JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – We’re nearly through three weeks of the high school football season and some big storylines have started to take shape.
Mandarin is one of the biggest ones. The Mustangs rolled over host Riverside in the Football Friday Game of the Week, crushing the previously unbeaten Generals 50-20. Tramell Jones tossed three touchdown passes to Jaime Ffrench and the Mustangs, ranked No. 2 in the News4JAX Super 10, continued their special start.
Mandarin is averaging 45 points per game in wins over Fletcher, Bolles and Riverside. The Mustangs (3-0) host another surprising team, rival Atlantic Coast (3-0), in a battle for the Principal’s Cup. The Stingrays, who entered the season riding an 11-game losing streak on the field (and 14-game losing streak with three wins that were forfeited), beat Westside 30-6 on Friday night. First-year coach Step Durham, an Atlantic Coast alum, has infused the Stingrays program with momentum.
Another big storyline — Bolles’ struggles continue. The Bulldogs dropped their game in the Border Classic to Coffee, Ga. on Friday night, falling 17-9 to slump to their third consecutive loss. According to the Florida Times-Union, the three straight losses to open the season are the worst start for the Bulldogs since 1967. Bolles had a three-game losing streak last year but rebounded to reach their fourth consecutive state semifinal.
Speaking of streaks, the area’s longest winning streak ended on Friday night. Ware County’s 31-24 loss to Savannah Benedictine ended a 17-game winning streak by the Gators dating back to last season. Ware went 14-0 and cruised to the Class 5A state championship in 2022.
How’d the picks do?
The weekly predictions had a bit of a bounce back week. Not every game has been played, but most have, and the record is a respectable 26-7.
How the Super 10 fared
1. Bartram Trail (2-1), lost to Daytona Beach Mainland, 28-24.
2. Mandarin (3-0), beat Riverside, 50-20.
3. Trinity Christian (2-1), beat NFEI, 43-0.
4. Bradford (3-0), beat Middleburg, 32-7.
5. St. Augustine (2-0), beat Brunswick, 45-35.
6. Raines (2-0), beat Sandalwood, 26-7.
7. Bishop Kenny (2-0), beat Tocoi Creek, 23-20.
8. University Christian (2-1), beat Charlton County, 43-10.
9. Ponte Vedra (1-1), OFF.
10. Oakleaf (1-0), OFF.
Florida scoreboard, Week 3
Thursday’s results
- Glynn Academy 27, Baker County 20
- University Christian 40, Charlton County 13
Friday’s results
- Beachside 38, Menendez 7
- Bishop Snyder 50, Cedar Creek Christian 0
- Cambridge Christian 47, Young Kids in Motion 0
- Christ’s Church Academy 45, Harvest Community 0
- Coffee, Ga. 17, Bolles 9
- Crescent City 15, Interlachen 6
- DeFuniak Springs Walton 31, Union County 28, 2 OT
- DeLand 35, Columbia 21
- Flagler Palm Coast 28. Orlando Bishop Moore 14
- Fort White 49, Keystone Heights 27
- Halifax Academy 20, St. Joseph 17
- Hawthorne 46, Parker 6
- Hollis Christian (0-2) at St. John Paul II (0-1), late
- Impact Christian 40, Eagle’s View 24
- Joshua Christian 22, Warner Christian 12
- Matanzas (2-0) at Deltona (0-1), postponed
- Nease 48, Ridge Community 6
- Palatka 48, Santa Fe 10
- Paxon 14, Hilliard 12
- Providence 41, Wolfson 0
- Ridgeview 51, Kissimmee Gateway 18
- Suwannee 33, Chiefland 18
- Yulee 48, Zarephath Academy 12
Saturday, Sept. 9
- McIntosh County Academy 18, West Nassau 0
- Richmond Hill 49, Creekside 31
- St. Augustine 45, Brunswick 35
Georgia results, Week 4
Friday’s scores
- Benedictine 31, Ware County 24
- Camden County 51, New Hampstead 7
- Pierce County 49, Liberty County 6
Saturday, Sept. 9
- St. Augustine 45, Brunswick 35
Television coverage
Florida schedule, Week 4
Friday, Sept. 15
- Atlantic Coast (3-0) at Mandarin (3-0), 6:30 p.m.
- Baker County (0-2) at Baldwin (2-1), 6:30 p.m.
- Bell (0-2) at Keystone Heights (0-2), 7:30 p.m.
- Belleview (0-2) at Palatka (3-0)
- Bishop Kenny (2-0) at Orlando Bishop Moore (0-3)
- Christ’s Church (2-0) at Bishop Snyder (2-1)
- Columbia (0-2) at Madison County (1-0), 7:30 p.m.
- Creekside (1-2) at Gainesville Buchholz (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
- Duval Charter (0-1) at Mount Dora Christian (1-2)
- Eagle’s View (2-1) at St. Joseph (0-3)
- Episcopal (1-1) at West Nassau (1-2)
- Flagler Palm Coast (2-0) at Matanzas (2-0)
- Fleming Island (2-0) at Oakleaf (1-0)
- Gainesville Eastside (2-1) at Bradford (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
- Gainesville (0-3) at Clay (2-1)
- Gainesville PK Yonge (2-0) at Union County (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
- Hamilton County (1-1) at Fort White (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
- Hilliard (1-1) at Branford (1-0)
- Interlachen (0-3) at Fernandina Beach (1-2)
- Jackson (1-2) at Spruce Creek (3-0)
- Joshua Christian (1-1) at Zarephath Academy (1-2)
- Menendez (1-2) at St. Augustine (2-0)
- Middleburg (0-2) at Ponte Vedra (1-1)
- Nease (1-2) at Fletcher (1-2), 6:30 p.m.
- NFEI (1-2) at Providence (2-1)
- Orange Park (1-2) at Melbourne (0-3)
- Palm Beach Christian Prep (0-3) at Impact Christian (2-0)
- Parker (0-3) at White (2-1), 6:30 p.m.
- Paxon (1-2) at Stanton (0-2), 6:30 p.m.
- Raines (2-0) at Daytona Beach Mainland (3-0)
- Riverside (2-1) at First Coast (0-2), 6:30 p.m.
- Sebastian River (2-1) at Beachside (2-1)
- Quincy Munroe (0-2) at Suwannee (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
- Tocoi Creek (1-2) at Eustis (2-1)
- Trinity Christian (2-1) at Bolles (0-3), 7:30 p.m.
- Warner Christian (1-1) at Impact Christian (2-0)
- Westside (0-3) vs. Ribault (2-1), at Paxon, 6:30 p.m.
- Young Kids (0-2) in Motion at West Oaks (0-2)
OFF: Bartram Trail, Cedar Creek Christian, Englewood, Harvest Community, Hollis Christian, Ridgeview, Sandalwood, University Christian, Wolfson, Yulee.
Georgia schedule, Week 5
Friday, Sept. 15
- Charlton County (0-4) at Pierce County (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
- Savannah Islands (0-4) at Brunswick (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
- Somerset Academy (2-0) Camden County (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
· OFF: Glynn Academy, Ware County.