Mike Ridaught
Weather continues to affect our Friday night high school football broadcasts on local radio.
Our first radio broadcast this fall on Aug. 26 was canceled after heavy rain forced the Vanguard (Ocala) at Gainesville High season opener to get moved. The game was moved to Booster Stadium in Ocala on Saturday morning, Aug. 27, where Vanguard cruised to a 68-0 win.
Two weeks later, the Buchholz at Eastside game was called due to weather with the Bobcats leading the Rams 7-0 late in the first quarter. The game ended up being a no-contest.
For the third time in six weeks, the Stephenson’s Septic Tank Services Game of the Week on 106.9 FM “I am Country” has been impacted.
However, this time the scheduled game will make air.
Due to Hurricane Ian, the Newberry at Williston football game, scheduled for Friday has been postponed until Monday at 7 p.m. Coverage of the game will begin at 6:30 p.m. on 106.9 FM and online at IamCountryRadio.com.
It will be the first of two football games on the radio within a four-day period.
Typically, our radio coverage is every Friday. However, we will broadcast the city showdown between Gainesville (GHS) and Buchholz at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6. Our pregame will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, our audio coverage at MainStreetDailyNews.com was not affected as the P.K. Yonge at Santa Fe (Alachua) game was moved up to Tuesday.
The Blue Wave (1-3) defeated the Raiders, 15-0, to win their first game of the year.
This Monday’s Williston-Newberry game features two of the surprise teams in the area.
The host Red Devils, and first-year coach Robby Pruitt, are 4-0, while the visiting Panthers are 3-1.
Newberry, which is rebounding from a 5-6 record last year, started the year 3-0 but the Panthers suffered their first defeat last Friday to Union County, falling to the Class 1R No. 2 Tigers, 45-0.
Williston began the year with three straight shutouts before doubling up Fort White, 56-28, last Friday.
Williston, which is ranked 10th in the state in Class 1R by MaxPreps, is led by GHS transfers Shooby Coleman and Kyree Edwards.
Coleman has completed 18-of-21 passes for 311 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The junior also has 62 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries.
Edwards leads a ground attack that averages 323.8 yards per game. The senior has carried the ball 27 times for 489 yards with two 100-plus yard games and a team-leading 10 rushing scores.
The Red Devils have scored 26 touchdowns on the ground in just four games.
Newberry’s freshman quarterback, Keil McGriff, has completed 24-of-58 for 494 yards with six touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The young Panthers team, who are ranked 13th in Class 1R, are led on the ground by another freshman, Kaleb Woods, who is on pace to rush for over 1,300 yards in nine games. Woods has 597 yards on 62 carries (9.6 yards per carry) with a team-leading seven touchdowns.
Monday’s matchup is a key game in 1R-Region 4 with Chiefland (No. 6) and Hawthorne (No. 3) also at 4-0 and Pahokee (No. 1) and Wildwood (No. 5) a half game back at 4-1.
It will feel like Friday night lights with four other games taking place on Monday.
In other action, P.K. Yonge is at Mount Dora Christian at 5 p.m., Bell travels to Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) and Oak Hall School is at Bronson at 6 p.m., and Keystone Heights hosts rival Bradford (Starke) at 7:30 p.m.
Hawthorne will host Gibbs (St. Pete) on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.
Week 7 officially begins on Thursday, Oct. 6, with three games on tap. Bradford (Starke) travels to Baker County (Glen St. Mary) at 6 p.m., and at 7 p.m. Oak Hall School is at Harvest Community (Jacksonville) and Buchholz hosts GHS at Citizens Field.
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Menendez (St. Augustine) 23, Gainesville 14
P.K. Yonge 15, Santa Fe (Alachua) 0
Friday, Sept. 30
Branford at Lafayette (Mayo) – postponed (Monday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.)
Chiefland at Trenton – canceled
Taylor County (Perry) at Suwannee (Live Oak) – postponed (TBD)
Union County (Lake Butler) at Wildwood (TBA)
OFF – Buchholz, Dixie County (Cross City), Fort White, St. Francis Catholic Academy
Monday, Oct. 3
P.K. Yonge at Mount Dora Christian, 5 p.m.
Bell at Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) 6 p.m.
Oak Hall School at Bronson, 6 p.m.
Eastside at North Marion (Citra), 6:30 p.m.
Newberry at Williston, 7 p.m. – Game will be broadcast on 106.9 FM “I am Country” and online (audio only) at IamCountryRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Bradford (Starke) at Keystone Heights, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 4
Gibbs (St. Pete) at Hawthorne, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 6
Bradford (Starke) at County (Glen St. Mary), 6 p.m.
Oak Hall School is at Harvest Community (Jacksonville), 7 p.m.
Gainesville at Buchholz at Citizens Field, 7 p.m.