- Gainesville High School beat Ridgeview 34-0 in a preseason Kickoff Classic game under new coach Ashour Peera on Aug. 13, 2026.
- Buchholz defeated Lake Mary 26-17 with a strong second half and will start the regular season against Vanguard on Aug. 21, 2026.
The 2026 high school football season is here.
A pair of area teams opened the year with a victory last night, even though it doesn’t count in the win/loss column.
Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) teams are playing their Kickoff Classic this week. It’s preseason games for schools like Gainesville High School and Buchholz, which gave us at least a little glimpse of what could be.
But every time you take the field, the goal is to come away with a victory.
For GHS, which has a new football coach this season, wins were hard to come by last year under former head coach Ian Scott. The Hurricanes finished just 2-8.
This year, the ‘Canes are taking it quarter by quarter.
On Thursday night at Citizens Field, they only needed one half to put away visiting Ridgeview (Orange Park) with a 34-0 win. Because of a lightning delay that pushed back the start time, there was a running clock in the second half.
“The game was a good battle,” said first-year GHS coach Ashour Peera. “I think we improved in many areas but left a lot of yards and points out there due to mistakes we could have controlled.”
The result on the scoreboard certainly matched what they put on the field.
“The effort was there,” Peera said. “Now we have to polish up our systems to execute better. “I was impressed overall with our receiver’s ability to block and make critical catches when needed most. Defense swarmed and worked well together as a unit.”
GHS will open the regular season on Friday, Aug. 21, at home against Belleview.
If football games are truly won in the trenches, then Buchholz, which heads into the season with a talented junior class, could be in store for another big season.
The Bobcats went on the road to face a good Lake Mary team. Last year, the Rams (12-3) edged Vero Beach, 28-27, to win the FHSAA Class 7A state title.
Buchholz trailed at the half, 17-7, but thanks to an offensive line loaded with Division-I talent, the Bobcats wore down the Rams in the second half for a 26-17 victory.
Next Friday at 7:30 p.m., Buchholz will travel to Booster Stadium in Ocala to face Vanguard (Ocala) to officially kick off the season.
The game will be broadcast on 106.9 FM “I am Country” and online at IamCountryRadio.com beginning with the pregame show at 7 p.m. Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color) will have the call.
At 7:30 p.m. tonight, Vanguard will host defending FHSAA Rural state champion Hawthorne for its Kickoff Classic. Other Alachua County preseason games include Eastside at Newberry, Oak Hall School at Mount Dora Christian Academy, and Santa Fe (Alachua) hosts Willison.
While those games are somewhat of a dress rehearsal for next week, the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA) starts its regular season tonight.
The Tri-County Game of the Week is between Dixie County (Cross City) at Bell, who will both compete in the Atlantic League’s North Region.
The visiting Bears enter their first season under the direction of former Trenton and Union County coach Andrew Thomas.
The host Bulldogs, who return their entire backfield and four of five starters up front, are led by the dean of coaches in the area, Joey Whittington, who enters his 14th consecutive season on the sidelines.
Avoiding injuries will be Bell’s biggest challenge this season.
“I think what we’ve seen, especially the last three years at Bell, is that this senior class, it’s kind of their time in school,” Whittington said. “When we were injury-prone their freshman year and their junior year, we saw that be a 2-8 record their freshman year, 5-5 record last year. When we stay healthy, we have the potential to be pretty good. We went 9-4 their sophomore year. A lot of these guys were starters as sophomores on that team.”
FHSAA Hall of Fame coach Robby Pruitt is back on the sidelines for Union County (Lake Butler).
Pruitt, who stepped down after four seasons at Williston, is back for his second stint after winning three consecutive state football titles at Union County from 1994-1996.
“He’s a hard coach to play for,” said senior offensive tackle/nose guard Jaxson Ridgeway, who played in 11 games with Williston last year and finished with 34 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles as a junior. “He really works you hard, and he wants the best out of you that you can give. He doesn’t want 100 (percent), he wants 110.”
The Tigers are at home tonight at 7:30 p.m. against Lafayette (Mayo).
Other area SSAA games include Fernandina Beach at Keystone Heights and Interlachen at Trenton.
Thursday, Aug. 13
Buchholz 26, Lake Mary 17
Gainesville 34, Ridgeview (Orange Park) 0
Friday, Aug. 14
Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland) at Chiefland, 6 p.m.
Fort White at Providence (Jacksonville), 6:30 p.m.
Branford at Aucilla Christian (Monticello), 7 p.m.
Bronson at Coca Beach, 7 p.m.
Columbia (Lake City) at Oakleaf (Orange Park), 7 p.m.
Cornerstone Academy at Calvary Chapel (Melbourne), 7 p.m.
Fernandina Beach at Keystone Heights, 7 p.m.*
Menendez (St. Augustine) at Bradford (Starke), 7 p.m.
Dixie County (Cross City) at Bell, 7:30 p.m.*
Eastside at Newberry, 7:30 p.m.
Hawthorne at Vanguard (Ocala), 7:30 p.m.
Interlachen at Trenton, 7:30 p.m.*
Lafayette (Mayo) at Union County (Lake Butler), 7:30 p.m.*
Madison County at Suwannee (Live Oak), 7:30 p.m.
Oak Hall School at Mount Dora Christian Academy, 7:30 p.m.
Williston at Santa Fe (Alachua), 7:30 p.m.
OFF – P.K. Yonge, Saint Francis Catholic Academy
*SSAA regular season game