at you like you had three heads when you were talking offense or defense. So, this year, they know what to expect, they know the expectations, they know to be there on time, and it was just so much easier year two to get through the spring.”
Last Friday, Stanford completed 14-of-22 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown against the Colts.
“Caleb’s excellent, good athlete,” Brantley said. “Right now we’re not real solid at the backup position, so we may have to protect him a little bit and challenge him to get down a little bit more than probably what he would like to, but he’s going to need to run the ball to do some of the things we’re asking to be effective. But he spins the ball as well as some of the quarterbacks I’ve had in the past. I’m really excited, and we’ve put some great players around him to help him.”
That includes running back Keziyrehun Rivers, who rushed for 1,078 yards (6.2 yards per carry) with 13 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Class 3A Rams (0-1) are seeking their first win of the season. Eastside lost at 2025 Rural Florida Invitational Tournament (FIT) champion Fort White, 28-13, last Friday.
“We used to play them (Eastside) all the time at Trinity (Catholic), and it was a good game for us to pick up in week two because it’s nearby,” Brantley said.
Last year, the Rams captured their third district title in four seasons. However, it’s the first time since 2021 that Eastside started a season at 0-1.
Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play) and former University of Wisconsin football player/coach Mac McCray (Color) beginning at 6:45 p.m. on MDN. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Then on Friday, it’s an Alachua County showdown as defending FHSAA Rural state champion Hawthorne (1-0) hosts Newberry (0-1). Two years ago at Hawthorne, the host Hornets survived in overtime by stopping Newberry just short of the goal line on a 2-point conversion run.
The host Hornets defeated Bishop Moore in Orlando, 28-25, in overtime, while the Panthers, who are aiming for an extended playoff run in 2026, lost at home to Santa Fe (Alachua), 30-16.
Hawthorne, which is coached by former Gator football player Cornelius Ingram and is eying another championship run, has won six in a row in the series, including a 32-7 win at Newberry to start the 2025 season.
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color).
Coverage begins at 7 p.m. on 106.9 FM “I am Country,” followed by the kickoff at 7:30 p.m. In addition to radio, audio coverage of the game is available at IamCountryGainesville.com.