- Santa Fe will host Buchholz on Oct. 1 in a renewed rivalry called 'The War on I-75' after not playing since 2020.
- Santa Fe quarterback Gavin Peterson transferred from Bartram Trail and is expected to boost the team's offense along with running back Jasiah Powell.
- Buchholz finished 12-2 last season, returning key starters and has quarterback Andrew Whittemore, who threw for 2,116 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Today marks the official start of the high school football season for FHSAA member schools with non-contact practice.
One of the biggest games in the area this fall is defending FHSAA Rural state champion Hawthorne against Class 3A state runner-up Miami Northwestern, which moves up to 4A this season.
That game will be played on Saturday, Sept. 12, at The Villages Charter School.
But there’s another big game closer to the area and it’s dubbed “The War on I-75.”
On Thursday, Oct. 1, the Santa Fe (Alachua) football team will host Buchholz. Both teams made the FHSAA state playoffs last year.
Former Gator and NFL running back Earnest Graham gave Santa Fe hope heading into the 2025 season. He took a program that was 2-37 since 2021 to seven wins and a spot in the state playoffs.
The Raiders (7-4) started fast, going 4-0 to double their total from the previous four seasons combined.
Buchholz, which finished 12-2, advanced to its fifth straight state semifinal.
“That’s going to be a big tilt,” said Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore. “Coach Graham and I want to promote that to a great extent. It’s going to be called the ‘War on I-75,’ and I’m just excited about getting our rivalry re-established.”
Buchholz is 8-1 against Santa Fe since 2004. However, this is the first time the Bobcats and Raiders have faced each other on the gridiron since Buchholz’s 52-0 victory on Nov. 5, 2020.
“He’s (Graham) doing a great job up there and we want to renew that long-standing rivalry that we had up until a few years ago,” Whittemore added.
Santa Fe has lost seven straight in the series and is seeking its first win against the Bobcats since a 21-13 victory on Sept. 30, 2011.
The Raiders will have a new quarterback this year as Gavin Peterson transferred in from Bartram Trail (St. Johns).
Peterson (6’1, 170) is the son of former Gator and Santa Fe star Mike Peterson Sr., and he is the nephew of Adrian Peterson, a Raiders alum who went on to play at Georgia Southern.
Both played in the NFL.
The rising junior threw for 850 yards and ran for another 891 yards with a combined 10 touchdowns as a sophomore at Bartram Trail.
“I’m familiar with Buchholz with my brother (Mike Peterson Jr.) going there and playing them at Bartram Trail,” said Gavin Peterson, who returns home after moving to Jacksonville in the middle of his freshman year. “So, I’d say that’s definitely a game I look forward to.”
Last October, Buchholz dominated Bartram Trail, 50-16, in Gainesville to win the Class 6A-District 3 title and the Bobcats held Peterson to just 112 total yards passing and rushing.
“You know, it wasn’t too good of a game at Bartram last year, so I’m really excited about that and all the hype that they have going into this year,” Gavin Peterson said. “I feel like Santa Fe, we’re kind of under the radar right now, but I’m ready to change that playing them.”
Santa Fe senior running back Jasiah Powell (5’10, 215) transferred from Buchholz for his junior season last year.
In his first season at Santa Fe, Powell carried the ball 204 times for 1,353 yards, an average of 6.6 yards per carry and 18 touchdowns.
“We haven’t played them in I think like a decade or so, whatever it is,” Powell said. “But yeah, best team in the area.”
With Gavin Peterson under center and Powell in the backfield, the Raiders have a chance to improve on their 28.7 points per game average in 2025.
“I really do think we have the pieces, especially on offense,” Powell said. “I feel like we have the best offense in the area.”
Athlete Dantre Little (5’10, 168) played for the Raiders last year, but there is a reason why the senior has Buchholz circled on the calendar.
“I came from there, ninth grade, and I went to a different school, and now I’m at Santa Fe,” said Little, who averaged 9.2 yards per carry and 19.3 yards receiving as a junior. “But Buchholz, I always had a chip on my shoulder.”
Meanwhile, Buchholz, which cracked the top 125 national rankings, is reloading.
The Bobcats return eight starters on offense and seven starters on defense.
“I definitely don’t like to count my chickens before they hatch,” Whittemore said. “However, I like our squad. I like us up front on both sides of the ball, which is kind of what I believe wins football games. Our offensive line stands to be one of our best, and our D line is talented, very talented.”
Although they lost University of Florida signee Justin Williams to graduation, they do have Whittemore’s son, Andrew, back under center.
As a sophomore, he threw for 2,116 yards and 19 touchdowns and added another 401 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
“I think he’s going to be more athletic in and out of the pocket,” Mark Whittemore said of Andrew, who recently received an offer from the Gators. “He made some plays with his feet last year, and I think that’s going to increase. His emotional and mental stability, his outlook and how he sees the field, is going to be that much more veteran-like. So, I see him leading a little bit more with his feet.”
With an offensive line led by UAB commit Bryce Daniels, one of four D-I players up front, plus junior running back Josh Menefee (684 yards, six touchdowns), and a few playmakers at the wide receiver position, the ‘Cats will be tough to defend.
However, Santa Fe offensive coordinator Karl Harmon is still optimistic.
“It should be the biggest game in a while here in Gainesville, so we’re hyped up about that,” he said. “The kids are hyped up about it. That’s what we’re here for. All our coaches are excited. The players are excited. We circled it on the calendar, so we’re ready to go.”