High school football 2020: Baker County-Bolles tops Week 7 slate

Bishop Kenny RB Cayden Jaegar (36) is brought down by Bolles defenders during a scrimmage at Skinner-Barco Stadium on Sept. 4. (Ralph Priddy, News4Jax)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s Week 7 of the high school football season and games are stretched across three days this week — Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

A glance at the best games and the full schedule for Week 7. All games are Friday at 7 p.m. unless indicated. You can find week-by-week schedule and results here.

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Four for Friday

Bolles (4-1) at Baker County (5-0): The game of the week in the area featuring the suffocating Wildcats defense against the versatile and big play ability of the Bulldogs. Baker County has punished its opposition this season (Bradford, Orange Park, White, Westside and Parker) by a massive margin (206-26). Its ground game hits from all angles. QB Carson Crawford (408 rushing yards, 456 passing yards, 25 receiving yards, 12 total TDs) is creeping up on a 1,000 total yards season. RBs Cam Smith, Scooby Graham and Jamarian Baker have a combined 15 rushing TDs between them. Baker County’s attack can come from any of those players with essentially the same degree of success. The question of the week — can they have that type of production against a team the caliber of Bolles? This is Baker County’s biggest obstacle in the way of an unbeaten regular season. The Bulldogs have a diverse offense, with QB Gunner Boree (764 passing yards, 6 TDs) and WR Davis Ellis (483 receiving yards, 4 TDs) headlining the attack. RB Kade Frew is among the area’s top backs, but has just one carry the last two games while battling an injury. LB Mack Marrone (45 tackles) and ATH Caden Fordham (34 tackles, 103 rushing yards, 3 TDs) pilot the Bolles defense.

Lee (3-0) at Columbia (0-3), 7:30 p.m.: This game is always a good one and should be again, despite the Tigers' struggles this season. The Generals went 6-5 against Columbia in the 2010s, struggling early in that decade and getting into a rhythm late. Lee was 0-4 in games from 2010-15 and 6-1 after that, including three victories in the playoffs. The last four meetings have been classics (Lee had a 27-21 and 6-3 win in a double OT playoff game in 2019 and a 31-27 playoff thriller in 2018; Columbia had a 42-37 win in the 2018 regular season game). The Tigers have had a very difficult schedule to open the season —Trinity Christian, Tallahassee’s Florida High and Madison County — against teams who are a combined 12-2. Lee RB Dayon Rawls (264 rushing yards, 5 TDs) powers a Generals offense that has been in two Gateway Conference slugfests (26-18 over Ribault, 25-20 over Mandarin). WR Marcus Peterson (4 TDs on 11 catches) has been one of Columbia’s most consistent players.

Trinity Christian (3-1) at Plantation American Heritage (3-0), 7:30 p.m.: Excellent test for the Conquerors, who pushed hosted Heritage last year during their schedule gauntlet and lost 31-17. The Patriots are ranked sixth in the state by MaxPreps and 20th nationally. They took apart Super 10 No. 1 Bartram Trail 35-10 two weeks ago. Trinity’s best shot at a win in this one is to ride the legs of RB Treyaun Webb (425 rushing yards, 8 TDs) and hope to find seams in a loaded Heritage defense. The Trinity passing game has been slow to develop — WR Marcus Burke has been injured — and has amassed just 351 yards.

Sandalwood (4-0) at Ocala Trinity Catholic (2-2): A big test for the Saints and what should be one of their most challenging opponents of the season. Sandalwood’s 2019 roster was stuffed with three- and four-star players, won three games and ended the year on a five-game losing streak. This season’s team lacks the major stars — with the exception of punishing LB Branden Jennings — but is stacking wins and confidence weekly. QB Chris Calhoun is developing into a dual-threat playmaker. He’s rushed for a team-best 352 yards (2 TDs) and has passed for 560 yards (7 TDs). Defensively, this team is on the rise. Jennings is a monster (he had a pair of safeties last week). DBs Jadon Canady (3 picks) and Amari Mitchell (2 INTs) patrol the secondary. DLs Deante McCray and Sayvion Blount have combined for 12 of Sandalwood’s 23 sacks.

Week 7

FLORIDA

Thursday, Oct. 15

Jackson 35, Episcopal 28

Paxon 43, Stanton 16

White 22, Parker 20

Friday, Oct. 16

Atlantic Coast (2-2) at Creekside (3-2)

Baldwin (5-0) at Fort White (0-3), 7:30 p.m.

Bartram Trail (4-1) at Nease (1-3)

Bolles (4-1) at Baker County (5-0)

Bradford (2-4) at P.K. Yonge (2-4)

Clay (4-0) at Menendez (2-2)

Eagle’s View (3-2) at Bishop Snyder (2-4)

First Coast (2-1) at Fleming Island (4-1), 7:30 p.m.

Flagler Palm Coast (2-2) at Sanford Seminole (4-0)

Gainesville Buchholz (2-1) at Fletcher (4-1), canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

Gainesville Eastside (0-4) at Ridgeview (4-1)

Interlachen (3-2) at Wolfson (0-5), 6 p.m.

Jefferson County (0-4) at Keystone Heights (3-1)

Joshua Christian (0-2) at Branford (3-1)

Lee (3-0) at Columbia (0-3)

Middleburg (0-5) at Orange Park (1-4)

NFEI (0-4) at Zephyrhills Christian (5-1), 4 p.m.

Oakleaf (3-2) at Mandarin (1-3), 6 p.m.

Palatka (0-6) at Hawthorne (3-1), 7:30 p.m.

Pierson Taylor (2-2) at Crescent City (0-4)

Ponte Vedra (4-1) at Englewood (1-3), 6 p.m.

Providence (2-2) at Zarephath Academy (1-4)

St. Augustine (2-2) at Matanzas (2-2)

St. Joseph (1-4) at Father Lopez (2-2)

Sandalwood (4-0) at Ocala Trinity Catholic (2-2), 7:30 p.m.

Trinity Christian (3-1) at Plantation American Heritage (3-0), 7:30 p.m.

University Christian (1-3) at Foundation Academy (5-0)

Wakulla (4-0) at Suwannee (4-2), 7:30 p.m.

Williston (2-4) at Union County (3-2), 7:30 p.m.

Westside (2-2) at Bishop Kenny (1-4)

West Nassau (2-4) at Fernandina Beach (4-2)

Saturday, Oct. 17

Ribault (1-3) at Raines (1-3), 2 p.m.

Off: Cedar Creek Christian, Christ’s Church, Fletcher, Hilliard, Yulee.

GEORGIA

Friday, Oct. 16

Bradwell Institute (0-2-1) at Glynn Academy (2-3), 7:30*

Brunswick (3-2) at South Effingham (0-4), 7:30 p.m.*

Camden County (4-2) at Warner Robins, 7:30 p.m.

Turner County (4-1) at Charlton County (3-2), 7:30 p.m.*

Off: Pierce County, Ware County.


About the Author:

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.