High school football ‘26: Top four games, full schedule for Week 1

Justin Barney, News4JAX sports editor

Published: August 20, 2026 at 1:41 PM

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school football season kicks off in full this week. We will spotlight our top four games followed by our next best options. All games are 7 p.m. unless indicated. (Indicates Super 10 rankings). Predictions for all Week 1 games here.

Four games to watch

(8) Columbia at (2) Bolles

One of the Week 1 headliners against teams who have had a recent history of blowouts or shootouts. Bolles routed Columbia the last two seasons (31-0 last year and 42-17 in 2024). Bolles is 4-3 against the Tigers over the last decade. The Bulldogs have the area’s top RB in Xander Edwards. The big change this season is the line blocking for Edwards. There may be a bit of a learning curve as some of the younger players settle in, but Edwards is legit. Bolles has a defense that is going to make things difficult on Columbia. Edge Asher Ghioto (pictured below) is the big name to watch but LB Christian Hayes is going to terrorize teams this season. The Tigers have historically fielded good defensive teams. Jae’quan Wilson had s acoop-and-score in the kickoff classic against Oakleaf. Offensively is where Columbia will need to show improvement. WR Kyren Caldwell is one of the area’s top recruits, and the Tigers need to get him the ball in space as much as possible.

Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026. (News4JAX)

(1) Raines at (9) Oakleaf

Just the third meeting between these programs, with Raines romping to easy wins in 2017 (41-3) and ’18 (40-27). That was before either head coach was with the program. Raines alum Donovan Masline is 27-1 over the past two seasons leading the Vikings. They are coming off a 14-0 season that ended with the Class 3A state championship. Raines graduated a boatload of talent but does have a its share of impact players returning. LB Johdeem Jones and edge Troy Butler are the top defensive players back for the Vikings. Butler is a wrecking machine (25 TFL, 10 sacks). QB Samon Ellison-Morgan looked sharp in limited action last year, completing 63% of his passes for 7 TDs and no INTs. RB TJ Williamson is with the Vikings this year and has immense upside. As pass catchers, Kiran Jackson and Zion Green will see a much larger workload. Can Oakleaf’s offense find success? QB Jaidan Delaune has plenty of football experience from his time at Riverside, and he’s got a legitimate No. 1 target in four-year player Mike Conner. Defense is where Oakleaf should be able to match up well. DL Mason Thomas (96 tackles, 16 TFL) is one of the top players in Clay County.

Players on the Ed White High School football team during a summer photo shoot. (News4JAX)

(7) Trinity Christian at (6) Ed White, 6:30 p.m.

Rematch of a quality Week 1 game last year, won by the Commanders (45-28). That win was their best of a season where they racked up a state-record 537 points in the regular season. The reason why Ed White didn’t receive as much statewide love for the mark is that the competition was lean. They beat Westside (0-9), Englewood (0-10), Sandalwood (1-9), Parker (2-8) and Riverside (2-8) in that regular season. So, what did head coach Lawrence Johnson do? He ditched the lower tier Gateway competition and got teams like Bradford, Raines and Camden County on the schedule. The ultimate goal for the Commanders is to shine in the playoffs, and they got taken apart by battle-tested St. Augustine in the second round last year. QB King Boylston is one of the area’s top dual-threat players and he’s coming off a 38-TD season. RB Rontrez Loyd returns and he had 12 TDs last year. Top pass catcher King Mercer (835 yards, 7 TDs) is also back. The Commanders had the offense to keep pace last year but they must improve on the defensive side. In their three losses, they gave up 52, 45 and 44 points. The Conquerors are on the short list of state title contenders in Class 1A. Head coach Verlon Dorminey is already a coaching legend, racking up nine state championships and a 343-94 career record. Trinity has fielded an extremely young team the last two seasons and that youth is coming of age. QB Terel Dallas is a capable runner and passer. RB Micah Anderson showcased last season that he can be the No. 1 back. Chris Grissett and Arryon Brookins combined for six TD catches last season. The Conquerors should be better on defense, too. Adrian Williams is back to anchor the defensive line, while ATH Terrell Pinkney and DB Za’khari Greene are both future big-time college players.

(10) University Christian at Ponte Vedra

The schools are a size mismatch (Ponte Vedra is Class 5A and UC is 1A), but this should be one of the week’s best matchups. The Sharks reached the state semifinals last year but graduated a truckload of impact players. They have Noah Ash, one of the best place kickers in the country, as a serious special teams weapon. WR Trent Player is another Ponte Vedra player who could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. RB Alex Winkles also returns for the Sharks. UC has state aspirations of its own in Class 1A. DL Julius LaRosa III (pictured below) is a pocket buster and will be a challenge for the Ponte Vedra offensive line. On offense, TE Connor Winn is a Florida State commit and RB Kyree Wilson has home run ability and closing in on 4,000 career rushing yards (he enters with 3,807).

University Christian School football players during summer workouts. (News4JAX)

Next four

Fletcher at Sandalwood, 6:30 p.m.: The Senators have won the last four games by eight points or more, and 11 of the last 18 over the last 22 seasons. Could the Saints turn things around under new head coach Malik Reaves, a former player and assistant at Fletcher?

(3) Mandarin at McArthur (Broward County Showcase): Really challenging matchup for the Mustangs. McArthur is coming off a 10-3 season where its only losses were to St. Thomas Aquinas (twice) and Chaminade-Madonna. Mandarin ATH Brysen Wright gets the expected and deserved headlines, but two other playmakers to watch are RB Shaunqueze Foster and DL Kindrid Outland. Those guys are legit.

Matanzas at Flagler Palm Coast: Potato Bowl has been dominated by the Bulldogs. Matanzas won back-to-back games in 2015-16 and hasn’t won on the field again since. The 15-3 FPC series lead includes one loss by forfeit.

St. Augustine at Palatka: Twelve consecutive wins in this series for the Yellow Jackets. It’s the longest winning streak in a series that began in 1922. Palatka’s longest winning streak is nine on two occasions (1988-96 and 1963-71)